Patent Application
20170082437
The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic hammer, and more particularly relates to a plumb bob assembly to maintain the hydraulic hammer in a vertical position.
Hydraulic hammers are widely used on work sites to break up or demolish large hard objects, such as, rocks, concrete, asphalt, frozen ground, etc., before such objects can be moved away. Hydraulic hammers can be mounted to work machines like back hoes or excavators, or they can be hand-held. During operation, high pressure fluid drives a piston of the hydraulic hammer to strike a work tool, such as a tool bit, this strikes the hard object to break. Generally, the work tool is configured to break rocks and penetrate ground surfaces. Consequently, because of repeated impact of the work tool on hard objects, the hydraulic hammer experiences extreme loads during operation. Such extreme loads often cause change in position of the hydraulic hammer during machine operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,946 discloses the making of large bore holes on the order, for example, of 48 inches to 72 inches in diameter for use in atomic bomb tests, vertical mine shafts, access bores and ventilation or escape shafts for mines, it is necessary to employ in the drilling procedure an enormous amount of drilling weight for use with the large drilling bit. The drill collar may weigh between 200,000 to 300,000 pounds and its diameter may be nominally 60 inches when employing a bit 72 inches in diameter. A drilling rig conventionally can accommodate only three drill collars connected end to end for a distance of 90 feet but the conventional collars thus connected would not provide the necessary weight for drilling large bore holes.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a plumb bob assembly is provided. The plumb bob assembly includes a vertical bar including an upper end and a lower end. The plumb bob assembly further includes a plumb bob coupled to the lower end of the vertical bar. The plumb bob assembly further includes a cross plate coupled to the vertical bar. The cross plate is located near the upper end and extends perpendicularly across the vertical bar. The cross plate includes a front end and a back end. The plumb bob assembly further includes a first horizontal reference plate including a reference end configured to align with the front end or the back end of the cross plate.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a hydraulic hammer system is provided. The hydraulic hammer system includes a housing including a distal face, a proximal face and a pair of side faces. The housing defining a chamber therein. The hydraulic hammer system further includes a work tool positioned in the chamber. The hydraulic hammer system further includes a plumb bob assembly located on the housing. The plumb bob assembly is configured to maintain the hydraulic hammer in a vertical position. The plumb bob assembly includes a vertical bar including an upper end and a lower end. The plumb bob assembly further includes a plumb bob coupled to the lower end of the vertical bar. The plumb bob assembly further includes a cross plate coupled to the vertical bar. The cross plate is located near the upper end and extends perpendicularly across the vertical bar. The cross plate includes a front end and a back end. The plumb bob assembly further includes a first horizontal reference plate including a reference end configured to align with the front end or the back end of the cross plate.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
The machine 100 may also include a drive system 112, such as tracks for propelling the machine 100, a power source 114 to power the implement system 102 and the drive system 112, and an operator cab 116 for hosting user interface devices for controlling the implement system 102 and the drive system 112. The power source 114 may embody an engine, such as a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, a gaseous fuel-powered engine or any other type of combustion engine known in the art. The power source 114 may alternatively embody a non-combustion source of power such as a fuel cell, a power storage device, or another source known in the art. The power source 114 may produce a mechanical or electrical power output that may then be converted to hydraulic power for moving the implement system 102.
The boom 104 may be raised and lowered by a pair of first hydraulic actuators 118, 120. The stick 106 may be moved toward and outward with respect to the operator cab 116 by a second hydraulic actuator 122. A third hydraulic actuator 124 may be used to operate the hydraulic hammer system 108 relative to the stick 106. Moreover, the chassis 110, and the implement system 102 it carries, may be rotated about a vertical-axis by a fourth hydraulic actuator 126, such as a hydraulic motor (not shown), with respect to the drive system 112 along a ground surface 128. In the illustrated embodiment of
The plumb bob assembly 140 may further include a plumb bob 148 coupled to the lower end 146 of the vertical bar 142. The plumb bob assembly 140 may further include a cross plate 150 fixedly coupled to the vertical bar 142. In some embodiments, the cross plate 150 is welded to the vertical bar 142. The cross plate 150 may be located near the upper end 144 and may extend perpendicularly across the vertical bar 142. The cross plate 150 may further include a front end 152 and a back end 154. The front end 152 and the back end 154 of the cross plate 150 are located near the proximal face 132 and the distal face 134 respectively. The plumb bob assembly 140 may further include a first horizontal reference plate 156. The first horizontal reference plate 156 includes a first reference end 158 configured to align with the front end 152. The plumb bob assembly 140 may further include a second horizontal reference plate 160. The second horizontal reference plate 160 includes a second reference end 162 configured to align with the back end 154 of the cross plate 150. In an embodiment, there may be a gap of about 4 mm (shown in
The plumb bob assembly 140 may further include a side reference plate 164 that may be configured to align with the plumb bob 148. The side reference plate 164 may further include a pointer 166 to indicate a vertical angle X°. The plumb bob 148 may be in the shape of an arrowhead such that the arrow points downwards. Further, the front end 152, the back end 154, the first and second reference ends 158,162 and the plumb bob 148 may be colored to enhance visibility to an operator. The plumb bob assembly 140 may further include a restrictor plate 168 that may be configured to restrict a swinging motion of the vertical bar 142. In an embodiment, the restrictor plate 168 may be located on the side face 136 of the housing 130 that includes the plumb bob assembly 140. The restrictor plate 168 is placed between the plumb bob 148 and the cross plate 150 such that it encloses the vertical bar 142.
