CA2149089C - Reversible self-propelled plate compactor - Google Patents

Abstract

A reversible self-propelled plate compactor which includes at least one motor driven vibrator assembly, a housing for each vibrator assembly is mounted to one end of an arm, an opposite end of the arm is attached to a tamper plate by a flex mounting means, the forces generated by the vibrator assembly are directed to the tamper plate only by way of its associated arm and the flex mounting means, the direction of the self-propelled travel being irrespective of the direction of rotation of the shaft of the vibrator assembly.

Description

2149089 Docket 93072 2 BACKGROI~ND OF THE INVENTION

3 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

4 With regard to the classification of the art, this invention is believed to be found in the general class 6 entitled : Road Structure, Process and Apparatus", and more 7 particularly to the subclasses pertaining to "Tamper 8 Apparatus".
9 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PR-~ ART
Plate compactors or Tampers are known in the art.
11 Reversible plate compactors are the subject of several known 12 U.S. patents. These known patents are U.S. Patent Numbers:
13 3,001,458 issued to Croucher on 09/26/61; 3,603,224 issued 14 to Dresher on 09/07/71; 3,832,080 issued to Stoecker on 08/27/74; 3,972,637 issued to Sutherland on 08/03/76; and 16 5,149,225 issued to Artzberger on 09/22/92.
17 3,001,458 and 3,832,080 employ the principles of 18 adjusting the phase angle relationship of a pair of 19 counter-rotating eccentrics. This type of apparatus employs complex adjusting means which has a relatively short service 21 life as a result of the stress and the environment in which 22 operates.
23 3,972,637 mounts the tamper plate on a vertical axis.
24 This mounting allows the eccentric drive to be rotated about a vertical axis with respect to the compactor plate. Space 26 considerations at the work site have made this reversing 27 feature unusable. In many cases, the compactor must be 28 reversed while the operator is close to a corner.
29 3,603,224 discloses a plate compactor h~ving a pair of 21~9089 Docket 93072 1 eccentrics. The direction of movement is determined by the 2 direction of rotati~n of the eccentrics. ~his arrangement 3 requires a reversible transmission which has been found to 4 be very expensive while low~ring the service life of the compactor.
6 5,149,225 discloses a pair of eccentrically weighted 7 shafts fixed to a compactor plate. Each of the eccentrically 8 weighted shafts is independently rotated by a transmission g mechanism. This arrangement requires that the eccentrically weighted shafts be rotated in opposite directions for 11 providing the desired directional movement.
12 All of the known reversible plate compactors include 13 somewhat sophisticated drives. These drives add complexity 14 to the apparatus as well as cost. The complexity of some of the arrangements require that in some cases elaborate repair 16 parts be maintained at the work site. It has been found that 17 an apparatus which provides reversing capàbility at a 18 reasonable cost is needed. This de~ire~ plate compactor 19 should include a simplicity of construction, operation, and maintenance.
21 The present invention solves the indentified 22 limitations of the prior art. The present invention also 23 includes a plate compactor whose reversing capabilities are 24 irrespective of drive rotation.
SUi`l~lARY OF l`HE INVENTION
26 The present invention may be summarized with respect to 27 its objects. It is an object of this invention to provide 28 and it does provide a reversible plate compactor which is 29 simple in construction; easy to maintain and inexpensive to - 2149089 - Docket 93072 1 repair.
2 It is another object of this invention to provide and 3 it does provide a plate compactor whose reversing 4 capabilities are irrespective of the direction of rotation of the eccentric shafts. This allows the use of commercial 6 drive without using a change of direction transmission.
