Remote excavation tool

• US 9,290,905 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Diaz, Angel, Foltz, Lee, Strackbein, Bruce James, Marchand, David Rivera
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/121,625
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 172/42, 172/51, 172/103, 172/107, 172/273, 172/274, 172/351, 172/433, 172/810, 701/2, 701/24, 701/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/188 with the axis being horizontal and transverse to the direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/20 with tools that only loosen the material , i.e. mill-type wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/205 with a pair of digging wheels, e.g. slotting machines implements for making foundation slots with definition of the walls or foundations E02D17/13; bulkheads or similar walls made solely of concrete in situ E02D5/18; with a pair of buckets E02F3/475
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/241 digging wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/246 drives
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/248 Cleaning the wheels or emptying the digging elements mounted on the wheels, e.g. in combination with spoil removing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/961 with several digging elements or tools mounted on one machine for backhoes E02F3/964 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/08 with digging wheels turning round an axis E02F5/109 takes precedence; with digging wheels per se E02F3/18
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 Tool

Abstract

The remote excavator tool fastens to a robotic arm on a remotely controlled robotic platform that includes a track drive. The tool uses high speed tilling elements rotating at about 1500 rpm to dig, efficiently, a trench using a small amount of power. The tilling elements are hardened steel, rotating counterclockwise to a conventional tiller. The tilling elements are symmetrically mounted on a polygonal shaft, and include right and left multiple couples of paired facing disks with staggered curved tines, where the tines are thick and have tapered hardened edges. Round brushes are interspaced between couples. The loosen soil is pushed forward and to the sides to help protect the robotic platform and maintain control of the tool especially as the rate of the excavation partially depends on the characteristics of the material being excavated.

Claims

1. A remote excavator tool, comprising:

an extension boom being mounted to a motor, wherein said extension boom houses a driveshaft and a belt-and-pulley drive train;

a polygonal shaft being attached to the belt-and-pulley drive train,

wherein said polygonal shaft includes a right length and a left length that are comparable, and wherein each said right length and said left length extend outward from the extension boom;

a set of tilling elements being symmetrically mounted on the right length and the left length of the polygonal shaft,

wherein said set of tilling elements is comprised of a plurality of paired staggered tine disks and round brushes,

wherein each of the paired staggered tine disks includes a first disk with an outward facing plurality of tines radiating from a first plate with a first center polygonal opening,

wherein the tines are relatively thick and have a thickness-to-length ratio of about 0.1;

1, a curve out-board, a leading edge, and a peripheral edge that are hardened and tapered,

wherein each of the paired staggered tine disks includes a second disk with an inward facing plurality of tines radiated from a second plate with an angularly turned second center polygonal opening aligned with the first center polygonal opening, and

wherein the inward facing plurality of tines are relatively thick and have a thickness-to-length ratio of about 0.1;

1, a curve inward, an opposing leading edge, and an opposing peripheral edge that is hardened and tapered;

a drive train assembly,

wherein the drive train assembly is comprised of mechanical elements that set an operational rotational speed of the polygonal shaft in a range from about 1400 rpm to about 1600; and

a rearward mount for attaching the tool with an interface element,

wherein the interface element provides a connecting assembly for the tool to be fastened to one of a robotic platform and an auxiliary element associated with the robotic platform.

2. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of paired staggered tine disks mounted on the polygonal shaft comprise a left inner couple of paired staggered tine disks and a right inner couple of paired staggered tine disks, wherein the left inner couple and the right inner couple includes two disks, wherein the two disks include four tines, wherein the tines on the second disk are angularly offset by 45 degrees and bisect the tines on the first disk, wherein the plurality of paired staggered tine disks is further comprised of a left outer couple of paired staggered tine disks and a right outer couple of paired staggered tine disks, wherein the left outer couple and the right outer couple includes two disks, wherein each disk includes four tines, wherein the tines on a third disk are angularly offset by 22.5 degree from the first disk, wherein the fourth disk is angularly offset by 45 degrees from the third disk so that tines on the fourth disk bisect the tines on the third disk, wherein the tines on the outer couple bisect the tines on the inner couple, and wherein the symmetry provides on a flat surface only one right tine and one left tine simultaneously contact the flat surface.

3. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, further comprising a wire making an electrical connection to the robotic platform.

4. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein the tines are comprised of D2 Tool Steel heat treated to a hardness of 60-63 on a Rockwell C scale to balance toughness and hardness, which mitigate deformation and wear.

5. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein the motor is a 24 volt DC motor with a rated power output of about 211+/−

15% watts at about 5700+/−

15% rpm.

6. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the polygonal shaft is a square shaped bar.

7. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the center polygonal opening is a center open square shape.

8. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein the interface element is comprised of an adjustable extension assembly with a pivotal lower collar and a pivoting strut assembly with a pivotal upper collar, wherein the pivotal upper collar and the pivotal lower collar are disassembled to be positioned, and wherein when positioned are configured to be reassembled and tightened around a robotic arm on the robotic platform.

9. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein the interface element is held by a claw on a robotic arm, wherein said interface element is comprised of a pair of parallel elongate plates with holes for fastening to a rearward mount, a first crossed frame, a spacer that separates and joins the first crossed frame and upper second crossed frame, and wherein a thickness of the spacer is selected from jaws, which grip the spacer to leave the first crossed frame and the upper second crossed frame in order to span a gap between the jaws of the claw.

10. The remote excavator tool according to claim 2, wherein a right round brush is positioned between the right inner couple and the right outer couple, and wherein a left round brush is positioned between the left inner couple and the left outer couple.

11. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein the set of tilling elements, which include the brushes, push loosened soil forward and to the side of the tool as the set of tilling elements are rotated.

12. The remote excavator tool according to claim 1, wherein the brushes assist to establish a functional depth of penetration of the tilling elements during a given pass of an excavation, as the brushes include a limited capability to loosen soil.

13. A remote excavator tool, comprising:

an extension boom being mounted to a motor including a rotor shaft, wherein said extension boom houses a driveshaft and a belt-and-pulley drive train;

a polygonal shaft being attached to the belt-and-pulley drive train,

wherein said polygonal shaft includes a right length and a left length that are comparable, and wherein each said right length and said left length extend outward from the extension boom;

a set of tilling elements being symmetrically mounted on the right length and the left length of the polygonal shaft,

wherein said set of tilling elements is comprised of a plurality of paired staggered tine disks and round brushes,

wherein each of the paired staggered tine disks includes a first disk with an outward facing plurality of tines radiating from a first plate with a first center polygonal opening,

wherein the tines are approximately 2 inches long and about 0.2 inches thick, and include a curve out-board, a leading edge, a peripheral edge that are hardened and tapered, and a second disk with an inward facing plurality of tines radiated from a second plate with an angularly turned second center polygonal opening aligned with the first center polygonal opening, and

wherein the inward facing plurality of tines are approximately 2 inches long and about 0.2 inches thick, curve inward and include an opposing leading edge and an opposing peripheral edge that is hardened and tapered;

a drive train assembly,

wherein the drive train assembly reduces a speed of a rotor by a factor of four to produce an operational rotational speed of the polygonal shaft in a range between about 1400 to about 1600 rpm; and

a rearward mount for attaching the excavator tool to an interface element,

wherein the interface element provides a connecting assembly for the excavator tool to be fastened to one of a robotic platform and an auxiliary element associated with the robotic platform.

14. The remote excavator tool according to claim 13, wherein the interface element is comprised of an adjustable extension assembly with a pivotal lower collar, and a pivoting strut assembly with a pivotal upper collar, wherein the pivotal upper collar and the pivotal lower collar are disassembled to be positioned, and wherein upon positioning, the collars are tightened around a robotic arm on the robotic platform, and wherein the robotic platform include a jointed arm with a forearm, an elbow joint, an arm joint, an upper-arm, a claw, a right track drive and a left track drive.

15. The remote excavator tool according to claim 14, wherein the robotic platform is remotely controlled through a communication antenna, a camera, which provides video feedback, a body protects electronics and electrical power sources, and an auxiliary power pulled in through a tower with a strain relief, and wherein a depth and an angle that the excavator tool impinges on a ground is adjusted by an angle of the arm.

16. The remote excavator tool according to claim 13, wherein the interface element is held by a claw on a robotic arm, wherein the interface element is comprised of a pair of parallel elongate plates with holes for fastening to the rearward mount, a first crossed frame, a spacer that separates and joins the first crossed frame an upper second crossed frame, and wherein the thickness of the spacer is selected such that jaws grip the spacer to leave the first crossed frame and the second crossed frame to span a gap between the jaws of the claw.

17. The remote excavator tool according to claim 13, wherein the robotic platform is a Man Transportable Robotic System (MTRS) platform.

18. A remote excavator tool, comprising:

an extension boom being mounted to a motor having a rotor shaft,

wherein said extension boom includes a driveshaft and a second belt-and-pulley drive train;

a polygonal shaft being attached to the second belt-and-pulley drive train,

wherein said polygonal shaft includes a right length and a left length that are comparable, and wherein each said right length and said left length extends outward from the extension boom;

a set of tilling elements being symmetrically mounted on the right length and the left length of the polygonal shaft,

wherein said set of tilling elements is comprised of a plurality of paired staggered tine disks and round brushes,

wherein each of the paired staggered tine disks includes a first disk with an outward facing plurality of tines radiating from a first plate with a first center polygonal opening,

wherein the tines are relatively thick have a thickness-to-length ratio of about 0.1;

1, a curve out-board, a leading edge and a peripheral edge that are hardened and tapered, and a second disk with an inward facing plurality of tines radiating from a second plate with an angularly turned second center polygonal opening aligned with the first center polygonal opening, and

wherein the inward facing plurality of tines are relatively thick and have a thickness-to-length ratio of about 0.1;

1, curve inward, and include an opposing leading edge and an opposing peripheral edge that are hardened and tapered;

a drive train assembly comprising a first belt-and-pulley drive train with a first smaller pitch diameter grooved pulley being mounted on a rotor shaft, a first larger pitch diameter grooved pulley on an out-board end of the driveshaft, and a first grooved belt being tensioned with a first idler roll,

wherein the first belt transmits rotational power from the rotor shaft of the motor to the driveshaft, and the second belt-and-pulley drive train is located within the extension boom,

wherein the second belt-and-pulley drive train includes a second smaller pitch diameter grooved pulley on an in-board end of the driveshaft, a second larger pitch diameter grooved pulley on the polygonal shaft, and a second belt tensioned with a second idler roll,

wherein the second belt-and-pulley transmits rotational power from the second smaller pitch diameter grooved pulley to the second larger pitch diameter grooved pulley therein to rotate the polygonal shaft, and

wherein cumulatively the first belt-and-pulley drive train and the second belt-and-pulley drive train increase torque and decrease rpm of the polygonal shaft; and

a rearward mount for attaching the excavator tool to an interface element,

wherein the interface element provides a connecting assembly for the tool to be fastened to one of a robotic platform and an auxiliary element associated with the robotic platform.