Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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sAcKGRouND OF THE INVENTION
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This invention relates to an apparatus for
compacting earth. More particularly, this invention relates
to an apparatus for compacting earth in trenches and the like.
At the present time there are several different
types of machines that are used to compact earth. One type of
machine that is frequently used is what is known in the trade
as a sheepsfoot. An example of a sheepsfoot may be found in
U.S. Patent 3,183,804. Although the sheepsfoot has proven
to be an effective low cost per yard approach to surface
compaction its usefulness in trench line compaction has never ~ ~
been fully realized. -
In U.S. Patent 2,146,101 is disclosed an apparatus for
compacting earth in trenches. The apparatus includes a -
sheepsfoot connected to a pulling vehicle by a coupling assembly
such that it can be towed by the pulling vehicle but not raised
or lowered or moved from side to side of the pulling vehiele. ; -
In. U.S. Patent 3,471,953 is dislcosed an apparatus
for compaeting earth in trenches which lncludes a sheepsfoot
positioned centrally of a pulling vehicle such that the pulling
vehie~e must straddle the treneh at all times.
Other types of sheepsfoot apparatus are disclosed in
U.S. Patent 3,136,078; 3,183,804; and 2,437,524. Other types
of machines for compacting earth are disclosed in U.S. Patents
2,732,197 and 2,852,992.
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In U.S. Patent 3,024,546 is disclosed an apparatus
for digging ditches which includes a ditcher head that is
mounted for lateral and vertical movement. In the apparatus,
the adjustable ditcher is spaced laterally to the right of the
tread of the tractor with the tractor moving forward. There
are several shortcomings to such an apparatus. Firstly, it
is not an earth compactor, but more importantly, the operator
can not readily shift to the opposite side or place his
ditcher anywhere between the tread lines.
Such shortcomings are not found in the apparatus of -
this inv~ntion. In addition, this invention can be employed
without the need to add additional fill dirt as would seem
to be taking place at all times in the apparatus in U.S.
Patent 3,471,953.
The present invention relates primarily to the field ~ -
of underground utility work; that is, the laying of pipe or
wires in trenches. The steps involved in such a project
include site preparation, trenching, laying of pipe or wire,
backfill, compaction and site restoration. All aspects of
the total task, with the exception of compaction have advanced
rapidly to a high degree of sophistication in recent years.
The compaction step is in fact a plurality of steps
which include preparatory compaction of the trench bottom, the
compaction of material in and around the pipe or wires and
the compaction of the trench above the new~ly laid pipe or
conduit~ The ability to produce work that meets specification
and yet be monetarily productive has lagged with the advent of
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more stringent requirements of O~S~H~Ao I as well as the
advances made in other aspects of the total job. This has
resulted in a disproportionate cost ln compaction in relation
to the work as a whole.
Furthermore, all fuel backfill work is governed by
soils laboratory measured achievable compaction using precise
- measurements of weight, moisture and expanded effort for
controlled test cores, with the result that actual field
requirements are related as a percentage of laboratory results,
and are called out as relative density, i.e. the field density
test is relative to the laboratory test core.
In the present state of the art there are basically
five different mechanical modes of attempting to achieve the ~`
desired field densities.
The most common is the gasoline powered, stomping -
type of unit or whacker, which is operated by one man, which
i is designed for use in relatively flat small area surfaces
and which requires the operator to follow the machine into
the trench.
Another common unit is the hydraulic backhoe mounted
Hoe-Pac. This type of device is basically a vibrated plate.
The chief handicap of such a device is its inability to
produce a continuous effort, and the necessity of the prime ~`
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mover, i.e. the tractor, to straddle the trench, which is
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~ not always safe or even possible.
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Other kr.own devices used are the dual drum
self-propelled roller, as made and sold by Duomat, Mikasa
and others; and the drop hammer type of unit as made by
Arrow Champion and others. The dual drum roller suffers
the shortcomings of the wacker. The drop hammer which must
also straddle the trench, requires the trench to be jetted,
a term known to the art, for it to be effective. Ofttimes -
only the upper area meets the relative density compaction,
specification, while the deeper areas do not. Also there
is the danger of pipe floating during the jetting operation.
The vibratory sheepsfoot has in recent years been
recognized as an effective low cost per yard approach to
compaction. However, prior use has been limited to surface
compaction on surfaces up to about 6' in width and large
diameter pipelines, because there was no way of utilizing
it within a trench of the size used in normal pipeline operations.
The invention of this application allows a narrow vibratory
sheepsfoot to be employed in a backfill trenching operation
with dramatic results both in productivity and safety to
the workmen.
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SUMMARY OF TH~ I~V~NTIO~ ~
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It is an object of this invention to provide a new
and improved apparatus for compacting earth in trenches.
It is another object of this invention to provide an
apparatus for compacting earth in trenches which includes a
prime mover that does not straddle the trench.
It is still another object of this invention to ~ -~
provide a sheepsfoot type earth compactor for use in trenches
which can be operated completely from outside the trench.
It is yet still another object of this invention to
provide an apparatus for compacting earth in ~renches which
includes a sheepsfoot that is connected to a supporting ~ ~;
vehicle such that it has complete maneuverability and
mobility.
It is yet still another object of this invention to
provide a new and novel coupling assembly for attaching a
sheepsfoot to a prime mover.
It is an object also to provide a compaction machine
which has the ability within itself to avoid any trench line
obstructions, e.g. valves, manholes and existing crosslines
~; of piping.
Yet another object is to provide a technique
whereby no person is required to enter a trench during
backfilling, thereby, eliminating the need for trench shoring
in accordance with govermnental regulations, thus reducing
- costs of operation to the contracting party.
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A further object is to provide a sheeps~oot .
compacting device which can operate at any depth requirement
and be controlled from a prime mover that operates either
to one side of the trench bottom of above and straddling the
-trench, as the particular job may deem best.
The above and other objects are achieved, according
to this invention, by providing an apparatus for compacting
earth which includes a prime mover having a hydraulically
operated toolbar, a coupling assembly mounted for movement
along the length of the toolbar and a sheepsfoot attached .
to the toolbar, the coupling assembly being designed to
provide for vertical movement of the sheepsfoot, with all
controls for the movement and operation of the tool bar, the
coupling assembly, and the sheepsfoot being within the reach
of an operator seated on the prime mover.
In addition to the characteristics described above,
the invention has many other advantages and has other objects
and features which will become more clearly evident from a
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consideration of the illustrative embodiment o~ the invention
described and depicted in the accompanyin~ drawings and forming
; a part of the specification. The preferred embodiment will be
described in detail to illustrate the general principles of
the invention, it being understood that the invention is best
defined by the appended claims. It is further to b~ understood
that in the Figures, like numerals will be utilized to refer
to like parts.
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B~IEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the
invention as seen positioned behind the prime mover.
Figure 2 is a close up perspective view of an
apparatus.
Figure 3 is a right front view of the apparatus
in a raised position over a trench.
Figure 4 is a left end perspective view with
the apparatus extended to the right but not lowered below
ground le~el.
Figure 5 shows the apparatus extended out along
the draw bar with the sheepsfoot showing, the device
being below surface in this right perspective view.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERR~D EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings there is shown an apparatus
constructed according to this invention. The apparatus includes
a tractor 11 having a hydraulically operated tool bar 13 on
the back end. A guide rail 15 is rigidly secured to the
toolbar 13. The guide rail 15 extends from one end of the
toolbar 13 to the other end. Mounted on the guide rail 15
is a coupling assembly indicated generally by reference
numeral 17. The coupling assembly 17 includes a box bar 19
which is movably mounted on the guide rail 15. The box bar 19
is moved along the guide rail 15 by means of a motor 21 which
is mounted on the toolbar 13, the motor 21 having a gear wheel
23 which engages a chain 25 rigidly fixed to and extending
along the length of the box bar 19. Instead of a gear wheel
and chain arrangement, movement of the box bar 19 relative to
the guide rail 15 may be achieved if desired by other means
such as, for example, a rack and pinion or a hydraulic cylinder.
