US1378970A - Trenching apparatus - Google Patents

Description

T. F.`MO0RE. TRENCHHJGAPPARATUS.` n APPLICATION FILED FEB.18. 1919.-

Panted May 24,1921.

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.NQ ehu. AN a R. .IINHm T. F.' MOORE. A TRENCHING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB.18,1919.

Patented May 24, 1921.

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UNITED STATES THOMAS F. iMOORE', 0F DOVER, NEW JERSEY.

TRENCHING APPARATUS.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted play 24, 1921 Application filed February 18, 1919. Serial No. 277,797.

To all whom t may cmwem.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. MOORE, of Dover, in the county of Morris, in the State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trenching Apparatus, ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for excavatingr and back filling trenches for sub-surface conduits and similar work, which is necessarily carried 0n within relatively narrow limits partielllarly in the thoroughfares of more or less congested districts, and is somewhat similar to that set forth in my patent of June 18, 1918, No. 1,270,240, in that it contemplates the use of a longitudinally swinging digging dipper and a. bucket together with suitable hoists mounted vupon a car, which in turn is movable along a track between a power house and a suitable anchorage for the dipper operating cable, the bucket being operated by a separate cable from the power house.

The material to be excavated such as loose earth, sand, gravel, clay, shale, and solid rock, often varies at different depths or levels and at different localities in the length of the trench so that it becomes necessary at times to change the method of and implements for excavating.4

It has been found, however, that practically all Of these materials may be-expeditiously and economically handled by means of a power operated digging dipper for use in excavating the looser materials, while the bucket may be used in rock-cuts and other places where it is necessary to reduce the materials by blasting or other means.

y The main object, therefore, is to-mount Athe dipper and bucket upon the same car in such a manner that either may be used for excavating and back filling or loading into wagons without interference one with the other.

The specific object as distinguished from my prior patent referred to, is to place the cable supporting sheaves for the dipper and bucket in such relative position upon the car that the `cable connection between the dipper, and its cable-supporting vsheaves may have amore direct forward draft upon the, dipper when the latter is swung downwardly and rearwardly beyond a perpendicular or to the limit of its rearward swinging movement, and at the same time to reduce to a minimum the lifting thrust of the dipper on the rear end of the car asvthe dipper is drawn forward and upward in the operation of digging.

Another object is to place the cable-supporting sheaves for the fall block of the bucket on the rear end of the car so that the corresponding fall-block and its supportingcable may operate freely between the opposite arms of the dipper-supporting beam, all of which enables the car to be made considerably shorter and, therefore, less cum- Vsuch a manner that it may be automatically shifted from its normal locking position by a, portion of the adjacent cable when the dipper is rocked downwardly to its extreme rearward position for the purpose of reducmg to a minimum the frictional wear between the cable and locking pin.

A 'further object is to operate the movable bottom of the dipper by means of toggle-arms and suitable actuating means therefor all of which are mounted directly upon the dipper-supporting beam so that the bottom of the dipper may be opened or closed at will at any point in the are of movement of said dipper.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the trench apparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings- Figure -1- is a side elevation of a trenching apparatus embodying the various features of my invention, the dipper being Fig. -3- is an inverted plan of the dip per and adjacent portion of its supporting beam showing more particularly the togglearms and operating means therefor, for opening and closing the bottom of the dipper, a' portion of said toggle-arms being shown in section.

Fig. -4- is a top plan of a fragmentary portion of the dipper-supporting beam showing the rotary drum and cables controlling the operation of the toggle-arms previously mentioned.

Fig. -5- is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 5-5, Fig. -4, showing more particularly the means for locking the toggle controlling drum in its adjusted position.

The means illustrated for carrying out the objects stated comprises a track -A- ,hav ing its rails running along opposite sides of the line of trench and adapted to support a power house -B a car C, and an anchorage -D-, the power house and anchorage being located considerably apart,

lengthwise of-J the track and are provided with suitable wheels resting upon the rails of said track to permit them to be easily moved thereon, but are preferablyI held against such movement by suitable blocking (not shown) when the apparatus is in operation.

The power house contains the motive power such as steam engine -B- and cable drums ZJ- and -Z/-.

The anchorage -D is adapted to receive and support weights `flsuiiicient to counteract any load which may be placed upon the dipper operating cable as lwhich is passed around the sheave -J- on the upper portion of the anchorage D as shownr'more clearly in Fig. -1.

The car -C- is movable along the .track -A- between the power house -B.- and anchorage -D-, and is similar to that set forth in my Patentv 1,270,240, previously mentioned, except that it is somewhat shorter and is specifically adapted to the altered arrangement of the supporting means for the fall-blocks, and other structural differences which may be hereinafter pointedout.

