Construction apparatus with earth trimmer

• US 4,808,026 A
• Filed: 01/19/1988
• Issued: 02/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: POWER CURBERS, INC.
• Original Assignee: POWER CURBERS, INC.
• Inventors: Griffith, Clifford J. Jr., Clarke, Samuel Y. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Letchford, John F.
• Application Number:
  US07/145,831
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 404/90, 404/91, 404/96, 404/98, 404/104, 404/84, 299/36-40, 37/108 R, 37/108 A, 37/DIG. 13, 37/DIG. 20, 172/4.5, 172/107-109
• US Class Current: 404/90
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/187 solely for spreading-out or striking-off deposited mixtures, e.g. spread-out screws, strike-off boards
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/42 Machines for imparting a smooth finish to freshly-laid paving courses other than by rolling, tamping or vibrating for distributing only E01C19/12; hand-actuated smoothing tools E01C19/44
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/4893 Apparatus designed for railless operation
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2301/18 the whole machine being laterally slidable
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/76 Graders, bulldozers, or the like with scraper plates or ploughshare-like elements soil-working A01B; Levelling scarifying devices street cleaning E01H; construction of roads E01C19/00, E01C23/00

Abstract

A construction apparatus with a trimmer connected by a three-point suspension wherein each of the three points is independently adjustable for adjusting the angle of the trimmer relative to the main frame in accordance with the desired slope or grade of the ground surface and to raise and lower the trimmer. The trimmer is also provided with an improved carriage for permitting the trimmer to be moved laterally outwardly of the construction apparatus to grade the ground surface alongside the construction apparatus. The construction apparatus preferably molds a paving material onto the ground immediately behind the trimmer so that concurrent grading and molding is accomplished in one pass of the construction apparatus.

Claims

1. A self-propelled construction apparatus for grading a ground surface in preparation for forming a strip of paving material on the graded ground surface, said apparatus comprising a main frame, movable ground engaging means connected to said main frame for supporting said main frame, prime mover means carried by said main frame and being operatively connected to said movable ground engaging means to provide propulsion for the construction apparatus, trimmer means positioned below said main frame and extending laterally of said main frame for grading the ground surface, and means adjustably connecting said trimmer means to said main frame for providing an individually adjustable three-point suspension of said trimmer means wherein each point of said three-point suspension is individually adjustable for adjusting the angle of the trimmer means relative to said main frame in accordance with the desired slope or grade of the ground surface, adjusting the angle of attack of the trimmer means, and also for raising and lowering of the trimmer means relative to the main frame.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said prime mover means is operatively connected to said means adjustably connecting said trimmer means to said main frame.

3. A self-propelled construction apparatus for grading a ground surface in preparation for forming a strip of paving material on the graded ground surface, said apparatus comprising a main frame, movable ground engaging means connected to said main frame for supporting said main frame, prime mover means carried by said main frame and being operatively connected to said movable ground engaging means to provide propulsion for the construction apparatus, trimmer means positioned below said main frame and extending laterally of said main frame for grading the ground surface, said trimmer means comprising earth grading means, a carriage connected to said main frame and dependingly supporting said earth grading means therefrom for lateral movement relative to said main frame, and said apparatus further comprising means adjustably connecting said carriage to said main frame for providing an individually adjustable three-point suspension of said trimmer means wherein each point of said three-point suspension is individually adjustable for adjusting the angle of the trimmer means relative to said main frame in accordance with the desired slop or grade of the ground surface, adjusting the angle of attack of the trimmer means, and also for raising and lowering of the trimmer means relative to the main frame.