A collar attachment 27 is mounted onto the box bar 19 near one
end by means of a pivot pin 29. A mast member 31 is telescopic- j -
ally mounted inside the coupling assembly 17. Movement of
~, the mast member 31 relative to the coupling assembly 17
is achieved by means of motor 33 mounted on the coupling
assembly 17 and having a gear wheel 35 which engages a chain
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37 fixed to and extending along the length of the mast member
31. Movement of the mast member 31 relative to the coupling
assembly 17 may also be achieved by other means such as a
rack and pinion or a motor. Mounted on the bottom of the -~
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mast member 31 is a vibratory sheepsfoot machine 39. The
motor 33 for the mast member 31 and the motor 21 for the box
bar 19 are both connected by hydraulic lines 43 to a set
of controls on the tractor 11. The motor 33 for the vibratory
sheepsfoot machine 39 is a self contained unit controlled by
the operator electrically. Such controls enable the operator
to move the tool bar 13 from a neutral or inoperative position
to an operating position; to move the box bar 19 horizontally
to either side of the tractor 11; to raise and lower the sheeps-
foot 39 and to operate the sheepsfoot 39 in a conventionalmanner.
It is seen that the vibratory sheepsfoot, which in
recent years has been recognized as an effective low cost per
yard approach to surface compaction has been successfully
adapted for use in a trench, by means of the invention of
this application. By adopting this cc>mpaction instrument for
use in trenches, the operator of the unit is able to utilize
narrower diameter trenches than with prior art techniques and
devices. By using this device in conjunction with the
attachment of this invention it is seen that compaction
energies can be applied to trench fill that aqual those capable
of being applied by surface acting equipment.
By avoiding the need to enter the trench, significant
cost savings can be achieved with respect to shoring in -
accordance with local and federal governmental regulations.
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In view of the fact that the prime mover operates
outside of the trench, it is seen that manholes, crosslines
and other obstructions are avoided merely by raising and
lowering the sheepsfoot. Thus production is rendered continuous
and comparable to achievable rates of other surface acting
pipeline construction equipment.
Further cost savings are possible in that this
invention is easily adpatable to any prime mover; and since
the instant device can be raised and lowered the prime mover
can place its own backfill in the trench and grade its own
soil from the surface both without any obstruction or
interference from the inventive device, thereby eliminating
the need for support equipment and operators.
Since the portion slides coupling assembly 17 can be
moved along the tool bar 13 at will, it is seen that the
sheepsfoot 39 aan be utilized on either side of the tractor 11.
Since the tractor ll can operate both forward and back the
actual advantage in being able to shift to the opposite side
is in being able to allow the tractor 11 to operate in a
forward direction going up slopes; a condition in which the
tractor ll mover is much more effective (i.e. pulling the
; compactor than attempting to push it).
The apparatus is used in the following manner. First,
the kractor 11 is moved next to the trench to be worked on.
Then, the box bar 19 is moved to one side so as to position
the sheepsfoot 39 over the trench. Then, the tool bar 13 is
lowered to a neutral position. Finally, the sheepsfoot 39
is lowered into the trench. It is to be understood, of course,
that the apparatus may be also used with the tractor straddling
the trench, if so desired.
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It is to be noted that the tool bar 13 is free to
"float" while the sheepsfoot 39 is in operation. The height
of the tool bar 13 is controlled by the relative location
of the mast member 31 on the coupling assembly 17. When it
is desired to remove the sheepsfoot 39 from the trench it
is working in, the tool bar 13 is first returned to a positive
"left" condition. This is achieved hydraulically.
It can be seen that the weight utiliæed in com- ~
pacting soil using the apparatus of this invention includes .:
the sum of the weight of the tool bar 13, the guide rail 15,
the box bar 19, the collar 27~ the mast 31 and the sheepsfoot
39.
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