Reversible plate compactor having an improved drive and directional control

A reversible self-propelled plate compactor comprising:

• a) a tamper plate having a tamper side for contacting material to be compacted;
• b) a motor carried on a mounting plate, said mounting plate being selectively shaped, said mounting plate being resiliently attached to said tamper plate for isolating said mounting plate and said motor from said tamper plate, said motor having a drive means attached to an output shaft;
• c) a vibratory assembly including a weight being eccentrically carried on a vibrator shaft for imparting vibratory motion when rotating by way of a driven means mounted thereon, said driven means being selectively driven by said drive means by way of a drive belt, said drive belt having a selected pitch length, said vibratory shaft having selected portions being journalled in a vibratory housing, said vibratory housing being attached to one end of an arm, the opposite end of the arm including a pivot means, said pivot means being arrayed for pivotally attaching the arm to an interior side of the tamper plate, said interior side being opposite to said tamper side, an axis of the pivot means being transverse to a direction of self-propelled travel;
• d) a direction control arm including a grasping end, an engaging end;
• and a center of rotation, the engaging end being distal to the grasping end and having an engaging means attached thereto;
• said center of rotation being selectively positioned with respect to the grasping end and the engaging end;
• said center of rotation being arrayed for pivotally attaching said direction control arm to a selected portion of the plate compactor so that the engaging means is positioned between the drive means and the driven means, said engaging means being also positioned for selectively engaging one of the strands of the drive belt;
• and
• wherein the directional control arm is selectively pivoted about the center of rotation for engaging and urging the selected strand of the drive belt by and with the engaging means while simultaneously maintaining engagement of the drive belt with the drive means and the driven means, said urging of the selected strand of the drive belt causing a pivoting of the vibratory housing and the driven means about the axis of the pivot means so that the vibratory housing is positioned near one selected end of a first end and second end of said tamper plate for moving the compactor in a desired direction of travel.