GB2283033A - Cleaner for linear ditches - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaner for ditches comprises two disks 5, 5' mounted obliquely with respect to the vertical, such as to define between themselves an angular space corresponding to the V shaped profile of the ditch to be cleaned and comprising, at their periphery, a series of cutting knives extending radially towards the exterior, with which they set to work on the ditch to be cleaned. The discs are mounted via a rod and lack assembly so that the spacing between the discs can be varied without modifying their inclination with respect to the vertical. <IMAGE>

Description

CLEANER FOR LINEAR DITCHES The present invention relates to a cleaner for linear ditches, in particular for cleaning a ditch which has already been dug but has been invaded and blocked by vegetation by restoring the initial profile by scouring and by removal of mud, plant debris and other excess material.

In ancient times when bread was baked on every farm, ditches were carefully maintained by the peasants, the vegetation from brambles and young trees which blocked them being used to light the ovens.

Following technical progress, this work has now been abandoned and it has been necessary to design mechanical cleaners for re-calibrating the ditches and removing excess material from them.

The oldest model of cleaner, virtually abandoned today, comprised a short laterally offset endless screw on a tractor slowly driving parallel to the ditch and orientatable according to the profile to be given. It cleaned only one half of the ditch at a time.

This cleaner was slowly replaced by better performing models able to ensure cleaning of the ditch in one single pass, and with more sophisticated models, also able to dig it, if required.

Among these cleaners, mention can be made of machines comprising, on the one hand, a supporting frame which can be hitched up laterally or otherwise attached to a tractor and including hydraulic control elements connectable or connected to the power take-off shaft of the tractor as well as to an oil reservoir and, on the other hand, a cleaning tool mounted on the extremity of the supporting frame and cooperating with elements for extraction of excess material.

The machines of this type adapted to local needs, that is to say able to be used for small or medium sized ditches, which are currently proposed, have the great disadvantage of working perpendicularly to the ditch, and therefore obliging the operator to make multiple manoeuvres in an uncomfortable driving position.

The object of the present invention is to provide such a cleaner for linear ditches such as to overcome or at least mitigate these disadvantages, that is to say with easy handling for the operator, while allowing fast performance of the work of cleaning and resetting.

According to the invention, a ditch cleaner comprises a cleaning tool which comprises two disks mounted obliquely with respect to the vertical, in a manner so as to define between themselves an angular space corresponding to the profile of the ditch to be cleaned and comprising on their periphery a series of cutting knives extending radially towards the exterior for, in use, working on the ditch to be cleaned.

One aspect of the invention thus relates to the configuration of the cleaning tool, and in particular to the oblique position of the disks which allows the operator to work a ditch in accordance with the norms established by the French "Direction Departementale de l'Equipement1 while rapidly extricating the excess material and directly cutting the side of the ditch.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, each of the disks is preferably individually driven by a hydraulic variable speed motor connected to and controlled with the assistance of the external power take-off shaft of the tractor.

In order for the machine according to the invention to operate satisfactorily, it is clearly desirable to be able continuously to regulate the working depth; accordingly an embodiment of the invention can thus be provided with a control jack, by means of which the two disks with cutting knives are connected to the supporting frame.

According to another aspect of the invention, the space between the two disks which defines the angular space, can be regulated by means of a control jack.

This relates to a characteristic of the invention which allows the machine to be adapted for different types of ditches, and, if required, for ditches blocked to a greater or lesser extent, in which case it can be indispensable to pass along for a second time with the machine set for a different size or width.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the control jack preferably acts on the disks by means of a rod assembly composed of the combination of two double arms respectively connected to two linking arms in such a manner that their spacing can be varied without modifying their inclination with respect to the vertical.

It is clear that according to the above-mentioned characteristics, during linear displacement of the tractor the disks with cutting knives are immersed in the ditch to be cleaned and eject the mud, plant debris and other excess material towards the rear.

Extraction elements allow these excess materials to be picked up and removed.

According to another characteristic of the invention, these extraction elements are composed of an Archimedes screw, one extremity of which is immersed in the ditch to be worked whereas the opposite extremity cooperates with the elements for removal towards the rear.

According to a first variant of the invention, the elements for removal of excess material towards the rear are composed of a bladed disk; the rotation of this disk permits the material to be projected in the direction desired for spreading on the ground bordering the ditch.

According to a second variant of the invention, the elements for removing the products to be processed are composed of a loading chute cooperating with a trailer hitched up to the supporting frame.

This second variant allows spreading or storage of excess material in any place selected by the operator.

It should be noted that each movement of the ditch cleaner according to the invention is preferably piloted and controlled hydraulically, and that the power and speed of all the constituent elements are variable according to the type of ground and the characteristics of the ditch to be cleaned.

The characteristics of the ditch cleaner according to the present invention will be described in more detail with the aid of the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a schematic view of the rear of the ditch cleaner, Figure 2 illustrates a lateral view of the ditch cleaner, Figure 3 illustrates the articulation of the disks with cutting knives on the supporting frame.

