Abstract: The invention relates to a ground-working machine (11) equipped with a drive and with advancement members (21). Its advancement members (21) serve inter alia to carry a supporting structure (23) set apart from the positioning plane of the machine, on which supporting structure (23) there is arranged, in the region of a central axis (Z), a kirving tool (25) with at least one transverse kirving roller (13) for working a substrate on which the ground-working machine is standing. The kirving roller (13) is rotatable about its roller axis (V). The roller axis (V) is pivotable about a steering axis (W), which steering axis (W) is arranged in the direction of the central axis (Z) set apart from the advancement members (21).

Abstract: A device for excavating and transporting material, especially earth, the device comprising an excavation appliance that can be rotated about a rotational axis (y) in a rotational direction (u), and a longitudinal conveyor for transporting the excavated material. The excavation appliance comprises an impeller having a conically extending guide surface arranged around the rotational axis (y) in a rotationally symmetrical manner, and guide vanes which radially protrude from the conical guide surface and form an acute angle in relation to the rotational axis (y).

Abstract: An excavating apparatus having a prime mover with a longitudinal centerline and a main frame with an engine, a ground drive system and an excavation boom operatively attached thereto wherein the excavation boom has a first end and a second end. The first end of the boom is operatively pivotally attached to the main frame along a main frame pivot axis. The main frame pivot axis is transverse to the longitudinal centerline of the prime mover. A head shaft operatively rotatably attached to the second end of said boom and is operatively pivotally attached to the second end of said boom. Also, the excavation drum is mounted onto the head shaft in a manner that the excavation drum cooperates with the excavation chain and a fixed cutter pattern of the excavation chain to stay in consistent alignment with the fixed cutter pattern of the excavation drum.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an excavator having a frame, engine, ground supports and an excavation boom with an excavating drum. The method includes fixing the orientation of the boom relative to gravity to approximately control the shape of an excavated ground plane.

Abstract: An excavating apparatus having a prime mover with a longitudinal centerline and a main frame with an engine, a ground drive system and an excavation boom operatively attached thereto wherein the excavation boom has a sub-frame with a first end and a second end. The first end of the sub-frame is operatively pivotally attached to the main frame along a main frame pivot axis. The main frame pivot axis is transverse to the longitudinal centerline of said prime mover. A head shaft operatively rotatably attached to the second end of said sub-frame along a head shaft axis and the head shaft axis is transverse to the longitudinal centerline of the prime mover. An excavating drum is operatively attached to the head shaft for rotation about said head shaft axis.

Abstract: A rock saw has a cutting wheel and a conveyor assembly capable of retrieving automatically essentially all materials excavated by the cutting wheel and of discharging the retrieved materials into an adjacent truck or the like. The conveyor assembly includes a loading conveyor which is movable from a raised transport position to a lowered operative position. When in its operative position, an inlet end of the loading conveyor is positioned on the ground in a discharge region of the cutting wheel and is biased into engagement with the ground so as not to bounce up and down in operation but so as to ride over rocks and other obstructions without damaging the conveyor. The cutting wheel is both pivotable and slidable with respect to the vehicle mainframe so as to be capable of cutting trenches of radically different depths while still assuring retrieval of essentially all excavated materials by the loading conveyor.

Abstract: A disc-shaped rotary cutter for continuous excavation of hard mineral rock layers according to the invention includes a supporting element having a plurality of end faces and a plurality of cutting elements formed on a circumference of the supporting element and the plurality of end faces. According to the invention, the rotary cutter provides a cylindrical compressive strength of equal to or greater than 20 MPa.

Abstract: A self propelled apparatus for digging a shallow trench along one side of a roadway is disclosed, and which is useful as part of a roadway widening operation. The apparatus comprises a cutter drum mounted to one side of the chassis of the apparatus, and a conveyor belt is mounted to the same side of the chassis with an inlet end positioned immediately adjacent the cutter drum and an elevated outlet end positioned beyond the forward end of the chassis. An enclosure surrounds the cutter drum so that the drum may be rotated in a downwardly cutting direction, and the loosened soil or other material may be lifted and guided around the drum and deposited onto the conveyor. The cutter drum includes one or more extensions which may be coaxially mounted thereto, so as to permit the width of the cutter drum and thus the width of the resulting trench to be selectively varied.

Abstract: A continuous excavating and loading machine having a front mounted rotary digging element divided into sections to allow cantilevered support, digs a width greater than that of any other part of the machine so that the machine may advance on the surface it has cut. The digging element is driven by digging chains which also break up material in their path so that the full digging face is excavated. Excavated material is discharged outwardly from the digging element by both centrifugal force and gravity after rotation past top center. The excavated material falls onto a conveyor system to be elevated and transported to the rear of the machine for transfer to appropriate carriers. A moldboard blade trims surface irregularities and pushes passed material forward into the bucket wheel. A movable skid plate, held against the cut surface by a constant force, supports digging torque reaction loads and damping is provided for shock conditions.

