Compactor cleat for land vehicles
OwnerErnie Freemaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleat for compacting refuse at a landfill by use on the wheels of a compactor or on the shoes of a crawler-type tractor. The cleat has a prismatic modified Z or S configuration that affords superior compaction performance by increasing traction and thereby reducing churning of already compacted material. The flanges of the cleat create traction pockets on opposite sides so that the cleat is effective in either direction of the compactor or tractor.
Claims11
A compactor cleat on a ground engaging surface part of a wheel or track of a land vehicle that moves in a recirculating path relative to the vehicle as the vehicle is propelled over the ground, to compact material on the ground, the cleat projecting in a direction generally perpendicular to the ground engaging surface part and having a stretched prismatic Z or S configuration when viewed in a plane generally parallel to the ground engaging surface part and normal to said perpendicular direction, the configuration having spaced, in the direction of movement, generally parallel and planar opposed flanges and a web interconnecting said flanges, the cleat being arranged such that as the ground engaging surface part moves along said path, the flanges are oriented with their planes substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement.
A compactor cleat of a single piece of cast steel for welding onto the periphery of a cylindrical wheel, the cleat having a mounting face with surface areas complimentary to an imaginary cylinder corresponding to the periphery of the wheel such that a majority of the perimeter of the face is sufficiently close to the wheel perimeter to facilitate welding with one or a few passes with a welding rod or wire, a main body extending generally radially with respect to the axis of the imaginary cylinder and being symmetrical about an imaginary plane parallel to and passing through the axis of the imaginary cylinder, the body having a pocket area on each side of said imaginary plane, each pocket area being formed by first surface areas that are generally parallel to the imaginary plane and that have generally radial planes aligned relative to said imaginary axis and second surface areas that lie at angles to said first surface areas, said first and second surface areas presenting the shape of a stretched, upright Z or S when viewed in a vertical plane with the cylindrical wheel periphery lying on the ground.
A compactor wheel concentric with an axis and having a cylindrical outer surface, a plurality of cleats welded on the periphery of the wheel at spaced locations, the cleats extending generally radially from the outer surface and having a radially outer configuration when viewed along a radial line that has the form of an unfolded Z or S, opposed flange portions of the profile being generally parallel to an imaginary plane passing through the axis of the wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.