US2536405A - Land leveler with coordinated wheel adjustment means - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 2, 1951 c. WHITTIER 2, ,405

LAND LEVE ER WITH CUORDINATED WHEEL ADJUSTMENT MEANS Filed Nov. 28, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. CL v0. WH/ rr/H? BY MIX Arromvzy,

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Jan. 2, 1951 c. WHITTIER LAND LEVEL-ER WITH COORDINATED WHEEL ADJUSTMENT MEANS Filed NOV. 28, 1947 C. WHITTIER Jan. 2, 1951 LAND LEVELER WITH COORDINATED WHEEL ADJUSTMENT MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 28, 1947 INVENTOR. C4 Y0: W/f/TT/ER. v

ATTORNL'V- Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED LAND LEVELER WITH COORDINATE!) WHEEL ADJUSTMENT MEANS Clyde Whittier, Monte Vista, 0010.. assignor of one-half to H. E. Schall, Monte Vista, Colo.

Application November 28, 1947, Serial No. 788,337

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a land leveling device, and has for its principal object the provision of a leveler which will have an exceedingly long leveling blade so that swaths over one hundred feet in length can be leveled at one time. This great width serves a double purpose: first, it speeds up the operation of leveling large land areas; second, the greater the width of the blade, the more perfectly the leveling can be done, since all of the area within the blade Width can be brought to a perfect level simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a land leveler of great width which will not bow or bend in any direction throughout its length.

A still further object is to provide an accurate, easily and centrally controlled mechanism for bringing the leveling blade into exact adjustment both for level operation and depth of out.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved leveling device;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the leveling blade and drawbar attachment;

. Fig. 3 is a cross-section, taken on the line 3--3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the improved leveling device;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5, Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is an end View of the improved land leveling device.

The main frame of the leveler is formed of tubing and consists of three longitudinal truss 2 rigid structure, since all of the truss members resist bending in all directions.

A curved scraper blade i6 is fixedly mounted along the front face of the lower truss tube The scraper blade and the truss structure are supported above the ground by means of a pair of front wheels H and two pairs of rear Wheels 48.

The front wheels are mounted on a caster dolly i9 which is mounted on the lower extremity of a vertical pivot shaft 45. The shaft is rotatably moun ed in a pivot tube 2|]. The pivot tube 20 is rigidly connected with the upper and lower truss tubes iii and H by means of a forward truss bracket 2|. The pivot tube 20 can be raised and lowered with reference to the caster dolly i9 by means of a threaded jack shaft 22 operated from a hand wheel 23. The jack shaft is threaded through a cap nut 44 fixed to the top of the tube 2! The lower extremity of the jack screw bears against the upper extremity of the pivot shaft 45.

The pairs of rear wheels I8 are mounted in caster brackets 24 which are mounted on the lower extremities of pivot shafts 25. The pivot shafts are vertically slidable and rotatable within vertical guide tubes 26, The guide tubes are rigidly supported in a vertical position by means of rear bracket trusses 27 from the upper truss tube 1 f! and the rear truss tube I2.

The tubes 26 can be lifted on the pivot shafts 25 by means of a cable 28. The extremities of the cable 23 are attached to the two guide tubes 26, as shown at 29. From each attachment, the cable passes over a post sheave 39, there being one of the sheaves 3!! in the top of each of the shafts 25. From each sheave 30, the cable 28 passes downwardly under a guide sheave 3|, there being one guide sheave mounted on each of the guide tubes 26. From each guide sheave 3|, the cable passes over an idler sheave 32, thence around a winch drum 33 mounted on a platform 34 at the middle of the leveler. The winch drum can be rotated by hand by means of a hand wheel 35.

It can be seen that if the hand wheel 35 is 1'0- tated in one direction, it will let out the cable to one of the shafts 25 and take in the cable to the other of the shafts 25, so that the opposite ends of the triangular truss can be raised and lowered alternately. The pairs of rear wheels l8 are positioned adjacent the outer extremities of the triangular truss frame, and the pair of front wheels i1 is placed adjacent the middle of the truss frame, This causes the front wheels to act as a tilting fulcrum to allow the blade I6 to be tilted up and down at its extremities.