7 All aspects of the present invention disclose a 8 self-propelled plate compactor comprising: a tamper plate 9 having a tamper side for contacting material to be compacted; an engine carried on a mounting plate, the 11 mounting plate being selectively shaped; the mounting plate 12 being resiliently attached to the tamper plate for isolating 13 the mounting plate and the engine from the tamper plate 1~ vibrations, the engine having a drive means attached to an output shaft; a weight ~being eccentricallv carried on a 16 vibrator shaft for imparting vibratory motion when rotating 17 by way of a driven means selectively driven by said drive 18 means, the shaft having selected portions being journalled 19 in at least one vibratory housing, this vibratory housing 2-0 being attached only to one end of an arm, the opposite end 21 of the arm having a flex mountir,g means for attaching to an 22 interior side of the tamper plate, the interior side being 23 opposite to the tamper side, an axis of the flex mounting 24 means being transverse to a direction of self-propelled travel; and wherein the vibrator housing and said arm are 26 selectively tilted about the axis at a predel:ermined angular 27 position with respect to a l)lane which is parallel to the 28 tamper side, for directing substantially all of the forces 29 necessary for self-propelle~ travel into said tamper plate 2149089 ~oclcet 93072 1 only by way of said flex moulting means irrespective of the 2 direction of rotation of said vibratory shaft.
3 In one embodiment the flex mounting means includes a 4 pivoting means which allows a single vibratory housing to be selectively swung from one end of the tamper plate to the 6 other for providing reversible self-propelled travel.
7 Isolation pads absorb tangential forces before reaching the 8 end of the tamper plate. This first embodiment employs a g intermediate transfer shaft whose axis is coincident with 10 the pivoting axis to provide a continuity of drive from the 11 drive means to the driven means.
12 Another embodiment discloses two vibratory housings 13 which are independently driven. This second embodiment 14 includes a common pivotal mounting for the vibratory housings as well as an intermediate transfer drive means, 16 and a V-belt tensioning means in the form of a pair of 17 wheels mounted on a rocker-type lever.
18 Still another embodiment discloses a i-`irst alternate 19 for a flex mounting means.
Yet another embodiment of the plate compactor further 21 includes a second vibratory housing which is rigidly mounted 22 on the one end of the tamper plate in addition to the flex 23 mounting of its first vibratory housing.
24 In the context of this invention a flex mounting means is one which allows small predetermined amounts of 26 oscillating movement of a vibratory housing in a direction 27 at right angles to the plane of an arm attached to th 28 vibrator housing. This flex mounting positions the vibratory 29 housing in spaced relations,lip to the tamper plate. This ~ 2149089 - Docket 93072 1 spaced relationship allows substantially all of the 2 self-propelling forces to be directed to the tamper plate 3 only through the flex mounting means.
4 In addition to the above summary, the following disclosure is detailed to insure adequacy and aid in the 6 understanding of this invention. This disclosure, however, 7 is not intended to cover each new inventive concept no 8 matter how it may be disguised either by variations in form g or additions by further improvements. For this reason, there has been chosen specific embodiments of a reversible plate 11 compactor apparatus. The specific embodiments have been 12 chosen for the purpose of illustration and description as 13 shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a side elevational view of an 16 apparatus of the present invention, This view being partly 17 diagrammatic for ease of illustration.
18 FIG. 2 represents an elevational view of one end of the 19 apparatus, this view being partly in section to show a pivoting means arrangement.
21 FIG. 3 represents a fragmentary side eLevational view 22 of a vibrator housing and its pivotal mounting, this view 23 being partly schematic for ease of illustration.
24 FIG. 4 represents an alternate arrangement for the pivot connection of the vibrator to a compactor plate.
26 FIG. 5 represents a side elevationa~ view, partly 27 schematic, of a second embodiment of the present invention, 28 this second embodiment utili~e~ a pa~. Ol vibrator housings 29 pivotally mounted to the compllctor plate.

Docket 93072 1 FIG. 6 represents a plan view, partly schematic, of the 2 second embodiment of the present invention, this view being 3 taken along line 6-6 of Fig. ~.
4 FIG. 7 represents a side elevational view of a third 5 embodiment of the present invention, this view being shown 6 partly diagrammatically for ease of illus~.ra~ion.

