Earth materials handling apparatus

April 16, 1968

3,378,084

R. M. ULRICH

EARTH MATERIALS HANDLING APPARATUS

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April 16, 1968

R. M. ULRICH

3,378,084

EARTH MATERIALS HANDLING APPARATUS

Filed Jan. 4, 1965

Sheets-Sheet 2

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April 16, 1968 r. m. ulrich 3,378,084

EARTH MATERIALS HANDLING APPARATUS

Filed Jan. 4, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3

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April 16, 1968

R. M. ULRICH

3,378,084

EARTH MATERIALS HANDLING APPARATUS

Filed Jan. 4, 1965

Sheets-Sheet 4

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April 16, 1968 r. m. ulrich 3,378,084

EARTH MATERIALS HANDLING APPARATUS

Filed Jan. 4, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5

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United States Patent Office

3,378,084

Patented Apr. 16, 1968

3,378,084

EARTH MATERIALS HANDLING APPARATUS

Raymond M. Ulrich, Roanoke, Ill., assignor to Ulrich Foundation, Inc., Roanoke, HI,, a corporation of Delaware

Filed Jan. 4,1965, Ser. No. 422,951

Claims. (Cl. 172—247)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A bulldozer comprised of a tractor, a C-frame and a blade wherein the blade comprises a pair of hingedly connected sections each operable under control of an independent hydraulic push beam mounted on the C-frame between the traction means of the tractor and connected to the mid-portion of the respective blade sections; the push beam being pivotally mounted on the C-frame at the forward end of the stationary part thereof so as to obtain maximum results in a minimum of space; the blade having mounting means securing the same at its center to the center of the C-frame for independent hinged movement and conjoint tilting movement of the blade sections. Additionally, wings are provided for detachable connection to the two blade sections to convert the blade into a snowplow, and a further attachment is provided to convert the blade into a device for expedient pushing of other vehicles.

The present invention relates to earth materials handling apparatus, and particularly, to an improved, multipurpose bulldozer blade for rubber-tire tractor dozers.

The invention is concerned in the first instance with adaptation of the multipurpose blade of my Patent No. 3,157,099, issued Nov. 17, 1964, to rubber-tire tractor dozers of the type shown, by way of example, in the patent to Paul F. McAdams No. 3,018,573 issued Jan. 30, 1962.

Secondly, the invention is directed to attachments for my said blade for adapting the same to additional purposes.

The particular objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

Now, in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of making and using my improved blade and blade attachments, I shall describe, in connection with the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of each and the preferred manners of making and using the same.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a rubber tire tractor dozer (shown simply in outline) and my improved blade therefor;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1, with components of the tractor illustrated in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section along the longitudinal center line of the bulldozer showing the blade mounting and pitch adjusting means;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 taken to one side of center and showing the mounting of the push arms for the blade sections;

•FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of my improved blade equipped with V-snow plow attachment wings;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of one of said wings and the mounting means therefor;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a push plate attachment for my blade; and

FIGURE 8 is a side view of the push plate as mounten on the blade, the blade being shown in section.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, I have shown the preferred embodiment of my new blade structure mounted on a conventional tractor of the rubber tire wheel type, the tractor comprising a body 40 having large diameter ground engaging wheels 41 outwardly on each side of the body. As is conventional, the tractor includes an engine, a transmission and the necessary drive elements to drive the wheels and propel the vehicle, the engine also driving a hydraulic pump 42 for providing fluid under pressure for operation of attachments to the tractor.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the blade structure includes a C-frame 44 having side arms 45 which are spaced from one another a distance slightly in excess of the width of the tractor and are universally mounted on the tractor frame at their rearward ends by means of ball and socket connections 46 which pivotally mount the arms on a common transverse axis. Each connection 46 is equipped with a double acting hydraulic jack (not shown) for selectively raising and lowering the same, whereby to tilt the C-frame. The two side arms 45 are rigidly interconnected at their forward ends by a transverse portion 48 extending between the arms forwardly of the tractor body. For pivotally moving the C-frame up and down relative to the body, a pair of hydraulic jacks 49 are pivotally mounted on the opposite sides of the tractor and pivotally connected at their lower forward ends to the transverse portion 48 of the C-frame.

For a more detailed description of the tractor and C-frame, reference is made to Patent 3,018,573, by way of example.

The improved blade per se is indicated generally at 50, the same comprising in its preferred embodiment an upright pintle pin 51 and a pair of blade sections 52 and 53, of identical structure but opposite hands, hingedly mounted on said pin and extending laterally outward in opposite directions therefrom. It would be entirely feasible to form the blade of more than two sections, with adjacent sections hingedly connected together on upright axis. Consequently, I shall refer herein to the blade as comprising a plurality of sections hingedly connected together on upright axes, which definition is intended to include both the two-section blade illustrated and blades comprised of more than two sections.

