US1958269A - Excavating machine - Google Patents

Description

May 8, 1934. L. P. GREEN EXCAVATING MACHINE original Filed sept. 17. 1930 4 sheets-sheet' 1 QN @Nv wfbliilqmnlmmrll\ QN NN I May 8,` 1934. 1 p GREEN I 1,958,269

EXCAVATING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 17. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 nue May 8, i934. P. GREEN EXCAVATING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 17, 1950 me/dwf.'- re 977/' May 8, 1934. l.. P. GREEN EXCAVATING MACHINE Grignal Filled Sept. 17. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 \QN \J\c 1| mx ma@ uw m6 k@ @A E Nm N InTlJf. mV A Q .mm

Patented May 8, 1934 UNITED STATES EXCAVATING MACHINE Leslie P. Green, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Archie M. Holland, Youngstown, Ohio Application September 17, 1930, Serial No. 482,528

. Renewed October 4, 1933 16 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in excavating machines and has for its primary ob- -ject, the provision of an improved machine of this character which is of simple construction and highly ecient in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character adapted and arranged to operate in a minimum of space.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved machine of this character adapted and arranged to dig a tunnel or passageway under ground.

Other objects will appear hereinafter..

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which Fig. 1 is a side view illustrating a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 a partial side View of the front or forward portion of said machine showing the position of the parts when the excavator scoop or bucket is elevated into dumping position;

Fig. 3 a front View corresponding with Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 a front view of a modified form ofnconstruction corresponding with Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the said modified form of construction in dumping position;

Fig. 'l a partial side view of the forward portion of another modified form of construction;

Fig. 8 a diagrammatic view illustrating the path or orbit of movement of the excavator scoop shown in Fig. 1 in actual operation;

Fig. 9 a lpartial longitudinal section of the forv ward portion of another modied form of construction; and

Fig. 10 a partial plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 9. e

The embodiment of the invention illustrated 1n Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a suitable supporting platform 11, mounted for travel upon suitable tractors 12 and equipped with a suitable engine or other motive power 13 connected by sprocket chain 14 with a main driving or power shaft 15, mounted in suitable brackets v16 upon the platform 11. The power shaft 15 is connected-by sprocket chain 17 with a counter shaft 18 connected by sprocket chain 19 with an endless belt conveyor 20, arranged in upwardly and rearwardly inclined position on the platform 1l, as

shown. Associated with and surrounding the lower forward end of the conveyor 20 is a hopper 21, having an inclined forward end 22, said hop-V per being open at its bottom and rear side.` so that any material deposited therein will be deposited directly upon the endless belt\conveyor 20. The endless belt conveyor 20 is operated to convey any material deposited in the hopper 21 upwardly and rearwardly and to discharge the' same by gravity at the upper rear end of the machine. Obviously, a truck, car or other suitable conveyance may be placed to receive the material discharged from the upper end of the conveyor 20, as will be readily understood by those skilled in this art.

A sprocket chain 23 is also connected with the power shaft 15 and with another counter shaft 24 mounted in suitable supporting bars 25, sup` ported on standards 26 and 27 on the platform 11. The counter shaft 24 carries two pinions 28 .75

meshing with gears 29 on a counter shaft 30,

mounted at the upper ends of the supporting bars 25. Two gears 31 meshing with gears 29 are mounted on a counter shaft 32, supported by links 33 arranged to swing about the counter shaft 30 and carrying the gears 31 with them. An adjusting bar 34 is pivotally connected at one end with one of the links 33, and at its other end with the corresponding supporting bar 25 by means of a bolt 35 adapted and arranged to engage various bolt holes in the adjusting bar 34 and whereby the angular positions of the gears 31 relatively to the gears 29 may be adjusted as desired.

Thegears 31 carry radially projecting arms 36 vpivotally and adjustably connected with lever arms 37 by `means of bolts 38 adapted and arranged to engage one of a seriesof holes in the corresponding arms 36, so that the radial mounting of the arms 3'7 may be adjusted as desired. Rigidly secured between the lever arms 37 is a scoop or excavator bucket 39 having a forward digging side 40 and a hoppered rear side 41, and inwardly and upwardly inclined hopper leaves 42 at its top. The arrangement is such that when the excavator scoop or bucket is swung upwardly, forwardly and then rearwardly into the position indicated in Fig. 2, the material gathered thereby will be deposited in the hopper 21 and thence removed by the endless belt conveyor 20, as explained above.

