Soil compacting roller for confined areas

A soil compacting roller having a substantially rigid frame and a compacting drum connected with said frame for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said roller further having a pair of propulsion wheels and drive mechanism by which said wheels are rotatably driven, said roller being characterized by:

• A. an axle housing;
• B. axle means confined to rotation relative to said axle housing and to which said wheels are drivingly connected to be maintained in coaxial spaced apart relationship at opposite sides of the axle housing;
• C. pivot means connecting said axle housing with the frame and providing for swinging of the axle housing about a pair of axes which are mutually perpendicular to one another and to the axis of the wheels,
• (1) one of said pair of axes being a substantially vertical axis about which the axle housing is swingable for steering of the roller,
• (2) the other of said pair of axes being substantially horizontal and providing for up and down tilting of the axle means whereby both wheels are enabled to remain in contact with a surface notwithstanding irregularities therein;
• and
• D. said drive mechanism comprising a motor mounted on the axle housing so as to partake of swinging movements of the axle housing about said pair of axes.

A soil compacting roller comprising a frame, a cylindrical drum which is rotatable about a horizontal axis near one end of the frame and by which compacting force is imposed upon a surface traversed by the roller, and a pair of coaxial wheels which cooperate with said roller to support the frame and which provide for propulsion and steering of the roller, said soil compacting roller being characterized by:

• A. a steering bracket connected with said frame to pivot relative thereto about a substantially vertical axis near the other end of the frame;
• B. an axle housing;
• C. axle means rotatable in said axle housing and having portions to which said wheels are respectively secured that project from said axle housing in opposite substantially horizontal directions and are confined to coaxial relationship;
• D. swivel joint means providing a connection between said axle housing and said steering bracket whereby said axle housing is swingable relative to said steering bracket about a substantially horizontal axis which is transverse to the axis of said portions of the axle means and between said wheels, so that said portions can swing up and down as the wheels accommodate themselves to terrain irregularities;
• and
• E. a drive motor supported by said axle housing to partake of all motion thereof and drivingly connected with said axle means to rotatably drive the wheels for propulsion of the roller.