Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 The present invention relates to earth workiny apparatus and
2 more particularly ~o a tracto;r drawn soil ~radin~ and scraping im-
3 plement.
4 Earth leveling and grading devices have generally comprised
a wheeled frame having a scraper blade or an earth scraping and
6 carrying unit either self-propelled or drawn by a tractor. Some
7 prior art earth scraping blade devices are attached forwardly or
8 rearwardly to a tractor, or the like. Other types of earth level-
9 ing devices have included ripping teeth usually attached to a
bulldoz~r blade for loosening compacted soil or rocks for move-
11 ment thereof in a leveling action by the blade.
12 ~his apparatus is distinctive over soil leveling implements
13 presently in use by providing a wheel supported box frame having
14 a depending scraper blade for movement of the box frame and blade
toward and away from the earth in a forward and rearward tilting
16 actlon with respect to the surface of the earth for cutting~col-
17 lecting and moving soil from a higher point to a lower point in a
18 scraping and dragging action in the direction of travel wherein
19 the soil is released by gravity to fill in low areas over which
the apparatus travels. The box frame is also tiltable laterally
21 with respect to the direction of travel to form an inclined surface
22 for drainage away from a building or other structure. A ripping
23 tooth a~sembly is pivotally supported within the box frame for
24 vertical movement toward and away from the earth to loosen packed
25 9011.
26 In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention,
27 Figure 1 is a forward fragmentary isometric view of the imple-
28 ment,
29 Figure 2 is a rearward fragmentary isometric view of the im-
plement,
31 Figure 3 is a view taken substantially along the line 3--3
32 o~ Fig. 1 lllustrating the rearward portion of the box frame tilt-
33 e~ downwardly in a soil cutting and scraping actlon with the
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1 ripper tooth assembly in an elevated position,
2 Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to Fig.
3 3 illustrating the box frame and ripping tooth assembly tilted
4 downwardly and forwardly for an earth ripping action,
Figure 5 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the
6 ripper tooth assembly, per se, and,
7 Figure 6 i9 a vertical cross sectional view, partially in
8 elevation, to a larger scale, taken substantially along the line -
9 6--6 of Fig. 5.
The reference numeral 10 indicates the device, as a whole,
11 which is rectangular in general configuration. The device 10 in-
12 cludes a box frame 12 connected with the implement hitch 14 of a
13 prime mover, such as a tractor, not shown, by a drawbar 16. ~ ~ -
14 weight support frame 18 is connected with the box frame 12 oppo-
site the drawbar 16 and is supported by wheels 20.
16 The generally horizontally disposed box frame 12 extends
17 transversely of the direction of travel and ~s characterized by
18 vertlcal end walls 22 and 24 joined by a vertical rearward wall
19 26. The forward ends of the end walls 22 and 24 are ~oined at ;
their upper limit by a front beam 28 thus defining a forwardly
21 open front side and open bottom and top for the box frame. Inter-
22 medlate its ends, the front beam is connected with the box frame
23 rear wall 26 by a plurality of spaced-apart brace members 30, 32
24 and 34. The ront beam is provided with a plurality of depending
legs 36 for pivotal connection with the rearward end of the draw-
26 bar 16. The lower portion of the forward surface of the box frame
27 rear wall 26 i9 provided with a coextensive downwardly and forward-
28 ly inclined plate forming a mold board 38 suitably braced against
29 rearward movement with respect to the frame wall 26 by an angle
iron member 40. A scraper blade 42, coextensive with the mold
31 board 38, i8 connected in dependlng relation to its lower edge
32 portion. The depending edge of the scraper blade 42 preferably
33 d~pends ~elow the lower limit of the box frame as defined by the
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1 depending edges of the box frame end walls and rear wall.
