Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A GRADING APPARATUS FOR GRADING A SURFACE
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a grading apparatus
for grading a surface.
Background
Providing adequate roadside drainage is important for
maintaining the integrity of road surfaces and also
maintaining the health of roadside verges. On many
regional roads and highways it is not feasible to provide
a gutter and water drainage system. On these roads, the
drain consists of a graded channel, or similar culvert
formed in the earth at the roadside. Over time, the
drains become filled with debris from vegetation, and
water running through the drains causes erosion.
In some cases, the drain is formed by grading into
the earth to form an earth wall (which is also known as a
roadside batter) and a table drain. The roadside batter
has a steep pitch and the table drain has a low pitch.
Formation and restoration of drains, such as table
drains, can be difficult, particularly where access to the
drain is inhibited. In addition, roadside markers and
signs that are located between the road surface and the
drain can further inhibit access to the drain.
Summary of the invention
The present invention provides grading apparatus
comprising:
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an elongate support arm assembly having a mount at
one end for attachment to a vehicle, and
a grading blade attached to the opposing end of the
support arm assembly,
wherein the grading blade can be positioned outwardly
of the vehicle to grade a surface beside the vehicle as
the vehicle moves forward.
Preferably, the support arm assembly can be
positioned such that the grading blade is disposed outside
the track of the vehicle.
Preferably, the support arm assembly can be rotated
about a first axis with respect to the mount.
Preferably, the grading blade can be moved between a
lowered position and an elevated position.
Preferably, the mount comprises an attachment
assembly that includes a shaft that defines the first
axis, the support arm assembly being rotatable about the
shaf t .
Preferably, the grading apparatus further comprises a
first actuator to control the rotational position of the
support arm assembly about the first axis.
Preferably, the first actuator is a linear actuator
that extends between a mounting bracket and a bracket
provided on the support arm assembly.
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Preferably, support arm assembly further comprises a
telescoping section such that the length of the support
arm assembly can be adjusted.
Preferably, the grading apparatus further comprises a
second actuator within the support arm assembly to
facilitate movement of the telescoping section.
Preferably, the support arm assembly can also be
rotated about a second axis with respect to the mount.
Preferably, the second axis is substantially
orthogonal to the first axis.
Preferably, the support arm assembly can be rotated
by at least 15 about the second axis. More preferably,
the support arm assembly can be rotated by at least 20
about the second axis.
Preferably, the mount comprises an attachment
assembly that includes a pivot pin that defines the second
axis, the support arm assembly being rotatable about the
pivot pin.
Preferably, the grading apparatus further comprises a
third actuator to control the rotational position of the
support arm assembly about the second axis.
Preferably, the third actuator is a linear actuator
that is arranged to rotate the support arm assembly with
respect to the attachment assembly.
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Preferably, the grading blade is of quadrilateral
shape.
Preferably, the grading blade further comprises a
replaceable cutting edge.
Preferably, the width of the face of the grading
blade increases towards the outer end.
Preferably, the support arm assembly is connected to
the grading blade close to the lower edge of the grading
blade.
Preferably, the support arm assembly further
comprises an elongate arm that extends between the mount
of the support arm assembly and a stabilizing arm that
intersects the elongate arm to provide lateral support to
the elongate arm.
The present invention also provides a vehicle
comprising the grading apparatus described above.
Preferably, the vehicle further comprises a front
mounted bucket, and the grading apparatus is mounted to a
rear surface of the bucket.
Brief description of the drawings
In order that the invention may be more easily
understood, embodiments will now be described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:
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Figure 1: is a front schematic view of a grading
apparatus according to a first
embodiment of the invention, which is
attached to a vehicle;
Figure 2: is a front schematic view of the grading
blade and support arm assembly of the
grading apparatus of figure 1;
Figure 3: is a front view of the grading blade of
the grading apparatus of figure 1 in a
lowered position;
Figure 4: is a front view of the grading blade of
the grading apparatus of figure 1 in a
partially elevated position;
Figure 5: is a front view of the support arm
assembly of the grading apparatus of
figure 1;
Figure 6: is a top view of the support arm
assembly of the grading apparatus of
figure 1;
Figure 7: is a perspective view of a vehicle to
which the grading apparatus of figure 1
has been mounted;
Figure 8: is a side elevation of the vehicle of
figure 7;
Figure 9: is a rear elevation of the vehicle of
figure 1;
Figure 10: is a rear schematic view of a grading
apparatus according to a second
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 11: is a plan view of the grading apparatus
of figure 10;
Figure 12a: is a rear view of a grading blade of a
grading apparatus in accordance with an
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embodiment of the present invention,
shown in a first position;
Figure 12b: is a plan view of the grading blade of
figure 12a;
Figure 12c: is a rear view of the grading blade
figure 12a in a second position; and
Figure 12d: is a plan view of the grading blade of
figure 12c.