The improved leveler is designed to be drawn by two towing vehicles, such as Caterpillar tractors or the like. The towing vehicle are attached to the leveler by means of swinging draw bars 36, terminating at their forward extremities in tractor hitch links 3'5. The rear extremity of each draw bar 36 is mounted on a hinge pin 38 carried by hinge ears secured on a rotatable tube 39 surrounding a vertical pivot shaft 40. The pivot shafts 19 are mounted in brackets 4| extending from the upper and lower truss tubes 1 9 and II, respectively.

The draw bars are positioned oneachsideof the center and adjacent the extremities of the leveler and are supported irom the tubes 39'by means of adjustable bracket arms 42. The lower extremities of the bracketiarmsca-n-beattached in any desired one of a series of adjustment holes 43 to vary the height of the draw bars 39. This allows the draw bars to be adjusted in height to uit'thep'articular towing vehicle, andalso allows them to swing laterally with the sideward movements of the towing vehicle.

In use, the height of the scraper blade 16 is pre-set by means "of the hand wheel 23. The level oi-pitch of the bladeispre-set by means 'ofthe hand wheel 35. The device is then drawn over the land by the two towing vehicles through the medium-of the draw bars 33.

While'a specific form of theimprovementhas been desjcribed and illustrated herein, it is desired to be un'clerstoocl that the same may be varied, within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from 'the'spirit of the invention. Having thus described the invention, what is "claimedand desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A'l'and leveler comprising: an "elongated laterally extending trussed frame; a relatively long, straight scraper 'bladepermanently secured along the lower front edge of the truss frame; 'afront wheel bracket extending forwardlyfromthe middleofsaid truss frame; arear wheel bracketextending rearwardly from adjacent each extremity of said trussframe; front caster wheels rotatably mounted-on said front wheel bracket; a vertical guide tube carried by each of said rear wheel brackets; a vertical pivot post rotatably mounted-in and extending downwardly-from each of said guide tubes; a caster dollyon the lower extremity of each pivot post; ground-engaging 'wheels mounted on said "caster dollies; and means for oppositely raising and lowering said guide tubescn said-pivot posts eas to simultaneously raisebne-endof'sai'd blade'and lower the other :end thereof, said front wheels actin =as a tilting fulcrum.

2. A land leveling machine comprising: .an elongated truss frame; :a-scraper blade mounted on and extending downwardly from "said frame throughout its length; afrontwheel bracket :ex- 0 tending forwardly from the middle :of said frame; 'arear wheel bracket extending rearwardly from 4 adjacent each extremity of said frame; front caster wheels supporting said front wheel bracket; vertical pivot tubes carried by said rear wheel brackets rearwardly of said blade; pivot shafts extending vertically through said tubes; rear caster wheels mounted on the lower extremities of said pivot shafts, said pivot shafts extending upwardly and downwardly from said guide tubes; a cable sheave mounted on the upper extremity of each pivot shaft; a winch drum mounted on said truss frame; and a cable extending from each guide tube over the sheave of that pivot shaft and around said winch drum so that rotation of said drum will simultaneously raise one guide tube and lower the other.

3. A land leveling machine comprising: an

elongated truss frame; a scraper blade mounted on and extending downwardly from said frame throughout its length; a front wheel bracket extending forwardly from the middle of said frame;

"a rear wheelbracket extending rearwardly -from "adjacent each extremity of said frame; front caster wheels supporting said front wheel bracket;

vertical pivot "tubes carried by said rear wheel brackets rearwa'rdly of said blade; pivot shafts extending vertically through said tubes; rear caster wheels mounted j on the lower extremity of said pivotshafts, said pivot shafts "extending upwardly anddownwardly from said guide tubes; a cable sheave mounted onthe upper extremity ofeach pivot shaft; a winch drum mounted on said trus frame; a cable extending from each guide tube over the sheave of that pivot shaft and around said'w inch drum so that rotation-of said drum will simultaneously raise one guide tube and lower the other; and athreaded jack shaft carried 'by'said front wheelbracket and "ar- -rangedto raise and lower the front wheel bracket "with reference to said front wheels.

CLYDE WI-IITTIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record i-n-the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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