According to Figures 1 and 2, the ditch cleaner is schematically composed of a supporting frame 1 laterally hitched up to a tractor 2 and of a cleaning tool 3 which is mounted on the extremity of the supporting frame 1 opposite the tractor 2 and which cooperates with the elements for extraction 4 of mud, plant debris and other excess material. These elements will be described below in more detail.

The supporting frame 1 includes hydraulic elements which are not shown, which are connected to the external power take-off shaft of the tractor 2 as well as to an oil reservoir.

According to Figures 2 and 3, the cleaning tool 3 is composed of two disks 5, 5' mounted facing one another, obliquely with respect to the vertical x-x', individually driven by means of hydraulic variable speed motors 8, 8', and equipped, on their periphery, with a series of cutting knives 6 extending radially towards the exterior, with which they set to work on the ditch to be cleaned.

The disks with cutting knives 5, 5' define between themselves an angular space 7 (Figure 1) which corresponds to the V-shaped profile of the ditch to be cleaned. The width 1 of this space 7 can be regulated in a manner which will be described in more detail below.

According to Figure 1, the disks with cutting knives 5, 5', are connected to the supporting frame by means of a support jack 9, schematically shown, so that the working depth Ii below the ground or soil surface y-y' can be continuously varied.

According to Figure 3, the disks with cutting knives 5, 5' are moreover connected to the supporting frame 1 by means of a rod assembly 10, composed on the one hand of the combination of two double arms 11,11' and on the other hand 12, 12', articulated one upon the other at their median section 13, 14, and connected one to another by two connecting arms 15, 15'.

A dual operating control jack 16 directly acts upon the double arm 11, 11' and also controls the double arm 12, 12' by means of the connecting arms 15, 15'.

In this way it is possible for the operator to move the disks with cutting knives 5, 5' apart or towards each other, and thus to vary the width 1 of the angular space 7 while keeping the distance apart of the disks 5, 5' constant.

According to Figure 2, the elements for extraction of excess material are principally composed of an Archimedes screw 17, one extremity 18 of which is immersed in the ditch to be worked1 directly behind the disks with cutting knives 5, 5' in the direction of the forward movement A of the tractor 2 and thereby allows the reliable displacement of excess material upwards according to arrow B.

According to the variant shown in Figure 2, the Archimedes screw 17 cooperates by means of its second extremity 19 opposite the first extremity 18, by which it is immersed in the ditch to be worked, with a loading chute 20 by means of which the excess material can be poured into a trailer 21 hitched up to the supporting frame.

According to a second variant, not shown, the excess material reaching the second extremity 19 of the Archimedean screw 17 can also be poured onto a bladed disk, the rotation of which allows said material to be projected in the direction desired.

Claims (9)

1. A cleaner for linear ditches comprising a supporting frame for attachment to a tractor and including hydraulic control elements connectable to the power take-off shaft of the tractor as well as to an oil reservoir, and a cleaning tool mounted on the extremity of the supporting frame and cooperating with elements for extraction of excess material, the cleaning tool comprising two disks mounted obliquely with respect to the vertical, in a manner so as to define between themselves an angular space corresponding to the profile of the ditch to be cleaned and comprising on their periphery a series of cutting knives extending radially towards the exterior for, in use, working on the ditch to be cleaned.

2. A ditch cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the spacing between the two disks defining the angular space can be regulated by means of a command jack acting on the disks by means of a rod assembly comprised of the combination of two double arms respectively connected bytwo connecting arms so that their spacing can be varied without modifying their inclination with respect to the vertical.

3. A cleaner for linear ditches adapted to local needs and for cleaning a ditch which has been dug but has been invaded and blocked by vegetation, by restoring the initial profile by scouring and by removal of mud, plant debris and other excess material, said ditch cleaner comprising a supporting frame which can be hitched up laterally to a tractor and including hydraulic control elements connected to the power take-off shaft of the tractor as well as an oil reservoir, and a cleaning tool mounted on the extremity of the supporting frame and cooperating with elements for extraction of excess material, the cleaning tool being composed of two disks mounted obliquely with respect to the vertical so as to define between themselves an angular space corresponding to the V-shaped profile of the ditch to be cleaned and comprising on their periphery a series of cutting knives extending radially towards the exterior for working on the ditch to be cleaned, wherein the spacing between the two disks defining the angular space can be regulated by means of a command jack acting on the disks by means of a rod assembly comprised of the combination of two double arms respectively connected by two connecting arms so that their spacing can be varied without modifying their inclination with respect to the vertical.

4. A ditch cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the disks is individually driven by a hydraulic variable speed motor.

5. A ditch cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the disks are connected to the supporting frame by means of a control jack in such a manner that the working depth can be continuously regulated.

6. A ditch cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the elements for extraction of the excess material are comprised of an Archimedes screw, one extremity of which is immersed in the ditch to be worked whereas the opposite extremity cooperates with elements for removal towards the rear.

7. A ditch cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the elements for removal of excess material towards the rear are comprised of a bladed disk the rotation of which allows the material to be projected in the direction desired.

8. A ditch cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the elements for removal of material to be processed towards the rear are comprised of a loading chute cooperating with a trailer hitched up to the supporting frame.

9. A ditch cleaner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.