Protecting compactor axles, seals and wheel bearings from wire wrap intrusion

• US 5,967,242 A
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caron Compactor Company
• Original Assignee: Caron Compactor Company
• Inventors: Bettencourt, Donald Chris, Caron, James O., Caron, Scott F. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US09/080,059
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 172/817, 172/534, 172/535, 172/536, 172/537, 172/540, 172/508, 172/509, 172/510, 172/514, 172/517, 404/121, 404/122, 404/124, 404/128, 301/105.1, 301/106, 301/109, 301/110
• US Class Current: 172/817
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/00 Dumping solid waste
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 3/026 by rolling with rollers usable only for or specially adapted for soil compaction, e.g. sheepsfoot rollers rollers for soil working in agriculture A01B29/00; rollers for road paving, such rollers usable also for compacting soil E01C19/23

Abstract

On a compactor wheel having outer and inner cylindrical drums, the inner drum being mounted on the vehicle axle, there is provided an axially extending shroud. The shroud is equipped with a cover plate which together serves to define a cavity enclosing the axle seals and bearings preventing trash from intruding into those components of the compactor vehicle.

Claims

1. In compaction equipment for a sanitary land fill wherein wire wrap materials are deployed and including a powered vehicle equipped with compaction rollers mounted upon axle drive shafts of the vehicle, such drive shafts being equipped with bearings and bearing seals, a combination wherein at least one of said rollers has a rigid cylindrical outer drum having an axial width sufficient to support a plurality of spaced apart circumferential rows of compaction cleats;

said roller having a rigid cylindrical inner drum co-axially disposed with respect to said outer drum;

frusto-conically shaped, generally radially extending web members fixedly secured to said inner and said outer drums such that the inner drum is positioned inwardly of the perimeter edges of said outer drum at least on a proximal side of said roller with respect to the vehicle;

flange means rigidly secured to said inner drum serving to mount said roller with respect to an axle shaft of the vehicle;

cylindrical shroud means fixedly secured to and rotatable with said roller and extending axially outwardly therefrom beyond the perimeter edges of said roller on a proximal side thereof, said shroud means surrounding the vehicle axle shaft, bearings and seals such that the shroud defines on said roller an axially extending interior cavity into which the axle shaft projects, the shroud means having a generally cylindrical, substantially unobstructed exterior surface presenting to the wire wrap materials a surface on to which the wire wrap materials do not adhere.

2. The combination of claim 1 further including a cover of annular configuration arranged within said shroud means serving to define a proximal end of said cavity and bracket means serving to mount said cover with respect to a chassis of the vehicle, the cover being sized to permit unobstructed rotation of said shroud while fitting sufficiently close to said shroud to preclude wire wrap materials from access to said cavity and such vehicle'"'"'s axle shaft and bearing enclosed therein.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein an annular wire trap flange member is fixedly mounted within said shroud means axially outwardly of said cover so as to define a serpentine path from the exterior into said cavity substantially precluding entry of trash materials into said cavity.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein a plurality of axially extending, circumferentially spaced apart flange members are rigidly secured to the exterior surface of said shroud means serving to deflect trash therefrom and affording a work space for wire wrap removal should the same be entrained on the exterior of said shroud means.

5. In compaction equipment for a sanitary land fill wherein wire wrap materials are deployed and including a powered vehicle equipped with compaction rollers mounted upon axle drive shafts of the vehicle, such drive shafts being equipped with bearings and bearing seals, a combination wherein at least one of said rollers includes a rigid cylindrical outer drum having an axial width sufficient to support a plurality of spaced apart circumferential rows of compaction cleats;

said roller having a rigid cylindrical inner drum co-axially disposed with respect to said outer drum;

at least one frusto-conically shaped, generally radially extending web member fixedly secured to said inner and said outer drums such that the inner drum is positioned inwardly of the perimeter edges of said outer drum at least on a proximal side of said roller with respect to the vehicle;

flange means rigidly secured to said inner drum serving to mount said roller with respect to an axle shaft of the vehicle;

cylindrical shroud means fixedly secured to and rotatable with said roller and extending axially outwardly from said inner drum on said proximal side of said roller, said shroud means surrounding the vehicle axle shaft, bearings and seals such that the shroud defines on said roller an axially extending interior cavity into which the axle shaft projects, the shroud means having a generally cylindrical exterior surface presenting to the wire wrap materials a surface on to which the wire wrap materials do not fixedly adhere;

a ring member fixedly secured to an interior surface of said shroud means and spaced inwardly from an outer edge thereof; and

a cylindrical cover member arranged within said shroud means inwardly from said outer edge and outwardly from said ring member,

said cover member being mounted on an axle drive shaft housing in a position coaxial with said shroud means and axially closely spaced apart from said ring member permitting rotation of said shroud means around a circular perimeter of said cover member,

the outer edge of said shroud means, said cover member perimeter and said ring member being arranged to define a serpentine barrier against wire wrap penetration into said interior cavity.

6. The combination of claim 5 and including a cylindrical outer flange mounted on said shroud means adjacent to said outer edge thereof and extending radially outwardly therefrom serving to inhibit wire wrap from engaging said cover member.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said cover member comprises two segments, and fastener means for securing said segments together and for mounting said cover member to said axle drive shaft housing.

8. The combination of claim 5 wherein a plurality of axially extending, circumferentially spaced apart flange members are rigidly secured to the exterior surface of said shroud means serving to deflect trash therefrom and affording a work space for wire wrap removal should the same be entrained on the exterior of said shroud means.