Manually operated, walk-behind, roadway roller

Details Manually operated, walk-behind, roadway roller Manually operated, walk-behind, roadway roller

1999-07-07

2001-10-16

Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3673)

Road structure, process, or apparatus

Apparatus

Rotating drum, roller or tire

C404S117000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06302620

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a hand guide roller for leveling ground of a roadbed and pavement. More particularly, the invention relates to a hand guide roller of the manually steerable type whereby the roller is steerable by pushing and pulling a handle in a horizontal direction manually, i.e., by human power.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With respect to rollers for preparing the ground of roadbed and pavement, hand guide rollers are among the relatively small sized rollers that are known. Such rollers are in demand because of their simple structure. Because of their small size, the steering is manual by pushing and pulling the handle manually in a horizontal direction by human power.
The structure as shown in
FIG. 5
has been widely used as hand guide rollers. Front and a rear rollers
4
,
5
are supported by a frame, and a handle bar
9
is secured at the rear side of the frame. Within the frame, a single vibration generator (not shown) is provided to transmit vibration to the front and rear rollers
4
,
5
through the frame. Advancing directions are, as shown in the drawing, changed by pushing and pulling the handle bar
9
manually in horizontal (i.e., lateral) directions to steer the front and rear rollers
4
,
5
together with the frame. Because this structure is satisfactory with a single vibration generator and is not provided with a steering mechanism, it is very simple and economical in production cost. Thus, such a structure is quite a suitable hand guide roller.
However, in this structure, when steering, the entire guide roller must be moved as a whole. As such, to push and pull the handle requires a certain amount of physical strength. Accordingly, structures have been provided with a steering mechanism, and results in the saving of labor.
There are several types of steering mechanisms. One type, type (
1
) is a mechanism or structure that turns either one of the front and rear rollers with a turning axis positioned at the center of the roller. Another type, type (
2
) is a mechanism or structure that concurrently turns both the front and rear rollers with turning axes disposed at both rollers. A third type (
3
) is a mechanism or structure where the frame for supporting the front and rear rollers is divided into two, forwardly and rearwardly, and the divided frames are pivoted at the center of the roller car.
Comparing these three steering mechanisms, type (
1
) has the disadvantage that there is a large difference in the inner track between the front and rear rollers during turning, and the running or traveling loci are greatly diverged between the front and rear wheels. Type (
2
) has the disadvantage that two turning axes are necessary resulting in a complicated structure and high costs. By comparison, the type (
3
) structure is assumed to be the most suitable, but also has disadvantages as discussed below.
First, in the type (
3
) structure, the pivoting of the front and rear supporting frames is along a turning axis and bearing which are opposed in a vertical direction. Thus, the height of the car is inevitably tall which is not preferred for a hand guide roller that requires compactness.
Also, when providing a single vibration generator, because vibration is transmitted to at least either of the front and rear rollers through the axis, the turning axis and the bearing must be of high strength, which has a high cost. On the other hand, if separate respective vibrators are disposed in respective interiors of the rollers, as in large sized guide rollers, members of high strength are not necessary, but two vibrators are required, as well as a structure for synchronizing both vibrators. This also results in high costs.
Moreover, with an axis and bearing, the large rattling that would occur requires high precision which is difficult to produce and durability is a concern.
The present invention has been devised in view of problems involved with the prior art, and accordingly it is an object to offer such a hand guide roller which is easy in steering, compact in the structure, and low in production cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For accomplishing the objects of the present invention, the hand guide roller of the manually steerable type is basically characterized by directly or indirectly turnably connecting a front support frame for supporting a front roller and a rear support frame for supporting a rear roller at a central part of the roller car main body through a rolling bearing, and disposing a vibration generator in the vicinity of the rolling bearing. Vibration is transmitted by the vibration generator to at least one of the front roller and the rear roller via the rolling bearing.
The invention employs the rolling bearing for connecting the front supporting frame and the rear supporting frame. Specifically, these frames are directly or indirectly secured to an inner wheel and an outer wheel respectively, and are mutually turnable. The rolling bearing is generally planar so that the height of both cars can be made low.
The rolling bearing is stronger than the known structure having an axial shaft and bearing, and results in less rattling when vibration is transmitted from the vibration generator. Further, high precision is not required, and the durability is superior.
Because the front supporting frame and the rear supporting frame of the present invention are mutually turnable via the rolling bearing, steering is easily carried out by pushing and pulling the handle bar horizontally. The frames are turnably connected at the center of the car main body, so that smooth steering may be effected without causing a large deviation in the traveling loci of the front roller and the rear roller.


REFERENCES:
patent: 694213 (1902-02-01), Stark
patent: 3422735 (1969-01-01), Vitry
patent: 3814531 (1974-06-01), Carnahan et al.
patent: 3872942 (1975-03-01), Metailler
patent: 4927289 (1990-05-01), Artzberger
patent: 5234284 (1993-08-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 44-96185 (1973-04-01), None
patent: 48-12166 (1973-04-01), None
patent: 56-77508 (1981-06-01), None

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