SHEAR RESISTANT EXCAVATION COMPONENT
An excavation component is disclosed herein. The excavation component includes a cutter structure carrier and a cutter structure carried by the cutter structure carrier. The excavation component also includes a fastener for securing the cutter structure to the cutter structure carrier. The cutter structure carrier and the cutter structure have an interlocking geometry for transferring shear between the cutter structure carrier and the cutter structure so as to reduce an amount of shear applied to the fastener during excavation operations.
Latest Vermeer Manufacturing Company Patents:
- Horizontal directional drill with freewheel mode
- Drum assemblies for turning material
- Horizontal directional drilling system and method
- Mounting arrangement for pullback adaptor
- Airlocks for conveying material, hydro excavation vacuum apparatus having airlocks, and methods for hydro excavating a site
This application is being filed on 12 Jul. 2010, as a PCT International Patent application in the name of Vermeer Manufacturing Company, a U.S. national corporation, applicant for the designation of all countries except the US, and Mark Cooper, Derrick Deschamp, Jeff Flahive, Dan Hawks, Glenn Meinders, and Michael Vander Hart, citizens of the U.S., applicants for the designation of the US only, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/225,132, filed Jul. 13, 2009, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates generally to excavation equipment. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to trenching chains or other excavating structures for use on excavation equipment such as trenchers, terrain levelers or other equipment.
BACKGROUNDTrenchers are conventionally used to dig lengths of trenches for laying underground pipe and cable. Most trenchers include a tractor unit equipped with an elongated boom. The boom is typically movable between a raised, generally horizontal position and a lowered, substantially vertical position. The boom typically includes a continuous trenching chain that extends around the perimeter of the boom. The chain includes a plurality of exterior teeth or cutters for engaging the ground to excavate a trench. Trenchers also commonly include a conveyor assembly for transporting the soil that is excavated by the chain away from the trench. Example trenchers are disclosed at U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,154,987; 6,014,826; 5,248,188; and 5,199,197.
SUMMARYOne aspect of the present disclosure relates to an excavating component having a shear resistant configuration. In one embodiment, the excavating component can include a cutter structure carrier (e.g., a chain, rope, belt, drum, or other structure suitable for carrying a cutter structure), a cutter structure mounted to the cutter structure carrier, and a shear resistant interface provided between the cutter structure and the cutter structure carrier. In one embodiment, the cutter structure can be fastened to the cutter structure carrier with removable fasteners, and a shear resistant interlock configuration is provided between the cutter structure carrier and the cutter structure. In certain embodiments, the cutter structure includes a replaceable cutter mounting plate to which one or more cutters are secured, and the cutter structure carrier includes a chain, rope, belt, drum, or like structure.
Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an excavating component in the form of a trenching chain having a shear resistant configuration. In one embodiment, the trenching chain includes a chain having a link arrangement including a plurality of links pivotally connected together. At least some of the links of the chain can include mounting surfaces to which cutter mounting plates can be fastened. Cutters are secured to the cutter mounting plates. The mounting surfaces and the cutter mounting plates have interlocking geometries configured to transfer shear between the cutter mounting plates and the chain during trenching operations.
A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.
When maneuvering the trencher 15 around the worksite, the boom is maintained in the transport position 25 such that the trenching chain 26 generally remains above the ground. To excavate a trench, the boom 24 is lowered toward the trenching position 27 and the trenching chain 26 is driven around the perimeter of the boom 24. When the trenching chain 26 contacts the ground, cutting teeth of the trenching chain 26 penetrate into the ground and begin to excavate a trench. Once the boom 24 reaches the trenching position 27, the tracks 18 and 20 are engaged causing the tractor to move forward. The trenching chain 26 digs the trench and removes geologic material from the trench as the tractor 22 moves forward.
The trencher 15 is being disclosed for the purpose of illustrating an exemplary environment in which the various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented. It will be appreciated that a variety of trenchers are known in the art, and that various aspects of the present disclosure can be applied or used in association with any type of trenching device or any other type of excavating or earth moving device (e.g., terrain levelers or other mobile excavation equipment).
Referring to
Referring to
Referring still to
Referring to
Referring still to
In certain embodiments, the fasteners function to limit movement of the cutter structures in the Z reference orientation relative to the cutter structure carrier, and the shear transferring arrangement limits movement of the cutter structures in the X and Y reference orientations relative to the cutter structure carrier so as to limit the shear carried by the fasteners. It will be appreciated that in certain embodiments at least some shear can be carried by the fasteners. However, the shear transferring arrangement preferably limits the amount of shear carried by the fasteners so as to prevent the fasteners from failing in shear. In certain embodiments, a majority of the shear is carried by the shear transferring arrangement.
In other embodiments, other types of intermating geometries and configurations can be used. For example, in certain embodiments, the projections and the receptacles may have geometrically dissimilar shapes. Also, in certain embodiments, projections can be provided on the cutter mounting plates 48 and receptacles can be provided in the flanges 68 or elsewhere on the cutter structure carrier. In one embodiment, the projections extend at least partially in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the cutter structure carrier during excavation. The interlocking geometry also simplifies assembling the cutter structure to the cutter structure carrier. For example, by mating the interlocking geometry together, the fastener openings 73 of the plate mounting flanges 68 can be automatically aligned with corresponding openings 75 (see
As shown at
The plate mounting flanges 68 can also include structure for facilitating tightening the fasteners 74 when the cutter mounting plates 48 are fastened to the flanges 68. In the depicted embodiment, each of the fasteners 74 is shown as a bolt having a shaft 24a threaded along at least a portion of the length of the shaft 74a, a head 74b positioned at one end of the shaft and a nut 74c that threads on the shaft. As shown at
In certain embodiments, the chain 41 has a pitch P of at least five inches and the rollers 62 have an outer diameter of at least three and a half inches, or at least three inches. The pitch is defined as the center-to-center spacing between the pivot pins 46. Of course, the aspects disclosed herein are applicable to other sized chains as well.