7 In the following description and in the claims, various 8 details are identified by specific names for convenience.
g These names are intended to be generic in their application while differentiating between the various details.
11 Corresponding reference characters refer to like members 12 throughout the several figures of the drawings.
13 The drawing accompanying, and forming a part of this 14 specification disclose details of construction for the sole purpose of explanation. It is understood that structural lB details may be modified without departing from the concept 17 and principles of the invention. This invention may be 18 incorporated in other structural forms than shown.
19 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVEN"`ION
Referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a first embodiment of a 21 plate compactor is generally identified as 10, This plate 22 compactor 10, includes a motor 12 whic~ is removably 23 fastened to a mounting plate 14. Preferably, this motor is 24 an internal combustion engine. However the use of alternative motors which are electrically, pneumatically, o 26 hydraulically powered are anticipated. The mounting plate 14 27 is selectively shaped and resiliently attached to a tamper 28 plate 16 by a plurality of isolation mounts 22. A guiding 29 handle 24 is connected to the mounting plate 14 for - 2149~9 Docket 93072 1 providing a means for manually guiding the plate compactor 2 10. Preferably, the guiding handle 24 is rigidly attached to 3 the mounting plate. Alternatively, a pivoted mounting 4 arrangement may be provided to accommodate folding of the handle for storage or transport.
6 It is preferred that the motor 12 be centrally mounted 7 with respect to the tamper plate 16 in order to distribute 8 its weight equally on the surface being compacted.
g The tamper plate 16 includes a tamper ~ide 26 and an opposite side 28. The end portions 29 of the tamper plate 16 11 may be formed to provide an inclined surface 30.

12 Referring in particular to Fig. 2, a vibrator assembly 13 32 includes a weight 34 which i3 ecce..trlcally carried on a 14 vibrator shaft 36. Selected portions of the vibrator shaft 36 are journaled in a vibratory housing 38. A~ least one end 16 of the vibratory shaft 36 extends a selected distance beyond 17 the housing journals for attachment of a driven means 40, 18 such as a V-belt pulley or the like.
19 Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, the vibratory housing 38 is attached to one end of an arm 4:'. The opposite 21 or distal end of the arm 42 is attached to the opposite side 22 28 of the tamper plate 16 by a flex mounting means.
23 Preferably this flex mounting means shown in ~his embodiment 24 includes an elongated tube 44, as seen more c~learly in Fig.
2. This elongated tube 44 is pivotally attached to the 26 tamper plate 16 by bearing blocks 46. These bearing blocks 27 46 preferably are sealed pillow block bearings which are 28 commercially available and easily serviced. The ends of the 29 elongated tube 44 may incllde shouldered portions for ~ 2149089 Docket 93072 1 locating the position of the tube 44 with respect to the 2 bearing blocks 46. It is preferred that the flexing axis of 3 the flex mounting means and the elongated tube 44 be 4 centrally located with respect to the tamper plate 16. This 5 flexing axis should also be transverse to the direction of 6 self-propelled movement of the plate compactor.
7 Still referring to Fig. 2, an axis of an intermediate 8 drive transfer means 48 is coincident with the flexing axis g of the flex mounting means. The preferred arrangement for 10 the intermediate drive transfer means 48 includes and 11 elongated shaft 50 which passes interior of the elongated 12 tube 44. Preferably, sufficient clearance is provided 13 between the elongated shaft 50 and the inside diameter of 14 the elongated tube 44 to allow free rotation. Alternatively, 15 additional bearings may be provided in the ends of the tube 16 44 for additional support for the shaft 50. The elongated 17 shaft 50 is rotatably mounted by at least two second pillow 18 blocks 52. A first transfer pulley 54 and a 3econd transfer 19 pulley 56 are secured to the elongated shaft 50. This 2-0 preferred arrangement, as shown in Fig. 2, evenly 21 distributes the weight on the tamper plate 16.
22 Alternatively~ if weight distribution is not a 23 consideration, the first transfer pulley 54 and second 24 transfer pulley 56 may be se~ured to the shaft on the same side of the compactor. In ~nother example, the elongated 26 tube 44 may be replaced with a solid shaft which has 27 shouldered end portions. The first trans~er pulley and 28 second transfer pulley may be made as a unit which is 29 rotatably carried on the solid shaft.