Detailed description
Figure 1 shows a grading apparatus 10 according to an
embodiment of the present invention. The grading
apparatus 10 is attached to a vehicle 100, which may be,
for example, a tractor or a wheeled loader as shown in
figure 7. In figure 1, the vehicle 100 is shown in a
front view.
As shown in figure 1, the grading apparatus 10 can be
used to grade a surface beside the vehicle 100. That is,
the surface to be graded can be located outside the wheel
tracks of the vehicle 100.
The grading apparatus 10 has an elongate support arm
assembly 12, which is attached to mounting points provided
on the vehicle 100. A grading blade 14 is provided on the
outer end of the support arm assembly 12.
Figure 1 shows the grading apparatus 10 in a grading
position. The vehicle 100 is positioned on, or beside,
the road surface 50 and beside a drain 52. In this
grading position the grading blade 14 is positioned beside
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the vehicle 100. As the vehicle moves, the grading
apparatus 10 grades and/or clears the drain 52.
The drain 52 shown in figure 1 is in the form of a
table drain, which extends downwardly and outwardly with
respect to the road surface 50. The lowest point of the
drain 52 intersects with the lower end of a roadside
batter 54, which extends downwardly and inwardly with
respect to the road surface 50.
Figures 2 to 6 illustrate the grading apparatus 10 of
figure 1. The inner end of the support arm assembly 12 is
provided with a mount for mounting the grading apparatus
10 to a vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the mount is in
the form of an attachment assembly 16. The attachment
assembly 16 can be, for example, welded to the vehicle
100. The attachment assembly 16 is shown schematically in
the figures.
The support arm assembly 12 includes an elongate arm
18 and a stabilizing arm 20. The grading blade 14 is
connected to the outer end of the elongate arm 18. The
stabilizing arm 20 intersects the elongate arm 18 adjacent
the inner end of the elongate arm 18, and provides lateral
support to the elongate arm 18 during operation of the
grading assembly 10.
The attachment assembly 16 includes a shaft 22 on
which the support arm assembly 12 is mounted. The shaft
22 extends in a direction that is generally perpendicular
to the face 15 of the grading blade 14. The shaft 22
defines an axis about which the support arm assembly 12
can rotate. In this embodiment, the grading apparatus 10
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has a mount, which is in the form of holes 24, 26 provided
at the inner end of the elongate arm 18 and the
stabilizing arm 20. As shown in figure 6, the shaft 22
extends through both holes 24, 26. The support arm
assembly 12 can rotate on the shaft 22. Thus, the grading
apparatus 10 can be rotated about the shaft 22.
To control and adjust the rotational position of the
support arm assembly 12 about the shaft 22, the grading
apparatus 10 is provided with a first actuator 28. One
end of the first actuator 28 is connected to a bracket 30
on the stabilizing arm 20. The opposing end of the first
actuator 28 is connected to a mounting bracket (not shown)
on the vehicle 100.
Movement of the first actuator 28 causes the support
arm assembly 12 to rotate about the shaft 22, as indicated
by the double-headed arrow A in figure 2. Thus, the
grading blade 14 can be raised and lowered as desired.
Figure 2 shows the support arm assembly 12 and grading
blade 14 in a lowered position, which is generally
indicated by arrow L. In this position, the grading blade
can positioned outwardly of the vehicle 100, such that a
surface beside the vehicle 100 can be graded as the
vehicle moves either forward or backward. Figure 2 also
shows (in broken lines) the support arm assembly 12 and
grading blade 14 in an elevated position, which is
generally indicated by arrow E. In this position, the
grading blade 14 is within the tracks of the vehicle 100,
which is convenient for transport.
The elongate arm 18 has a telescoping section such
that the length of the elongate arm 18 can be adjusted,
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such that the grading blade 14 can be moved inwardly or
outwardly of the vehicle 100. Thus, the grading blade 14
can be extended or retracted in a direction that is co-
axial with the elongate arm 18. To facilitate this
movement, a second actuator 32 is provided within the
elongate arm 18 to control and adjust the length of the
elongate arm 18, as indicated by the double-headed arrow B
in figure 2.
