CA2583035A1 - Grader blade extension - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus useful for forming a rounded bottom ditch is disclosed.

The apparatus includes an extension for a grader blade. The grader blade extends between first and second ends and has a bottom edge. The extension comprises an extension body securable to one of first or second ends of the grader blade and has a proximate attachment edge conforming to the one of first or second ends of the grader blade and a distal outer edge.
The extension further includes a curved bottom edge extending from the attachment edge to the outer edge wherein the bottom edge is adapted and shaped to form a curved-bottom ditch into an adjacent soil surface when the grader blade is angled from a horizontal orientation such that the extension is at a lowermost end of the grader blade.

Description

GRADER BLADE EXTENSION
Field of the Invention This invention relates to digging ditches in general and in particular to a grader blade and grader blade extension for use in digging curved-bottom ditches.

Background of the Invention When a road is cut in the side of a hill or mountain, drainage ditches are usually required to carry away water flowing down the hill or mountain towards the road. Such ditches usually have a V-shaped cross-sectional configuration which tends to concentrate water into a small area of the ditch increasing the likelihood of erosion. With a view to reducing or preventing erosion, it is preferable that the bottom of drainage ditches be round so that the flow of water is spread over a greater area, without under-cutting the embankment.

Round bottom ditches have conventionally been cut using excavators, backhoes or "other mechanical digging machines having extensible or articulated booms to the distal ends of which are mounted buckets of known type. The machine is parked on the shoulder of a road, the boom and bucket is extended toward the proposed ditch area, the bucket is dropped or forced downwardly into the soil and curled inwardly and the boom is simultaneously retracted. The process is repealed two or three times. During the first pass or passes, the soil is disrupted. The . number of such passes required to loosen the soil is dictated by a number of factors including the nature or rockiness of the soil, its compaction, the angle of attack of the edge of the bucket engaging the soil, the available power of the machine which may be applied downwardly on the bucket, and so on. The last pass or passes serve to scoop and clear the loosened soil. Completion of the passes may be considered as a cycle. In the case of conventional square sided buckets, with each cycle a ditch segment the width of the bucket is completed. Conventional square sided buckets are approximately five feet wide, and accordingly each cycle produces approximately five feet of ditch. At the usual speeds, a round bottomed ditch can be produced at a rate of approximately 50 lineal meters per hour.

The conventional ditch digging method described above with respect to using excavators or backhoes suffers from the disadvantage that the quality of the ditch relies heavily on the skill of the operator of the excavator or backhoe. In addition, after each cycle the machine must be moved along the road so as to present the bucket parallel to the road for the next adjacent five foot segment. This results in a relatively low quantity of linear ditch that may be produced during a given time period and presents a danger to passing traffic on the roadway.

Motor graders are known and have been used for creating flat surfaces. Motor graders typically include three axles with a blade disposed between the two rear driving axles and the front axle. The blade may be rotatable about the three orthogonal axes of the motor grader so as to enable a plurality of graded surface finishes. As the motor grader proceeds along the surface to be graded, a layer of the surface or a portion thereof is removed by a scraping or cutting motion of the blade. It is known that rotation of the blade about the three axes of the motor grader may enable the blade to be oriented such that the more material is removed from one side of the blade.
The removed material may also be removed to a desired side of the blade or such that the blade is oriented at a greater angle of attack relative to the surface.

Motor graders have not typically been used for the creation of drainage ditches although grader blades may be so inclined to dig a ditch with one edge. Grader blades typically have parallel ends with square corners. Accordingly any ditch dug with a corner edge of a grader blade will have a V-shaped bottom. Thus, ditches formed by a conventional grader blade will still suffer the same increased likelihood of erosion.

2 Accordingly, what is desired is a method and apparatus for cutting a round-bottomed drainage ditch without requiring repetitive repositioning of the ditch digging machine, by using the linear motion of the ditch forming machine.

Summary of the Invention According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an extension for a grader blade. The grader blade extends between first and second ends and has a bottom edge. The extension comprises an extension body securable to one of first or second ends of the grader blade and has a proximate attachment edge conforming to the one of first or second ends of the grader blade and a distal outer edge. The extension further includes a curved bottom edge extending from the attachment edge to the outer edge wherein the bottom edge is adapted and shaped to form a curved-bottom ditch into an adj acent soil surface when the grader blade is angled from a horizontal orientation such that the extension is at a lowermost end of the grader blade.
The extension may include an extension moldboard and an extension cutting edge wherein the bottom edge is disposed at lowermost edge of the extension cutting edge. The extension moldboard may include a cross- section profile matching the profile of a moldboard of the grader blade. The extension moldboard may have a concave blade surface.
The concavity of the extension moldboard may increase in a direction from said attachment surface to said distal end. The concavity of said extension moldboard may decrease in a direction from said attachment surface to said distal end.

