Patent Application
20200115873
The present disclosure relates to compactor wheels using to compact trash and debris in landfills, and the like. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a wireguard with integrated cleats that may be attached to a compactor wheel to help prevent the fouling of an axle to which the compactor wheel is attached.
A common problem with landfill compactors is trapping debris around the wheels. As the compactor continues to move, the debris moves and gets wrapped around the axles. This debris, if not removed, can damage axle assembly and can quickly degrade axle seals. This may necessitate maintenance and undesirable downtime for the compactor.
Various solutions have been previously developed to help prevent the fouling of the axle. For example, a wireguard may be employed that helps to prevent debris from entering the opening disposed between the compactor wheel and the axle.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,291 to Urgu discloses a tip for use with a wire guard system for a compactor wheel that includes a base portion and a wear portion attached to and extending from the base portion. A first groove is disposed at the wear portion and shaped to receive an end portion of a first wire guard section. A second groove is disposed at the wear portion and shaped to receive an end portion of a second wire guard section (see the Abstract of Urgu).
However, continuous improvement of such barriers so that they may be easily assembled and attached to the compactor wheel in a robust manner is warranted.
A compactor wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise a hub portion including an axle attachment portion; a rim portion including an outer circumferential surface defining a radial direction, a circumferential direction, and a longitudinal axis; a plurality of cleats attached to the outer circumferential surface of the rim portion; and a wireguard attached to the rim, the wireguard extending circumferentially about the axle attachment portion being spaced radially away from the axle attachment portion and defining an outer diameter, a rear radially extending surface, and a front radially extending surface. The wireguard may be a subassembly including a first top member including a first material and a first cleat portion, and a first bottom member including a second material that is different than the first material and a second cleat portion contacting the first cleat portion.
A wireguard subassembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise a first circumferential segment defining a proximate end including a ledge at least partially defining a notch; and a second circumferential segment defining a distal end disposed adjacent the proximate end of the first circumferential segment, the distal end including an overhang configured to mate with the ledge.
A wireguard subassembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise a first circumferential segment defining a circumferential direction, a first near end, a first far end, and a first cleat portion disposed circumferentially between the first near end and the first far end; and a second circumferential segment defining a second near end, a second far end, and a second cleat portion disposed circumferentially between the second near end and the second far end. The second cleat portion may be circumferentially aligned with the first cleat portion and the second circumferential segment may include a void that is configured to hollow out at least partially the second cleat portion, the void forming a void undercut. The first circumferential segment includes a projection that at least partially fills the void undercut that is configured to prevent the separation of the first circumferential segment from the second circumferential segment.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. In some cases, a reference number will be indicated in this specification and the drawings will show the reference number followed by a letter for example, 100a, 100b or by a prime for example, 100′, 100″ etc. It is to be understood that the use of letters or primes immediately after a reference number indicates that these features are similarly shaped and have similar function as is often the case when geometry is mirrored about a plane of symmetry. For ease of explanation in this specification, letters and primes will often not be included herein but may be shown in the drawings to indicate duplications of features, having similar or identical function or geometry, discussed within this written specification.
Various embodiments of a compactor wheel assembly, and a wireguard subassembly according to various aspects of the present disclosure will now be described. In some embodiments, the various components are made from steel, allowing them to be durable and to be welded together. As will be discussed in more detail later herein, the wireguard subassembly may be comprised of eight 2-piece cast segments. The base casting may be of mild steel to promote ease of welding during assembly. The top casting may be cast over the base, thus mechanically interlocking the two cast components together. Other forms of attachment may be employed such as fastening the components together, etc. The top casting may be of a hard, wear resistant material. The segments may have a cleat formed into them that may aid in fore/aft traction. The segments, when assembled on the wheel, may interlock together to eliminate the need to weld the segments together in the radial direction (e.g. at the radial extending seam).
Looking at
The wireguard 112 may be a subassembly 120 including a first top member 120 including a first material and a first cleat portion 124, and a first bottom member 126 including a second material that is different than the first material and a second cleat portion 128 contacting the first cleat portion 124.
In some embodiments, such as shown in
More particularly, the subassembly 120 may further include a plurality of top circumferential members 130′ identical to and including the first top circumferential member 130 and a plurality of bottom circumferential members 132′ identical to and including the first bottom circumferential member 132. Eight of each may be provided. The number and configuration of these members may be varied as needed or desired in other embodiments to be different than what has been specifically shown or described herein. For example, some of the top circumferential members may be differently configured than others of the top circumferential members, and some of the bottom circumferential members may be differently configured than other of the bottom circumferential members.
Focusing now on
Similarly, the first top circumferential member 130 may define a bottom attachment surface 146, a third circumferential end 148 and a fourth circumferential end 150. The third circumferential end 148 may include a ledge 152 and the fourth circumferential end 150 may include an overhang 154. The first top circumferential member 130 may also include a tenon 156 extending from the third circumferential end 148 to the fourth circumferential end 150 configured to be held in the circumferential slot 142. The tenon 156 may be complimentarily shaped to the slot 142 as to be caught by the first undercut 144 so that the two components are held together along the radial direction R108. To that end, the tenon 156 and the slot 142 may have tear-drop shapes but other configurations are possible.
