Resonance aided earth-working equipment

Earth-working equipment comprising:

• a vehicle;
• an earth-working implement having a concave, front earth-working surface, a correlative rear convex surface, and a transversely extending bottom edge;
• means for coupling the implement to the vehicle;
• a force transmitting beam having two divergent approximately straight legs that meet at a juncture to form approximately a right angle, the beam having a resonant frequency and a node at the juncture, a first anti-node at the end of one leg, and a second anti-node at the end of the other leg at the resonant frequency, the beam further having an inward extension projecting from the juncture in a direction which generally bisects the acute angle;
• a source of vibrations at or near the resonant frequency coupled to the beam near the first anti-node;
• and
• means for mounting the inward extension directly to the rear surface of the implement so the implement extends into the space between the legs with the first anti-node disposed near the top of the implement and the second anti-node disposed near the bottom of the implement;
• and
• a cutter blade extending across the bottom edge of the implement, the cutter blade being coupled to the second anti-node so that the beam applies forwardly directed forces to the cutter blade to drive the blade into the earth.

Earth-working equipment comprising:

• a vehicle;
• a transversely elongate earth-working implement having a concave, front earth-working surface, a correlative rear convex surface, and a transversely extending bottom edge;
• means for coupling the implement to the vehicle;
• a transversely elongate cutter blade extending across the bottom edge of the implement;
• means for mounting the cutter blade in downward closely spaced relationship from the bottom edge of the implement for reciprocal motion in fore and aft directions relative to the bottom edge of the implement;
• first and second force transmitting beams each having two divergent approximately straight legs that meet at a juncture to form approximately a right angle, a resonant frequency and a node at the juncture, a first anti-node at the end of the one leg, a second anti-node at the end of the other leg at the resonant frequency, and an inward extension projecting from the juncture in a direction which generally bisects the acute angle;
• a source of vibrations at or near the resonant frequency coupled to each of the first and second beams near the first anti-node;
• means for mounting the first and second beams adjacent to the rear surface of opposite sides of the implement by attaching their respective inward extensions thereto so that the implement extends into the space between the legs of each beam with the first anti-node disposed near the top of the implement and the second anti-node disposed near the bottom of the implement within striking distance of the cutter blade to drive the cutting blade through the earth.

A bulldozer or the like comprising;

• a tractor;
• a transversely elongate mold board having a bottom edge;
• means for coupling the mold board to the tractor for dozing purposes;
• a transversely elongate cutter blade closely spaced from the bottom edge of the mold board;
• means for mounting the cutter blade for reciprocal motion in forward and aft directions relative to the mold board;
• means for applying unidirectional force impulses to the blade in a forward direction to drive the blade intermittently forward without aft motion;
• and
• guiding means for preventing sideward motion of the cutter blade, the guide means including a guide support secured to the back of the mold board from side-to-side, a plurality of elongated slots formed in the cutter blade in alignment with the direction of motion thereof, and a plurality of posts attached to the support, the posts each having protrusions elongated transverse to the direction of cutter blade motion riding in the respective slots.