GB2032383A - Earth working machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An earth working machine has an extendible chassis with pair-wisely arranged front and rear wheels and a machine body (10) including a pivotable and/or rotatable boom for mounting a working implement. The machine body (10) has a base (8) which is hingedly connected to the chassis along a transversal axis (9). Passage of an obstruction (20), Fig. 8 (not shown), is achieved by retracting the chassis to bring the centre of gravity forward of the front wheels, supporting the machine with the boom (13) and making the angle between the machine base (8) and the chassis great enough to bring the chassis vertical, as shown, whereupon extension of the chassis causes the rear wheels to project over the obstruction. The machine can then be hauled over the obstruction using a winch mounted on the base (8). The centre of gravity (G) may alternatively be shifted by bodily movement of the base (8) on the chassis, while the chassis may have tracks. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Earth working machine The present invention relates to a working machine having a chassis supporting an upper body comprising a machine body base supporting a work ing unit with a boom and a pivotable boom arm for a unit working appliance such as a digging scoop or a drilling rig.

An object of this invention is to provide a working site machine which can be used in a terrain which is hard to access with the working site machines which are commonly used now-a-days. Conventional work ing machines for terrain working can hardly pass shoulder-shaped or ridge-shaped obstructions. The machine according to the invention should be able to pass such obstructions. The machine is character ised by the features stated in the patent claims. From the patent claims it will appear that the invention is based on the fact that the centre of gravity of a work ing machine normally is located between the wheels, feet or tracks of the machine.When the machine in accordance with this invention arrives at such a terrain where common driving cannot be used any longer, some of the wheel pairs or the entire chassis of the machine can be displaced rela tively to the upper body (or vice versa) that the centre of gravity will be positioned beyond the wheels or tracks and between them and the boom of the machine. Those of the machine wheels that at this time do not support the weight of the machine any longer can so be used to make the next moving step. The same effect can be obtained by displacing a solid or liquid medium normally being present within the chassis to an area located outside the chassis. Such a displacing of weight when the weight is sufficiently large or the arm sufficiently long, will provide that the centre of gravity will be located outside the area of the chassis.The man oeuvring necessary of the chassis, e.g. for passing an obstruction is so carried out before the centre of gravity is moved back to the chassis area.

The invention will be explained more closely by means of examples and with reference to the draw ings, wherein: Figs. 1 to 3 show one embodiment of the inven tion, Fig. 4 to 6 a second embodiment of the inven tion, Fig. 7 to 9 illustrate an application of the work ing machine, and Fig. 10 illustrates a corresponding application of a machine having tracks.

In the drawings the chassis of the machine is designated as 1 and the upper body as 2. The chassis 1 has a chassis frame 3 with lockable wheels 4 res pectively 5 arranged at the ends thereof and which can be positively driven, preferably by hydraulic means and independently of one another. The chas sis frame 3 has a front frame 6 which is slidable relatively to the rear chassis frame 7 of the chassis frame 3 so that the distance between the axes of the wheels 4 and 5 can be varied. The front and rear frames 6 and 7 can e.g. include channel beams arranged telescopic in one another and provided with rolls, so that they can be moved into one another for reduction of the wheel axis distance.

Fig. 2 shows that the front frame 6 is drawn into the rear chassis frame 7 to such an extent that the front wheels are located at the rear side of the centre axis of gravity of the machine designed as G.

The machine body base 8 is at the rear end thereof pivotably connected with the rear end of the rear chassis frame 7. The pivot axis is indicated as 9. At the front of the machine body base 8 and the corresponding portion of the chassis locking means (not shown) are provided for locking the base to the chassis. The locking means can be hydraulically controlled. The machine body base 8 supports a working machine unit 10 having a machine frame 11. The machine frame 11 is at its rear end pivotably connected with the rear end of the body base 8. The pivot axis is indicated as 12. In Fig. 7 the pivot angle between the chassis and the base is indicated as a and the pivot angle between the base and the machine frame as,8. As already mentioned these two angles are variable and the machine or the base, respectively, can be locked in any position.The machine frame 11 is turnable relatively to the base 8 about an axis which according to the example deviates somewhat from the vertical. The turning axis is indicated as 14 in Fig. 4. The boom 13 is supported rotatably about its longitudinal axis in the machine unit 10 and can be rotated by means of a hydraulic cylinder unit 25. The rotating means can be hydraulically driven means. The boom 13 supports at its free end a pivotable boom arm 15 which can be pivoted about an axis 16 by means of a hydraulic jack 17. A hydraulically operated winch 18 is provided on the machine body base 8 at the rear of the machine unit 10.

The embodiment according to Figs. 4 to 6 is substantially as explained heretofore, but in this case the distance between the driving wheels 4,5 is not variable. The machine base is not arranged pivotably on the chassis frame 3, as explained in the foregoing, but it is also shiftable in the longitudinal direction of the chassis, as it appears from Fig. 5. The Figur shows that the upper body 2 with the machine base 8 is displaced so far forwardly on the chassis 1 that the gravity centre axis G is located ahead of the front wheels 5. As to the operation Fig. 5 corresponds to Fig. 2 and Fig. 6 to Fig. 3, whereas Fig. 4 shows in the same way as Fig. 1 the machine in a starting position.Also in the embodiment according to Figs. 4 to 6 the various machine components, which will say the machine frame 11, the boom 13 and the boom arm 15, can carry out the movements discussed above in connection with the embodiment according to Figs. 1,2,3.