From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that modifications and variations can be made in the devices of the disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Claims
1. An excavation component comprising:
- a cutter structure carrier;
- a cutter structure carried by the cutter structure carrier;
- a fastener for securing the cutter structure to the cutter structure carrier; and
- the cutter structure carrier and the cutter structure having an interlocking geometry for transferring shear between the cutter structure carrier and the cutter structure so as to reduce an amount of shear applied to the fastener during excavation operations.
2. The excavation component of claim 1, wherein the cutter structure includes a cutting tooth secured to a cutter mounting plate.
3. The excavation component of claim 2, wherein the cutting tooth includes a trenching tooth.
4. The excavation component of claim 1 wherein the interlocking geometry includes a projection defined by one of the cutter structure carrier and the cutter structure, wherein the interlocking geometry includes a receptacle defined by the other of the cutter structure carrier and the cutter structure, wherein the projection is received within the receptacle, and wherein the fastener secures the cutter structure carrier and the cutter structure together such that the projection is retained within the receptacle.
5. The excavation component of claim 4, wherein the fastener clamps the cutter structure to the cutter structure carrier.
6. The excavation component of claim 4, wherein the cutter structure carrier includes a chain.
7. The excavation component of claim 4, wherein the cutter structure carrier is selected from the group consisting of a belt, a chain, a rope and a drum.
8. The excavation component of claim 4, wherein the cutter structure includes a cutting tooth secured to a cutter mounting plate.
9. An excavation component comprising:
- a chain including an inner link and an outer link pivotally connected to the inner link by a pin;
- a cutter structure mounted to the chain, the cutter structure including a cutter mounting plate secured to the chain by fasteners, the cutter structure also including at least one cutter mounted to the cutter mounting plate; and
- an interlocking geometry defined between the chain and the cutter mounting plate for transferring shear between the chain and the cutter mounting plate.
10. The excavation component of claim 9, wherein the interlocking geometry includes a projection provided on one of the chain and the cutter mounting plate that fits within a receptacle defined by the other of the chain and the cutter mounting plate.
11. The excavation component of claim 9, wherein at least one of the inner and outer links includes a side bar and a flange that projects outwardly from the side bar, and wherein the interlocking geometry includes a projection provided on one of the flange and the cutter mounting plate that fits within a receptacle defined by the other of the flange and the cutter mounting plate.
12. The excavation component of claim 9, wherein the outer link includes flanges each defining at least first and second fastener openings that receive the fasteners to secure the cutter mounting plate to the outer link, wherein the flanges include portions that project outwardly from side bars of the outer links, wherein interlocking geometries are provided between the outer link and the cutter mounting plate at each of the flanges, and wherein at least portions of the interlocking geometries are intersected by an axis that is parallel to the pivot pin and extends through regions defined between the fasteners mounted through the first and second fastener openings.
13. An excavation component comprising:
- a chain including a plurality of links pivotally connected together;
- a cutter structure mounted to the chain, the cutter structure including a cutter mounting plate secured to the chain by fasteners, the cutter structure also including at least one cutter mounted to the cutter mounting plate; and
- an interlocking geometry defined between the chain and the cutter mounting plate for transferring shear between the chain and the cutter mounting plate.
14. The excavation component of claim 13, wherein the interlocking geometry includes a projection provided on one of the chain and the cutter mounting plate that fits within a receptacle defined by the other of the chain and the cutter mounting plate.
15. The excavation component of claim 13, wherein at least one of the links includes a side bar and a flange that projects outwardly from the side bar, and wherein the interlocking geometry includes a projection provided on one of the flange and the cutter mounting plate that fits within a receptacle defined by the other of the flange and the cutter mounting plate.
16. An excavation component comprising:
- a chain including a plurality of links pivotally connected together;
- a cutter structure mounted to the chain, the cutter structure including a cutter mounting plate secured to the chain by fasteners that extend through openings defined by the chain and the cutter mounting plate, the cutter structure also including at least one cutter mounted to the cutter mounting plate;
- the fasteners including bolts having heads, the fasteners also including nuts that thread on the bolts;
- at least one of the openings including a receptacle for receiving and preventing rotation of either the head or the nut of a corresponding one of the fasteners; and
- wherein the chain includes mounting flanges to which the cutter mounting plates are secured by the fasteners, wherein the openings include first openings defined by the mounting flanges and second openings defined by the cutter mounting plates, and wherein the receptacles are defined by the first openings at undersides of the mounting flanges.
17. The excavation component of claim 16, further comprising an interlocking geometry defined between the chain and the cutter mounting plate for transferring shear between the chain and the cutter mounting plate, wherein the first and second openings align with one another when the interlocking geometry is interlocked.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 12, 2010
Publication Date: May 3, 2012
Applicant: Vermeer Manufacturing Company (Pella, IA)
Inventors: Mark Cooper (Pella, IA), Derrick Deschamp (Indianapolis, IN), Jeff Flahive (Pella, IA), Dan Hawks (Pella, IA), Glenn Meinders (Pella, IA), Michael Vander Hart (Pella, IA)
Application Number: 13/383,653
International Classification: E02F 3/14 (20060101);