The ledge 152 may be disposed closer radially to the first bottom circumferential member 132 than the outer diameter 114 and may extend circumferentially and axially. At the same time, the third circumferential end 148 may also define a groove 158 extending radially from the ledge 152 to the outer diameter 114.
The overhang 154 may be disposed radially the same radial distance 159 from the longitudinal axis L108 as the ledge 152, and may extend circumferentially and axially. The fourth circumferential end 150 may further include a tongue 160 extending radially from the overhang 154 to the outer diameter 114. The tongue 160 and the groove 158 may be substantially v-shaped but other configurations are possible.
As best seen in
Also, the first bottom member 126 may include an angled deflector portion 172 extending from the outer circumferential surface 108 of the rim portion 106 to the front radially extending surface 118 of the wireguard 112.
The various undercuts and protrusions that fill the undercuts may be created by casting one component to the other. In some embodiments, the bottom component is cast first and then the top component is cast onto it. In other embodiments, this process may be reversed. If so, then the features with undercuts and the features with protrusions may be switched from the bottom component to the top component, etc.
Since the components may be cast, recesses or voids may be provided to help maintain a fairly consistent nominal wall thickness to avoid problems such as porosity and voids. The various slots, voids, recesses, etc. may be partially designed for this purpose. Additional side recesses 174 may be provided on the top circumferential members to help maintain this desired wall thickness. Likewise a bottom recess 176 may be provided on the bottom circumferential members to maintain the desired wall thickness. Other variations of these features are possible.
A wireguard subassembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be described as follows focusing on
As best seen in
Also, the first circumferential segment 202 may be identically configured as the second circumferential segment 210. As alluded to earlier herein, the third circumferential segment 210 may be cast first and the first circumferential segment 202 may be cast onto the third circumferential segment 230 to form at least a portion of the subassembly 200. A portion of the subassembly may be formed with this order reversed in other embodiments.
The first circumferential segment 202 may include material properties and the second circumferential segment 210 may include material properties that are the same as the first circumferential segment 202. This similarity may continue completely around the circumference of the subassembly 200 for all of the top components. For example, the material properties may include a material, a coating, a hardness, etc. that may be well-suited for prolonging the wear of the components.
In like fashion, the third circumferential segment 220 includes material properties and the fourth circumferential segment 226 includes material properties that are the same as the third circumferential segment 220. For example, the material properties may include a material, a coating, a hardness, etc. that is different than that of the top components so that the bottom components may be welded better to the rim portion of the compactor wheel.
More specifically, the first and the second circumferential segments 202, 210 may include high chrome white iron and the third and the fourth circumferential segments 220, 226 may include mild steel. Other materials may be employed.
A wireguard subassembly 300 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be described as follows referring to
As best seen in
The second circumferential segment 310 may further define a circumferentially extending slot 324 that extends from the second near end 312 to the second far end 314. The first circumferential segment 302 may further include a circumferentially extending projection 326 that extends from the first near end 304 to the first far end 306 and that is disposed in the circumferentially extending slot 324 (see
Looking at
As alluded to earlier herein, the first circumferential segment 302 may be a top segment 330, while the second circumferential segment 310 may be a bottom segment 332. Also, the bottom segment 332 may include an angled ramp 334 and the second cleat portion 316 may extend from the angled ramp 334.
Referring now to
Any of the configurations, materials, material properties, and dimensions mentioned herein may be altered in various embodiments of the present disclosure to have different values or characteristics than what has been specifically mentioned herein or shown in the drawings.
In practice, a compactor wheel assembly, a wireguard subassembly, and/or various components of the wireguard subassembly according to any embodiment described herein may be sold, bought, manufactured or otherwise obtained in an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or after-market context.
In various embodiments, the white iron content of the top casting may range from 6 to 7 million mm3 while the mild steel content of the bottom casting may range 2.5 to 3.5 million mm3. The type of content and the amount may be adjusted as needed or desired in other embodiments.
Various assembly techniques or methods may be employed for creating the compactor wheel assembly and the wireguard subassembly according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
For example, a pair of top and bottom components of the wireguard subassembly may be assembled together in various ways such as being dove tailed or pinned together and then fastened, cast together, etc. Then, the bottom component may be welded to the rim portion of the compactor wheel assembly. Additional pairs of top and bottom components may then mated with an adjacent pair of top and bottom components with the newly added supplied component being welded or otherwise attached to the rim portion of the compactor wheel assembly. This mating may eliminate the need for a weld between adjacent pairs of the top and the bottom components. This process may be repeated about the circumference of the rim portion until the wireguard is complete.
The subassembly may be sold or otherwise provided as a kit containing a plurality of pairs of the top and bottom components to be added to the compactor wheel assembly in the field. The compactor wheel assembly may be sold with the wireguard already installed, etc.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the apparatus and methods of assembly as discussed herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention(s). Other embodiments of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the various embodiments disclosed herein. For example, some of the equipment may be constructed and function differently than what has been described herein and certain steps of any method may be omitted, performed in an order that is different than what has been specifically mentioned or in some cases performed simultaneously or in sub-steps. Furthermore, variations or modifications to certain aspects or features of various embodiments may be made to create further embodiments and features and aspects of various embodiments may be added to or substituted for other features or aspects of other embodiments in order to provide still further embodiments.
Accordingly, it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention(s) being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