_ -- 21490~9 `- Docket 93072 1 The intermediate drive transfer means 48 provides a 2 rotary V-belt drive to the driven means 40 from a drive 3 means 58. The drive means 58 is mounted to an output shaft 4 of the motor 12. This drive means 58 preferably includes a clutch 60 and pulley 62 arrangement for selectively engaging 6 the drive means 58 to the motor 12.
7 Referring again to Fig. 1, a handle 64 preferably is 8 attached to the vibrator housing 38. This handle 64 allows 9 the user to pivotally swing the vibrator housing 38 between extreme end positions of the tamper plate 16. It is 11 preferred that direct contact not be made between the 12 vibrator housing 38 and the opposite side of the tamper 13 plate 16. It is recommended that a pad 66 of vibration 14 absorbing material be provided between the vibrator housing 38 and the tamper plate 16. This is to insure that 16 substantially all forces are directed through the arm 42 and 17 into the tamper plate 16 by way of the flex mounting means.
18 This desired transfer of vibratory motion from the vibratory 19 housing 38 to the flex mounting means provides the 2-0 directional movement of the plate compactor irrespective of 21 rotation of the eccentric weight 34. The direction and 22 velocity of the compactor, for a given RP~ of the motor 23 rotation, is governed by the arcuate positioning of the 24 vibratory housing 38. For example, when the vibratory housing is positioned as shown in Fig. 1 the movement of the 26 plate compactor is to the right.
27 Referring to Fig. 3, the vibratory housing 38 has been 28 swung to its other extent. The direction of travel will be 29 to the left irrespective of rotation of the eccentric weight 2149~9 - Docket 93072 1 34. If the vibrstory housing 38 was to be positioned at 2 right angles to the plane of the tamper side 26, there would 3 be little or no self-propelled movement in either direction.
4 Referrin8 to Fig. 4, there is shown an alternative flex mounting means for locating the vibrator housing 38 at a 6 selected point along its arcuate path. Selective positioning 7 would provide the user with a means for controlling the 8 velocity of self-propelled movement. The elongated tube 44 g is held at a selected angle A by means of a clamping means 68. It is preferred that this clamping means 68 is split to 11 allow easy arcuate movement of the vibrator housing when 12 desired. At least two clamping screws 70 are used to clamp 3 the tube 44. It is preferred that a bore of the clamp means 4 68 or the outside diameter of the tubing 44 have a layer of resilient material 72 formed thereon for allowing controlled 16 oscillations of the vibratory housing 3& in a direction at 17 right angles to the arm 42. This arrangement rnay allow for 18 the elimination of bearing blocks 46. An operator of the g plate compactor 10 may selectively pOSitiOII the vibrator housing 38 at any desired angle A in order to vary the 21 self-propelled velocity of the machine. Should the operator 22 need compaction only, the vibrator housing may be adjusted 23 to an angle in the vicinity of 90 degrees. It has been found 24 that an angle A in the range between 20 ~nd 30 degrees provides satisfactory self-propelled mot~ 0!1 as well as 26 compaction. This flex mounting means may be used with a 27 single vibrator as described in conjunction with Figures 1 28 and 2 or with an embodiment described below in conjunction 29 with Figure 5 and 6.

