# US 2021/0340719 A1 · Compaction Wheel Assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0340719 A1 - Document ID: US20210340719A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/307,954 - Filed: 2021-05-04 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-04 - Assignees: Rockland, Inc. - Applicants: Rockland, Inc. - Inventors: Nathaniel Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340719A1 ## CPC - E02F 3/188: {with the axis being horizontal and transverse to the direction of travel} - E02F 3/967: {of compacting-type tools (compacting tools in combination with special-purpose dredges or soil-shifting machines E02F5/30)} - E02F 5/223: {for back-filling (in association with trench excavators E02F5/12)} - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) ## Abstract A compaction wheel assembly includes a shaft, a plurality of compaction wheels along the shaft, and at least one bushing assembly. The bushing assembly includes first and second split bushings axially spaced-apart to form a space the upper and lower bushing housings removably secured together with the first and second split bushings therebetween to clamp the first and second split bushings about the shaft and at least one first shim located between the bushing housings at a front side of the shaft and at least one second shim located between the bushing housings at a rear side of the shaft to space the upper and lower bushing housings and upper and lower halves of the first and second split bushings. At least one of the first and second shims includes a slot configured for feeding grease to the space between the first and second split bushings. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A compaction wheel assembly comprising, in combination: a support structure; a laterally-extending shaft rotatable relative to the support structure; a plurality of compaction wheels spaced apart along the shaft and fixed to the shaft for rotation with the shaft; and at least one bushing assembly comprising: first and second split bushings encircling the shaft and axially spaced-apart along the shaft to form a space therebetween, wherein each of the first and second split bushings has an upper half and a lower half; upper and lower bushing housings removably secured together with the first and second split bushings therebetween to clamp the first and second split bushings about the shaft; and at least one first shim located between the upper and lower bushing housings at a front side of the shaft and at least one second shim located between the upper and lower bushing housings at a rear side of the shaft to space the upper and lower hushing housings and the upper and lower halves of the first and second split bushings to provide a desired clearance between the shaft and the first and second split bushings; wherein at least one of the first and second shims includes a slot configured for feeding grease to the space between the first and second split bushings; and wherein the upper and lower bustling housings are secured to the support structure, ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper half and the lower half of each of the first and second split bushings each has a flange to provide thrust support ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 2, wherein an outer side of the flange has a cavity configured hold grease between the flange and an adjacent one of the plurality of compaction wheels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first shim and the at least, one second shim extends partially between the upper half and the lower half of each of the first and second split bushings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, wherein there is a grease hole in at least one of the upper and lower busing housings which is in communication with the slot to feed grease to the slot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 5, wherein there grease line secured to an outer end of the grease hole to feed grease to the grease hole. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the slot is Y-shaped. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of compaction wheels are welded to the shaft. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper bushing housing is welded to the support structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 9, wherein the upper and lower bushing housings are secured together by bolts ### Claim 11 A compaction wheel assembly comprising, in combination: a support structure; a laterally-extending shaft rotatable relative to the support structure; first second and third compaction wheels spaced apart along the shaft and fixed to the shaft for rotation with the shaft; and a first bushing assembly between the first and second compaction wheels and a second bushing assembly between the second and third compaction wheels, wherein each of the first and second bushing assemblies comprise: first and second split bushings encircling the shaft and axially spaced-apart along the shaft to form a space therebetween, wherein each of the first and second split bushings has an upper half and a lower half; upper and lower bushing housings removably secured together with the first and second split bushings therebetween to clamp the first and second split bushings about the shaft; and three first shims located between the upper and lower bushing housings at a front side of the shaft and three second shims located between the upper and lower bushing housings at a rear side of the shaft to space the upper and lower bushing housings and the upper and lower halves of the first and second split bushings to provide a desired clearance between the shaft and the first and second split bushings; wherein the first shims includes a slot configured for feeding grease to the space between the first and second split bushings; and wherein the upper and lower bushing housings are secured to the support structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 11, wherein the upper half and the lower half of each of the first and second split bushings each has a flange to provide thrust support ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 12, wherein an outer side of the flange has a cavity configured hold grease between the flange and an adjacent one of the plurality of compaction wheels. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first shims and the second shims extend partially between the upper half and the lower half of each of the first and second split bushings. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 11, wherein there is a grease hole in at least one of the upper and lower busing housings which is in communication with the slots in the first shims to feed grease to the slots. ### Claim 16 An earth moving machine comprising, in combination: an implement mounting structure; and a compaction wheel assembly comprising: a support structure secured to the implement mounting structure; a laterally-extending shaft rotatable relative to the support structure; a plurality of compaction wheels spaced apart along the shaft and fixed to the shaft for rotation with the shaft; and at least one bushing assembly comprising: first and second split bushings encircling the shaft and axially spaced-apart along the shaft to form a space therebetween, wherein each of the first and second split bushings has an upper half and a lower half; upper and lower bushing housings removably secured together with the first and second split bushings therebetween to clamp the first and second bushings about the shaft; and at least one first shim located between the upper and lower bushing housings at a front side of the shaft and at least one second shim located between the upper and lower bushing housings at a rear side of the shaft to space the upper and lower bushing housings and the upper and lower halves of the first and second split bushings to provide a desired clearance between the shaft and the first and second bushings; wherein at least one of the first and second shims includes a slot configured for feeding grease to the space between the first and second split bushings; and wherein the upper and lower bushing housings are secured to the support structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 16, wherein the upper haft and the lower half of each of the first and second split bushings each has a flange to provide thrust support ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 17, wherein an outer side of the flange has a cavity configured hold grease between the flange and an adjacent one of the plurality of compaction wheels, ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 16, wherein the at least one first shim and the at least one second shim extends partially between the upper half and the lower half of each of the first and second split bushings. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The compaction wheel assembly according to claim 16, wherein there is a grease hole in at least one of the upper and lower busing housings which is in communication with the slot to feed grease to the slot.