Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Description
Impact Ripper
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Technical Field
- This invention relates to earthworking machines
and more specifically to impact rippers.
Background Art
- In one form of conventional earth ripper, a
ripper tip is mounted to a shank which is pivotally
mounted to the tractor beam by a shank pivot pin. As a
result of side loads acting on the ripper during the
ripping operation, the shank pivot pins have worn so that
the pins, at times, were lost during the ripping
operation, presenting serious safety and ma;ntenance
problem5.
A number of different pivoting arrangements have
been utilized in connection with such ripping devices. Il-
lustratively, in U. S. Letters Patent 2,797,629, issued
July 2, 1957 to Carlton O. Kelley, a pivoted shank subsoil
contour plow is shown wherein~the distal tips of the plow
blades are disposed directly below and in vertical
alignment with the pivot pin mounting the blades to a
frame member so as to prevent side draft at the tips of
the plows.
Donald J~ Larson, in U. S. Letters Patent
2,998,965, issued September 5, 1961, which patent is owned
by the assignee hereof, shows a push block for a~tractor-
mounted ripper mounted to a tractor by a pair of draft
- arms. The ripper shank is provided with a ripp~;er tip and
connected with the tractor beam by a clevis pivotally con-
nected to the beam by a clevis pin. The ripper tip is
spaced sub.stantially rearwardly of the axis of the clevis
pin.
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- In U. S. Letters Patent 3,031,175, issued April
24, 1962 to Mack Wooldridge, a ripper mounting for twin
crawlers is shown wherein the ripper tip is spaced rear-
; wardly of the vertical axis ~f the clevis pin.
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Albert G. Bodine shows a sonic rectifier coupling
for rock cutting apparatus in U. S. Letters Patent
3,367,716, wherein an impact device is engageable with an
impact surface of the ripper shank at an angle thereto.
U. S. Letters Patent 3,770,322, issued Movember
6, 1973 to Delwin E. Cobb et al, shows an apparatus for
fracture of material in situ with stored inertial energy
which is cyclically delivered on demand to the work tool,
and which energy is stored in a large flywheel and
delivered to the tool by suitable transmission means. The
single pivot point disclosed by Cobb et al is indicated as
~ preferably located ahead of the cutting tip to obtain the
`~` desired motion.
Darrel M. Wooldridge, in U. S. Letters Patent
4,044,838, issued August 30, 1977t shows an automatic
control for a ripper tool which is disposed substantially
rearwardly of the majority of the mounting pins of the
assembly.
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention comprehends a ripper
assembly having a beam adapted to be secured to an earth-
working machine, a clevis pivot pin mounted to said beam
to define a vertical pivot axis, an impact breaker
mechanism, a shank provided with a shank pivot pin, a
ripper tip defining a ripper tip axis, and a bracket
pivotally mounted to the clevis pivot pin and carrying the
impact breaker mechanism to apply an impact force to the
shank urging the ripper tip about the axis of the shank
pivot pin, the improvement comprising means on said
bracket for mounting said shank pivot pin to define a
horizontal pivot axis substantially intersecting said
clevis pivot pin vertical axis.
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Brief Description of Drawin~
FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an
earthworking apparatus including a ripper structure; and
. FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation
- 5 of the ripper structure.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the_Invention
In the exemplary embodiment disclosed in the
drawing, a ripper assembly 10 is shown as mounted to a
beam 11 mounted on the rear portion 12 of a tractor 13.
The tractor includes suitable extensible elements 14 and
15r such as hydraulic cylinder devices, for controlling the
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disposition of the beam and, thus, the positioning of
the ripper assembly in the operation thereof. The in-
vention is concerned with the mounting of the ripper
assembly 10 to the beam 11 and, in the arrangement of
the elements of the ripper assembly relative to such
mounting; to provide an improved long life, troublefree
operation.
More specifically, as seen in Figure 1, the
ripper assembly 10 includes a brack~t 16 mounted to the
beam 11 by a cleYis 17. The bracket carries a rock
breaker mechanism 18 for providing an impact force-to
the shank 19 of a ripper generally designated 20 and
provided at its lower end with a~ripper tip 21. In nor-
mal operation, as the tractor is moved forwardly to draw
the ripper into the ground G to be ripped, the tip 21 is
impacted by the mechanism 18 so as to provide an improved
rock breaking ripping operation for facilitated earth
working.