- - 21 4 9 ~ 9 Docket 93072 1 Rèferring now to Figures 5 and 6, an alternate 2 embodiment of the present invention is generally identified 3 as 80. Plate compactor 80 includes two vibrator housings 38.
4 Each vibrator housing 38 is connected to the elongated tube 5 44 by its associated arm 42. Each of the vibratory housings 6 38 is mounted near each end 29 of the tamper plate 16. Each 7 vibrator assembly 32 is driven by a driven means 40. This 8 driven means 40 is preferably a V-belt pulley. Each of the g driven means 40 is selectively driven by its associated 10 V-belt 82. A second dual transfer pulley 84 includes two 11 V-belt grooves. Each V-belt 82 is sized to allow slippage 12 between the dual transfer pulley 84 and the V-belt 82 unless 13 tensioned. Tension of each V-belt 82 is independently 14 provided by a pair of tensioning wheels 86. Each of the tensioning wheels 86 is mounted on a rocker-type lever 88 16 which is pivotally attached to the tamper plate 16. The 17 rocker-type lever 88 is pivotally mounted to provide tension 18 to only one of the V-belts 82 at a time. The rocker-type I9 lever 88 may include a spring loaded toggle arrangement for maintaining the tension on the selected V-belt. The user 21 would move the handle about its pivot in the direction of 22 the arrow to control the self-propelled movement of the 23 plate compactor 80. It is preferred that a vibration 24 isolation pad 66 be provided between each of the vibrator housings 38 and the end portions 29. It is anticipated that 26 the isolation pads 66 may be mounted to elther the vibrator 27 housing 38 or the end portions 29. Alternatively, the flex 28 mounting means may take the form of the type described in 29 conjunction with figure 4.

-~ - 21 4 9 ~ 9 Docket 93072 1 As in the case of plate compactor 10, the direction of 2 self-propelled travel is independent of the direction of 3 rotation of the eccen~ric weight 34 in the vibrator housing 4 38. The direction of self-propelled movement of the plate 5 compactor 80 is dependent on which end portion 29 the 6 eccentric weight 34 is rotated.
7 Referring now to Fig. 7~ a third embodiment of a plate 8 compactor is generally identified as 90. This plate 9 compactor 90 utilizes a vlbrator 92 which is attached directly to one end of the tamper plate 1~. This type of 11 mounting relies on the direction of rotation of its 12 eccentric to produce a self-propelled direccion of travel.
13 In addition to the vibrator 92, a vibrator assembly 32 is 14 provided for producing self-propelled travel opposite to the travel produced by vibrator 92. The vibrator housing 38 is 16 attached to an arm 94. The arm is bent or fo~med to position 17 the vibratory housing 38 at a desired angle with respect to 18 the plane of the tamper side 26. It is important that the 19 vibratory housing 38 be held in spaced re;ation with the inclined portion 30 of the tamper plate 16. The end of the 21 arm 94 opposite the vibrator housing 38 is configured with a 22 flex mounting means. This flex mounting means includes a 23 bent portion of the arm which is sandwiched between two 24 layers of an isolation material 96 such as rubber and a retaining plate 98. The flex mounting means is attached to 26 the opposite side 28 of the tamper plate 16 by threaded 27 fasteners 100.
28 A pair of V-belts 82 are rotatably driven by a drive 29 means 58. This drive means would require a V-belt pulley 21~90~ Docket 93072 1 having dual grooves. The V-belts 82 are sufficiently long so 2 that neither pulley 40 is driven unless tension is applied 3 to one or the other V-belt 82. In this example, driving 4 tension is applied by one of the tensioning wheels 86 mounted to a rocker-type lever 88. The operation of the 6 tensioning means has been previously described. It is 7 anticipated that vibrator 92 may be replaced with a second 8 vibrator housing 38 and arm 94 assembly which is attached to g the tamper plate by this type of flex mounting means.
This third embodiment 90 has particular advantages. One 11 advantage of this third embodiment, is that this 12 configuration may be provide as a new piece of apparatus or 13 as a retrofit to an existing uni-directional plate 14 compactor. A second advantage is the simplicity of the design which would make .an economical new apparatus or 18 retrofit. A third advantage allows a new vibratory housing 17 38 to be added to an existing piece of apparatus 18 irrespective of the direction of rotation of the motor 12.
19 Terms such as "left", "right", "up", down", "bottom", "top", "front", "back", "in", "out", and the like are applicable to the 21 embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. These 22 terms are merely for the purpose of description and do not necessarily 23 apply to the position in which the reversible plate compactor of the 24 present invention may be utilized.
While a particular embodiment of a reversible plate compactor 26 has been shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention 27 is not limited thereto and protection is sought to the broadest extent 28 the prior art allows.
29 What is clA;~d is:

Claims (9)

1. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor comprising:
a) a tamper plate having a tamper side for contacting material to be compacted;
b) a motor carried on a mounting plate, said mounting plste being selectively shaped; said mounting plate being resiliently attached to said tamper plate for isolating said mounting plate and said motor from said tamper plate, said motor having a drive means attached to an output shaft;
c) at least one vibratory assembly including a weight being eccentrically carried on a vibrator shaft for imparting vibratory motion when rotating by way of a driven means mounted thereon, said driven means being selectively driven by said drive means, said vibratory shaft having selected portions being journaled in a vibratory housing, said vibratory housing being attached to one end of an arm, the opposite end of the arm having a flex mounting means for attaching to an interior side of said tamper plate, said interior side being opposite to said tamper side, a flexing axis of said flex mounting means being transverse to a direction of self-propelled travel; and wherein said vibrator housing and said arm being selectively tilted about said flexing axis at a predetermined angular position with respect to a plane parallel to said tamper side for directing substantially all forces necessary for said self-propelled travel into said tamper plate by way of said arm and said flex mounting means, said direction of said self-propelled travel being irrespective of the direction of rotation of said vibratory shaft.

2. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor as recited in claim 1 wherein said flex mounting means further includes at least two isolation strips, and wherein said opposite end of the arm is sandwiched between the two isolation strips.

3. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor as recited in claim 2 wherein said opposite end of said arm includes a bent portion which is sandwiched between the two isolation strips, said bent portion being configured for maintaining a spaced relationship between said vibratory housing and a proximal point of said tamper plate.

4. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor as recited in claim 2 wherein said driven means being selectively driven by a drive means includes a rocker type tensioning means for selectively applying a driving tension to a belt drive from said drive means to only one driven means.

5. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor as recited in claim 1 wherein said flex mounting means further includes:
a) a pivoting means having its axis coincident with said flexing axis, said pivoting means being configured for selectively positioning said vibrator housing along an arcuate path, said arcuate path having said flexing axis as its center, said positioning of said vibratory housing along said arcuate path determining the direction and velocity of said self-propelled travel, and b) an intermediate drive transfer means having its axis coincident with said pivoting axis, said intermediate drive transfer means for providing a rotary drive from said drive means to said driven means at any point along the arcuate path.

6. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor as recited in claim 5 wherein said pivoting means further includes a clamping means for maintaining said vibrator housing at a selected point along said arcuate path.

7. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor as recited in claim 5 wherein said flex mounting means further includes at least one isolation pad for maintaining a spaced relationship between said vibratory housing and said tamper plate at terminating points along said arcuate path.

8. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor as recited in Claim 5 which further includes two vibratory assemblies, each vibratory assembly being positioned at opposite ends of said tamper plate, an isolation pad associated with each vibratory assembly for maintaining a spaced relationship between said vibratory housing and its associated end of the tamper plate, each vibratory assembly having a belt drive from said intermediate drive transfer means to its driven means, and a tensioning means for selectively applying tension to only one of said belt drives from said intermediate drive transfer means to said driven means at a time.

9. A reversible self-propelled plate compactor as recited in claim 6 which includes two vibratory assemblies, each vibratory assembly being positioned at opposite ends of the tamper plate, each vibratory assembly having a belt drive from said intermediate drive transfer means to its driven means, and a tensioning means for selectively applying a drive tension to only one of said belt drives from said intermediate drive transfer means to said driven means at a time.