2 A ripper assembly 44 is pivotally mounted for vertical move-
3 ment toward and away from the surface of the earth within the box
4 frame 12. The ripper too~h assembly 44 includes a tooth support
bar 46 extending horizontally between the box frame end walls 22
6 and 24 and pivotally connected for vertical movement by end arms
7 48 to the inner wall surface of the respective frame end walls 22
8 and 24 by bolts extending through one of a series of apertures 51
9 formed therein with downward movement of the tooth assembly 44
limited by stops 49 secured to the inner surface of the respec-
ll tive box frame end wall. An intermediate arm 50, secured to the
12 tooth support bar 46, is pivotally connected with an angle brace
13 52 extending between the beam brace 32 and rearward wall 26. A
14 plurallty of plate-like earth ripping teeth 54 are rigidly connect-
ed in longitudinal rows to the tooth support bar 46 in depending
16 longitudinally spaced -apart forward and rearward staggered rela-
17 tion. Each of the ripping teeth 54 is provided with a replace-
18 able tip 56.
19 The weight support frame 18 includes a coextensive forward
20 side tube member 58 pivotally connected by a plurality of clamps
21 60 secured in horizontally spaced relation, to the rearward sur-
22 face of the box frame wall 26 intermediate its height. A pair of
23 wheel support arms 62 are pivotally connected at one end to the
24 forward portion of the respective end of the weighted frame 18
or vertical pivoting movement of their opposite ends toward and
26 away fxom the surface of the earth. The trailing end of the wheel
27 support arms 62 are each provided with a stub axle 64 which jour-
28 nals the wheels 20. A pair of standards 66 and 68 are connected
29 in upstanding relation to the respective ends of the weighted
fxame ad~acerlt the pivotal connection of the respective wheel
31 ~upport arm 62. A pair of hydraulic wheel cylinders 70 and 72,
32 re~pectively, connected with the upper end portion of the standards
33 66 and 68, are connected by a pair of brackets 74 and 76 with the
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1 rearward end portion of the respective wheel support arm 62 for
2 the purposes presently e~plained.
3 A bracket 78, mounted on the rearward side portion of the
4 weighted frame 18 intermediate its ends, is connected, by links
80, with one arm of the bell crank 32 pivotally supported by a
6 bracket 84 mounted on the upper limit of the box frame forward
7 wall 26. The other arm of the bell crank 82 is connected with
8 one end of a box frame rear portion elevating hydraulic cylinder
9 86 connected at its other end with a lug 88 mounted on the box
frame beam 32, intermediate its ends, for supporting and tilting
11 the box fra~e, as presently explained.
12 A box frame front portion elevating hydraulic cylinder 90 is
13 connected with ears 92 and 94, respectively, connected with the
14 frame front beam 28 and drawbar 16 for cooperating with the hy-
draulic cylinder 86 and raising and lowering the box frame in a
16 forward or rearward tilting action, as presently explained.
17 The ripping tooth assembly 44 is provided with a pair of
18 links 96 pivotally connected with the tooth support bax 46 and
19 one arm of a second bell crank 98 pivotally supported between lugs
mounted on a lateral extension 100 secured to the front beam 32.
21 A ripping tooth assembly control hydraulic cylinder 102 extends
22 between and is connected with the other arm of the bell crank 98
23 and a lug 104 mounted on the upper limit of the box fra~e rear-
24 ward wall 26 for raising and lowering the tooth assembly 44 with
respect to the box frame.
26 A source of hydraulic fluid pressure supplied by the tractor,
27 not shown, is connected in a conventional manner by tubing, not
28 shown, to the tooth assembly cylinder 102 and to the other hy-
29 draulic cylinders through a distributor valve 106 so that the
wheel cylinders 70 and 72, when activated, operate in opposite
31 dlrections and similarly the hydraulic cylinders 86 and 90 are
32 operated in opposing directions.