The bottom edge may have an arcuate shape. The arcuate shape may include a constant radiused arc. The arcuate shape may include an ovaloid arc. The arcuate shape may include an ellipsoid arc. The arcuate shape may include an parabolic arc. The bottom edge may further comprise a first portion collinear with the bottom edge of the grader blade.

3 The extension may further include attachment means for attaching the extension body to one of the first or second side edges of the grader blade. The extension may be welded to one of the first or second side edges of the grader blade. The extension may be bolted to one of the first or second side edges of the grader blade.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a grader blade. The grader blade comprises a body extending between first and second ends and has a bottom edge. At least one of the first or second ends has a curved portion extending from the bottom edge to the at least one of the first or second end, wherein the curved portion is adapted to cut a curved-bottom ditch into an adjacent soil surface when the grader blade is angled from a horizontal orientation such that the ditch digging edge is at a lowermost end of the grader blade.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method for digging a ditch. The method comprises providing a grader blade having a first and second spaced apart side edges and a bottom edge, and attaching an extension to one of the first or second side edges of the grader blade. The extension has a proximate attachment surface confomiing to the one of first or second end of the grader blade and a distal outer end and a curved bottom edge extending from the attachment end to the outer end. The method further comprises orienting the grader blade angularly from the horizontal orientation such that the bottom edge of the extension is at a lowermost end thereof so as to form a curved bottom ditch.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a method-for digging a ditch. The method comprises providing a grader blade having a first and second spaced apart side ends and a bottom edge. At least one of the first or second ends has a curved portion extending from the bottom edge to the at least one of the first or second end. The method further comprises orienting the grader blade angularly from a horizontal orientation such that the curved portion is at a lowermost end thereof so as to form a curved bottom ditch.

4 Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

Brief Description of the Drawings In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is an isometric perspective view of a motor grader having a grader blade extension according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the grader blade and grader blade attachment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the grader blade attachment taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the grader blade and grader blade attachment of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is an isometric perspective view of the motor grader having a grader blade extension of Figure 1 forming a curved bottom ditch.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention Referring to Figure 1, a grader blade having a grader blade attachment 40 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at 10 as mounted on a motor grader 8.
The motor grader has first, second and third axes 12, 14 and 16, respectively corresponding to the

5 longitudinal, transverse and yaw axes, respectively of the motor grader 8. The grader blade 10 is connected to the motor grader 8 such that the grader blade orientation may be selectively and fixedly positioned with respect to the first, second and third axes 12, 14, and 16 of the motor grader 8.
Turning now to Figure 2, a grader blade 10 having a grader blade attachment 40 is illustrated. The grader blade 10 comprises an elongate member having first and second blade edges 28 and 34, respectively and a longitudinal blade axis 18 and a curved blade surface 20 disposed towards the front of the grader. As illustrated in Figure 2, the grader blade may include a moldboard 22 and a cutting edge 24 having a bottom edge 26 adapted for engaging a ground surface although other types of grader blades as are conventionally known may also be used.
The grader blade attachment 40 mounts onto a first blade edge 28 of grade blade 10. In the illustrations, first blade edge 28 is the left hand end as viewed by the operator of the motor grader 8 of Figure 1, although it is understood that an attachment 40 may be made as either a left or right hand version for mounting to corresponding left or right hand ends of blade 10. The illustrated version of atta.chment 40 is thus a left hand version, adapted for mounting to the left hand end of blade 10.

In particular, as viewed in Figures 1 to 3, attachment 40 comprises an upwardly curved blade extending between a substantially vertical attachment edge 42 and an outer edge 44 and having an upwardly curved upper edge 46 and an upwardly curved lower or ditch digging edge 48. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the outer edge 44 is orthogonal to the attachment edge 42 although it will be appreciated that other orientations of the outer edge 44 relative to the attachment edge 42 will also be useful. The upwardly curved upper edge 46 adjoins the attachment edge 42 at an upper end 50 thereof. The upwardly curved lower edge 48 adjoins the attachment edge 42 at a lower end 52 thereof. The lower edge 48 includes a first portion 54 that is

6 collinear with the bottom edge 26 of the grader blade 10 so as to form a continuation thereof when the attachment is attached to the grader blade.

