Excavating – Ditcher – Wheel excavator
Patent
1992-10-26
1995-01-17
Reese, Randolph A.
Excavating
Ditcher
Wheel excavator
37189, 37355, E02F 508, E02F 514
Patent
active
053816161
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to rotary rockwheel assemblies which serve to cut a narrow trench in the ground when driven along the ground by a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to use a rotary rockwheel assembly pulled by a tractor for cutting a narrow trench in the ground, for example for installation of television cables and other services beneath the surface of a road or pavement. The cutting wheel of such an assembly has a plurality of carbide teeth attached to its outer rim and is driven in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction by the power take-off from the tractor. Furthermore the cutting wheel is supported by the tractor by way of a pivot linkage permitting the rotating cutting wheel to be lowered into the ground to commence cutting of the trench. The tractor may then be moved forward as rotation of the cutting wheel continues so as to continue cutting of the trench. However, there are certain disadvantages associated with such rockwheel assemblies in use. Because the cutting wheel is directly carried by the pivot linkage shock and vibration are transmitted from the cutting wheel to the linkage and to the tractor, and there is a tendency for the depth of trench to vary uncontrollably. Furthermore when used for cutting through the surface of a tarmac road or pavement such assemblies produce trenches having ragged edges due to the fact that the cutting wheel has a tendency to break away stones at the edges of the trench. This means that, in many applications, it is necessary to subsequently smooth the edges of the trench in a separate operation using an inclined saw. This significantly increases the trench cutting costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,403,367 discloses a rotary rockwheel assembly in which the cutting wheel is carried by a support arrangement such that the cutting wheel may be lowered relative to the support arrangement for cutting, and in which a skid is pivotally secured to the support arrangement to track a sufficient distance from the trench being cut so as to avoid breaking in of the edges of the trench. However, because the support arrangement is not supported on the ground by the skid, there is still substantial transmission of shock and vibration from the cutting wheel to the linkage and the tractor.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved rotary rockwheel assembly which is capable of cutting a trench in a particularly efficient manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a rotary rockwheel assembly for cutting a narrow trench in the ground when driven along the ground by a vehicle, the assembly comprising a support frame, ground-engaging means on the support frame permitting the support frame to be moved in the direction in which the trench is to be cut, a rotary cutting wheel carried by the support frame, drive means for rotating the cutting wheel about a substantially horizontal axis, and lowering means on the support frame for lowering the cutting wheel relative to the support frame from a raised position in which substantially the whole of the cutting wheel is above the ground to a lowered position in which the cutting wheel cuts into the ground while being rotated by the drive means, wherein the support frame is supported on the ground by the ground-engaging means while the cutting wheel cuts into the ground so that the reaction forces generated by the cutting action are transmitted by way of the ground-engaging means into the ground.
Such an assembly is capable of cutting a trench in a particularly efficient manner by virtue of the fact that the reaction forces generated by the cutting action of the cutting wheel are transmitted by way of the ground-engaging means to the ground, rather than producing undesirable vibration of the assembly detrimental to the tractor or the linkage coupling the rockwheel assembly to the tractor.
Preferably the ground-engaging means comprises ground-engaging members which are adapted to engage the ground along the opposing edges of the trench being cut. The
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patent: 5058294 (1991-10-01), Bryan, Jr.
"Cutting at a Dash", New Civil Engineering, Mar. 9, 1989, by R. Byles, pp. 30-31.
A photograph of a Mastenbroek trencher. Date unknown.
"Kukla Boasts of Unbeatable New Range in Trenchers", Construction News, Oct. 1987, p. 13.
"C Series Rock Trencher and Rockwheel", four pages. Date unknown.
R. & R. Trench Equipment Limited
Reese Randolph A.
Warnick Spencer
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