4. An apparatus for grading a ground surface in preparation for forming a strip of paving material on the graded ground surface, said apparatus comprising a main frame, trimmer means positioned below said main frame and extending laterally of said main frame for grading the ground surface, and means connecting said trimmer means to said main frame for providing an individually adjustable three-point suspension of said trimmer means wherein each point of said three-point suspension is individually adjustable for adjusting the angle of the trimmer means relative to said main frame in accordance with the desired slope or grade of the ground surface, adjusting the angle of attack of the trimmer means, and also for raising and lowering of the trimmer means relative to the main frame.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said connecting means comprises fluid pressure means and said apparatus further comprises limiting means adjacent said fluid pressure means for holding said trimmer means in a predetermined position relative to said main frame against the force of said fluid pressure means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said trimmer means comprises a carriage connected to said main frame, earth grading means connected to and depending from said carriage and mounted for lateral movement relative to said carriage, and actuator means for moving said earth grading means from a retracted position wherein said earth grading means underlies said carriage to an extended position wherein said earth grading means extends outwardly laterally beyond said carriage.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said trimmer means comprises earth grading means, a carriage connected to said main frame, said carriage comprising a main carriage and an auxiliary carriage connected to and depending from said main carriage and mounted for lateral movement relative to said main carriage, said earth grading means being connected to and depending from said auxiliary carriage and mounted for lateral movement relative to said auxiliary carriage, a plurality of actuator means operatively connected to said carriage and said earth grading means for moving both said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means from a retracted position wherein said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means underlie said main carriage to an extended position wherein said auxiliary carriage extends outwardly laterally beyond said main carriage and said earth grading means extends outwardly laterally beyond said auxiliary carriage.

8. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said trimmer means comprises a carriage connected to said main frame, earth grading means connected to and depending from said carriage and mounted for lateral movement relative to said carriage, actuating means for moving said earth grading means from a retracted position wherein said earth grading means underlies said carriage to an extended position laterally outwardly beyond said carriage, and one end of said carriage having an archway permitting construction of a more compact trimmer means, and wherein said one end of said carriage corresponds to the end from which the earth grading means extends outwardly.

9. A self-propelled construction apparatus for concurrently grading a ground surface and forming a strip of paving material on the graded ground surface, said apparatus comprising a main frame, movable ground engaging means connected to said main frame for supporting said main frame, prime mover means carried by said main frame and being operatively connected to said movable ground engaging means to provide propulsion for the construction apparatus, molding means connected to said main frame for forming the strip of paving material on the ground, trimmer means positioned below said main frame and extending laterally of said main frame and forwardly of said molding means for grading the ground surface ahead of the molding means, said trimmer means comprising earth grading means, a carriage comprising a main carriage and an auxiliary carriage connected to and depending from said main carriage and mounted for movement relative to said main carriage, said earth grading means being connected to and depending from said auxiliary carriage, a plurality of actuator means operatively connected to said carriage and said earth grading means for moving both said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means from a retracted position wherein said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means underlie said main carriage to an extended position wherein said auxiliary carriage extends outwardly laterally beyond said main carriage and said earth grading means extends outwardly laterally beyond said auxiliary carriage.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said auxiliary carriage comprises a pair of parallel slide bars that are carried by and slidably received by said main carriage, and said earth grading means comprises a pair of parallel slide bars that are carried by and slidably received by said auxiliary carriage.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said auxiliary carriage comprises a pair of parallel slide bars that are carried by and slidably received by said main carriage, and wherein said earth grading means includes a pair of slide bars that are slidably received by said auxiliary carriage, and wherein said plurality of actuator means comprises first fluid pressure actuator means interconnecting said main carriage and said auxiliary carriage for effecting movement of said auxiliary carriage between said retracted position and said extended position, and second fluid pressure actuator means interconnecting said earth grading means and said auxiliary carriage for effecting movement of said earth grading means between said extended position and said retracted position.

12. A self-propelled construction apparatus for concurrently grading a ground surface and forming a strip of paving material on the graded ground surface, said apparatus comprising a main frame, movable ground engaging means connected to said main frame for supporting said main frame, prime mover means carried by said main frame and being operatively connected to said movable ground engaging means to provide propulsion for the construction apparatus, molding means connected to said main frame for forming a strip of paving material on the ground, trimmer means positioned below said main frame and extending laterally of said main frame and forwardly of said molding means for grading the ground surface ahead of said molding means, said trimmer means comprising earth grading means, a carriage comprising a main carriage and an auxiliary carriage connected to and depending from said main carriage and mounted for lateral movement relative to said main carriage, said earth grading means being connected to and depending from said auxiliary carriage, and a plurality of fluid pressure actuator means operatively connected to said carriage and said earth grading means for moving both said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means from a retracted position wherein said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means underlie said main carriage to an extended position wherein said auxiliary carriage extends outwardly laterally beyond said main carriage and said earth grading means extends outwardly laterally beyond said auxiliary carriage, said construction apparatus further comprising fluid pressure means connecting said main carriage to said main frame so as to provide an individually adjustable three-point suspension of said trimmer means for adjusting the angle of the trimmer means relative to said main frame in accordance with the desired slope or grade of the ground surface, and for raising and lowering of the trimmer means relative to the main frame.