It will be appreciated that conventional grader blades 10 do not necessarily have vertical end edges 28 and 34 as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, that is, end edges 28 and 34 are not necessarily square or orthogonal to the upper edge of the blade. In which case it is understood that edge 28 may be other than vertical so that, in one embodiment, attachment edge 42 may be mounted so as to be conformal with edge 28. Similarly, for a right hand attachment (not shown) attachment edge 42 may be adapted to conform to edge 34 of blade 10. For ease of discussion herein however, it is assumed that edges 28 and 34 of blade 10 and the corresponding attachment edge 42 of attachments 40 are substantially vertical, it being the intention that such references herein include off-vertical edges and specifically any angle of inclination of the end edges of conventional grade blades. As illustrated in Figure 2, the outer edge 44 of the grader blade attachment 40 extends above the top edge 23 of the grader blade 10 by a grader indicated generally at 25. It will be appreciated that the extension height 25 will be selected based upon the intended use of the grader blade attachment as well as the depth of a rounded bottom ditch which the grader blade attachment is intended to form. For applications in which a deeper rounded bottom ditch is to be formed, an increased grader extension height 25 will be required. In addition, for applications in which the soil to be removed during the formation of the rounded bottom ditch is to be deposited to an outside surface of the rounded bottom ditch grader extension an increased height 25 will also be required.

Referring now to Figure 3, an exploded view of the grader blade 10 and attachment 40 is shown. As illustrated in Figure 3, the grader blade attachment 40 may include an attachment moldboard 60 and an attachment cutting edge 70. The attachment cutting edge 70 may attach to a bottom portion 62 of the attachment moldboard 60 and may include the lower edge 48 of the attachment 40. The attachment cutting edge 70 may be attached to the attachment moldboard 60 by conventional means as are known in the field of grader blade construction.
It will also be

7 appreciated that a single piece grader blade attachment 40, without separate a moldboard and cutting edge may also be utilized.

Referring now to Figure 4, a cross sectional view of the attachment is shown as taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2. As illustrated, the attachment 40 has a attachment blade surface 58 disposed towards the front of the motor grader. The attachment blade surface 58 may have a concave profile as illustrated in Figure 4. It will be appreciated that other profile will also be useful, such as a flat or a convex profile, for example. The profile of the attachment may be formed by rotating the cross section profile illustrated in Figure 3 about a point 59 as illustrated in Figure 2. As illustrated in the accompanying figures, the profile remains constant as it is rotated about point 59 from the attachment edge 42 to the outer edge 44. It will be appreciated, however that the profile may also be tapered or expanded as it is rotated from the attachment edge 42 to the outer edge 44. The concavity or curvature of the attachment blade surface 58 may also be varied as the profile is rotated about point 59.
As illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the lower edge 48 of the attachment has a rounded curvature about point 59 as described above. However, other shapes for the lower edge may also be useful. The lower edge 48 may also have a parabolic shape as well as an elliptical or any other arcuate shape, for example. In addition, for specialized application, the lower edge 48 may also have other complex shaped curves or corners so as to form the required ditch shape.

Further, reference herein to upper edge 46 as being upwardly curved or reference herein to outer edge 44 as being substantially linear are not intended to be limiting, it being the intention that such references include inclined, substantially upper edges 46 and curved outer edges 44 respectively. The purpose of the present invention is to allow the use of a grade blade, to which an attachment 40 is mounted, to carve, scoop or otherwise form a curved-bottom ditch 82.
Consequently, it is only lower edge 48 which must be curved to accomplish the formation of a curved-bottom ditch 82.

8 It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the separate grader blade and grader blade attachment described herein may be constructed as a single component. This may be useful in applications where greater strength in the connection therebetween is required or when the combined grader blade is largely to be used for the single purpose of digging ditches.

The attachment may be attached to the grader blade by any conventional means as are well known in the art. In particular, the attachment may include an attachment plate (not shown) extending therefrom substantially parallel to and to the rear of the grader blade. The attachment plate may include bolt holes through which studs secured to 'and extending perpendicular from a rear surface of the grader blade may be passed and secured thereon with nuts.
Attachment with nuts or other suitable fasteners enables the attachment to be quickly replaced if damaged or if a different attachment having a different lower edge profile is required. In addition, the attachment may be stitch, butt or otherwise welded to the grader blade, for example.
Operation Referring to Figure 5, in operation, the grader blade 10 may be selectively inclined downwardly such that blade axis 18 is oriented at angle 90 relative to horizontal plane defmed by motor grader axes 12 and 14 whereby attachment 40 is at a lowermost portion thereof. The motor grader may be moved forward in the direction indicated by arrow 76 so as to engage lower edge 48 of the attachment 40 with a road-side shoulder 80 of the ground 78. Forward motion of the motor grader 8 will carve, scoop or otherwise form a curved-bottom ditch 82.

