Compact padding machine
First Claim
1. A padding machine comprising:
- a frame comprising opposite side members, a front end and a rear end;
a screening conveyor belt disposed between said opposite side members of said frame, said screening conveyor belt comprising openings therein suitable for screening soil to be used as padding material, said screening conveyor belt further comprising an upper run and a lower run;
an imperforate soil receiving conveyor belt disposed between said opposite side members of said frame, said soil receiving conveyor belt being positioned directly beneath said screening conveyor belt, within the path of said screening conveyor belt and between said upper run and said lower run, whereby soil passing through said screening conveyor belt is deposited onto said soil receiving conveyor belt; and
a transverse conveyor belt disposed beneath said soil receiving conveyor belt, and means for driving said transverse conveyor belt; and
means for driving said screening conveyor belt and said soil receiving conveyor belt such that said screening conveyor belt and said soil receiving conveyor belt both move towards said transverse conveyor belt;
whereby soil carried along said screening conveyor belt is screened by said screening conveyor belt, and whereby soil sufficiently fine grained to pass through said screening conveyor belt passes through said openings therein onto said soil receiving conveyor belt, and whereby the screened soil on said soil receiving conveyor belt is carried towards and discharged onto said transverse conveyor belt, from where it is conveyed transversely and may be discharged alongside said padding machine.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A compact padding machine for screening and conveying soil into a trench. The machine is usable as an attachment to a conventional bucket loader, bulldozer or other base machine. The padding machine includes a screening belt, an underlying inclined conveyor belt, and a transverse, extendible discharge conveyor belt. Soil is collected and conveyed upwardly on the screening belt. Fine grained soil passes through the screening belt, is deposited onto the inclined conveyor belt, and is discharged therefrom onto the transverse conveyor belt, from where it may be conveyed into an adjacent trench. A hydraulic vibrator is coupled to the screening belt to disaggregate clods of fine-grained soil and cause the soil to pass through the screening belt. Rocks and other large objects are conveyed to the rear of the machine and discharged. An auxiliary attachment may be used to collect discharged rocks and convey them away from the path of the following base machine, either by conveying them into the trench, on top of the screened soil, or by conveying them to the opposite side of the padding machine, away from the trench. A pivotable auxiliary conveyor belt is also available to enable screened soil to be discharged at variable distances from the machine.
71 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A padding machine comprising:
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a frame comprising opposite side members, a front end and a rear end; a screening conveyor belt disposed between said opposite side members of said frame, said screening conveyor belt comprising openings therein suitable for screening soil to be used as padding material, said screening conveyor belt further comprising an upper run and a lower run; an imperforate soil receiving conveyor belt disposed between said opposite side members of said frame, said soil receiving conveyor belt being positioned directly beneath said screening conveyor belt, within the path of said screening conveyor belt and between said upper run and said lower run, whereby soil passing through said screening conveyor belt is deposited onto said soil receiving conveyor belt; and a transverse conveyor belt disposed beneath said soil receiving conveyor belt, and means for driving said transverse conveyor belt; and means for driving said screening conveyor belt and said soil receiving conveyor belt such that said screening conveyor belt and said soil receiving conveyor belt both move towards said transverse conveyor belt; whereby soil carried along said screening conveyor belt is screened by said screening conveyor belt, and whereby soil sufficiently fine grained to pass through said screening conveyor belt passes through said openings therein onto said soil receiving conveyor belt, and whereby the screened soil on said soil receiving conveyor belt is carried towards and discharged onto said transverse conveyor belt, from where it is conveyed transversely and may be discharged alongside said padding machine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification