Patent Application
20090084002
The present invention generally relates to a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system. The walking beam system and the tire system may be attached to an earthmoving scraping device and may allow the earthmoving scraping device to travel over various types of surfaces. The walking beam system, the tire system, and the method for using the walking beam system and the tire system may have a central beam, one or more axles, and two forks having bearings. The central beam may transversely support a load of the earthmoving scraping device. One or more tires may be attached to the axles of the central beam. As a result, the walking beam system may provide stability, may allow the attached earthmoving scraping device to smoothly travel over irregularities in a road, and/or may provide increased ground clearance.
The walking beam system, the tire system and the method for using the walking beam system and tire system may include a rim. The rim may attach to multiple mounted plates wherein each mounted plate separated from adjacent mounted plates by a distance. The mounted plates of the tire may contain rubber tracks which may be connected, mounted, and/or laminated to the mounted plates. The mounted plates of the tire may be removably attached to the rim, and the rubber tracks may be removably attached to the mounted plates. Each rubber track of the tire may be removed and replaced upon being damaged. As a result, quick and/or efficient removal of damaged tires and minimized costs associated with fixing a damaged tire as well as work delay associated with fixing the damaged tire may result.
Earthmoving generally involves breaking up the soil of the construction area. The soil may be used in the existing project and/or hauled away to a remote site. Like other construction projects, highway construction often requires an earthmoving step. To ensure safe and smooth roads, soil must be broken down and removed before paving of a roadway begins.
Highway systems are vital parts of any economy. Highways allow goods to be transported across the country and around the world. Furthermore, the travel of cars, trucks and other vehicles provides economic stimulus to areas they pass through. Given such importance, building roads and maintaining existing ones is undertaken by national governments and local municipalities throughout the world.
Removal of earth materials is performed by several different machines with the decision regarding use of specific machinery determined by the type of project. Several factors to be considered are the type of material to be removed, removal distance and the ultimate plans for the materials. Choosing the proper machine factors significantly into the final costs of the project. Using the wrong equipment for a project results in delays that lead to inefficient expenditure of labor and/or money. As a result, the process of removing earth materials may result in an economic burden to the overall cost of the project. Therefore, construction projects require use of the proper equipment as well as efficient and successful performance of the equipment.
Typically, earthmoving equipment, such as scrapers, may carry large volumes of materials. Scrapers may be towed or self-propelled. One such scraper has a frame shaped like a bowl and a lip that serves as a wall to prevent soil or other materials from leaving the bowl. To aid in removal and containment of materials, the lip may be attached to a cylinder which raises or lowers the lip. A blade is attached near the bottom of the bowl and below the lip. As the scraper is moved across an area of soil to be broken, the blade of the scraper may press into the soil, and the soil may be collected within the bowl. The lip is lowered to prevent the material from exiting the bowl during transport of the bowl to another area. After the soil is transported to a desired location, the collected material may be deposited by raising the lip to provide an open area to allow removal of the material from the scraper.
Many different types of scrapers have been built, including pull-scrapers, motor scrapers, twin-engine scrapers, paddle wheel scrapers, and auger scrapers. Transportation of the loads of these scrapers has always been subject to inefficient delays because many models include rudimentary tire systems that allow road irregularities to impede travel. In addition, commonly known tire systems are prone to damage that necessitates repair before further scraper use. As a result, a need exists for a scraper that also has more efficient and/or consistent scraper operation.
Many scrapers have areas that become worn and are costly for the user to maintain/and or to repair. One of these areas is the axle and tire area. Due to the rough terrain and heavy loads carried by the scraper, the tires and the axles may be subject to extensive wear. Sunken tracks or grooves in the road may form as construction machines travel along unpaved roads. The sunken tracks may inflict tire or axle damage or cause scrapers to get stuck in the channels. It may be difficult to remove the heavy, material-filled scrapers after the same becomes stuck. A stuck scraper may cause efficiency problems because the project is delayed, and construction ceases until the scraper is unloaded and freed from the rut. Furthermore, the unevenness of the roads causes these machines to vibrate. Vibration causes greater stress on the roadways, which further exasperates the formation of road grooves. Vibration transmitted through rigid tire systems stresses the frame of the machinery which increases the likelihood of structural damage that necessitates repair.
Grooves or channels formed in the roads often results in lower productivity as tire damage becomes a greater possibility. Uneven roads and the channels that form as a result cause cuts, punctures, snags, tears, or complete tire blow outs. Flat or damaged tires can hinder completing a project within budget, particularly if tire damage occurs frequently or at a remote distance construction site.
Therefore, tire selection and maintenance plays an important role because productivity and/or payload unit costs depend on reliable and cost effective performance. Furthermore, improper tire inflation places additional stress on the tire system of the machine, resulting in tire damage. Since large scraper tires are difficult to replace, damaged tires may slow down the progress of any project that may result in project stoppage until a new tire is found or a new machine is secured. In either case, damaged tires often results in slowed work that increases the likelihood of cost overruns.
The type of topography and/or soil scraped affects the overall performance of scrapers. Scrapers are inefficient in moist, rough, and/or rocky terrain. Rough terrain and bad weather may further strain the tires of the scraper and/or may require additional maintenance. If scraping earth materials in those environments, scrapers often need help from other machines to make full contact with the ground. Furthermore, certain topography and grades of land do not allow for efficient use of the scraper that causes problems related to clearance issues.
A need, therefore, exists for a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system that allow earthmoving equipment to function in a reliable and/or efficient manner in collection and/or removal of materials.
The present invention generally relates to a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system which may contain a beam system for providing stability and ground clearance. The beam system may have a central beam transversely supporting a load. The central beam may have one or more axles in a parallel spaced relation. The axles may be on opposite sides of the central beam. The axles may connect one or more tires to the central beam. The walking beam system may also have one or more forks with bearings that attach the central beam to the device to be moved.
The present invention relates to a tire system and a method for using the tire system to engage a surface with at least one tire to provide movement for an attached earthmoving machine. The tire system may have a rim with one or more mounted plates attached to the rim. The mounted plates may be removable and may be connected and/or bolted to the rim by a fastening device. The mounted plates may be separated from each other by a defined distance. The rim of the tire may be made from a material such as, for example, steel.
Furthermore, the mounted plates may have rubber tracks attached to the mounted plates. Each rubber track may fit to the same dimensions as that of the associated mounted plate. Furthermore, each individual rubber track may form a determined portion of the total circumference of the tire.
The walking beam system and/or the tire system may be attached to a scraping device containing a frame having a first end and a second end. The scraping device may have a front wall and back wall attached to the frame that may create an open-air, bowl-shaped interior. The scraping device may also have a lip pivotally attached to the first end. An ejecting mechanism may be provided to remove collected materials. The scraper may have a blade attached to the bottom of the frame. As the scraper moves across the ground, the blade may chop the surface and/or may push the materials into the bowl.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a scraping device is provided. The scraping device has a frame having walls defining an interior and further having a length defined between a first end and a second end wherein the second end is in a position opposite to the first end wherein opposing walls of the frame connect the first end to the second end of the frame; and a suspension arm having a first fork wherein the first fork has at least two prongs projecting from the first fork; a beam having a front end, a back end in a position opposite to the front end, a first side, a second side in a position opposite to the first side and a first pivot between the front end and the back end wherein the first pivot is connected to the first fork to allow the beam to rotate relative to the first fork. The scraping device has a first axle attached to the front end of the beam on the first side of the beam; and a second axle attached to the back end of the beam on the second side of the beam wherein the second axle is parallel to the first axle.
In an embodiment, the scraping device has a second fork having at least two prongs projecting from the second fork wherein the first fork attaches to the first side of the beam and the second fork attaches to the second side of the beam.
In an embodiment, the scraping device has a cylinder that connects the suspension arm to the frame wherein the cylinder provides movement of the suspension arm relative to the ground independent of movement of the frame.
