Excavating – Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device – Railway clearer
Patent
1991-08-14
1992-11-24
Reese, Randolph A.
Excavating
Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device
Railway clearer
37DIG3, 37118R, 414732, E02F 376, B66C 100
Patent
active
051651920
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a track-mounted excavating machine equipped with a separate, maneuverable tool, preferably a gripping tool intended for gripping around a post and firmly holding the same.
When erecting telephone cables or power cables, essentially two different systems are employed for the purpose of setting the necessary posts in the ground. One of these systems is known as the giraffe system, in which a gripping tool is mounted on the control cabin of a wheel-driven excavator through the intermediary of a telescopically maneuverable operating arm. The drawbacks with this system are that the gripping tool and the telescopically maneuverable arm are unprotected during transportation and that because of its position on the machine, the arm carrying the gripping tool has difficulty in managing the heaviest posts. Furthermore, a wheeled excavating machine has limited accessibility when the ground is muddy and wet, for instance. Neither is the digging ability of a wheeled excavator as great as that of a tracked excavator or digger, and consequently difficulties can arise when the ground to be dug is frozen.
The other system used to mount the posts required in the erection of overhead telephone and power cables includes a truck-mounted excavating machine equipped with a bucket on which a gripping tool is mounted. The most serious drawback with this system is that the digging and gripping functions of the bucket and tool respectively cannot be carried out simultaneously, and consequently two workmen are needed to carry out the work of mounting the posts in the ground. One workman sits in the machine and with the aid of the gripping tool holds the post in position in a pre-dug hole while the other person fills in the hole around the post manually. An attempt to lessen the effect of this drawback can be made by mounting on the bucket two soil-containers which are filled with soil and operated from the control cabin. When the post is subsequently held in place by the gripping tool, the soil-containers are maneuvered so that the soil will fall into the hole in which the post is placed. The hole is not filled completely, however, and consequently the need for two workmen remains.
SUMMARY OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
These drawbacks are overcome by the tracked excavating machine of the present invention. The tool, preferably a gripping tool, is mounted on a control unit which during transportation is retracted into a protective position in the machine chassis, between the tracks of the machine. This reduces the risk of damage to the tool. The tool can also be maneuvered readily into position with the aid of the control unit, which is operative to adjust the distance between the tool and the excavating machine, and also with the aid of lateral control means and height control means operative to adjust the lateral positions and high positions of the tool respectively. Thus, the tool can be maneuvered independently of the bucket, thereby enabling the individual functions of the tool and the bucket to be performed simultaneously. This will enable the work of mounting posts intended for supporting overhead telephone cables or power cables to be performed by one single workman.
The inventive tracked excavating machine is not restricted by the weight of the posts or prevailing weather conditions or the condition of the ground (can be used on frozen ground, for instance). The ability to use the bucket function and tool function simultaneously and independently of one another renders the excavating machine highly versatile.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 is a side view of truck-mounted excavating machine according to the present invention provided with a control unit, which is shown in a retracted protected position;
FIG. 2 is a side view similar to the side view of FIG. 1, but with the control unit i
REFERENCES:
patent: 3752237 (1973-08-01), Pinkham et al.
patent: 3778111 (1973-12-01), Ciofani
patent: 3881615 (1975-05-01), Albright
patent: 4222186 (1980-09-01), Molby
patent: 4327509 (1982-05-01), Bean
patent: 4645410 (1987-02-01), Royer
patent: 4669947 (1987-06-01), Frost
patent: 4825567 (1989-05-01), Andiano et al.
McBee J. Russell
Reese Randolph A.
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