Pipeline padding machine

• US 4,616,957 A
• Filed: 06/08/1984
• Issued: 10/14/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Larry N. Burrows, Truman L. Gregory
• Original Assignee: Larry N. Burrows, Truman L. Gregory
• Inventors: Gregory, Truman L., Burrows, Larry N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Cornelius J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/619,311
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 405/157, 405/179, 37/110, 37/142.5, 414/527, 414/528, 414/724, 414/725, 198/311
• US Class Current: 405/179
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/12 with equipment for back-filling trenches or ditches

Abstract

A machine for depositing pipeline padding material in a pipeline ditch in the form of an attachment for a bulldozer blade which is driven from the hydraulic system of the bulldozer and includes an endless conveyor belt forming the bottom of a horizontally oriented chute or trough which receives padding dirt from a dump truck body or the like and distributes it evenly in the pipeline ditch as the bulldozer with the padding machine mounted thereon moves alongside of the ditch. The padding machine includes a mounting structure attaching it to the bulldozer blade by utilizing hook-like frame members which open downwardly so that it can be dropped onto the bulldozer blade and a hydraulic drive motor and reduction gear is connected to the head pulley of the conveyor and is driven from a hydraulic pump associated with the bulldozer with control valve arrangements being provided for controlling the direction and speed of the conveyor in order to enable an even depth of padding material to be discharged into the ditch throughout its length.

Claims

1. A machine for transfering padding material from a dump truck body into a pipe line ditch comprising an elongated, horizontally disposed, upwardly opening chute for receiving padding material from the dump truck body, an endless, imperforate, flexible conveyor belt forming the bottom of said cute, said chute including an end wall spaced a predetermined distance above the belt to form a slot-like outlet above the belt, a pair of end rollers supporting said belt for discharge of padding material into a ditch with the thickness of the padding material being discharged determined by the space between the end wall and the conveyor belt and remaining substantially constant as padding material is discharged into the ditch, means driving one of said end rollers, means mounting the chute, belt and rollers from a vehicle such that as the vehicle travels parallel to a pipeline ditch, padding material will be discharged into the ditch, said means supporting the chute, belt and rollers from a vehicle includes a supporting frame structure of inverted U-shaped configuration for vertically positioning on a bulldozer blade attached to the vehicle without modification of the bulldozer blade and without manipulation of fastening devices, said chute including an upwardly inclined rear wall being inclined toward the frame structures, an upwardly inclined front wall of less height that the rear wall thereby enabling the rear end of a dump truck body to be positioned over the front wall of the chute for discharging padding material into the chute without contacting the front wall.

2. An apparatus for transferring padding material from a dump truck body into a pipeline ditch comprising a bulldozer having a front mounted bulldozer blade, a plurality of downwardly opening hook-like mounting structures positioned vertically downwardly over the top edge of the bulldozer blade, a chute and conveyor assembly attached to said mounting structures and including a vertical dimension generally equal to the mounting structures and bulldozer blade, said chute including upwardly extending, outwardly inclined peripheral wall portions including an end wall spaced laterally of the end of the bulldozer blade and positionable alongside of a pipeline ditch as the bulldozer is driven parallel to the ditch in spaced relation thereto, said conveyor including an endless conveyor belt forming the bottom of the chute and extending from end to end thereof and including end rollers supporting the belt, a hydraulic motor driving one of the end rollers and powered from the hydraulic system of the bulldozer with one of the end rollers being positioned closely adjacent and under the end wall to provide a slot-like discharge outlet between the upper flight of the conveyor belt and the end wall to restrict the discharge of padding material into a substantially constant thickness layer of padding material for discharge into the ditch thereby providing a substantially constant thickness layer of padding material in the ditch as the bulldozer is driven parallel to the ditch.