At their rear ends, the levers 37 are pivotally and adjustably connected with links 43 by means of bolts 44 engaging through a plurality of bolt holes, as shown. At their upper'ends, the links 43 are likewise pivotally and adjustably connected with radial arms on the gears 29, by means of bolts 46 engaging through a series of bolt holes, as indicated. By this arrangement, as the gears 29 and 31 are caused to rotate in the directions of the arrows in Fig. 1, the excavator scoop 39 will be caused to swing first upwardly and for?1 wardly and then upwardly and .rearwardly into the position indicated in Fig. 2, thereby digging up or excavating material in front of the machine and depositing it in the hopper 21, as will be readily understood. Upon continued movement of the gears 29 and 31, the excavator scoop 39 will be' returned to original position, said excavator scoop being thereby caused to travel through a closed curve or orbit. In Fig. 8, I have illustrated diagrammatically the closed curve or orbit which the point 47 on one side of the excavator scoop 39 will traverse during a complete operation of the excavator scoop. It will thus be seen that theA arrangement is such that the excavator scoop 39, through continuous rotations of the gears 29 and 31, will be caused -to travel through the orbit 48 and thereby automatically ll itself with material from in front of the machine and deposit said material in the hopper 2l without reversing the movement of any of the parts and without opening or tripping any of the sides of the excavator scoop, said scoop being thereby automatically made to discharge its contents through the action of gravity. By adjusting the angular position of the gears 29 and 31 by means of the adjusting bar 34, and by adjusting the pivotal connections of the levers 37 and the links 43, the closed curve or orbit of movement of the excavator scoop may be varied considerably to meet various conditions of use. Likewise, by making the excavator scoop 39 as wide or a little wider than the platform 11 and associated parts. a tunnel or passage-way may be excavated which will accommodate and permit the entry of the machine itself, thereby permitting of continuous excavating operations and convenient and efficient tunneling when desired.

Obviously, also, gears 29 and 31 and the bars and links supporting and controlling the movement of the scoop may be arranged between the supporting bars 25 and supporting links 33 and a similar assembly of parts can be arranged outside of each of the last said supporting bars and links. each operating an additional scoop on each out side and the latter scoop and operating parts may be adjusted to load at the approximate time the center scoop is discharging its load.

In the modined form of construction illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the counter shaft 24 is mounted as shown in a different and higher position and the gears 31 are mounted upon swinging arms 49 carrying at their lower ends a counter shaft 50 which, in turn, carries gears 51 meshing with the gears 3l, as best shown in Fig. 5. The excavator Y ins scoop 39 is canied by lever arms 52 pivoted at 53 on crank pins carried by the gears 51. As shown, a plurality of holes 53' are provided in gears 51 to receive crank pin 53 and permit of correspondadjustments of said crank pins and the fulcrums of levers .52'. The upper rear ends of the levers 52 are pivotally and adjustably connected with links 54 by means of bolts the upper ends of the links 54 are pivotally connected with crank pins 56 adjustable in holes 56' in the sides of the gears 31.* The arms 49 carry rearwardly and downwardly projecting studs 57 pivotally connected with the forwardends of links 58 which are adjustably and pivotally connected at their rear ends to studs 59, adjustably mounted on the lower ends of links 60 pivoted at 61 on the 55, as shown, and

frame of themachine. Additional links 62 are adjustably and pivotally connected at their lower ends with the studs 59 and pivotally connected at their upper ends with crank pins 63 adjustable in holes 63 in the gears 29. By this arrangement, the gears 51 and 31 will operate very much as did the gears 31 and 29 to cause snooping operations of the excavator scoop 39 but, at the same time, the co-operating gears 51 and 31 will be caused to oscillate about the gears 29 by virtue of the operation of the crank pin 63, thereby imparting to the excavator scoop 39 additional forwardly hori-l zontal movement when loading and additional rearward movement when discharging, resulting in a diierent form of orbit from that illustrated in Fig. 8, but at the same time causing said excavator scoop to pick up material from in front of the machine and deposit it in the hopper 21, as before. This form of application of the invention, while somewhat more complicated than that illustrated in Fig. 1, will have a wider range of adjustment and a wider ileld of action than said construction.