It will be appreciated that the grading apparatus 10
of the first embodiment has two degrees of freedom, as
follows:
1. rotation of the support arm assembly 12 about
the shaft 22 (as indicated by arrow A), and
2. extension/retraction parallel to the elongate
arm 18 (as indicated by arrow B)
The elongate arm 18 is connected to the grading blade
14 such that the elongate arm 18 is close to the lower
edge of the grading blade 14. Accordingly, in use of the
grading apparatus 10, the forces applied to the face 15 of
the grading blade 14 are generally close to the elongate
arm 18. It will be appreciated that this arrangement
minimizes the torque applied to the elongate arm 18.
In this embodiment, the grading blade 14 is of
quadrilateral shape, which broadens towards the outer end.
The face 15 of the grading blade 14 can be either flat or
curved. In addition, embodiments may be provided in which
the grading blade 14 has two opposing faces such that the
grading apparatus can be operated in either a forward or
backward direction by a corresponding forward or backward
movement of the vehicle.
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The grading apparatus 10 can be conveniently attached
to a vehicle such as the bucket 110 of a wheeled loading
shovel 100, as shown in figures 7 to 9. The bucket is
mounted on two arms 112, which can be raised and lowered
to change the elevation of the bucket 110.
The shaft 22 extends generally rearwardly of the
bucket 110. When the mouth of the bucket 110 is facing
forward (as shown in figure 7), the shaft 22 is
approximately horizontal. However, as the bucket 110 can
be pivoted (in other words rolled or tipped), the
inclination of the shaft 22 can be varied.
Mounting the grading apparatus 10 to the back of the
bucket 110 can provide additional adjustability of the
position of the grading blade 14. In addition to the two
degrees of freedom of the grading blade 14 described
previously, the inclination of the face of the grading
blade 14 can be adjusted by pivoting (that is, rolling)
the bucket 110 on the arms 112. Furthermore, the vert.ical
height of the attachment assembly 16 can be adjusted by
raising or lowering the bucket 110.
It will be appreciated that mounting the grading
apparatus 10 to the front of the vehicle 100 has the
additional benefit of the grading blade 14 being
positioned generally in front of the vehicle operator.
The operator has the grading apparatus 10, the path in
front of the vehicle 100 and the path in front of the path
in front of the grading apparatus 10 within their field of
view.
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When using the grading apparatus 10 of the present
invention, an operator positions the grading blade 14 in
the desired location relative to the drain. The grading
blade 14 can be positioned to scrape a top layer of earth
and/or collect debris in the drain. The vehicle 100 is
moved forward such that unwanted material/debris, such
dirt, rubbish, leaves, etc., to be removed from the drain
is pushed in front of the grading blade 14. Once a
desired amount of unwanted material has accumulated in
front of the grading blade 14, the operator can simply
raise the grading blade 14, advance the grading blade 14
in front of the piled unwanted material (by moving the
vehicle 100 forward), lower the grading blade 14, and
continue grading. The piles of unwanted material can
subsequently be removed from the drain. Thus, in use of
the grading apparatus 10, the grading blade 14 can be
arranged such that unwanted material is not pushed toward
the road surface, as can occur with the use of a
conventional grader.
In use of the grading apparatus 10, the support arm
assembly 12 and grading blade 14 can be raised (for
example, by operating the first actuator 28) into a
generally vertical orientation to pass an object, such as
a post or similar object, that inhibits access to the
drain. In many cases, the drain can be graded up to point
at which the object is perpendicular to the drain. This
is because the grading apparatus 10 can be rotated and
raised adjacent the object as previously described. The
vehicle 100 is then free to advance past the object and
continue grading on the other side of the object.
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It will be appreciated that in use of the grading
apparatus 10 to grade a table drain, such as that shown in
figure 1, more material may be accumulated toward the
outer end of the grading blade 14 than at the inner end.
Providing a grading blade 14 of the shape shown in figures
1 to 9 assists in reducing the weight of the grading blade
14.
One of the advantages of the grading apparatus 10 is
that surfaces can be graded without requiring the vehicle
100 to have wheels in the drain or without requiring the
vehicle 100 to straddle the drain. Accordingly, steep
surfaces can be graded without subjecting the operator or
the equipment to unnecessary risk of injury or damage.
