CURB TRAVELLING SWEEPER VEHICLE

• US 3,649,981 A
• Filed: 02/25/1970
• Issued: 03/21/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rodney L. Woodworth
• Original Assignee: Rodney L. Woodworth
• Inventors: Woodworth, Rodney L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US05/014,115
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 15/78,82,83 180/24.02,41 280/5.2
• US Class Current: 15/83
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/04 taking- up the sweepings, e.g. for collecting, for loading with dust collector; E01H1/0854 takes precedence; suction machines with brushes E01H1/0845, E01H1/0872; taking- up devices with other mechanical loosening instruments E01H1/106

Abstract

A road sweeper of the three wheel type having forward and rear traveling wheels is adapted for the climbing of curbs or dividers onto raised surfaces by the provision of lifter wheels bodily movable between raised and lowered positions to elevate the vehicle and its traveling wheels for movement onto and off the raised surface.

Claims

1. In a road cleaning vehicle having a body including an elongated continuous unit frame structure mounting a debris chamber and a driver steering and control station, the frame being supported by forward and rear traveling wheels for normal travel on the road and the sweeper having road cleaning means positioned longitudinally of the frame between the front and rear traveling wheels;

the improvement comprising forward and rear lifter wheels carried by the frame structure respectively in front of said station and reArwardly of said cleaning means, supports mounting said lifter wheels to the frame independently of the traveling wheel axles and forwardly and rearwardly thereof to be bodily displaceable between raised and lowered positions in the latter of which the vehicle including said traveling wheels is elevated above the road surface for curb clearance, and means for so displacing the lifter wheels.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, in which said lifter wheels are mounted for elevation above the sweeper frame.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, in which said traveling wheels consist of a pair of rear wheels and a single steerable front wheel.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3, including power means for rotationally driving said front lifter wheel in road contact.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4 in which said power means is bodily displaceable with the driven lifter wheel.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5, in which said power means includes a self locking hydraulic motor having a housing, an arm connected to the housing, and a link pivotally interconnecting the arm and a stationary pivot.

7. A vehicle according to claim 1, including power means for rotationally driving one of said lifter wheels in road contact.

8. A vehicle according to claim 7, in which said power means is bodily displaceable with the driven lifter wheel.

9. A vehicle according to claim 1, in which said displacement means comprises movable wheel carriers and fluid powered piston and cylinder units supported by the vehicle frame and connected to said carriers.

10. A vehicle according to claim 9 in which said carriers are pivoted for up and down swinging movement forwardly and rearwardly of the vehicle traveling wheels and above and below the frame elevation.

11. A vehicle according to claim 10, in which each of said units is pivoted to swing between spaced vertically extending supports and is connected to a pair of said carriers at opposite sides of the associated lifter wheel.

12. A vehicle according to claim 10, in which the rear lifter wheels are axially alined and their carriers are interconnected by a rod extending transversely of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle according to claim 10, in which the vehicle has a single front traveling wheel and a forward single lifter wheel alined therewith longitudinally of the vehicle.

14. A vehicle according to claim 13, including a motor having a drive connection with said forward lifter wheel.

15. A vehicle according to claim 14, including also an arm connected to the motor housing, and a link pivotally connecting said link to a stationary pivot.

16. A vehicle according to claim 1, in which said debris chamber has forwardly of the rear lifter wheels a rear section hinged to the body for upward dumping movement, and power means for actuating said section in its dumping movement.

17. A vehicle according to claim 16, in which the rear lifter wheels are mounted to said rear section and are carried therewith in its dumping movement.