In the form of construction illustrated in Fig 7, the same gears 29, 31 and 51 are employed as in the construction illustrated in Fig. 5, but said gears are mounted upon angular supporting arms 49 instead of upon the straight supporting arms 49, thus permitting of a slightly diiIerent adjustment and arrangement of the excavator scoop. In this arrangement, also, the studs 57' assume somewhat different positions from the studs 57, and the links 38' assume somewhat diiIerent positions from the links 58 in the former construction. The link 62 has been entirely omitted and an adjusting lever 64 having an upward curved extension 65 connecting with the rearward end ofthe link 58'. The adjusting arm 85 is connected with an adjusting rod 66 by means of which the angular relation between the gears 31 and 29 may be varied, and thereby the orbit of the excavator scoop correspondingly varied. Otherwise, the construction and operation is substantially the same as the construction illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, an excavating shovel 67 provided with a forward digging edge 68. retaining sides 69, and an open rear end 70, is pivotally mounted at 71 at the lower ends of links 72 pivotally and adjustably mounted by means' of bolts 73 at the upper ends of supporting bars 74 of the frame of the machine. The shovel 67 is also pivotally supported at point 75 between radial arms 76 adjustably secured by bolts 77 to the outer sides of discs 78, mounted on trunnions 79 on the platform 11. The discs.78 are driven by sprocket chains 82 from the main power shaft of the machine, as will be readily understood. By this arrangement, upon rotation of the discs 78, the shovel 67 will be caused to'swing forwardly and upwardly into position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, thereby digging up or excavating any material from in front of the belt conveyor 20, as will be readily understood. This construction constitutes'a simple and effective shoveling machine adapted to operate in close quarters in tunneling or other excavating operations, as will be readily understood by those skilled in this art.

In the accompanying drawings 'and speinciv tion, I have illustrated and described my invention in a simplified machine as a whole. It is obvious, however, that the assembly of parts and frame work directly connected with the scoop can be movably mounted on the platform 11, providing a reasonable range of operation right and left and forward of the machine without moving the entire machine. Likewise, a second conveyor may be adjustably mounted on the rear of the machine providing for a reasonable range of delivery of the material to a greater elevation or to the right or left of the machine, as desired. Also, it is to be noted that by reversing the scoop and the direction of the travel of the scoop and operating mechanism, the material would be dragged downward and that by mounting a similar assembly of parts above the assembly of parts described, rotating the upper assembly of parts in an opposite direction, the latter would drag material downward to ll the elevating scoop.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Excavating apparatus comprising a suitable platform; a pair of first gears operatively mounted on said platform; a pair of second gears intermeshing with said first gears and mounted to revolve about the same; means for adjusting the angular positions of said second gears with relation to said rst gears; crank arms adjustablysecured to said gears and projecting radially therefrom; crank pins adjustably mounted on said crank arms; a pair of levers pivotally and adjustably mounted on the crank arms of said second gears; an excavator scoop mounted between the protruding ends of said levers; links adjustablyand pivotally connected with the other ends of said levers and with the crank arms on said rst gears; and means on said platform for operating said rst gears.

2. Excavating apparatus comprising a platform; a pair of rst gearsy operatively mounted on said platform; a pair of second gears intermeshing with said rst gears and mounted to revolve about the same; a pair of third gears intermeshing with said second gears and mounted to revolve therewith; crank pins on said gears; an operative connection between the crank pin on said rst gears and the mounting of said second and third' gears arranged and adapted to oscillate said mounting about said first gears; a pair of levers mounted on the crank pins of said third gears; a scoop mounted between the protruding ends of said levers; links connecting the other ends of. said levers with the crank pins on said second gears; and means for operating said first gears. v

3. Excavating apparatus comprising two rotating elements each carry.' ng a crank pin; a lever fulcrumed on one of said crank pins; a link connecting the other of said crank pins with said lever; and means for moving one of said crank pins in addition to its said rotating movement.

