Trenching system with hydraulically adjustable hub

• US 9,695,573 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Machine Works Inc (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Charles Machine Works Inc (Toro)
• Inventors: Ruhl, Michael C., Sewell, Cody L., Bazzell, David R., Stellman, Vernon T., Seabolt, Steven P., Schuermann, Andrew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGowan, Jamie L
• Application Number:
  US14/687,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20150218777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 37 91, 37 92, 37 93, 37 94, 37 95, 37 96, 37 97, 37347, 37907
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/183 with digging unit shiftable relative to the frame
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/188 with the axis being horizontal and transverse to the direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/241 digging wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/246 drives
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/9212 Mechanical digging means, e.g. suction wheels, i.e. wheel with a suction inlet attached behind the wheel E02F3/9287 takes precedence; active suction heads E02F3/9256
• 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 5/101 forming during digging, e.g. underground canalisations or conduits, by bending or twisting a strip of pliable material; by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/14 Component parts for trench excavators, e.g. indicating devices travelling gear chassis, supports, skids
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/145 control and indicating devices

Abstract

A system for uncovering a trench. The system comprises several subsystems, including a work machine and a frame for providing a seal with the surface to be trenched with a saw blade contained therein. The blade is supported on a hub which is slidably movable relative to the frame by operation of a linear actuator, which may be a hydraulic cylinder or the like. The vertical location of the blade within the frame is continuously adjustable to create a deeper or shallower trench. A monitoring system is provided to monitor the vertical location from an operator station.

Claims

1. A work machine comprising:

a frame movable across a surface of the ground;

a trenching assembly supported on the frame, the trenching assembly comprising;

a hood assembly, moveable relative to the frame relative to three axes;

a hub connected to and slidably movable relative to the hood assembly;

a linear actuator for sliding the hub relative to the hood assembly; and

a rotatable blade disposed within the hood assembly and mounted on the hub; and

a cylinder assembly disposed between the trenching assembly and the frame, wherein the cylinder assembly manipulates a position of the trenching assembly relative to the frame.

2. The trenching assembly of claim 1 wherein the hub is continuously variable relative to the hood assembly.

3. The trenching assembly of claim 2 wherein the hub is slidably movable by a hydraulic cylinder.

4. The trenching assembly of claim 1 wherein the hub is movable relative to the hood assembly along one and only one line.

5. The trenching assembly of claim 1 further comprising a monitoring device for monitoring the hub.

6. The trenching assembly of claim 5 wherein the monitoring device comprises a mirror.

7. The trenching assembly of claim 1 further comprising a vacuum system connected to the hood assembly to evacuate a volume of debris created by the rotatable blade.

9. The trenching assembly of claim 1 wherein between 51% and 95% of the blade is disposed within the hood assembly.

10. The work machine of claim 1 wherein hood comprises a surface engaging member and wherein the cylinder assembly provides a downpressure to the surface engaging member such that the surface engaging member provides a downpressure to the surface of the ground greater than a weight of the trenching assembly.

11. The work machine of claim 1 wherein the linear actuator comprises a hydraulic cylinder.

12. The work machine of claim 1 wherein a volume of the blade contained within the hood assembly may vary in a range from 51% to 95% by operation of the linear actuator.

13. The trenching assembly of claim 3 wherein the hydraulic cylinder is attached at a first end to the hood assembly at a second end to a plate supported on and slidable relative to the hood assembly.

14. The trenching assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plate slidably supported on the hood assembly, wherein the hub is supported on the plate.

15. The trenching assembly of claim 14 further comprising a pair of opposed slots disposed on the hood assembly, wherein the plate is supported within the pair of slots.

16. The trenching assembly of claim 15 wherein a hydraulic cylinder is disposed between the hood assembly and the plate such that extension of the hydraulic cylinder moves the plate relative to the pair of slots in a generally downward direction.

17. The work machine of claim 1 wherein the cylinder assembly comprises a level cylinder, a lift cylinder, and a traverse cylinder, wherein the level cylinder moves the hood assembly relative to a first axis, the level cylinder moves the hood assembly relative to a second axis, and the traverse cylinder moves the hood assembly relative to a third axis.

8. A method for cutting a narrow trench in a surface using a rotatable blade moveably attached to a frame and disposed within a cavity defined by a hood assembly, the hood assembly comprising a surface engaging member, the method comprising:

adjusting the blade relative to the surface engaging member to achieve a desired trench depth;

rotating the blade to cut a trench;

positioning the surface engaging member on the surface adjacent the blade;

translating the frame in a direction of desired trench length;

applying a downpressure greater than the weight of the hood assembly to the surface at the surface engaging member to stabilize a portion of the surface adjacent the trench; and

adjusting the position of the blade relative to the surface engaging member during rotation of the blade to change the trench depth.

18. The trenching assembly of claim 8 wherein the trench has a width of less than 1.5 inches.

19. The method of claim 8 wherein adjustment of a hydraulic cylinder adjusts the position of the blade relative to the surface engaging member.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the blade is adjusted in a direction substantially perpendicular to the desired trench length.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising applying a vacuum within the cavity to remove spoils from the cavity and the trench.