Abstract: An excavating and pipeline installation system includes an excavating vehicle, an excavating wheel assembly and a plurality of conveyors. The excavating wheel assembly includes a pair of excavating wheels for excavating a pipeline receiving trench at a predetermined location beneath the surface of the earth. The excavating wheel assembly is supported at the front end of the vehicle on a subframe mounted for pivotal movement relative to the vehicle between excavating and traveling positions. The excavating wheels are mounted for rotation about angularly disposed axes and are positioned to receive the pipeline therebetween. Bolster rollers are mounted on the excavating wheel assembly for initially lifting the pipeline, and pipeline rollers are mounted on the vehicle for exerting a downwardly directed force on the pipeline upon insertion thereof into the pipeline receiving trench.

Abstract: An aerial conveyor system comprises a pair of spaced apart cables extending from a first vehicle including material delivery apparatus across a material receiving zone, across an open area, and across a material discharge zone to a second vehicle. The cables support a conveyor support frame comprising a pair of elongate members extending substantially parallel to the cables, a plurality of transversely disposed conveyor support rollers, and structure for suspending the elongate members from the cables. An endless conveyor belt is mounted for movement around a course defined by the conveyor support rollers of the conveyor support frame and functions to transport material received from the delivery apparatus of the first vehicle in the receiving zone across the open area to the discharge zone. An axially outwardly directed force is applied to the ends of the conveyor system to suspend the system from the receiving zone to the discharge zone.

Abstract: An excavating and pipeline installation system includes an excavating vehicle, an excavating wheel assembly and a plurality of conveyors. The excavating wheel assembly includes a pair of excavating wheels for excavating a pipeline receiving trench at a predetermined location beneath the surface of the earth. The excavating wheel assembly is supported at the front end of the vehicle on a subframe mounted for pivotal movement relative to the vehicle between excavating and traveling positions. The excavating wheels are mounted for rotation about angularly disposed axes and are positioned to receive the pipeline therebetween. Bolster rollers are mounted on the excavating wheel assembly for initially lifting the pipeline, and pipeline rollers are mounted on the vehicle for exerting a downwardly directed force on the pipeline upon insertion thereof into the pipeline receiving trench.

Abstract: An excavating loading system is disclosed which includes a vehicle with an excavating wheel assembly at the front and a plurality of conveyors toward the rear. The conveyors of the excavating and loading system include cross conveyors and a main conveyor for receiving material from the excavating wheels. The main conveyor transports the material rearwardly from the excavating wheel assembly and delivers the material to the opposite end of the vehicle. An auxiliary conveyor assembly is pivotally supported at the rear end of the vehicle to receive material from the main conveyor and to transport the material either laterally or rearwardly. The auxiliary conveyor assembly has inner and outer conveyors mounted with the discharge end of one conveyor adjacent the receiving end of the other conveyor. The conveyors are connected so that the outer conveyor can be folded under the inner conveyor.

Abstract: An excavating wheel is disclosed which includes a plurality of digging buckets each comprising a wall supported for pivotal movement between a material receiving position and a material dumping position. A plurality of cylinders each connected to one of the movable walls are selectively actuated under fluid pressure to pivot each movable wall to the material dumping position. A plurality of springs each connected to one of the movable walls are provided to pivot each movable wall to the material receiving position.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system is disclosed which includes a vehicle with an excavating wheel assembly at the front and a plurality of conveyors toward the rear. The excavating wheel assembly comprises three excavating wheels having an overall width in excess of that of the remainder of the system. Each excavating wheel includes a plurality of digging buckets each comprising a wall supported for pivotal movement between a material receiving position and a material dumping position. The excavating wheel assembly is supported for vertical movement to vary the grade angle of the excavating made by the system, and a moldboard is linked to the excavating wheel assembly for movement therewith. Hydraulic cylinders may be utilized to vary the wheel assembly support provided by the moldboard in accordance with the material being excavated. The conveyors of the excavating and loading system include cross conveyors and a main conveyor for receiving material from the excavating wheels.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system is disclosed which includes a vehicle with an excavating wheel assembly, at the front and a plurality of conveyors toward the rear. The excavating wheel assembly comprises individual excavating wheels including a plurality of digging buckets. Each bucket comprises a wall supported for pivotal movement between a material receiving position and a material dumping position. A plurality of push rods are each connected at one end to the movable wall of one of the buckets. A rigid collar is interconnected to the ends of the push rods remote from the movable walls which collar is rotatably supported at a point offset from the rotational axis of the excavating wheel so that the push rods and the collar cooperate to positively pivot the movable walls of the bucket between material receiving and material dumping positions.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system is disclosed which includes a vehicle with an excavating wheel assembly at the front and plurality of conveyors toward the rear. The excavating wheel assembly comprises individual excavating wheels including a plurality of digging buckets. Each bucket comprises a wall supported for pivotal movement between a material receiving position and a material dumping position. A predetermined cam track is disposed around the axis of rotation of the buckets and is engaged by a plurality of cam followers each connected to one of the movable walls to thereby positively pivot the movable wall of each digging bucket between the material receiving and the material dumping positions.

Abstract: An aerial conveyor system comprises a pair of spaced apart cables extending from a first vehicle including material delivery apparatus across a material receiving zone, across an open area, and across a material discharge zone to a second vehicle. The cables support a plurality of conveyor support frames each comprising a pair of tubular members extending substantially parallel to the cables, a plurality of hook rollers for supporting the tubular members on the cables, and a plurality of transversely disposed conveyor support rollers. An endless conveyor belt is mounted for movement around a course defined by the conveyor support rollers of the conveyor support frames and functions to transport material received from the delivery apparatus of the first vehicle in the receiving zone across the open area to the discharge zone.

Abstract: An excavating and pipeline installation system includes an excavating vehicle, an excavating wheel assembly and a plurality of conveyors. The excavating wheel assembly includes a pair of excavating wheels for excavating a pipeline receiving trench at a predetermined location beneath the surface of the earth. The excavating wheel assembly is supported at the front end of the vehicle on a subframe mounted for pivotal movement relative to the vehicle between excavating and traveling positions. The excavating wheels are mounted for rotation about angularly disposed axes and are positioned to receive the pipeline therebetween. Bolster rollers are mounted on the excavating wheel assembly for initially lifting the pipeline, and pipeline rollers are mounted on the vehicle for exerting a downwardly directed force on the pipeline upon insertion thereof into the pipeline receiving trench.

