Portable vibratory screed with vibration restraint
AssigneeWacker Corporation
InventorTodd Lutz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable vibratory screed machine is configured with a vibration restraint operable to reduce undesirable vibration of the engine and to extend the life of the engine. The portable vibratory screed machine includes a machine frame having a reference structure. The machine further includes an engine mounted on the reference structure via a mount that surrounds a drive shaft that is driven by the engine's output. A vibratory assembly remotely located from the engine is powered by the engine to vibrate a screed plate. The vibration restraint directly couples the engine housing to the reference structure at a location that is spaced apart from the mount.
Claims20
1-9. (canceled)
A portable vibratory screed machine, comprising:
- (A) a screed blade;
- (B) a machine frame mounted on the screed blade;
- (C) an engine including a rotational output and an engine housing;
- (D) a vibratory assembly which is located remote from the engine and which impacts vibrations to the screed blade;
- (E) a drive shaft that transmits torque from the engine output to the vibratory assembly
- (F) an engine mount that surrounds the drive shaft and that supports the engine on the machine frame;
- (G) a reference structure that is at least indirectly supported on the screed blade;
- and
- (H) a vibration restraint which is attached to the engine housing and which is attached to the reference structure at a location that is spaced from the engine mount thereby to restrain the engine from vibrating in a direction that is at least generally parallel to a central axis of the drive shaft.
A method of operating an engine of a vibratory plate machine, the vibratory plate machine having a screed blade, a machine frame mounted on the screed blade, a vibratory assembly, a drive shaft that couples the engine to the vibratory assembly, and an engine mount that surrounds the drive shaft and that supports the engine on the machine frame the method comprising:
- operating the engine to drive the vibratory assembly to generate vibrations that are imparted to the screed blade;
- and, during engine operation,
- restraining the engine relative to the vibratory assembly in a direction generally parallel to a central axis of the drive shaft using a restraint that couples the engine to a reference structure that is supported at least indirectly on the screed plate and that is spaced from the engine mount.
A portable vibratory screed machine, comprising:
- (A) a screed blade;
- (B) a machine frame mounted on the screed blade;
- (C) an engine including a rotational output and an engine housing;
- (D) a vibratory assembly located remote from the engine;
- (E) an at least generally vertically extending drive shaft that transmits torque from the engine output to the vibratory assembly;
- (F) an at least generally vertically extending engine mount that surrounds the drive shaft, that extends upwardly from the machine frame, and to which the engine is clamped;
- (G) a reference structure provided on the machine frame and that is spaced from a base of the engine mount;
- and
- (H) a vibration restraint that is attached to the engine housing and to the reference structure at a location that is spaced from the engine mount thereby to restrain the engine from vibrating in a direction that is at least generally parallel to a central axis of the drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.