US2703515A - Compactor - Google Patents

Description

D. RICHARDS March 8, 1955 COMPACTOR Filed Oct. 7;' 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEIY TOR. Dung/7f Q/c/zards March 8, 1955 D. RICHARDS 2,703,515

COMPACTOR Filed Oct. 7, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 147 TOP/V5 V5 United States Patent COIVIPACTOR Dwight Richards, Portland, 0reg., assignor to Guy F.

Atkinson Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application October 7, 1950, Serial No. 188,961

2 Claims. (Cl. 94-50) This invention relates generally to so-called compactors such as are used in road making operations.

In road construction projects it is common to use so called compactors for compressing or compacting road surfaces made of gravel, crushed stone or like materials. One type of compactor which has been widely used makes use of a frame adapted to carry a heavy ballast and supported by rubber tired wheels. While such machines are satisfactory in that they can exert the desired compacting pressures, they tend to involve considerable servicing expense. This is largely due to the fact that it is troublesome to replace a worn or punctured tire, particularly in that it may be necessary to remove one or more wheels from an axle before the wheel or rim carrying the tire to be replaced can be removed. A further disadvantage has been that the compacting forces may not be evenly distributed over the several wheels, particularly where the ground surfaces are uneven.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved compactor which will overcome the defects mentioned above.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character having provision to facilitate removal of the wheels for replacing or repairing a worn or punctured tire.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character having means which will insure even distribution of pressure to the several tires.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view, with parts broken away and shown in section, illustrating a machine incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken alon the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the machine.

Figure 4 is a rear sectional view of the machine, illustrating a portion of the mounting for the wheels.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail on an enlarged scale taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken along the line 66 of Figure 2.

The machine illustrated in the drawing consists of a main frame 10 constructed to carry suitable ballast, and supported by the pneumatic tired wheels 11. The wheels are arranged in pairs, and each pair of wheels is associated with a subframe 12, which in turn is removably carried by the main frame 10.

It will be evident that the main frame 10 can vary widely as to structural details. The construction illustrated makes use of a central beam 14 which extends longitudinally of the machine, and which has its forward end secured to the goose-neck extension 16. A ballast carrying body is secured to the beam 14, and can include the forward and rear walls 17 and 18, the side walls 19, and the bottom walls 21 and 22. Cross beams 23 and 24 extend between the side walls 19, and are secured to the bottom walls 21, 22. These beams are preferably in the form of channels as illustrated, and serve to form horizontal guideways 26, 27 for receiving the subframes 12. An arched wall 28 is also positioned over the wheels 11, and is secured to the side walls 19, and to the beams 23, 24. It will be evident that the body construction just described provides spaces 29 and 31 for receiving suitable ballast such as sand, rock, gravel, metal punchings or iron bars.

The subframes 12 are suitably dimensioned for positioning within the guideways 26, 27. Each subframe Fee consists of the forward and rear frame members 32 and 33, which are secured at their ends to the side frame members 34 and 36. These members can be in the form of structural steel channels as illustrated. The one subframe member 34 is shown attached to the plate 37, which has projecting end portions 39 adapted to be secured by bolts or screws 41 to the side walls of the main frame.

The frame members 32 and 33 serve to mount trunnions 42, 43 which in turn carry the rocker beam 44. Each of the trunnions may employ a roller bearing assembly 48 as illustrated in Figure 5, and the arrangement is such that each beam 44 is adapted to oscillate about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the machine. The intermediate portion of each beam 44 carties the laterally extending stub axles 47, which serve to mount the pneumatic tired wheels 11.

The parts just described, including each subframe 12, the trunnions 42 and 43, the beam 44, and the wheels 11, form a complete assembly unit removable from the machine for repair or replacement of tires.' In order to remove a subframe it is only necessary to loosen the bolts or screws, after which the subframe is slid outwardly relative to the main frame.

In connection with each subframe it is' desirable to provide wedging means whereby when the subframe is in operative position within the guideways 26 and 27, it is held rigidly against movements relative to the main frame. Thus the members 32 and 33 of each subframe are provided with the tapering wedging pads ,45 and 46 (Figure 6) which are adapted to be engaged by the tapered pads 49 and 51 carried by the webs of .the channels 23 and 24. The dimensions and taper of the pads is such that when a subframe is slid into the main frame, there is a wedging action between the pads whereby when the subframe is finally positioned, it is rigidly held against movements relative to the main frame.

When the machine is in use the draft bar 52 at the extremity of the goose-neck 16 is attached to the draft clevis of a tractor, and suitable ballast is placed in the main frame. The weight of the ballast is distributedto the several wheels, due particularly to the pivotal action of the beams 44. Likewise the downward forces supplied from the tires to the roadway remain substantially equalized irrespective of unevenness of the surface over which the machine is operated. When it is necessary to replace a worn or punctured tire, the particular subframe involved is removed by disengaging the bolts 41, and thereafter it is a simple matter to remove the punctured or worn tire and make a repair or replacement. A minimum amount of time is required for this operation, and furthermore each individual wheel or tire rim can be separately removed, without the necessity of removing other tires or wheels from their individual mountings. When a worn or punctured tire has been replaced, the subframe is returned to the main frame, after which the bolts 41 are applied, and the machine is then ready for further use.

I claim:

1. In a compactor having a frame, a hopper adapted to carry ballast, a plurality of pairs of ground engaging wheels, and a journalled beam supporting each pair of wheels on said frame for pivotal movement. on a foreand-aft axis, the improvement comprising; opposed, open-ended parallel guideways extending transversely of said frame to the lateral edges thereof, a plurality of subframes supported by said guideways within the lateral edges of said frame and below said hopper, each subframe having one of said journalled beams and its assoclated pair of wheels mounted therein, and means releasably securing each of said subframes to said frame at a predetermined position along said guideways whereby each of said subframes may be individually removed from said frame for easy access to the wheels carried thereby, said channels being respectively provided with opposing surfaces defining wedge-shaped spaces therebetween diverging toward the outer ends of said channels, the said opposedsides of said subframes being provided with complementary surfaces, said means for releasably securing said subframes to said frame including means to forcibly urge said subframes along said channels into engagement with said diverging surfaces.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said subframes to said frame comprises, a member extending along and secured to the outer side of each of said subframes, said members having portions projecting beyond the ends of said outer sides and abutting the outer sides of said frame, and means zrecuring said projecting portions to the sides of said ame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,214,151 Geer Jan. 30, 1917 i 4 Winegarner Feb. 4, 1919 Kysor Sept. 14, 1925 Reid Aug. 23, 1927 McDowall Apr. 12, 1932 Hathaway July 8, 1941 Flynn Sept. 15, 1942 Christensen Nov. 22, 1949 Bros et a1. Sept. 16, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Roads and Streets, ZOO-Ton Super Compactor, January 1948, pages 82-84.

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