4. Excavating apparatus comprising two rotating elements each carrying a crank pin; a lever fulcrumed on one of said crank pins; a link connecting the other of said crank p 'ns with said lever; and means for moving both of said crank pins in addition to their said rotating movements.

5. Excavating apparatus comprising two rotating elements each carrying a crank pin; a lever iulcrumed on one of said crank pins; a link connecting the other of said crank pins with said lever; and means for oscillating one of said crank pins in addit'on to its said rotating movement.

6. Excavating apparatus comprising two rotating elements each carrying a crank pin; a lever fu`.crumed on one of said crank pins; a link connecting the other of said crank pins with said lever; and means for oscillating both of said crank pins in addition to their said rotating movements.

7. Excavating apparatus comprising twointermeshing gears each carrying a crank pin; a lever fulcrumed on one of said crank pins; a link connecting the other of said crank pins with said lever; and means for moving one of said crank pns in addition to its said rotating movement.

8. Excavating apparatus comprising two intermeshing gears each carrying a crank pin; a lever fulcrumed on one of said crank pins; a link connecting the other of said crank pins with said lever; and means for oscillating both of said crank pins in addition to their said rotating movements.

9. Excavating apparatus comprising two intermeshing gears each carrying a crank pin, one of which is mounted to revolve in a circle outside the periphery of its gear; a lever fulcrumed on one of said crank pins; and a link connecting the other of said crank pins with said lever.

10. Excavating apparatus comprising two intermeshing gears each carrying a crank pin mounted to revolve in a circle outside the periphery of its gear; a lever fulcrumed on one of said crank pins; and a link connecting the other of said crank pins with said lever.

11. Excavating apparatus comprising two rotating elements each carrying a crank pin and one mounted on an axis in a plane below that of the other; a lever fulcrumed on the lower of said crank pins; a link connecting one end of said lever with the upper of said crank pins; and an excavator scoopcarried by the other end of said lever.

12. Excavating apparatus comprising two r0- tating elements each carrying a crank pin and one mounted on an axis in a plane below that of the other; a lever fulcrumed on the lower of said crank pins; a link connecting one end of said lever with the upper of said crank pins; an excavator` scoop carried by the other end of said lever; and conveying mechanism arranged with its receiving end to the rear of the vertical through the axis of the lower of said rotating elements and co-operating with said scoop at its dumping position to remove the dumpings therefrom.

13. Excavating apparatus comprising two rotating elements each carrying a crank pin and one mounted on an axis in a plane below that of the other, the lower of said elements being circumferentially adjustable with reference to the other; a lever fulcrumed on the lower of said crank pins; a link connecting one end of said lever with the upper of said crank pins; and an excavator scoop carried by the other end of sad lever.

14. Excavating apparatus comprising two rotating elements each carrying a crank pin and one mounted on an axis in a plane below that of the other, the lower of said elements being circumferentially adjustable with reference to the other; a lever fulcrumed on the lower of said `crank pins; a link connecting one end of said lever with the upper of said crank pins; an excavator scoop carried by the other end of said lever; and conveying mechanism arranged with itsrecelvingendtotherearofthevertical through the axis of the lower of said rotating elements and co-operating with said scoop at its dumping position to remove the dumpings ytherefrom.

15. Excavating apparatus comprising a supporting frame; an upper gear mounted on said frame; a lower gear intermeshing with said upper gear and mounted for circumferential adjustments relatively thereto; means for securing said lower gear in various positions of circumferential adjustments; a crank pin on each of said gears; a lever fulcrumed on the lower oi' said crank pins; a link'connecting one end of said lever with the upper of Isaid crank pins; and an excavator scoop can'ied by the other end of said lever.

16. Excavating apparatus comprising a supporting frame; an upper gear mounted on said frame; a lower gear intermeshing with said upper gear and mounted for circumferential adjustments relatively thereto; means for securing said lower gear in various positions of circumferential adjustments; a crank pin on each of said gears; a lever iulcrumed on the lower of said crank pins; a link connecting one end of said lever with the upper of said crank pins; an excavator scoop carried by the other end of said lever; and conveying mechanism arranged with its receiving end to the rear of the vertical through the axis of the lower of said rotating elements and co-operating with said scoop at its dumping position to remove the dumpings therefrom.

LESLIE P. GREEN.

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