Apparatus and method for compacting material

In a compacting apparatus for a work vehicle (16) having a boom (14), a stick (15) and a bucket (12), an impact apparatus (17) carried by said bucket (12), a shank (34) pivotally mounted on said apparatus, an impacting adapter (40) on said shank (34) extending away from said apparatus (17), an impact-receiving portion (42) on said shank (34), and means (44) on said apparatus (17) for intermittently engaging said impact-receiving portion (42), the improvement comprising:

• a roller compactor (19) having a yoke (52) supporting a roller portion (50) which has means (56) engaging the earth;
• a socket (66) on said yoke (52);
• said impacting adapter (40) of the impact apparatus (17) engaging said socket (66) on said roller compactor (19);
• and
• said intermittently engaging means (44) driving said impact-receiving portion (42) and said shank (34) for providing intermittent impacting forces to the compactor (19) and to the roller portion (50).

In a work vehicle (16) having a work structure having an end portion (12) controllably positionable relative to material to be worked, the improvement comprising:

• an impact apparatus (17) having a shank (34) and being supported by said work vehicle and being of a construction sufficient for providing impacting forces on said shank;
• a compactor (19);
• means for removably connecting said compactor (19) to said end portion of the work structure and delivering said impacting forces from the shank (34) to said compactor (19);
• and
• said end portion (12) of the work structure (12,14,15) being of a construction sufficient for controllably, simultaneously applying a compressive force through said compactor (19) on the material to be worked and moving said compactor (19) along said material to be worked when said impacting forces are delivered to said compactor (19).