In an embodiment, the scraping device has a second pivot that connects the suspension arm to the frame and allows vertical rotation of the suspension arm relative to the frame.
In an embodiment, the scraping device has a blade attached to the frame wherein the blade projects from a bottom of the frame.
In an embodiment, the scraping device has a plurality of tires connected to the frame wherein a first tire of the plurality of tires resides on the first axle and extends in a direction rearward past the second end of the beam and a second tire of the plurality of tires resides on the second axle and extends in a direction forward past the first end of the beam.
In another embodiment, a tire system for moving a scraping device is provided. The tire system has a rim; a plurality of mounted plates radially connected to the rim wherein each of the plurality of mounted plates is separated from adjacent ones of the plurality of mounted plates by a defined distance wherein the plurality of mounted plates form a circumference wherein each one of the plurality of mounted plates forms a defined portion of the circumference; a fastener that connects the rim to the mounted plates; and a plurality of rubber tracks connected to the plurality of mounted plates.
In an embodiment, each one of the plurality of rubber tracks is laminated onto one of the mounted plates.
In an embodiment, the plurality of rubber tracks conforms to sizes of the mounted plates.
In an embodiment, the mounted plates are identical.
In an embodiment, the defined portion of the circumference is the same for each one of the mounted plates.
In an embodiment, the plurality of rubber tracks is removably connected to the plurality of mounted plates so that one of the plurality of rubber tracks is removable by a user and replaceable with a substitute track.
In an embodiment, each one of the plurality of mounted plates has only one rubber track attached.
In an embodiment, the plurality of mounted plates are removably connected to the rim so one of the plurality of mounted plates is removable from the rim and replaceable with a substitute plate.
In an embodiment, the tire system has an axle rotatably attached to the rim.
In another embodiment, a method for collecting a material from a ground surface is provided. The method for collecting a material from a ground surface comprises the steps of: providing a scraping device having a frame having walls defining an interior wherein the walls have an interior surface and the frame has a length defined between a first end and a second end further wherein a first opening exists at the first end and wherein the scraping device has a lip connected to the first end of the frame which is raised to uncover the opening at the first end; connecting a beam to the scraping device so that the beam vertically rotates with respect to the ground surface; connecting two axles to the beam so that each axle is located on a different side of the beam and further wherein each axle resides adjacent to a different end of the beam; attaching a tire to each axle wherein each tire has a rim and a plurality of mounted plates radially connected to the rim, wherein each one of the plurality of mounted plates is separated from an adjacent one of the plurality of mounted plates by a defined distance wherein each one of the plurality of mounted plates forms a defined portion of a circumference of the tire; and attaching rubber tracks to the plurality of mounted plates.
In an embodiment, a method for collecting a material from a ground surface is provided further comprising the step of: attaching a blade to the scraping device.
In an embodiment, a method for collecting a material from a ground surface is provided further comprising the step of: moving a plate positioned at the second end of the frame toward the first end of the frame to force the material through the opening in the first end.
In an embodiment, a method for collecting a material from a ground surface is provided further comprising the step of: removing one of the rubber tracks from the mounted plates and replacing the one rubber track with a substitute track.
In an embodiment, a method for collecting a material from a ground surface is provided further comprising the step of: removing one of the plurality of mounted plates from the rim and replacing the one of the plurality of mounted plates with a substitute plate.
It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provide a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system which may provide an earthmoving device with efficient travel over various topographies, including topographies that have irregularities in the ground surface, reducing the risk of delays associated with damage to the machine and attached tires.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system which may have one or more axles allowing one or more tires to be connected to the axles which provide movement, support and/or spacing between the tires needed for ground clearance.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system which may have removable fasteners for attaching the mounted plates to the rim.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a tire that may regain functionality by the replacement of one component rather than replacing the entire tire.
A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system that provides stability to an earthmoving device relative to an attachment between a frame and a tire.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system that allows an earth moving device to have increased ground clearance so that heightened areas in a road do not interrupt travel of the device.
