US 5,178,509 AGranted

Equalized module mover with self adjusting track units

AssigneeModule Truck Service, Inc.

InventorsLarry D. Webb, Henry W. Hurt

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Apparatus and method for increasing the ability of a cotton module mover to reach remote locations in soil conditions which typically hinder travel; to load and unload modules on soft, uneven, and wet ground; and, to equalize the horizontal movement of the ground engaging portions of the tires, the track units, and to drive the live floor of the mover's bed at the same horizontal rate as the mover's actual movement with respect to the ground. The invention includes self-adjusting supports which distribute a portion of the weight of the mover equally to each of the track units and allows each track unit to independently extend to various positions below the mover. The equalization of the horizontal movement of the tires, the track units, and the live floor includes mechanically interconnecting the tires and track units and controlling the live floor with a system which detects the mover's actual movement relative to the ground and then drives the live floor at that speed.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A process for equalizing the horizontal movement of a tire-to-ground engaging portion of tires and a track-to-ground engaging portion of track units on a cotton module mover during loading:

said module mover having:
a. a bed frame pivoted to
b. a chassis frame,
c. tires on the chassis frame which support a portion of the weight of the mover,
d. a cargo bed on the bed frame,
e. said cargo bed having a bed front end and a bed back end,
f. said cargo bed tilts from a horizontal transporting position into a tilted loading position,
g. tilting means for tilting the bed frame into a loading and unloading position from a horizontal transporting position,
h. a live floor in the cargo bed which moves along the length of said cargo bed,
i. track units on the bed frame which support a portion of the weight of the mover,
j. said track units having a track front end and a track back end,
k. each track unit having a metal track comprised of interconnected metal plates that form a belt type structure rotatable about a portion of the track unit,
l. said track units having:
1. a track-to-ground engaging portion, and
2. a return portion, and
m. said tires rotate about a point at which they are connected to the chassis bed and have a tire-to-ground engaging portion,
wherein the improved method for equalizing the horizontal movement of the tire-to-ground engaging portion of the tires and the track-to-ground engaging portions of the track units comprises:
n. constructing a positive drive mechanical transmission which produces the same horizontal movement in the tire-to-ground engaging portion of the tires and the track-to-ground engaging portion of the track units, and
o. interconnecting the tires and track units, by mechanically connecting the positive drive transmission between the wheels and track units.

16 more elements

In a cotton module mover having:

a. a bed frame pivoted to
b. a chassis frame,
c. tires on the chassis frame which support a portion of the weight of the mover,
d. a cargo bed on the bed frame,
e. said cargo bed having a bed front end and a bed back end,
f. said cargo bed tilts from a horizontal transporting position into a tilted loading position,
g. tilting means for tilting the bed frame into a loading and unloading position from a horizontal transporting position,
h. a live floor in the cargo bed which moves along the length of said cargo bed,
i. track units on the bed frame which support a portion of the weight of the mover,
j. said track units having a track front end and a track back end,
k. each track unit having a metal track comprised of interconnected metal plates that form a belt type structure rotatable about a portion of the track unit,
l. said track units having:
1. a track-to-ground engaging portion, and
2. a return portion, and
m. said tires rotate about a point at which they are connected to the chassis bed and have a tire-to-ground engaging portion,
wherein the improvement comprises the following structure:
n. support units, one each between each track unit and the bed frame, which exert an equal force between the bed frame and each track unit using fluid pressure,
o. each support unit connected to a common fluid pressure source by
p. a fluid connection with
q. valves placed within the fluid connection so that there is one valve each between the common pressure source and each support unit,
r. said valves being used to select between retraction and extension of the support units, and
s. said fluid connection provides free fluid communication between each of the support units and the common pressure source once the valves have been positioned to select between retraction and extension of each support unit,
t. each support unit comprising:
i. at least one cylinder,
ii. a reciprocating rod within each cylinder,
iii. at least two inlets into each cylinder,
iv. one inlet is in free fluid communication with the common pressure source when fluid pressure is directed to said inlet by one of the valves, and
v. another of the inlets is in free fluid communication with the common pressure source when fluid pressure is directed to said inlet by the same valve,
u. each track unit comprising:
i. two connecting arms, one each journalled between each outer lateral side of each track unit and the bed frame,
ii. said connecting arms are journalled to the track units at points near the track back end,
iii. two connecting pieces, one each journalled between each outer lateral side of each track unit and the bed frame,
iv. said connecting pieces are journalled to the track units at a point between the track front end and the point at which the connecting arm is journalled to the track unit,
v. two rods, one each journalled to the connecting pieces beyond the point at which the connecting pieces are journalled to the track unit, and
vi. two cylinders each journalled to the bed frame.