Abstract: An aerial conveyor system comprises a pair of spaced apart cables extending from a first vehicle including material delivery apparatus across a material receiving zone, across an open area, and across a material discharge zone to a second vehicle. The cables support a plurality of conveyor support frames each comprising a pair of tubular members extending substantially parallel to the cables, a plurality of hook rollers for supporting the tubular members on the cables, and a plurality of transversely disposed conveyor support rollers. An endless conveyor belt is mounted for movement around a course defined by the conveyor support rollers of the conveyor support frames and functions to transport material received from the delivery apparatus of the first vehicle in the receiving zone across the open area to the discharge zone.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system is disclosed which includes a vehicle with an excavating wheel assembly at the front and a plurality of conveyors toward the rear. The excavating wheel assembly comprises three excavating wheels having an overall width in excess of that of the remainder of the system. Each excavating wheel includes a plurality of digging buckets each comprising a wall supported for pivotal movement between a material receiving position and a material dumping position. The excavating wheel assembly is supported for vertical movement to vary the grade angle of the excavation made by the system, and a moldboard is linked to the excavating wheel assembly for movement therewith. Hydraulic cylinders may be utilized to vary the wheel assembly support provided by the moldboard in accordance with the material being excavated. The conveyors of the excavating and loading system include cross conveyors and a main conveyor for receiving material from the excavating wheels.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system is disclosed which includes a vehicle with an excavating wheel assembly at the front and a plurality of conveyors toward the rear. The conveyors of the excavating and loading system include cross conveyors and a main conveyor for receiving material from the excavating wheels. The main conveyor transports the material rearwardly from the excavating wheel assembly and delivers the material to the opposite end of the vehicle. An auxiliary conveyor assembly is detachably supported at the opposite end of the vehicle to receive material from the main conveyor and to transport the material either laterally or rearwardly. The rear portion of the main conveyor is adapted to fold under the auxiliary conveyor assembly to reduce the overall height of the excavating and loading system during travel. The auxiliary conveyor assembly has a pair of conveyors mounted with the discharge end of one conveyor adjacent the receiving end of the other conveyor.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system includes an excavating and wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying the material from the excavating wheel assembly upward and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes a pair of excavating wheels with a total width wider than the overall width of the following portions of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus extends between the excavating wheels and rotatably supports the same from the front of the vehicle. A power plant is provided and a drive shaft extends down along the supporting and housing means between the two excavating wheels. Gearing is provided in the interior of the wheels and is connected to the drive shaft for powering the excavating wheels. Apparatus is provided for raising and lowering excavation height of the excavation wheel assembly to thereby vary the grade of the excavation.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system includes an excavating wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying the material from the excavating wheel assembly upwardly and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes at least one excavating wheel which is positioned on the front of the vehicle with respect to the direction of travel to form an excavation. The wheel has side mounted cutting teeth which pivot outwardly to form an excavation wider than the following portion of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus rotatably supports the excavating wheel means from the vehicle and engages the wheel means on the ends thereof. Apparatus is provided for raising and lowering the excavation wheel assembly to raise and lower the excavation height and thereby vary the grade of the excavation. The excavation wheel is provided with means for positively moving the walls of a plurality of buckets between material receiving and material discharging positions.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system includes an excavating wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying the material from the excavating wheel assembly upward and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes at least one excavating wheel which is angularly disposed with respect to the direction of travel to form an excavation and has digging surfaces on the forward extending end of the excavating wheel. The wheel forms an excavation wider than the following portion of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus rotatably supports the excavating wheel means from the vehicle. Apparatus is provided for raising, lowering and/or tilting the supporting and housing apparatus to position the excavation wheel assembly to thereby vary the excavation. The excavation wheel is provided with means for positively moving the walls of a plurality of buckets between material receiving and material discharging positions.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system includes an excavating wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying material from the excavating wheel assembly upwardly and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes at least one excavating wheel which is wider than the overall width of the following portion of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus rotatably supports the excavating wheel and includes portions which engage the ends of the excavating wheel. Apparatus is provided for raising and lowering the supporting and housing apparatus to raise and lower the excavating height of the excavating wheel assembly and thereby vary the grade of the excavation. The excavation wheel is provided with means for positively moving the walls of a plurality of buckets between digging and dumping positions.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system including an excavating wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying material from the excavating wheel assembly to the rear of the vehicle. The excavating wheel assembly has an excavating wheel which is narrower than the overall width of the following portion of the system. A yoke engages the ends of the excavating wheel and supports the wheel in a horizontal position. The yoke is pivotally attached to the vehicle and hydraulic cylinders are provided to oscillate the excavating wheel assembly from side-to-side transverse to the direction of movement of the vehicle to form a trench wider than the excavating wheel assembly itself. Means are provided on the vehicle for raising and lowering the excavating height and can be provided to adjust the roll attitude of the excavation wheel assembly. The excavation wheel is provided with means for positively moving walls of a plurality of buckets between digging and dumping positions.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system includes an excavating and wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying the material from the excavating wheel assembly upward and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes a pair of excavating wheels with a total width wider than the overall width of the following portions of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus extends between the excavating wheels and rotatably supports the same from the front of the vehicle. A power plant is provided and a drive shaft extends down along the supporting and housing means between the two excavating wheels. Gearing is provided in the interior of the wheels and is connected to the drive shaft for powering the excavating wheels. Apparatus is provided for raising and lowering excavation height of the excavation wheel assembly to thereby vary the grade of the excavation.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system including an excavating wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying material from the excavating wheel assembly upwardly and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes a plurality of excavating wheels having an overall width in excess of that of the following portion of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus rotatably supports the excavating wheel assembly and includes portions which extend between adjacent excavating wheels. Electric motors are connected to drive shafts which extend to the excavating wheel assembly through the portions of the supporting and housing apparatus that extend between adjacent excavating wheels. A right angle gearbox is connected to each drive shaft and powers the excavating wheel through a planetary speed reducer. Apparatus is provided for raising and lowering the excavating height of the excavating wheel assembly to thereby vary the grade of the excavation.