13. A construction apparatus for grading a ground surface in preparation for forming a strip of paving material on the graded ground surface, said apparatus comprising a main frame, trimmer means comprising earth grading means, a carriage connected to said earth grading means for dependingly supporting said earth grading means therefrom, said carriage comprising a main carriage and an auxiliary carriage connected to and depending from said main carriage and mounted for movement relative to said main carriage, said earth grading means being connected to and depending from said auxiliary carriage for lateral movement relative to said auxiliary carriage, and a plurality of actuator means operatively connected to said carriage and said earth grading means for moving both said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means from a retracted position wherein said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means underly said main carriage to an extended position wherein said auxiliary carriage extends outwardly laterally beyond said main carriage and said earth grading means extends outwardly laterally beyond said auxiliary carriage.

14. A construction apparatus for grading a ground surface in preparation for forming a strip of paving material on the graded ground surface, said apparatus comprising a main frame, trimmer means positioned below said main frame and extending laterally of said main frame for grading the ground surface, said trimmer means comprising earth grading means, a carriage connected to said earth grading means for dependingly supporting said earth grading means therefrom for lateral movement relative to said carriage, and actuator means connected to said carriage for moving said earth grading means from a retracted position wherein said earth grading means underlies said carriage to an extended position wherein the earth grading means extends outwardly laterally beyond said carriage, and said construction apparatus further comprising means connecting said carriage to said main frame so as to provide an individually adjustable three-point suspension of said trimmer means for adjusting the angle of the trimmer means relative to said main frame in accordance with the desired slope or grade of the ground surface, and for raising and lowering of the trimmer means relative to the main frame.

15. A construction apparatus for concurrently grading a ground surface and forming a strip of paving material on the graded ground surface, said apparatus comprising a main frame, molding means connected to said main frame for forming the strip of paving material on the ground, trimmer means positioned below said main frame and extending laterally of said main frame and forwardly of said molding means for grading the ground surface ahead of the molding means, and means connecting said trimmer means to said main frame for providing an individually adjustable three-point suspension of said trimmer means wherein each point of said three-point suspension is individually adjustable for adjusting the angle of the trimmer means relative to said main frame in accordance with the desired slope or grade of the ground surface, adjusting the angle of attach of the trimmer means, and also for raising and lowering of the trimmer means relative to the main frame.

16. A trimmer for grading the ground and adapted to be mounted on and carried by a construction apparatus, said trimmer comprising earth grading means, a carriage connected to said earth grading means for dependingly supporting said earth grading means therefrom, said carriage comprising a main carriage and an auxiliary carriage connected to and depending from said main carriage and mounted for lateral movement relative to said main carriage, said earth grading means being connected to and depending from said auxiliary carriage for movement relative to said auxiliary carriage, a plurality of actuator means operatively connected to said carriage and said earth grading means for moving both said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means from a retracted position wherein said auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means underlie said main carriage to an extended position wherein said auxiliary carriage extends outwardly laterally beyond one end of said main carriage and said earth grading means extends outwardly laterally beyond said auxiliary carriage.

17. A trimmer according to claim 16, wherein said auxiliary carriage comprises a pair of parallel slide bars that are carried by and slideably received by said main carriage, and said earth grading means comprises a pair of parallel slide bars that are carried by and slideably received by said auxiliary carriage.

18. A trimmer according to claim 16, wherein said auxiliary carriage comprises a pair of parallel slide bars that are carried by and slidably received by said main carriage, and wherein said earth grading means includes a pair of slide bars that are slidably received by said auxiliary carriage, and wherein said plurality of actuator means comprises first fluid pressure actuator means interconnecting said main carriage and said auxiliary carriage for effecting movement of said auxiliary carriage between said retracted position and said extended position, and second fluid pressure actuator means interconnecting said earth grading means and said auxiliary carriage for effecting movement of said earth grading means between said extended position and said retracted position.

19. A trimmer according to claim 16, wherein one end of said main carriage has an archway permitting construction of a more compact carriage, and wherein said archway is positioned on said one end of said main carriage from which the auxiliary carriage and said earth grading means are extendable.