Earth working – With actuator adapted to lift tool for transport on wheeled... – Lift actuator moves with tool or forms removable unit therewith
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-07
2001-11-06
Novosad, Christopher J. (Department: 3671)
Earth working
With actuator adapted to lift tool for transport on wheeled...
Lift actuator moves with tool or forms removable unit therewith
C172S464000, C172S484000, C172S699000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311784
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to a ripper assembly, and more particularly to a ripper carriage assembly having a means for storing energy generated by twisting forces imposed on a ripper tip during operation in rock and similar hard material.
BACKGROUND ART
Ripper assemblies are commonly used to loosen hardened ground and break up rock formations. In such operations, a ripper shank having a tip mounted on a lower end is pulled, and sometimes additionally pushed, through the ground with sufficient force to break up the hardened ground or rock. Fracture zones in the rock, and large rocks randomly distributed in hardened ground defect the tip away from a true forward direction, imposing significant twisting forces on the tip of the ripper shank. The impact twisting forces imposed on the ripper tip are transmitted through the ripper shank to the structure supporting the ripper implement.
The upper end of ripper implement support structures is generally attached to pitch control cylinders which control the pitch, or attack angle, of the ripper tip with respect to the ground. Repeated severe twisting impact shock forces on the ripper tip adversely affect the integrity of the support structure, to the point that weld joints fail and the ripper assembly becomes inoperable. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,659, issued Feb. 12, 1991 to Visvaldis A. Stepe, et al., for a RIPPER ASSEMBLY WITH PITCH CONTROL AND INTEGRAL FRAME AND PUSH BLOCK, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a ripper assembly in which the pitch control cylinders are pivotally attached by universal brackets mounted on the sides of the ripper shank support housing. Repeated twisting impact shock forces on the ripper tooth can cause failure of the welded joint between the universal brackets and the ripper support housing. The present invention is not only directed to overcoming the problems set forth above, but also to providing a ripper assembly capable of storing a portion of the twist forces and use that stored energy to return the tip to its original orientation.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle having a moveable ripper assembly includes a frame assembly having a first end pivotally em attached to the vehicle, a second end spaced from the first end, and a lift mechanism disposed between the vehicle and the second end of the frame assembly. The vehicle further includes a ripper carriage assembly having an elongated implement support housing adapted to receive the shank of a ripper implement therein, a first end portion pivotally connected to the second end of the frame assembly and a second end portion spaced from the first end portion. A pitch control mechanism is disposed between the vehicle and the ripper carriage assembly. The ripper carriage assembly includes a transverse cross beam having a central portion rigidly mounted on the second end of the support housing. The transverse cross beam has a pair of arms extending respectively outwardly from the support housing, with each of the arms having a distal end portion which has a bracket to which the pitch control mechanism is pivotally connected. Further, the transverse cross beam has a stress relief notch disposed between the central portion and each of the distal end portions of the outwardly extending arms of the transverse cross beam.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a ripper carriage assembly includes a ripper implement support housing having a predefined longitudinal axis, a first end portion having a pivot connection adapted for attachment to a lift mechanism, and a second end spaced from the first end. The ripper carriage assembly further includes a transverse cross beam spaced from the longitudinal axis of the support housing and extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. The transverse cross beam has a central portion rigidly mounted on the second end portion of the support housing, and a pair of arms extending respectively outwardly from the middle portion. Each of the arms has a distal end and a stress relief notch formed at a position between the distal end of the arm and the middle portion of the transverse cross beam.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4991659 (1991-02-01), Stepe et al.
Clarke Donovan S.
Vernagus Andrea R.
Vik Timothy A.
Zimmerman William H.
Caterpillar Inc.
McFall Robert A.
Novosad Christopher J.
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