US2384466A - Building foundation digger - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 11, 1945.

M. M. HICKEY BUILDING FOUNDATION DIGGER Filed April 14, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVE R MORRISM. ICKEY AT 16ml vs P 1945 M. M. HICKEY BUILDING FOUNDATION DIGGER' Filed April 14, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HICKEY MORRIS M.

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 11, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDING FOUNDAIIUN mocha j Morris M. Hickey, Appleton, was

Application April 14, 1943., senarno. 482,965

"This I invention appertains to buildings. and

more particularly to a novel means for forming foundation trenches for buildings.

.One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide novel means for using a ditch digging machine for the forming of trenches for foundation walls of buildings and the like, whereby such foundation trenches can be quickly and accurately dug in different kinds of ground formations with a minimum amount of difiiculty and labor.

Another salient object of my invention is the provision of a ditch digging machine of the vertical boom type having novel means associated therewith ffor correctly guiding the machine-and for accurately regulating the depth of the trench being dug during the travel of the machine irrespec't'ive of the contour-of the ground over the machine travels.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of a guide line for indicating the position of the trench and disposed parallel with the bottom wall of the trench with novel means carried by the vertical boom of the digger for engaging the guide line to guide the operator of the digger during the operation thereof.

A still further important object of my invention is the provision of novel means carried by the guide arm on the digger for indicating the depth of the out being made. so that the operator of the machine can correctly regulate the depth of the trench irrespective of the ground contour,

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a top, plan view illustrating the use of the ditch digging machine for making trenches for the foundation walls of a building, the view being of a diagrammatic nature.

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, the ditch digging machine being shown in side elevation.

Figure 3 is an end, elevational view of the ditch digging machine showing the same in use.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side, elevational view illustrating the novel guide arm incorporated with the vertical boom of the digger, parts of the view being shown broken away and in section.

Figure 5 is a detail, horizontal, sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 looking in (on. sad-1x5.

the direction of the arrows, showing the means for removably mounting the guide arm on the vertical boom, I

.lFi-gure ii is a horizontal, sectional view taken 5 on the line 6+6 of Figure 4 looking in the directiun'o'f the arrows. v j I Figure '51 .is a verticahsectional view taken on the line "l---'! of Figure 4 looking in the directionof the arrows, illustrating the means .forv re- Figure 8 is .a'detaiLvertical, sectional View taken through'the guidefarm on the line 8-3 of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a detail, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 3-5 of Figure 6 looking .in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the means employed for adjustably holding the depthguide inasetposition. j .1 l v V HFigure 10 is a detail, fragmentary, perspective view showing another form of .rneans' for adjustably and detachably holding the guide arm on the side of the boom.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter D generally indicates a ditch digging machine and this machine can be considered of the type manufactured by the Barber Greene Company of Aurora, Illinois, and known to the trade as Model 44C standard ditcher. This ditcher D embodies a frame Ill having power driven crawlers or tracks II. The vertical boom I2 of the digger carries an endless power driven chain 35 having digging buckets provided with digging teeth. The buckets and teeth can be of any desired width and the boom I2 is raised and lowered by the operatoor of the machine to govern the depth of the out being made.

Great difiiculty is encountered in digging trenches for the foundation walls of a building and hand labor is generally utilized for this purpose. By my novel construction and arrangement of parts, I have found that I can use the conventional digger D for the above purpose and I am enabled to rapidly dig the foundation trench in all types of ground formations. Also with my novel arrangement I am enabled to accurately dig the foundation trench to the exact proper depth irrespective of rolling ground contours.

In accordance with my invention I erect a guide line I3 parallel to the trench to be dug and this guide line is supported at suitable distances by posts l4. Care is taken to see that the guide mova'bly mountinglfihe guide arm on the vertical line is horizontal or exactly parallel to the bottom wall of the foundation trench to be dug.

Also in accordance with my invention I mount a guide arm I on the side frame piece I6 of the vertical boom I2, whereby the guide arm will be raised and lowered with the boom. The guide arm is so disposed that the same will extend laterally from the boom toward the guide line I3.

In order that the guide arm I5 can reach the guide linesplaced diiferent distances from the trench to be dug, the same is made extensible and consequently I have shown an outer section I1 slidably mounted in an inner section I8.

23 is adjusted according to the depth of the trench and to engage the guide line. The machine is now operated in the usual way and the operator keeps the guide rod, at all times, at a certain point on the guide line during the travel of the machine.

In Figure 10 I have illustrated a slightly modifled form of means for adjustably, as well as detachably, mounting the guide arm I5 on the side frame piece I6 of the vertical boom I2 of the machine." In this" form a guide track 21 is welded or otherwise secured to the side ofthe boom and as illustrated, this guide track includes spaced guide irons 28. The inner end of the guide arm I5 has formed thereon a foot 29 which is slidably ner end of the section I8 is provided with a de-- pending foot and this foot is detachably mounted in a socket 2| which is riveted or bolted, as at 22, to the side piece I6 of the vertical digger boom. Consequently, the arm can be freely removed from the ditcher when thesame is not being used. I I

The outer end of the arm I5 slidably carries the depth indicating guide rod 23., This depth rod 23 is graduated and is adaptedto travel along the guide line I3. The depth'rod '23 can he slid-- ably mounted on the arm I5 in any preferred manner. As illustrated, I have shown a T coupling 24 secured to thearm and this coupling slidably receives the depth rod. A winged thumb screw 25 can be employed for holding the'depth rod in a selectedadjusted position. 7

The rod 23 and the arm I5 are so placed on the machine that the same will be in view of the operator of the machine and consequently the operator will be ableto observe the exact contact of the rod with the guide line.

When a foundation trench is to be dug the guide arm is placed on the machine andthe guide line is laid in proper position according to the character of the trench being dug. The depth rod receivedwithin the guide track. The guide arm "can be held in a selected, adjusted horizontal position by the use of pins 30 which can be placed in any preferred opening 3| in the guide track and in openings in the foot.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is: V r 1. In a ditch digging machine of the type having avertical digging boom, a socket on the side of the boom, a guide arm detachably fitted in the socket and extending laterally therefrom in a horizontal plane, and an adjustable depth rod carried by the arm and extending at right angles thereto in a vertical plane for engaging a ground guide line.

2. In a ditch digging machine of the type havinga vertical digging boom, a socket on the side of the boom, a guide arm detachably fitted in the socket and extending laterally therefrom in a horizontal plane, and an adjustable depth rod carried by the arm and extending at right angles thereto in a vertical plane for engaging a ground guide line, said arm including inner and outer extensible sections.

MORRIS M. I-IICKEY.

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