Abstract: A trenching machine having a tractor unit and a trenching bar mounted for transverse sliding movement on the rear end portion of the tractor unit to any desired location within the transverse confines of the tractor unit. Spoil generated by the trenching bar is deposited on either of a pair of transverse conveyors which are operable either to transport spoil transversely outwardly to the side of the trenching machine or transversely inwardly to a central hopper. A longitudinal conveyor located on the center line of the trencher extends from a low position at the rear-end portion of the tractor unit at the bottom of the hopper forwardly and upwardly to a high position forwardly of the tractor unit. A swinging conveyor is mounted for pivotal movement about both a vertical and horizontal axis forwardly of the tractor unit and below the output of the longitudinal conveyor.

Abstract: A continual digging, transporting, and loading accessory can handle material. The accessory is adapted for exchangeable attachment on earth or material moving equipment. The accessory includes a digger outwardly mounted on the earth or material moving equipment for digging the material. Also included is a transporter having an inward unloading end mounted on the earth or material moving equipment and an outward onloading end mounted adjacent to the digger for receiving and transporting the material dug by the digger. The transporter has a carrier for moving between the onloading end and the unloading end to carry the material. The accessory includes a loader having a loading end positioned to receive and transport away from the vehicle the material discharged from the unloading end of the transporter.

Abstract: A heavy duty, chassis-mounted rock trencher for use with a conventional tractor for digging a trench, which obviates the use of outboard counterweights typically used to prevent overcentering problems. The trencher comprises an elongated digger boom selectively pivotally deployable between an inclined digging position and a roughly horizontal transport position. Additionally, the boom may be selectively contracted or extended to transfer weight overcenter and enhance stability. The boom comprises a rigid steel arm entrained by a continuous ground-engaging track of conventional digger elements journalled for rotation about cooperating sprockets upon a headshaft driven by a conventional hydraulic motor. The boom is operationally secured within a rigid, hollow, generally rectangular boom control assembly comprising a movable headshaft mounting housing and a cooperating boom mounting carriage. When the boom is contracted, the headshaft housing slides within the carriage.

Abstract: An excavating apparatus for breaking and removing material away from an upright face of material is disclosed. The apparatus includes a rotary cutting head mounted between the fore ends of a pair of boom arms. The boom arms are pivotally mounted relative to the front end of a vehicular portion of the apparatus. A shroud partially surrounds the cutting head for confining material cut from the face. The shroud includes an edge shoe portion for engaging the face and is pivotally mounted at the fore-end of the boom arms. The shroud is adapted for selective rearward pivotal movement as the boom arms are swung upwardly for maintaining the edge shoe portion against the face.

Abstract: A trench digger for digging and maintaining drainage ditches along railway road beds. The trench digger includes a compact rotary drum cutting head mounted on a boom that can be swung about a boom base pivot axis to position the cutting head to either side of a railroad mounted support carriage. A first conveyor carries loosened composite from the cutting head to a first conveyor discharge point rearwardly of the boom base pivot axis. A second conveyor, pivotally mounted to the boom base at a second conveyor pivot axis oriented rearwardly of the boom base pivot axis, receives the loosened composite from the first conveyor and conveys the loosened composite to a second conveyor discharge point remote from the boom base.

Abstract: A trench-digging chain mountable on a chain saw with no more than minor modification of shielding includes high, narrow cutters on the side of the chain closer to the engine and clutch of the chain saw power unit and low, wide carrier teeth on the opposite side of the chain. The narrow width permits installation of the chain in the clearance normally provided between a drive sprocket and the engine. The carrier teeth include a surface which is approximately horizontal during use, to carry material upwardly out of a trench being dug. Intermediate links include roots to be driven by the drive sprocket and slide in the peripheral guide channel of the saw bar.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for digging deep trenches having parallel generally vertical walls in solid rock such as limestone. The apparatus includes a transport means for providing support and for moving along a traverse on the earth's surface while cutting a trench along that traverse. The transport carries a boom which may be articulated into the ditch being cut and a pair of rock cutterwheels carried on the end of the boom and assembled so that the outermost cutter teeth are wider than any other part of the boom assembly. The apparatus further includes means for aligning the flat surfaces of the rock cutter wheels parallel to and between the walls of the ditch and for maintaining alignment of the wheels with the trench as the transport moves along the traverse so that repeated cuts may be made to extend the trench to any desired depth.

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 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: A hard rock trench cutting machine includes a main body assembly, a cutter wheel assembly, and a longitudinal thrust assembly. The main body assembly includes two longitudinally extending cantilever support booms each having a forward portion and a rearward portion. The rearward portions of the support booms are connected to four side wall support feet which move laterally relative to the support booms between a retracted position and an extended position. The cutter wheel assembly includes a cutter wheel frame slidably disposed on the forward portion of the support booms. A cutter wheel drum carrying a plurality of roller cutters is rotatably carried by the cutter wheel frame for rotation about an axis. The longitudinal thrust assembly extends between the main body assembly and the cutter wheel assembly for pushing the roller cutters against the trench end face.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus for handling bulk products, particularly in granular and pulverulent form, such as ores, coal or the like; the invention relates more especially to pick-up devices constituted by a plurality of buckets mounted on a mobile support such as a bucket wheel, bucket chain or the like.

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.