Figs. 7 to 9 show in which way a machine according.to the invention can pass an obstruction 20. The machine is of the kind as shown in Figs. 1,2,3. When the machine encounters an obstruction 20, the operator places the machine in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the rear facing the obstruction. Then the The drawings originally filed were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

operator will draw the front wheels of the machine rearwardly to reduce the length of the arm of the force moment and will lift the rear frame 7 by hyd raulic means and using the boom arm 15 as support so the machine arrives at the position as shown in Fig. 3. Then the front frame 6 is extended so that the rear frame 7 is lifted, as shown in Fig. 7, with the consequence that the rear wheels project over the obstruction, as shown in Fig. 8.The wire 21 of the winch 18 can be so pulled out and secured to a fixed point in the area and the winch actuated to draw the machine up and over the obstruction, as shown in Fig. 9. Itappearsfrom Fig. 8thatthewinch is arranged relatively high on the machine base so that the distance between the winch and the axis of the rear wheel 4 and so the corresponding force moment arm can be relatively large during the pul ling operation.

The obstruction can also be passed by using the boom arm 15 controlled by the cylinder unit 17 for displacing the machine in stead of using the winch.

But the winch can be used to secure the machine during the operation. In the position shown in Fig. 8 the wheels 4 of the machine engage the edge of the obstruction. The wheels 5 are then lifted from the ground (the axis spacing is reduced) and the angle a is reduced as the boom arm 15 activated by the cylinder 17 moves the machine body inwardly over the obstruction.

To enable the machine to start a new operational step the foregoing movement step must end so that the centre of gravity of the machine is located within the chassis (between the wheels 4 and 5) in case the supporting wheel 23 is not mounted, or an other stabilizing means is used (e.g. weight displacement or securing by winch).

Fig. 10 corresponds to Fig. 8 but shows a machine provided with tracks and a machine body base 8 which is shiftable relatively to the chassis frame 3.

When the machine has been placed in the position shown in Fig. 10, it can be put upon the obstruction by means of the winch 18 or it can pass itself by means of the boom arm 15 at the same time reduc ing the angle a as explained in the foregoing, or- if the obstruction is not too high -the chassis can be driven incliningly over the obstruction and at the same time or after this driving step can be pivoted down onto the obstruction so that the chassis can pull the machine a small distance after itself, whereupon the machine on the upper body is turned in the other direction, so that the centre of gravity of the machine is displaced to ahead of the obstruction.

In Fig. 10 the tracks are indicated as 22 and a sup porting wheel or auxiliary wheel (or wheel pair) as indicated as 23. Such a wheel or wheel pair must be arranged lockably and can have a separate driving motor (hydraulic hub motor) which can be con nected by conduits with the hydraulic system of the machine and which can aid to pushing or pulling the machine over an obstruction, when necessary. Such a hydraulic means can also be used to lock the wheel.

The displacement of the centre of gravity of the machine relatively to the chassis can be obtained by means of solid or liquid media which are provided displaceably in the longitudinal direction on the upper machine body, e.g. displaceable from an area within the wheel axes to an area beyond the wheel axes.

Claims (5)

1. Terrain site working machine having a driving chassis, an upper body provided on the chassis and including a machine base supporting a working unit having a boom and an pivotable boom arm for a working appliance (such as a digging scoop or drilling rig), the gravity centre of the upper body being movable substantially horizontally relatively to the chassis.

2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein said chassis is provided with a wheel distance being variable in the main direction (longitudinal direction) of the machine, the machine base being at one side or end thereof hingedly connected with the chassis.

3. Machine according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the chassis wheel can be moved selectively forwardly/rearwardly for displacing the centre point of the ground contact of the wheels relatively to the centre of gravity of the machine.

4. Machine according to claims 1,2 or 3, in which the machine base is movable forward/rearwardly relatively to the chassis.

5. Construction site working machines substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. Machine according to one of the claims 1-4, in which the working unit is hingedly connected with the base.

6. Machine according to one of the claims 1-5, in which the boom is rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof in the working unit.

7. Machine according to one of the claims 1-6, in which the working unit is turnable about a vertical axis relatively to the base.

8. Machine according to one of the claims 1-7, in which at least some of the wheels are replaced by semi-tracks.

9. Machine according to claim 1, comprising the modification that the chassis is provided with fulltracks, the distance beween the outer track wheels being substantially fixed, in which the base of the machine is movable forwardly/rearwardiy relatively to the chassis.

10. Machine according to any of the preceding claims, in which at least one pull wire winch is provided on the machine.

11. Machine according to anyofthe preceding claims, comprising a support wheel unitto be mounted on the free end of the boom arm.

12. Earth working machine substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 21 Nov 79.

Superseded claims 1 to 12.

1. A construction site working machine comprising a chassis, a front and a rear pair of wheels supporting said chassis, a body mounted on the chassis and supporting a pivotable andlor rotatable boom adapted to carry a working tool, said body being pivotally mounted on the chassis about a substan tially horizontal transverse pivot axis, the distance between said pivot axis and at least one of the wheel pairs being variable in such a way that the centre of gravity of the machine can lie either within or outside the wheel base.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein hydraulic means are provided to vary said distance the thrust of said hydraulic means being such as to be able to raise the body upwardly from the ground in cooperation with the boom.

3. A machine according to claim 1 or 2 in which the angle through which the body may pivot with respect to the chassis is so large that the chassis can be erected through substantially 90 .

4. A machine according to claim 1,2 or 3 provided with endless tracks about respective ones of said pairs of wheels.