As shown particularly in FIGURE 3, the hinge or pintle pin 51 comprises an upright rigid post that is reinforced and rigidified by a bracing structure comprising a conical shoe 54 mounted on the lower end of the post and having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined mounting arm 55, an upright plate or flange 56 paralleling the post to the rear thereof and secured, as by welding, to the shoe 54 and its arm 55, and at least a pair of vertically spaced collars 57 secured to the flange 56 and encircling the post, preferably at approximately the middle and the top thereof. Each blade section is of generally conventional construction (see FIGURE 8) and comprises a moldboard face, a reinforced box-type backing for the face and a lower cutting edge of hardened steel. At is inner end, the box portion of each section is angled forwardly and merges with the face into a plurality of vertically spaced hinge leaves, the leaves of the section 52 being indicated at 58 and the leaves of the section 53 being indicated at 59, respectively. In assembling the blade, the hinge leaves 58 and 59 are interleaved and axially aligned with one another and the collars 57, and the pintle pin or post 51 is slid axially through the aligned leaves, collars and shoe and is pinned at its lower end to the shoe.

To mount the blade on the tractor, three mounting and/or adjusting means are provided. The first, indicated generally at 60, is located substantially centrally of the

3.378.084 ³ blade, preferably adjacent its lower edge, and in the illustrated embodiment of the blade it is defined in part by the arm 55 of the composite pintle pin structure. The object of this mounting is to mount the blade on the C-frame with freedom for pivotal movement about a transversely extending pitch axis around which the pitch angle of the blade can be tipped forwardly or backwardly. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, wherein the blade is raised, lowered and tilted by manipulation of the C-frame, the connection 6Q is extremely important in that it must, in particular, transmit to the blade structure the tilting movement of the C-frame, accommodate the intended warping of said frame (see Patent 3,018,573), accommodate pitch adjustment of the blade, accommodate angling of each section of the blade, and still maintain the center of the blade in its proper position relative to the C-frame.

For the stated purposes, I provide a rigid, extremely sturdy link 61 and pivotally mount the same at its opposite ends on the blade pintle pin 51 and the transverse member 48 of the C-frame. Specifically, the arm 55 of the pintle pin structure is bifurcated at its upper rearward end for reception between its bifurcations of the forward end of the link 61. The link and the bifurcations are suitably bored and a pin 62 is passed transversely therethrough. The link 61 broadens out rearwardly to form a wide bifurcated mounting portion by means of which the same is'pivoted, by pins 63, to ears 64 formed integrally with the central part of the transverse portion 48 of the C-frame.

The second mounting and/or adjusting means for the blade comprises means for varying the pitch of the blade, and in the preferred embodiment illustrated herein is comprised of an extensible and retractable strut 91 pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the C-frame 44 and the upper end of the composite pintle pin structure. The strut, as shown in FIGURE 3, comprises a double-acting hydraulic jack including a cylinder 92, a piston reciprocable in the cylinder and a piston rod 95 secured to the piston and extending through the forward end of the cylinder. At its rearward end, the cylinder carries a mounting flange 99 by means of which it is pivotally mounted on a horizontal transverse axis between a pair of upstanding ears 98 on the center of the transverse member of the C-frame. At its forward end, the piston rod 95 carries a clevis 100 by means of which it is pivotally connected to the upper end of the pin reinforcing flange 56 of the blade. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, extension or retraction of the strut 91 will cause the blade to pivot about the pins 62 and/or 63, thereby to vary the pitch of the blade.

The third mounting means for the blade is comprised of an extensible and retractable push beam 65 mounted near the middle of each of the blade sections 52 and 53. Each push beam is preferably a hydraulically operated double acting jack of the construction shown in my copending application Ser. No. 396,997, filed Sept. 16, 1964, now Patent 3,232,184, issued Feb. 1, 1966. As shown in said application, each push beam is comprised of an outer sleeve 77 coextensive with and physically secured to the piston of the jack and a cylinder 66 relatively reciprocable within said sleeve on the piston. In accordance with the present invention, and with reference to FIGURE 4, the sleeve 77 of each push beam is pivotally mounted at the side wall and adjacent the open end thereof on the lower side of the transverse portion 48 of the C-frame 44 on an axis transverse to its own longitudinal axis; and the cylinder 66 of each push beam has a universal connection at its outer or forward end with the respective section of the blade.