The general structure of the car is that of a trussed bridge composed of opposite upright longitudinally extending sections Q- of sufficient height and transverse spaced relation to permit a wagon or similar vehicle to pass between them from end to end, and also affording ample clearance for the operation of the clipper and bucket in the intervening space for loading the vehicles, or for excavating or back lling as may be desired.

The upper portion of these uprights -2- are rigidly connected by upwardly converging braces -3-.- and a central lengthwise ridge beam suitably secured to and between braces -:lso' as to form a unitary frame having a iengthwis(` passage thereto from end to end below the ridge beam for the free operation of the dipper and bucket in the intervening space, said frame being also provided at its ends and sides with elevated platforms -5- and -6- along which length to allow the dipper to enter thel ground a considerable distance below the surface thereof for trenching purposes, and is preferably of greater length than the car and is movable longitudinally and also about a transverse axis so that when the dipper is elevated to a position in proximity to the front end of the car the rear end of the beam will extend some distance beyond the corresponding end of the car, as shown in Fig:

The arms 8'- of the 'dipper-supporting beam are arranged at opposite sides of the ridge beam -4-, and are provided along their lower rear edges with toothed-racks -9- meshing withl pinions -10- which are secured to a transverse shaft -11-, the latter being journaled in suitable bearings on the upper end of the braces -3- near the rear end of the ridge beam 4 and constitutes a pivot about which the (lippensupporting beam is adapted to rock.V

The arms -8- are also guided in rocking yokes 12- which are mounted on the rock shaft l1- at opposite sides of the rear braces -3- near the ridge beam lland are provided with rollers -13- for engaging the upper edges of said arms -8- at the opposite sides of the shaft -1 1 for holding the racks -9- in engagement with their pinions -10-, and also for guiding the dipper supporting beam in its longitudinal movement.

In other words the dipper supporti-ng arms --8- are slidable longitudinally intheir respective yokes 1Q. which in turn are movable with said arms about the axis of the shaft *11-, while the pinions l0- and rollers 13- constitute roller bearings for guiding the dipper-supporting arms in their longitudinal movement with a minimum amount of friction, the pinions #10- and racks .-9- serving as a means by which and -9f, said lever being provi stance of a wheel T14- secured to the shaft -11 and adapted to be engaged by a -17- connected by a cable -18 to a hand lever -19- as shown in Figs. P1

the usual pawl for engaglng a relatively fixed rack 20- to hold the brake in its operative position.

The ridge beam 4 is usually made of opposite plates in transversely spaced relat1on for receiving between theml separateV pairs of sheaves 21 and Q2-J' located respectively near the front and rear ends of the car, the forward sheave being adapted tosup'prt the adjacent end of the dipy per operating cable 1 -,while the other pair of sheaves 22- are adapted to suppoglt the adjacent end of a bucket operating ca e 1`-.

The forward end, of the cable 1- is at-` tached to the drum -bin the power house -B- and extends rearwardly over the top of the car upon suitable sheaves on the forward and rearward ends thereof, some distance to the rear end of the car where it passes around the sheave -0l"- on the anchorage -D- and is returned over suitable sheaves on the top of the car and around one or more sheaves 21-, on the front end ofthe car and is attached to a fall-block -23-' on the upper edge of the dipper 7-, as shown more clearly in Fig. -2.

The forward end of the other cable -.1- is attached tothe drum -bin the power house -B- and extends rearwardly over suitable sheaves as -24- on the top of the c'ar and around one or'more sheaves 2Q- on the rear end of the car, and is attached to a fall-block -25- which is adapted to support a bucket -26-.

Both of the fall-blocks are adapted to play between the opposite plates --of the ridge beam -4 and therefore in a verti-v rights of the car when released and lowered.

The use of either the bucket or dipper is generally determined by the'materials to be excavated, as previously explained, and it therefore becomes necessar to provide some means for locking the fa l-block for both of the devices in their extreme upper position so that the one not in use may not interfere with the one in operation, andfor this purpose is provided a pair of locking ins 4:27- and ,28- one for each fallblock, `each locking pin extending transversely across the intervening space between the side plates f the right beam -4- and through longi udinal elongated inclined with `more clearly in Fig. -2-, to allow the 'pins hand lever -31- which is pivoted at 32- to the opposite plates of the ridge beam -4.- soas vto move longitudinally of the car, its opposite arms .-31- being slotted vertically to receive the ends of the locking in and permit said pin to automatically interlock with its fall-block when the latter is drawn to its extreme upward position and then slightly released.