33 Referring more particularly to Fiys. 5 and 6, the reference
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1 numeral 115 indicates another embodiment of the ripper assembly
2 in which the support bar 46 is replaced by an elongated tube 116
3 similarly connected at its respective ends and intermediate its
4 ends with the end arms 48 and intermediate arm 50. The tube 116
is vertically slotted in longitudinally spaced relation, as at 118,
6 for slidably receiving a plurality of the ripping teeth 54, each
7 having one of the replaceable tips 56. Each ripping tooth 5*' is
8 provided, in its upper end portion, with a series of longitudinai-
9 ly spaced transverse apertures 120 for receiving a pin 122 extend-
ing through centrally drilled lugs 124 rigidly secured to the
11 periphery of thé tube 116 on opposing sides of the respective
12 tooth. This permits the teeth 54' to be vertically adjusted with
13 re~pect to the tube 116. The series of apertures 51 in the re-
14 spective frame end wall 22 and 24, permits the ripping tooth
assembly 115 to be adjusted so that the ripping teeth 54' are sub-
16 ~tantially vertically disposed when in a lowered earth ripping
17 action and the box frame 12 is tilted in a forward and downward
18 directlon (Fig. 4)~ The bore of the tube 116 ~s provided with a
19 plate-like half moon or substantially semicircular segments 126
and 128, réspectively, aligned with and contacting the opposing
21 edge surface of the respective tooth 54' within the tube 116.
22 Obvlously, the several segments 126 and 128 may comprise two elon-
23 gated members, not shown, coextensive with the tube 116, each hav-
24 ~ng a ~ubstantially semiclrcular transverse section, if desired.
Operation
26 When leveling soil on the surface of the earth, as shown by
27 Fig. 3, the cyllnder 86 is retracted so that the linkage 80 and
28 bell crank 82 lift the rearward side portion of the weighted frame
29 18 with respect to the box frame 12, by the pivoting action of the
tubing 58 within the brackets 60, effecting a lowering action of
31 the rearward portion of the box frame toward the ~urface of the
32 earth 108 so that the scraper blade 42 contacts and enters the
33 earth. Simultaneously, the cylinder 90 is extended and elevates
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1 the forward portion of the box frame by bearing against the draw-
2 bar. When the device 10 is drawn forward in the direction of the
3 arrow 110 soil is scraped or cut by the blade 42 and moves upward-
4 ly across the surface of the mold board 38 and falls forwardly
within the confines of the box frame 12 in the direction shown by
6 the arrows 112 with such soil being deposited in a spreading
7 action when the device moves across lower areas in the surface of
8 the earth. During this action the ripper assembly ~4 is normally
9 in the solid line position of Fig. 3 but may be lowered, by the
hydraulic cylinder 102, toward its dotted line position to form a
11 ripping action on the surface of the earth.
12 Soil moved by the device may be deposited on an incline by ~ ;
13 shifting the distributor valve 106 to another position for actuat-
14 ing the wheel supporting cylinders 70 and 72 in opposite directions
which pivots the rearward end portion of one of the wheel support
16 arms 62 upwardly and the other one downwardly with respect to the
17 plane of the weight supporting frame 18 thus disposing the box
18 frame on an incline with respect to the surface of the earth in a
19 direction normal to the direction of travel so that the soil mov-
ed by the scraper blade is deposited to form an inclined surface
21 adjacent a building, or the like, not shown.
22 Figure 4 illustrates the device when the box frame is tilted
23 to dispo5e its forward portion adjacent the 9urface of the earth
24 a~d it~ rearward portion elevated with the ripper tooth assembly
lowered by the hydraulic cylinder 102 so that the ripping teeth
26 54 may loo~en compacted soil. This tilted position of the box
27 frame is accomplished by operating the hyaraulic cylinders 86 and
28 90 in opposite directions from that described hereinabove for Fig.
29 3 wherein the cylinder 86 lifts the rearward wall 26 of the box
frame with respect to the rearward portion of the weighted frame
31 18 and the forward cylinder 90 lifts the forward end portion of
32 the drawbar 16 with respect to the box frame.
33 I have found that the box frame front elevating cylinder 90
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1 may be replaced with an elongated longitudinally adjusted connec-
2 tor, such as a conventional turnbuckle, not shown, and that one
3 of the wheel elevating cylinders 70 or 72 may be replaced by such
4 a turnbuckle. It, also, seems obvious that the box frame rear
elevating cylinder 86 may be directly connected between the weight-
6 ed frame bracket 78 and rearward upper limit of the box ~rame thus
7 eliminating the pair of links 80 and the bell crank 82.
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