US550152A - Excavator - Google Patents

Description

'2 Sheets-Shet 1.

EXCAVATOR. V

Patented Nov. 19,1895.

ANDREW BSRNIAMJHUTULI'MQWASNINGION. DE.

J'. M. BARR.

(No Model.)

' UNirEIn STATES.

ATENT Fries.

JAMES M. BARRQOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EXCAVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,152, dated November 19, 1895.

Application filed April 30, 1894. Serial No. 509,496. (No model.)

cavator, especially adapted for use in railway-' cutting, 85c. and the invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, partly in section; Fig. 2, a detail of the driving-gear; Fig. 3, a plan view of the machine, partly in section, looking at it from the top; Fig.4, a vertical section taken on lineA: of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5a front elevation .of a portion of the machine.

In the art to which this invention relates, and especially when used for the purpose of making cuts for railroad-beds, it is desirable that an excavatorbe made that will make a cut the full width of the machine, so that the supporting-truck may follow in such cut. Making the excavation the full width of the machine enables the machine to travel in the cut so made and avoids the necessity (which ex-, ists in machines where the travel of supporting-wheels is outside of the width of the cut) of preparing proper wheel-tracks to enable the cut to be made upon 'a true alignment. This advantage will be readily appreciated when it is understood that ordinarily at points where it is desirable to excavate the ground is very uneven, so that an excavator which does not form its own bed must be provided with proper wheel-tracks, necessitating a certain amount of preliminary grading before such tracks can be laid to perform the excavation, and, further, requires additional labor to perform the final alignment or grading.

The principal object of my invention is to remove many of the objections existing in present structures and provide a portable excavator that will make a cut the full width of the machine, so that the supporting and propelling truck may follow in such cut to make a cut of the proper grade and alignment.

A further object of my invention is to provide an organized portable excavator that is constantly propelled forward in the bed of its own cut,while the excavator operates continuously in cutting and delivering material to a point of deposit.

In constructing my improved portable exin brackets b b to the forward end of the truck-frame, such brackets being secured thereto in any convenient manner, preferably by means of bolts and nuts. To rotate these helical shovels, I prefer to use an engine C, mounted or supported on the truck in any convenient manner so as to rotate a main shaft 0 with its two sprocket-wheels D, the rotation of the main shaft being imparted to the helical shovels through the sprocketwheels D, the chain (1, and sprocket-wheel d. The helical shovels are so arranged as to make a cut slightly wider than the truck following, so that the truck may follow directly in the bed of the cut, thus dispensing with the necessity of laying tracks. These shovels are partially surrounded by a casing E of the proper form and size, so that the material which is taken up by these shovels is kept in contact with their helical grooves and forced back upon proper conveyers, to' be removed to any desired point." To convey the waste material from the shovels to a proper receptacle or desired point, I provide an initial belt-conveyer G, which is mounted on pulleys g, having shafts and bearings in the side frame of the machine, and which are rotated by means of sprockets gg andfsprocket chain 9 particularly shown in Fig. 2. To convey the waste material from this initial conveyer, I provide a secondary belt-c011- veyer II, mounted upon rotating cylinders or pulleys h and driven by means of sprocketchains h on one of the pulleyshafts. This sprocket-chain may be connected by means of suitable power-transmitting mechanism with the engine-shaft, but which Ideem it unnecessary to show or describe here in detail. The material is conveyed back by the secondary conveyer to either a dump-car, which may convey it to a spoil-bank or other suitable place of deposit, or another conveyer of any description may be provided by which the spoil or waste material is conveyed to the economical, either to the full diameter of the helical shovels or but a verysmall' portion of 1 their diameter. It is also desirable to soraise and lower the helical shovels that an excavation may be formed at any desired grade or incline in which the truck may follow. To accomplish this result I pivot the truck-frame upon the axle I of the rear truck-wheels, and

turn so as to turn the truck around-any de- Secured insuitsired corner or curvature. able bearings at the upper portion of this pivotal frame is a shaft k, provided 'witlrpinions one at each end, which'engage with the segmental rack of the truck-frame in such,

manner that the rotation of the'shaft 7:, .and its pinion k will raise and lower the segmental. rack, and with it the front end of the truck-frame, which action raises and lowers the helical shovels to engage with the anaterial. to be excavated at the desired depth,

'lhisshaft is provided with the sprocketwheelie", which may, by means of asprocketchain, be connected to the main engine-shaft: 111 such manner that the power of the engine may be used to lower or raise the truck-frame.