Referring now more specifically to Figure 2,
the structural arrangement of the ripper assèmbly may be
more clearly seen. As shown, the clevis is provided with
a clevis pin 22 which is arranged to define a substan-
tially vertical axis 23 extending downwardly vertically
to the distal end 34 of the ripper tip 21. The clevis
pin axis extends vertically upwardly to perpendicularly
intercept a horizontal axis 24 of a shank pivot pin 25
pivotally mounted to the bracket 16 and carrying the shank
19 for pivotal swinging about the axis 24. Thus, the rip-
per tip 21 is positionable about the vertical axis 23 of
the clevis pivot and, in the illustrated embodiment, is
swingable thereabout approximately 30, i.e., 15 in each
direction from the centered disposition. Concurrently, the
ripper tip 21 is swingable about the hori~ontal axis 24,
and more specifically, is arranged to provide an impact
ripping action as a result of the impact forces generated
thereon by the rock breaker mechanism 18 so as to pxovide
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-~ a desired ripping force downwardly into the ground G, as
shown in Figure 2 in the normal operation of the ripper
assembly.
The impact force applying means may comprise a
conventional rock breaker mechanism which may include a
conventional operating motor 26. The motor drives a con-
ventional L lywheel-crankshaft ring impactor 27 well known
to those skilled in the art and, thus, no further descrip-
tion thereof need be given here. However, the impactor
device defines an impact surface 28 which impinges on a
reaction impact surface 29 of the shank 19 in the impact-
;; ing operation so as to apply an impact force to the shank
so as to impact the ripper tip 21 into the ground G, as
~ illustrated in Figure 2.
: 15 As shown in Figure 2, the surfaces 28 and 29 are
accurately parallel so as to define a common plane when in
abutment with each other, which plane contains a radius 30
from the horizontal shank pivot pin axis 24 extending per-
pendicular to the axis 31 of the ripper tip 21.
Thus, the invention comprehends mounting the
ripper assembly 10 to the beam~:Ll by means of:an improved
connection including the clevis pin 22 axially vertically
aligned with the distal end 34 of the ripper tip 21. The
horizontal shank pin axis, within the scope of the inven-
tion, is disposed to substantially intersect the vertical
.~ clevis pin axis 23.
It is further contemplated within the scope of
the invention that the impact surfaces be accurately par-
allel so as to define a common plane when in abutment in
the impacting cperation, which plane defines a radius 30
of the shank pivot pin axis 24 and which perpendicularly
: intersects the ripper tip axis 31 which extends perpen-
dicularly to the radius 30.
As discussed above, the vertical clevis pivot
pin axis Z3 is preferably vertically aligned with the dis-
tal end 34 of the ripper tip and the horizontal axis 24
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of the shank pivot pin. The invention comprehends that
within the concept of substantial alignment thereof, the
axis of the clevis pivot pin 22 may be disposed somewhat
forwardly of this line in providing the desired force
moment to assure turning of the unit into the rocks, etc.
of the ground G with effectively minimized side forces
tending to wear the pivot pins of the device.
In the illustrated embodiment, the impact sur-
faces 28 and 29 are disposed at a 35 angle to the hori-
zontal. Such disposition has been found to provide anexcellent impacting operation which, when combined with
the improved reduction of side forces acting on the shank
pin, provides a long, highIy efficient, troublefree life
of the ripper assembly.
Industrial Applicability
As indicated above, the ripper structure of the
present invention may be utilized as an impact energy source,
such as mounted at the rear of an earthmoving~machine. One
form of machine with which the ripper structure may be advan-
tageously utilized is a tractor~
~ Further more speciically, the ripper assembly may
; be mounted to the beam o~ the tractor as by clevis-type
mounting.
The impact ripper may be utilized as a conversion
unit wherein a conventional rockbreaker device is converted
to an impact rock trencher. The apparatus, when utilized
in producing trenches, advantageously produced vertical side-
walls and efficiently operated as an impact rock cruncher.
Other aspects, objects and advantages of this
invention can be obtained rom a study of the drawings, the
disclosure and the appended claims.
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