It will be appreciated that the grading apparatus 10
can be used to grade or clear any surface, and is not
limited to use in connection with drains.
The first and second actuators 28, 32 can be linear
actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders and pistons. It
will be appreciated that hydraulic cylinders can easily be
incorporated into a vehicle's existing hydraulic circuit.
The grading apparatus 10 of the present invention may
alternatively be mounted behind a vehicle. In one
example, the grading apparatus can be mounted to the
backhoe.
The grading apparatus may be mounted on a vehicle
such that the support arm assembly 12 and grading blade
14, when in a lowered position, extend outwardly and to
the left of the vehicle. This arrangement would be well
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suited to those countries in which vehicles drive on the
left-hand side of the road. Alternatively, the grading
apparatus may be mounted on a vehicle such that the
support arm assembly 12 and grading blade 14, when in a
lowered position, extends outwardly and to the right of
the vehicle. This arrangement would be well suited to
those countries in which vehicles drive on the right-hand
side of the road.
Figures 10 and 11 illustrate a grading apparatus 210
according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
The grading apparatus 210 has a support arm assembly 212
that is provided with a mount for mounting the grading
apparatus 210 to a vehicle. In this embodiment, the mount
is in the form of an attachment assembly 216.
The support arm assembly 212 includes an elongate arm
218 to which the grading blade 214 is attached, such that
the grading blade 214 is provided on the outer end of the
support arm assembly 212.
The grading apparatus 210 has an attachment assembly
216 for attaching the grading apparatus 210 to a vehicle.
In this embodiment, the attachment assembly 216 includes a
mounting plate 240 that is provided with four mounting
holes 238 for receiving threaded shafts that extend from a
portion of the vehicle, such as the bucket of a front
loader.
In this embodiment, the attachment assembly 216 has
mounts 224 that support the support arm assembl,y 212.
Shafts 222 connect mounts 226 on the inner end of the
support arm assembly 212 to the mounts 224 of the
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attachment assembly 216. The shafts 222 extend in a
direction that is generally perpendicular to the face 215
of the grading blade 214. The shafts 22 define a first
axis about which the support arm assembly can be rotated.
S Thus, the support arm assembly 212 can rotate on the
shafts 222 to enable the grading blade 214 to be raised
and lowered, as indicated by the double-headed arrow A in
figure 10.
To control and adjust the rotational position of the
support arm assembly 212 about the shafts 222, the grading
apparatus 210 is provided with a first actuator 228. One
end of the first actuator 228 is connected to a mounting
bracket 230 that is provided on the attachment assembly
216. The opposing end of the first actuator 228 is
connected to the elongate arm 218 by a second bracket 231.
Movement of the first actuator 228 causes the support
arm assembly 212 to rotate about the shafts 222, as
indicated by arrow A. Thus, the grading blade 214 can be
raised and lowered as desired. For clarity, only the
outer portion of the first actuator 228 has been shown in
figure 11.
The elongate arm 218 has a telescoping section 219
that enables the length of the elongate arm 218 to be
adjusted, such that, in use, the grading blade 214 can be
moved inwardly or outwardly of the vehicle. Thus, the
grading blade 214 can be extended or retracted in a
direction that is co-axial with the elongate arm 218. To
facilitate this movement, a second actuator 232 is
provided within the elongate arm 218 to control and adjust
the length of the elongate arm 218, as indicated by the
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double-headed arrow B in figure 2. Figure 10 shows the
position of grading blade 214 when retracted in solid
lines, and also shows the grading blade 214 in an extended
position in broken lines.
The telescoping section 219 is arranged within an
outer portion of the elongate arm 218. To facilitate
movement of the telescoping section 219, rollers 233 are
provided within the elongate arm 218. The rollers 233
enable the telescoping section 219 to move freely within
an outer portion of the elongate arm 218.
The attachment assembly 216 includes a support plate
242 and a bracing plate 244. Both the support plate 242
and the bracing plate 244 project outwardly from the
mounting plate 240. The mounts 224 are connected to the
support plate 242 by a pivot pin 234. The mounts 224 can
be rotated on the pivot pin 234, and thus rotated with
respect to the support plate 242. The pivot pin 234
defines a second axis about which the support arm assembly
can be rotated. As indicated by figures 10 and 11, the
first and second axes are substantially orthogonal.