It is often desirable to propel the entiretruck by mechanical power as the helical shovels are working, so that they will make the proper advancement or feed into the cut and remove the earth as fast as seems necessary in a regular and constant manner. To accomplished this result I provide the rear truck-wheels with an internal annular gear L, and mounted on the truck-frame in suitable bearings is a shaft Z, having a pinion Z at each end,meshing and engaging with the annular gear of the truck-wheels. This shaft may be provided with a sprocket-wheel or a set of bevel-gearsand be engaged by means of suitable gearing with the main driving-shaft of the engine, so that during the rotation of this driving-shaft motion will be imparted to the rear truck-wheels and propelth-e truck forward at any desired rate of speed, it being understood, of course, that the gearing is so porportioned that the proper .forward motion of the truck may be attained.

The truck-wheels may be of the ordinary fiat type and provided with corrugated metal tires, by which the excavator may be moved along the bed or cut, or they maybe .pro-

vided with flanged tires and of the gage used engagement with the face of the cut.

in railroad construction and the out provided with a suitable track upon which the truck, with its wheels, may be moved along as de sired.

In operation, the machine is moved into position to make the desired excavation and the mechanism rotated. The forward movement of the machine carries the helical shovels into As the machine advances and the shovels rotate, the material is carried back upon the initial conveyer, thence to the second conveyer, and thence by means of this conveyer to a suit able dump-car, which may follow in the wake of the excavating-machine, and which, when loaded,will be removed audan emp'tyone supplied in its ,place. The machine may be moved along a straight line, taking out the desired amountof material the first time until the entire length of the out has been traversed, when the apparatus may :be either moved backto its initial starting-point and the excavation started at a new deptlnorthe cutwidened,as desired, the movements of the whole apparatus being under control of one operator.

The principal advantages ofrm y improved excavator are that I have provided an excavator in which is arranged and combined helical shovels, a pivotal supporting-truck,

and mechanism for propelling :the truck forward in the bed of the cut, so that a cut for railroad and similar purposes "may be made without the necessity of layinga track. Further, the excavator can beiadjusted insuch a manner that a continuous out can be made at any desiredlgradeor'incline; and, finally, I have provided a machine that excavates 'or removes material from a point of excavation, delivering it to a pointof discharge, all operating in a continuousl-manner.

I claim- 1. A portableexcavator, comprising a supporting and propelling truck, wheels upon which such truck is moved: and mounted, a plurality of rotating cuttingshovels mounted in a horizontal plane :at the forward end of the truck, means for operating the shovels and propelling the truck forwardcontinuously, and an inolosing case provided with a horizontal portion arranged to deflect and guide the material toward the cuttingshovels and in combination therewith to excavate a substantially level out the full width of the machine, substantially as described.

2. A portable excavator, comprising asupporting and propelling truck, wheels upon which such truck is moved and mounted, at least three helical shovels rotatably mounted in a horizontal plane at theforward end of the truck, an inclosing case provided with a horizontal cutting edge to deflect and :guide the material toward the helical shovels and in combination therewithto excavate a subthe truck toreceive the material excavated ITO by'the shovels and to deliver it to a point of I discharge, and a motor arranged on the truck for propelling the same forward and operating shovels and conveyers in a continuous manner, substantially as described.

3. A portable excavator comprising a truck provided with wheels pivotally mounted upon one pair of the supporting wheels and adapted to support and move the operating mechanism, a rack and pinion for raising and lowering the truck with its operative mechanism upon the pivotal axle, one or more rotatable, helical shovels mounted on such truck in a horizontal, longitudinal position, a casing se-. cured to the truck and partially surrounding the shovels for deflect-ing and guiding the material to be excavated into contact with the rotatable shovels, belt conveyers secured to the truck for taking and delivering the waste material to a point of deposit, and a motor upon such truck for operating the rotatable excavators and conveyers, substantially as described.

4. A portable excavator comprising a supporting truck provided with wheels upon which the operative mechanism is supported andmounted and pivoted to the rear pair of wheels so that the front end of the truck may be raised or lowered, rack and pinion mechanism secured to the frame and front pair of wheels for raising and lowering the free end of the truck, one or more rotatable, helical shovels mounted at the free vibrating end of the truck in a horizontal, longitudinal plane, a casing secured to the truck and partially inclosing the shovels for deflecting and guiding the earth to be excavated and keeping it in contact with the shovels during the rotation, belt conveying mechanism on the truck forreceiving and conveying the waste mate-

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