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US 8,132,983 B2Granted
Riding concrete trowel with stabilizers
AssigneeWacker Neuson Production Americas LLC
InventorsTodd J. Lutz, Richard D. Goldberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a riding concrete finishing trowel, a stabilizer is operatively disposed between the frame and either the gearbox or a structure that is coupled to the gearbox so as reduce the effects of rotor assembly vibration on the trowel. In one embodiment, the stabilizer takes the form of a gas spring located between the frame and the pitch control post. The stabilizer may be located relatively close to the top of the pitch control post so as to take advantage of the mechanical advantage offered by the spacing between that location and the gearbox.
Claims21
A riding power trowel comprising:
- a frame;
- an operator's station supported on the frame;
- at least one rotor assembly including a rotatable shaft and a plurality of blades, the rotor assembly being tiltable to steer the power trowel;
- and
- a stabilizer operatively coupled to the rotor assembly and to the frame and operative to damp transmission of vibrations to the frame from the rotor assembly by resisting side-to-side movement of the rotor assembly relative to the frame, the stabilizer having first and second ends operatively coupled to the rotor assembly and the frame, respectively, and being compressible and extensible between the first and second ends thereof in response to relative side-to-side movement between the rotor assembly and the frame.
2 more elements
A riding power trowel comprising:
- a frame;
- an operator's station supported on the frame;
- at least one rotor assembly including a rotatable shaft and a plurality of blades, the rotor assembly being tiltable to steer the power trowel;
- and
- an at least generally horizontally extending elongated stabilizer of variable length, the stabilizer having a first end pivotally connected to a component of the the rotor assembly and having a second end that is pivotally connected to the frame and being compressible and extendible along its length such that a distance between the first and second ends varies, the stabilizer resisting movement of the rotor assembly relative to the frame by compressing and extending in response to relative movement between the frame and the rotor assembly thereby to damp transmission of vibrations to the frame from the rotor assembly.
2 more elements
A riding power trowel comprising:
- a frame;
- an operator's station supported on the frame;
- at least one rotor assembly including a rotatable shaft and a plurality of blades, the rotor assembly being tiltable to steer the power trowel;
- and
- a stabilizer operatively coupled to the rotor assembly and to the frame and operative to damp transmission of vibrations to the frame from the rotor assembly, wherein the stabilizer comprises a gas spring pivotally connected to the frame at one end thereof and to a component of the rotor assembly at another end thereof.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- dampening the transmissions of vibrations from a rotor assembly of riding concrete trowel to a frame thereof using a stabilizer located between and pivotally connected to the frame and the rotor assembly, the stabilizer being of variable length and extending or contracting during trowel operation to resist movement of the rotor assembly relative to the frame, wherein the stabilizer comprises a gas spring having a first end pivotally connected to the frame and a second end pivotally connected to a component of the rotor assembly.
A method comprising:
- dampening the transmissions of vibrations from a rotor assembly of riding concrete trowel to a frame thereof using a stabilizer located between and pivotally connected to the frame and the rotor assembly, the stabilizer being elongated, having first and second ends, and being of variable length between the first and second ends thereof and extending and contracting during trowel operation to resist movement of the rotor assembly relative to the frame.
A riding power trowel comprising:
- a frame;
- an operator's station supported on the frame;
- at least one rotor assembly including a rotatable shaft and a plurality of blades, the rotor assembly being tiltable to steer the power trowel;
- and
- a stabilizer operatively coupled to the rotor assembly and to the frame and operative to damp transmission of vibrations to the frame from the rotor assembly,
- wherein the rotor assembly includes a tiltable gearbox, and wherein the stabilizer is pivotally connected to the frame and one end thereof and to a one of the gearbox and a structure that tilts with the gearbox at another end thereof, and
- wherein the stabilizer is of variable length and compresses or extends to resist side-to-side movement of the structure relative to the frame.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.