The plumb bob assembly 148 includes a coupling assembly 305. The coupling assembly 305 is configured to couple the vertical bar 142 via the first and second rectangular plates 302, 304. The coupling assembly 305 includes a boss member 306, a gusset member 310 and a fastening member 308. In an embodiment, the boss member 306 may be disposed on the hydraulic hammer system 108 that may have a hole member (not shown). In another embodiment, the boss member 306 may be an integral part of the hydraulic hammer system 108 that may have a hole member (not shown). In an embodiment the first and second rectangular plates 302, 304 are arranged such that identical holes align with the hole member of the boss member 306. The hole member of the boss member 306 may have internal threads to receive the fastening member 308. The fastening member 308 slidably engages within the identical holes of the rectangular plates 302, 304 and the hole member of the boss member 306. In an embodiment, the fastening member 308 is configured to fasten the upper end 144 of the vertical bar 142 with the boss member 306. The vertical bar 142 is pivotally coupled by the coupling assembly 305 such that the rectangular plates 302, 304 may rotate about a horizontal axis Y-Y′ through the boss member 306.
In the present embodiment, the gusset member 310 is connected to the boss member 306 and configured to maintain the boss member 306 perpendicular to the machine 100. The gusset member 310 may be welded to the hydraulic hammer system 108. The gusset member 310 may include thick sheets of steel that may be used to connect beams and girders to columns. Further, the gusset member 310 allows for the boss member 306 to be placed on a top surface (not shown) of the gusset member 310. In another embodiment, the gusset member 310 may be welded to the boss member 306.
Referring to
In a certain condition another operator may be outside the operator cab 116, such that the second operator views the hydraulic hammer system 108 from one of the side faces 136. As shown in
The present disclosure relates to the plumb bob assembly 140 of the hydraulic hammer system 108 of the machine 100. The front end 152, the back end 154, the first and second reference ends 158,162 and the plum bob 148 are colored to enhance visibility to the operator for controlling the operation of the machine 100. In some embodiments, the front end 152, the back end 154, the first and second reference ends 158,162 and the plum bob 148 are painted with a colored paint or dye that enhances visibility at night time or under poor light conditions. The plumb bob assembly 140 ensures that the hydraulic hammer system 108 is kept in a vertical position. Also, with the use of the plumb bob assembly 140, the hydraulic hammer system 108 can be consistently maintained in a vertical position to prevent any premature failure.
The present embodiment is a plumb bob assembly 140 for keeping the hydraulic hammer system 108 in a vertical position. The hydraulic hammer system 108 mounts the vertical bar 142 on a side face 136 of the housing 130. The plumb bob 148 is coupled to the lower end 146 of the vertical bar 142. Further, the cross plate 150 is coupled near the upper end 144 of the vertical bar 142 that extends perpendicularly across the vertical bar 142. The cross plate 150 includes the front end 152 that may be located near the proximal face 132 of the housing 130 and the back end 154 that may be located near the distal face 134 of the housing 130.
In the present embodiment the first horizontal reference plate 156 is mounted on the proximal face 132 of the housing 130. The front end 152 of the cross plate 150 is aligned with the first reference end 158 on the first horizontal reference plate 156. Further, the second horizontal reference plate 160 is mounted on the distal face 134 of the housing 130. The back end 154 of the cross plate 150 is aligned with the second reference end 162 that is located on the second horizontal reference plate 160.
The front end 152, the back end 154, the reference ends 158,162 and the plumb bob 148 are colored to enhance visibility to the operator. The coloring aids the operator to visually check the alignment of the hydraulic hammer system 108 while operating the machine 100. The side reference plate 164 is mounted on one of the side faces 136 of the housing 130 that includes the plumb bob assembly 140. The plumb bob 148 is aligned with the side reference plate 164. The side reference plate 164 indicates deflection of the hydraulic hammer assembly 108 via deflection of the plumb bob 148 from the pointer 166. The housing 130 of the hydraulic hammer system 108 mounts the restrictor plate 168 on the side face 136 of the housing 130 between the plumb bob 148 and the cross plate 150. The restrictor plate 160 prevents the vertical bar 142 of the plumb bob assembly 140 from deflecting beyond a certain degree, for e.g., 4 degrees from the vertical. Further, the plumb bob assembly 140 can be attached on various tools or machineries which require vertical positioning or alignment for operation for e.g., drills, breakers and the like.
While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
