Undercut trenching machine
AssigneePella Engineering & Reseach Corporation
InventorAvert W. Vannette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An undercut trenching machine for digging a ground trench and removing the spoil therefrom wherein the trench is advanced first at the bottom. A cutter chain is carried on a cutter bar that is mounted at its upper end for pivotal movement on a drive unit. A tractor unit is operatively connected to the drive unit by an extensible and retractable boom. In operation, the cutter bar is inclined downwardly and forwardly of the drive unit so that earth is cut or loosened along the upwardly and forwardly facing edge of the cutter. Spoil is conveyed atop the cutter chain to the drive unit which diverts it to either side of the trench.
Claims6
An undercut trenching machine, including a prime mover having a main frame with ground-engaging rotatable traction means having axes extended transversely of the main frame, comprising:
- (a) a cutter bar having an upper end portion and a lower end portion;
- (b) means movably supporting the upper end portion of the cutter bar on the main frame for pivotal movement longitudinally of the main frame to an operating position inclined in a downward and forward direction;
- (c) an endless cutter chain rotatably supported on said cutter bar;
- (d) rotary means adjacent the upper end portion of said cutter bar for supporting said cutter chain having the axis of rotation thereof at substantially the horizontal level of the axes of said traction means when the cutter bar is in the operating position therefor, whereby a major portion of the cutter chain is below the ground surface, and
- (e) power means on said main frame for driving said rotary means to move the forward side of the cutter chain in an upward and rearward direction when the cutter bar is in said operating position.
A trenching machine, including a ground-supported tractor unit, comprising:
- (a) a cutter bar mounted for pivotal and vertical movement at the rearward end portion of the tractor unit;
- (b) an endless cutter chain carried on said cutter bar, wherein said cutter chain is comprised of a plurality of interconnected links on which are mounted box assemblies;
- (c) each of said box assemblies includes a base plate portion and cutter teeth projected outwardly of said cutter chain;
- (d) the leading edge of each said base plate portion is beveled to project in the direction of travel of said cutter chain;
- (e) the following edge of each said base plate portion is beveled so as to mate with said beveled leading edge;
- (f) means for raising and lowering said cutter bar relative to the ground;
- (g) means for pivoting said cutter bar relative to the tractor unit between a secondary operative position inclined downwardly and rearwardly of the tractor unit and a primary operative position inclined downwardly and forwardly of the rearward end portion of the tractor unit;
- and
- (h) means for driving said endless cutter chain.
An undercut trenching machine, including a ground supported prime mover, comprising:
- (a) a cutter bar mounted for pivotal and vertical movement on the prime mover;
- (b) an endless cutter chain carried on said cutter bar;
- (c) a remote drive unit mounted on the prime mover wherein said cutter bar is mounted at one end thereof for pivotal movement on said remote unit;
- (d) wherein said remote drive unit and said cutter bar are movable to a storage and transport position wherein the second, opposite end of said cutter bar is supported on the prime mover;
- and
- (e) means for driving said cutter chain such that when said cutter chin is inclined downwardly and in the direction of travel of the prime mover, the travel of said cutter chain while trenching is in a direction upwardly and opposite to the direction of travel of the prime mover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.