The pivot pin 234 lies in a plane that is parallel
with the face 215 of the grading blade 214. Accordingly,
the support arm assembly 212 can be rotated about the
pivot pin 234 with respect to the attachment assembly 216,
as indicated by double-headed arrow C in figure 11.
To control and adjust the rotational position of the
support arm assembly 212 about the pivot pin 234, the
grading apparatus 210 is provided with a third actuator
236. One end of the third actuator 236 is connected to
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via a bracket to the mounting plate 240. The opposing end
of the third actuator 236 is connected to via a bracket to
the mounts 224.
Movement of the third actuator 236 causes the mounts
224, and thus also the support arm assembly 212, to rotate
about the pivot pin 234, as indicated by arrow C. Thus,
the fore-and-aft angle of the grading blade 214, with
respect to the attachment assembly 216 can be set as
desired. In this embodiment, the angle subtended by the
grading blade 214 is approximately 25 . Furthermore, in
this embodiment the grading blade 214 can be angled
forward (fore) by approximately 20 . In addition, the
grading blade 214 can be angled rearward (aft) by
approximately 5 . However, it will be appreciated that the
angle subtended by the grading blade 214, and the maximum
fore and aft angles, can be selected as desired.
The maximum fore and aft angles can be selected as
desired. It will be appreciated that these maximum angles
may be limited by interference with the vehicle
components, such as the bucket and/or tyres.
The ability to adjust the fore-and-aft angle of the
grading blade 14 provides the operator with the freedom to
drag unwanted material out from the drain toward the road
surface, or urge unwanted material away from the road
surface.
It will be appreciated that the grading apparatus 210
of the second embodiment has three degrees of freedom, as
follows:
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1. rotation of the support arm assembly 212
about the shafts 222 (as indicated by arrow
A),
2. extension/retraction parallel to the elongate
arm 218 (as indicated by arrow B), and
3. rotation of the support arm assembly 212
about the pivot pin 236 (as indicated by
arrow C)
The grading apparatus 210 can also be conveniently
attached to the bucket 110 of a vehicle, such as a wheeled
loading shovel 100. The ability to pivot/roll the bucket
110 provides the grading apparatus with increased degree
of freedom. In some situations it may be desirable to
adjust the inclination of the face 215 of the grading
blade 214 for grading/clearing.
Figures 12a to 12d illustrate the grading/clearing of
a table drain 52 that has a vertical batter 54. Access to
the bottom of the drain 52 can be difficult when the face
of grading blade 314 is vertical and perpendicular to the
batter 54. Rotating the support arm assembly 312 forward
about the second axis (as indicated by arrow X) and
simultaneously rolling the bucket forward (as indicated by
arrow Y) enables the cutting edges of grading blade 314 to
match the pitches of both the batter 54 and the drain 52.
Thus, the lower, outermost corner of the grading blade 314
can access the bottom of the drain 52.
The grading blade 214 of has a replaceable cutting
edge 240 that is attached to the main part of the grading
blade 214 by a series of fasteners 242. When wear of the
cutting edge 240 becomes excessive, the cutting edge 240
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can be readily replaced. Similarly, if a particular
application requires a different shape of cutting edge of
the grading blade 214, the cutting edge 240 can be
replaced as appropriate.
The first, second and third actuators 228, 232, 236
can be linear actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders and
pistons. Such hydraulic cylinders can easily be
incorporated into a vehicle's existing hydraulic circuit.
The shape of the grading blade may be selected to
suit the desired application. For example, if a spoon
shaped drain is to be graded, a grading blade (or the
replaceable cutting edge) having a curved bottom edge may
be more appropriate.
The grading apparatus of the present invention may be
provided with an attachment assembly that can be connected
to a vehicle by way of locking pins, such that the grading
apparatus can be readily attached to, or removed from, the
vehicle when desired.
The grading apparatus may be provided with a further
actuator to control and adjust the inclination of the
grading blade with respect to the mount. This would be
suitable in embodiments that were to be mounted to a fixed
part of a vehicle, rather than a pivotable bucket.
It will be understood to persons skilled in the art
of the invention that many modifications may be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention.
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In the claims which follow and in the preceding
description of the invention, except where the context
requires otherwise due to express language or necessary
implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as
"comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense,
i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but
not to preclude the presence or addition of further
features in various embodiments of the invention.