Further, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system which may have one or more tires containing multiple, removably mounted plates attached to a rim providing a system for an airless tire which eliminates the possibility of a flat tire.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.
The present invention generally relates to a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system. The walking beam system may have a central beam having a first end and a second end. The central beam may transversely support a load of an earthmoving scraping device. A first axle may be attached to the central beam at the first end and a second axle may be attached to the central beam at the second end.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts,
An ejector plate 36 may be positioned at an end 38 of the frame 2. In addition, a guard 7 may be attached to, or integrally formed with, the ejector plate 36. The guard 7 may be a planar wall and may extend vertically from the ejector plate 36. Further, the guard 7 may prevent materials accumulated within the frame 2 from falling behind the ejector plate 36. The ejector plate 36 may move toward, or away from, the lip 20. As the ejector plate 36 moves forward, the materials within the frame 2 may be pushed by the ejector plate 36 through the opening within the frame 2.
The frame 2 may be connected to a hitch 4 by a tongue 57. The hitch 4 may allow the scraping device 1 to be connected to a tractor (not shown) or other vehicle. The tractor may pull the scraping device 1 along an area, such as, for example, an area of grass or soil to be broken and/or collected. Tires 80 may be associated with the scraping device 1 to enable the scraping device 1 to be transported.
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The suspension arm 150 may rotate vertically relative to the ground. In a preferred embodiment, the suspension arm 150 may be rotatably attached to the frame 2 of the scraping device 1 at a second pivot 152. For example, the suspension arm 150 may rotate in a position upward in response to upward movement of the central beam 102 that may be caused by a road irregularity, as illustrated in
The central beam 102 may rotate vertically relative to the ground at the first pivot 115 while the pivot shafts 118, 120 are held between the first fork 112 and the second fork 113. For example, the central beam 102 may rotate in response to irregularities in the road that may cause vertical movement of the first tire 9 upwards and vertical movement of the second tire 10 in a direction downward. If the central beam 102 is connected to the frame 2 of the scraping device 1, the rotation of the central beam 102 in response to the road irregularities may preclude vertical movement being transmitted from the tires 109, 110 to the frame 2 of the scraping device 1. Therefore, the walking beam system 2 may maintain the scraping device 100 at a generally consistent height despite road irregularities, such as bumps or divots. As a result, smooth travel is provided by maintaining clearance below the device and/or by maintaining an angle of the blade 10.
For example, as illustrated in
If the scraping device 1 travels across a depression 146 in the road, such as a divot or a pothole, the first tire 109 may rotate in a direction vertically downward relative to the frame 2 to traverse the road depression. As a result, the first end 103 of the central beam 102 may rotate in a direction vertically downward relative to the frame 2, as illustrated in
In addition, vertical movement of the first tire 109 and/or the second tire 110 may cause the suspension arm 150 to rotate at the second pivot 152, as illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment, two walking beam systems 100, 101 may be utilized, as illustrated in
The mounted plates 204a-204e may form a circumference. In a preferred embodiment, the circumference is circular. Each of the mounted plates 204a-204e may form a portion of the circumference. In an embodiment, each of the mounted plates 64a-64e may form an equal portion of the circumference. For example, an embodiment having five mounted plates 204a-204e may have the mounted plates 204a-204e that are each about 20% of the circumference.
The tire system 200 may allow an attached scraping device 1 to travel the road by contacting the road with the rubber tracks 208a-208e. As the rim 202 rotates, each of the rubber tracks 208a-208e successively contacts the road. For example, as the rim 202 rotates, a first rubber track 208a may contact the road, subsequently a second rubber track 208b may contact the road, and so on, to allow the rotation of the tire system 200 and/or to provide movement to the scraping device 1.
The tire system 200 may be used with the walking beam system 100 and the scraping device 1 to provide stability, ground clearance, and movement to the scraping device 1. Movement may be provided by the tire system 200 which may be the first tire 109 and/or the second tire 110 that may be mounted in the walking beam system 100.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.