32 more elements

A process for more evenly distributing the weight of a cotton module mover during loading:

said module mover having:
a. a bed frame pivoted to
b. a chassis frame,
c. tires on the chassis frame which support a portion of the weight of the mover,
d. a cargo bed on the bed frame,
e. said cargo bed having a bed front end and a bed back end,
f. said cargo bed tilts from a horizontal transporting position into a tilted loading position,
g. tilting means for tilting the bed frame into a loading and unloading position from a horizontal transporting position,
h. a live floor in the cargo bed which moves along the length of said cargo bed,
i. track units on the bed frame which support a portion of the weight of the mover,
j. said track units having a track front end and a track back end,
k. each track unit having a metal track comprised of interconnected metal plates that form a belt type structure rotatable about a portion of the track unit,
l. said track units having:
1. a track-to-ground engaging portion, and
2. a return portion, and
m. said tires rotate about a point at which they are connected to the chassis bed and have a tire-to-ground engaging portion,
wherein the improved method for distributing the weight of the mover to the track units comprises:
n. supporting the bed frame above the track units by support units which
o. apportion part of the weight of the bed equally to each track unit by
p. placing fluid pressure support units, one each of said support units between each track unit and the bed frame,
q. supplying equal fluid pressure to each support unit by
r. connecting each support unit to a common fluid pressure source by a fluid connection that allows free fluid communication between the fluid pressure source and each support unit, and
s. positioning fluid inlets on each of the support units so that when pressure is applied to one of the inlets on each of the support units, said support units elongate and the track units are forced away from the cargo bed and when pressure is applied to another of the inlets on each of the support units said support units retract thereby drawing the track units close to the bed and off the ground.

20 more elements

In a cotton module mover having:

a. a bed frame pivoted to
b. a chassis frame,
c. tires on the chassis frame which support a portion of the weight of the mover,
d. a cargo bed on the bed frame,
e. said cargo bed having a bed front end and a bed back end,
f. said cargo bed tilts from a horizontal transporting position into a tilted loading position,
g. tilting means for tilting the bed frame into a loading and unloading position from a horizontal transporting position,
h. a live floor in the cargo bed which moves along the length of said cargo bed,
i. track units on the bed frame which support a portion of the weight of the mover,
j. said track units having a track front end and a track back end,
k. each track unit having a metal track comprised of interconnected metal plates that form a belt type structure rotatable about a portion of the track unit,
l. said track units having:
1. a track-to-ground engaging portion, and
2. a return portion, and
m. said tires rotate about a point at which they are connected to the chassis bed and have a tire-to-ground engaging portion,
wherein the improvement comprises the following structure:
n. support units, one each between each track unit and the bed frame, which exert an equal force between the bed frame and each track unit using fluid pressure,
o. each support unit connected to a common fluid pressure source by
p. a fluid connection with
q. valves placed within the fluid connection so that there is one valve each between the common pressure source and each support unit,
r. said valves being used to select between retraction and extension of the support units,
s. said fluid connection provides free fluid communication between each of the support units and the common pressure source once the valves have been positioned to select between retraction and extension of each support unit,
t. at least one cylinder,
u. a reciprocating rod within each cylinder,
v. at least two inlets into each cylinder,
w. one inlet is in free fluid communication with the common pressure source when fluid pressure is directed to said inlet by one of the valves,
x. another of the inlets is in free fluid communication with the common pressure source when fluid pressure is directed to said inlet by the same valve, and
y. said support units being capable of track-to-ground engagement when extended and track-to-ground disengagement when retracted up close to the bed frame.

25 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.