The grader blade 10 may be rotated by the operator about the third axis 16 of the motor grader such that the material removed from the ditch 82 by the attachment 40 moved toward the centerline of the motor grader and deposited on the roadway. The grader blade 10 may also be

9 oriented such that the material is moved towards the outer edge 44 of the attachment and deposited to the far side of the ditch generally indicated at 88.

As shown in Figure 5, the road-side shoulder 80 may first have an inclined cut so as to remove a portion of the shoulder material and thereby form a first inclined surface 84 of the ditch 82. Such a first cut may be made by a first pass of an inclined grader blade with out an attachment as described above. The above attachment may then be attached to the grader blade so as to form the curved bottom of the ditch 82. Optionally, the first pass may be made by a first grader while the rounded bottom may be formed by a second grader. It will be appreciated, however that the ditch 82 may be formed by a single pass of the motor grader with both the inclined surface and the rounded bottom of the ditch 82 being formed by a grader blade with an attachment as set out above.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defmed by the following claims.

Claims (25)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An extension for a grader blade, the grader blade extending between first and second ends and having a bottom edge, the extension comprising an extension body securable to one of first or second ends of the grader blade and having a proximate attachment edge conforming to said one of first or second ends of the grader blade and a distal outer edge, said extension further having a curved bottom edge extending from said attachment edge to said outer edge wherein said bottom edge is adapted and shaped to form a curved-bottom ditch into an adjacent soil surface when said grader blade is angled from a horizontal orientation such that said extension is at a lowermost end of the grader blade.

2. The extension of claim 1 further including an extension moldboard and an extension cutting edge wherein said bottom edge is disposed at lowermost edge of said extension cutting edge.

3. The extension of claim 2 wherein said extension moldboard includes a cross section profile matching a profile of a moldboard of the grader blade.

4. The extension of claim 2 wherein said extension moldboard has a concave blade surface.

5. The extension of claim 4 wherein said concavity of said extension moldboard increases in a direction from said attachment surface to said distal outer end.

6. The extension of claim 4 wherein said concavity of said extension moldboard decreases in a direction from said attachment surface to said distal outer end.

7. The extension of claim 1 wherein said bottom edge has an arcuate shape.

8. The extension of claim 7 wherein said arcuate shape includes a constant radiused arc.

9. The extension of claim 7 wherein said arcuate shape includes an ovaloid arc.

10. The extension of claim 7 wherein said arcuate shape includes an ellipsoid arc.

11. The extension of claim 7 wherein said arcuate shape includes a parabolic arc.

12. The extension of claim 1 wherein said bottom edge further comprises a first portion collinear with the bottom edge of the grader blade.

13. The extension of claim 1 wherein said extension further includes attachment means for attaching the extension body to said one of first or second side edges of the grader blade.

14. The extension of claim 13 wherein said attachment means comprises welding said extension to said one of the first or second side edges of the grader blade.

15. The extension of claim 13 wherein said attachment means comprises bolting said extension to said one of the first or second side edges of the grader blade.

16. A grader blade comprising a body extending between first and second ends and having a bottom edge, at least one of said first or second ends has a curved portion extending from said bottom edge to said at least one of first or second end, wherein said curved portion is adapted and shaped to cut a curved-bottom ditch into an adjacent soil surface when said grader blade is angled from a horizontal orientation such that said curved portion is at a lowermost end of said grader blade.

17. The grader blade of claim 16 further comprising a moldboard and a cutting edge wherein said bottom edge is disposed at a lowermost edge of said cutting edge.

18. The grader blade of claim 17 wherein said moldboard has a concave blade surface.

19. The grader blade of claim 16 wherein said bottom edge has an arcuate shape.

20. The grader blade of claim 19 wherein said arcuate shape includes a radiused arc.

21. The grader blade of claim 19 wherein said arcuate shape includes an ovaloid arc.

22. The grader blade of claim 19 wherein said arcuate shape includes an ellipsoid arc.

23. The grader blade of claim 19 wherein said arcuate shape includes a parabolic arc.

24. A method for digging a ditch, the method comprising:

providing a grader blade having first and second spaced apart side edges and a bottom edge;

attaching an extension to one of said first or second side edges of said grader blade, said extension having a proximate attachment surface conforming to said one of said first or second ends of said grader blade and a distal outer end, said extension further having a curved bottom edge extending from said attachment end to said outer end; and orienting said grader blade angularly from a horizontal orientation such that said bottom edge of said extension is at a lowermost end thereof so as to form a curved bottom ditch.

25. A method for digging a ditch, the method comprising:

providing a grader blade having first and second spaced apart side ends and a bottom edge, at least one of said first or second ends having a curved portion extending from said bottom edge to said at least one of said first or second end; and orienting said grader blade angularly from a horizontal orientation such that said curved portion is at a lowermost end thereof so as to form a curved bottom ditch.