The dipper is adapted to swing longitudinally of the car through an arc of approximately 90o which, of course, materially changes the angle of its supporting cable relatlvely to the vertical plane or planes in which the sheaves 21eare located, and in order that the cable may assume its various angles without excessive proximity to the forward end of the car,

and by pivoting the supporting beam in close proximity to the rear end ofthe carenables the portion of the cable between the fall-block -23- and sheaves 21` to assume an efficient forward-draft angle when the dipper is swung to its extreme rearward and downward position without excessive lifting thrusts between the dipper and4 car and enables the carto be made somewhat shorter and therefore more economically than that shownl in my patent previously mentioned.

When .the dipper is in operation the bucket -26- is preferably removed from its fall-block Q5- and allowed to rest on .treme upward position by the cable -1-,

and locked in place by its pin -27.

lThe dipper 7 is preferably of the bottom-dump type and is braced to the beam by opposite trangular plates 33- to which the movable bottom JV-l of the dipper is vhinged at -34-, just to the rear of the rear wall of the dipper, as shown in Fig.

-2, thus allowing the bottom to swing by its own weight and the weight of the loa to its open position when released.

Suitable means is provided for positively closing the swinging bottom of the dipper and preferably at'any position of adjustment of said dipper and its supporting beam, and for this purpose the hinge sections ofthe bottom -7 are connected at points some distance below the pivot 34- to one of a pair of toggle-arms -35- which are pivoted to each other at -36-, the other arm being pivotally connected at -8- of the dipper-supporting beam some distance toward the free end of said arms.

The flexing joint of the toggle-arms -35- is connected by a link -39--` to a sheave block -40-*1 the sheave of which is engaged by a cable 41- having one end attached to a fixed support 42- on the dipper-supporting beam, and its other end attached to a rotary drum -43- on the same beam, said drum being provided with a hand-crank 4dat one side of the beam for operating, the drum -to wind the cable thereon, and thereby draw the togglearms toward a straight line for the purpose of positively closing the bottom -7- 0f the dipper.

In order that the drum m43- may be locked against reverse rotation to holdthe bottom of the dipper in its closed position it is provided with a ratchet wheel 4G- adapted to be engaged by a movable` detent -47- shown in Figs. -4- and -5-.

If the dipper is to be operated for excavating or loading and back filling the bucket 26- will, of course, be removed from its fall-block -25- whereupon-the operation of the drum --Z)- in one direction by means of suitable clutch connections with the engine will lift the fall block -23- and dipper a sufiicient distance to allow the locking pin -27 to be thrown from its locking position through the medium of the hand lever -3l at which time the drum -bmay be released to. allow the dipper to rock downwardly and rearwardly to the desired position to enable its teeth to be brought into engagement with the material that is to be excavated, it being understood that during this initial lowering of the dipper the beam ,-8 will be held against longitudinal movement by .the rack and pinion 9 and -10-, and by the application of the brake -15 will prevent the rotation of the pinion relatively to therack.

In order that this operation may be more clearly understood it may be stated that the distance between the axis of movement of the dipper-supporting beam and vertical plane of the front supporting sheave 2lfor the fall-block 2B- may be slightly less than the distance between the same axis andthe bottom of the car, to allow the dipper to swing freely from its normal up postion to its extreme rearward position above the surface of the ground to be excavated while the brake is applied, at which time the brake -15- may be released to allow'the dipper to descend by its own weight to its digging position in contact with the ground;

The drum -bmay then be operated to draw the dipper forwardly and upwardly for loading or to move the car rearwardly over the back-filling and the dipper may be dumped at any period in such movement by trench for raising the loaded buckets therefrom, and causing its fall block to engage the corresponding pin -28.

When the bucket or dipper is arranged in its extreme upward position, either loaded or unloaded the limitations of movement of the corresponding cable will allow the latter to be operated by its drum or -b-, along the track, as may be necessary, as the work of excavating rogresses or in dumping the loads for bac -llling or into other conveyers.

What I claim is l l. Trenching apparatus comprising 1n combination with a track alongthe trench line, a power device and an anchorage both stationed some distance apart, said anchorage having a sheave thereon, a car movable .along the track between said power device and anchorage, a cable-supporting sheave on the front end of the car, a dipper having a supporting beam movable about an axis near the iear end of the car and having an independent endwise movement, a fall block attached to said dipper, and a cable passing around the sheaves and fall-block and attached to the power device. v

2. Trenching apparatus comprising in combination with a track along the trench line, a power device and an anchorage both stationed some distance apart along the track, and provided respectively with a rotary drum and a Sheave, a car movable along the track between the power device and anchorage and provided with a cable supporting slieave near its front end, a dipper having spaced supporting arms mounted on the rear end of the car to swing lengthwise thereof and having an independent endwise movement, a fall-block attached to the dipier, a cable extending lengthwise of the car between the dipper arms, and having one end attached to said drum and its other end passed around vthe anchorage sheave and returned to the car over the second named sheave and attached to the fall-block.

