Pressure adjustable, soil cleating attachment for front of bulldozers

• US 6,171,020 B1
• Filed: 12/04/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dan Pikna, Rick Reidl
• Original Assignee: Dan Pikna, Rick Reidl
• Inventors: Reidl, Rick, Pikna, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLORIO, KRISTINE
• Application Number:
  US09/206,103
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 172/40, 172/810, 172/812, 172/815, 172/68, 404/128, 404/122, 404/121, 374/03, 374/66, 379/03, 374/07
• US Class Current: 404/121
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 13/16 Machines for combating erosion, e.g. basin-diggers, furrow-dammers
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 29/045 the soil-pressing body being a drum
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 59/048 having pulling or pushing means arranged on the front part of the tractor
• 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

A pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for front of bulldozers, designed for erosion control by cleating the ground in the area between the bull dozer tracks, thus facilitating one pass cleating of the entire area under the bull dozer. The present invention may also be used to crimp straw and when reseeding land. A cleated roller is connected to two support arms, which releasably mount to the bottom of the bulldozer push arms. A protective shield is connected to each support arm, and covers the upper visible portion of the roller as the roller rotates, thereby reducing flying debris during cleating of the ground. Roller stabilization arms are designed to compensate for movement of the support arms as the bottom of the bulldozer blade wears during use.

Claims

1. A pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for the front of bulldozers, comprising:

a roller, of a generally cylindrical configuration, said roller having two ends each forming a connection point and an external circumferential surface area;

cleating means, said cleating means located on said external circumferential surface area of said roller;

two support arms, of a linearly elongated configuration, said support arms connected to said ends of said roller at said connection points;

bearings, said bearings located at the connection point of said roller and support arms, and used to facilitate smooth rotation of said roller;

a plurality of support arm attachment means, located along an upper surface of each support arm, said support arm attachment means designed to releasably secure each support arm to a lower side of bulldozer push arms;

a protective shield, said protective shield connected to each support arm, and covering an upper portion of said roller as said roller rotates; and

roller stabilization means, said roller stabilization means designed to compensate for movement of said support arms as the bottom of a bulldozer blade wears during use, wherein said roller stabilization means further comprises

a set of cables, said cables attached to each support arm near said connection point of said support arm and said roller, and extending to releasably connecting to eye bolts already positioned on said bulldozer blade; and

ratcheting means, said ratcheting means designed to allow tension on each cable to be adjusted.

2. The pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for said front of bulldozers described in claim 1, wherein said support arm attachment means are hook up pins, which pass through connection protrusions located on said upper surface of each support arm and holes in said lower portion of each bulldozer push arm, said connection protrusions configured to allow said support arm to rest against said lower side of said bulldozer push arm.

3. The pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for the front of bulldozers described in claim 1, wherein each support arm extends backward from said roller toward said bulldozer, perpendicular to a radial centerline of said roller.

4. The pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for the front of bulldozers described in claim 1, wherein the length of said roller is sufficient to create cleating patterns over the area between said tracks of conventional bulldozers.

5. The pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for the front of bulldozers described in claim 1, wherein said attachment utilizes a hydraulic system to create the pressure under which said cleating means are applied to the ground.

6. The pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for the front of bulldozers described in claim 1, wherein said attachment is capable of placing variable pressure on the ground to create cleat patterns without adjustment to the configuration or components of said attachment.

7. The pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for the front of bulldozers described in claim 1, wherein said attachment is small, compact and lightweight, in comparison to a tow-behind device.

8. The pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for the front of bulldozers described in claim 1, wherein said attachment may be attached to bulldozer blade arms by raising said bulldozer blade arms and adjusting the position of said bulldozer blade arms in order to line-up said support arms with said bottom of said bulldozer push arms.

9. The pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for the front of bulldozers described in claim 1, wherein said attachment is designed for erosion control by cleating said ground in the area between the bulldozer tracks, thus facilitating one pass cleating of said entire area under said bulldozer.