3. Trenching apparatus comprising a car movable along the trench line, a dipper mounted on the car to swing about an axis at the rear end of the car, a tall-block attached to the dipper, a sheave on the front end of the car, a cable passed around the sheave and attached to theIall-block, and means for winding and unwinding the cable.

4. Trenching apparatus comprising a car movable along the trench line, a dipper mounted on the car to swing about an axis at the rear end thereof, a fall-block attached to the dipper, a sheave on the front end ot' the car, a cable passing around the sheavel and attached to the fall-block, means for Winding and unwinding the cable', said dipper having spaced supporting arms, a sheave mounted on the car near the rear end thereof between said axis and the iirst named sheave, a bucket-supporting fall-block, a cable passed over the second named sheave and between said arms and attached to the last named fall-block, and power operated means for winding and unwinding the second named cable.

5. Trenching apparatus comprising a frame along the trench line, a dipper having a supporting beam hingedly mounted upon the frame, a fall-block attached to the dipper, a dipper operating cable passed around the fall-block, a bucket-supporting fallblock movable vertically between the axis of movement of the dipper-supporting beam and the first named fall-block, a bucket operating cable supporting the second named fall-block, and sheaves mounted on the frame for supporting said cables.

6. Trenching apparatus comprising a track along the trench line, a car movable along the track, a. dipper-supporting beam hingedly mounted upon one end of the car to swing vertically lengthwise thereof, a fall-block attached to the dipper, a dipperoperating cable supporting the fall-block, sheaves on the front end ot' the car for supporting the cable, a bucket-supporting fallblock, a bucket voperating cable supporting the second named fall-block, and supporting sheaves for the second named cable mounted on the car between the axis of movement of the dipper-'supporting beam and the first named sheaves.

7. In a trenching apparatus the combination of an elevated frame along the trench line, a dipper having a supportlng beam mounted on the lframe to swing vertically and longitudinally of said frame and having an independentI endwise movement, a sheave on the frame some distance from the axis of movement of the dipper supporting beam,

a fall-block attached to the dipper, a cable attached to the fall-block and passing around said sheave, a second sheave mounted on the frame nearer to the axis of movement of the dipper supporting beam than the first named sheave. a cable supported by the second named sheave, and a bucket-supporting tall-block attached to the second named cable.

8. In a trenching apparatus the combination of an elevated frame along the trench line, a dipper having a supporting beam mounted on the frame to swing vertically and longitudinally of said trame and having an independent endwise movement. a sheave on the traine some distance from they axis ot' movement of the dipper supportn ing beam. a fall-block attached to the dipper, a cable attached to the fall-block and vpassing around said sheave, a second sheave mounted on the frame nearer to the axis ot movement of the dipper supporting beam than the first named sheave, a cable supported by the second named sheave, and '1 bucket-supporting fall-block attached to second named cable, said dipper supporting beam having spaced arms, the second named cable and tall-block attached thereby being movable between said arms.

'9. In a trenching apparatus, a track .lengthwise of the trench, a car movable car for supporting the returned end of the cable, a tallsblock attached to said cable after passing around' the sheaves, a. dipper supporting` btam mounted on the rear end of' the car to swing vertically and'lengthwise of saidcar and having an independent cndwise movement. connections between the dipper and tall-block, additional sheaves mounted on the car near the rear end thereof, a separate cable passed around said sheaves. and a bucket supporting tall-block carried by the second named cable, said second named cable being extended forwardly over the top of the car and attached to the other drum.

10. In a trenching apparatus, the combination of a car movable along the line of the trench, a dipper and a supporting beam therefor mounted upon the car to swing vertically and longitudinallv thereof about an axis near the rear end ot the car, a pair ot sheaves mounted. on the car near the front end thereof. a fall-block attached to the dipper, a cable passed around said sheaves and supporting the fall-block, an additional set of sheaves mounted on the car some distance to the rear of the first named sheaves, a cable passed around the second named sheaves, and a bucket supporting fall-block carried by the second named cable.

11, In a trenchinrgr apparatus, the combination of a car movable along the line of the trench, a dipper and a supporting beam therefor mounted upon the car to swing vertically and longitudinally thereof about an axis near the rear end of the car, a pair of sheaves mounted on thecar near the front end thereof, a fall-block attached to the dipper, a cable passed around said sheaves and supporting the fall-block, an additional set of sheaves mounted on the car some distance to the rear of the first named sheaves, a cable passed around the second named sheaves, a bucket supporting fall-block car- THOMAS F. MOORE.

Witnesses:

MARY E. MooRE, D. R. HUMMER.

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