To mount the sleeve 77 on the C-frame, the sleeve is provided on the top surface thereof adjacent its open or cylinder receiving end with a circular mounting plate 70, which may if desired be reinforced by bands encircling the sleeve and secured to the plate. The lower wall of the transverse frame member 48 at a location aligned with the plate 70 is provided with a circular opening of a diameter smaller than that of the plate, a downwardly facing annular bearing 71 encircling said opening, and a downwardly depending cylindrical shield 72 for the 5 bearing 71 and plate 70. Within the transverse member 48 a second circular plate 73 engages an upwardly facing bearing surface defined by the lower wall of the member 48, the two plates 70 and 73 being connected together whereby the same pivotally mount the sleeve 77 on the , θ C-frame. To assure accurate guidance and smooth pivotal movement of the sleeve, an annular bearing and spacer member 74 is interposed between the plates and conformably received within the opening in the frame member 48. Preferably, the bearing or ring member 74 is welded 15 to the lower mounting plate 70 and the upper mounting plate 73 is bolted to the ring. To accommodate insertion and tightening of the bolts, the upper wall of the frame member is provided with an access hole or opening which may be closed by a blind plate 75 after the bolts have 2o been secured in place. Suitable means for lubricating the bearing thus formed are preferably provided, as. shown in FIGURE 4.

To accommodate attachment of each push beam to the blade, the respective blade section is provided on its 25 back wall adjacent the midpoint of the lower edge portion thereof with a pair of vertically spaced rearwardly extending bars or brackets 87. Each set of brackets is adapted for passage therethrough of an upright post or pin 88, which is suitably attached to the bracket by nuts 30 at its upper and lower ends. Each pair of the brackets is adapted for reception therebetween of a clevis 89 which is pivotally mounted thereon by means of the post 88, each clevis having rearwardly extending transversely apertured ears. To the clevis 89 I pivotally attach a for35 ward mounting block or flange 83 provided at the end of the cylinder 66 of the respective beam 65, a transverse horizontal pin 90 being employed for the puipose, whereby the beam is universally connected, in effect, to the blade. Preferably, these latter universals are disposed 40 at substantially the same level as the axis of the pin 62 of the first or central mounting means to define a transverse pivot or pitch adjusting axis for each blade section.

Each of the double-acting hydraulic jack or beam means is adapted for selective operation to control the attitude or position of the blade sections; the jacks as45 sociated with the ball joints 46 being operable to tilt the C-frame and the blade; the jacks 49 being operable to raise and lower the frame and blade, and particularly to force the blade downward into the earth when desired; the strut 91 being operable to adjust the pitch angle of ⁵⁰ the blade as a whole; and the push beams 65 being individually adjustable to swing each blade section forward and backward about the upright axis formed by the pintle pin 51. To facilitate adjustment of the blade while the tractor is in motion, suitable controls for the hydraulic 55 actuators are provided at the operator’s station as indicated in FIGURE 1 by the respective reference numerals with appropriate suffix letters.

As thus constituted and mounted, the blade of the present invention is capable of attaining all of the ad⁰⁰ justed positions and operating potentials specifically shown in my Patent 3,157,099; i.e., the blade may be angled in either direction, may have one blade section straight and the other angled, and may be pitched forwardly or backwardly, tilted in either direction and raised and lowered ⁶⁵ in any position of the blade sections. Yet, the structure provided by this invention is extremely compact, being confined entirely within the C-frame, and is very sturdy and reliable in use.

γθ One problem encountered with rubber tire tractor dozers is the variable elevation of the tractor body occasioned by variations in the driving force applied to its wheels. Specifically, the tractor has a tendency to “sit down” under load, i.e., as increased torque-is applied to 75 the drive wheels the tires are squeezed downward where3,378,084 by the body sits somewhat lower than it did at rest. To overcome variations that might thus occur in the elevation of a grade being struck by the blade, I prefer to equip each blade section with a readily attached and detached blade supporting shoe for maintaining a given level of the blade. Specifically, I provide each of the blade sections 52 and 53 at a location somewhat outward from the respective push beam mounting brackets 87 with a pair of rearwardly extending horizontally spaced brackets or bars 101 on which I mount a shoe 102, the shoe having a circular ground engaging base portion and upstanding flanges which are pinned to the brackets 101 by bolts or the like. In use, with the jacks 49 relaxed, the shoes ride on the ground and support the blade at a fixed elevation despite variations in the elevation of the tractor body. Also the shoes prevent excessive digging in of the blade in other instances of use. When not needed, the shoes are readily detached by removal of their mounting pins or bolts.

The capability of the blade for veeing action renders the same ideally suited for snow removal, and to facilitate performance of this function, I equip the blade with upwardly extending curved snow wings facilitating plowing and lateral discharge of heavy snows, drifts, etc. Specifically, I provide on the upper surface of each section of the blade a pair of laterally spaced mounting brackets 110, which are shown in FIGURE 8 as each comprised of a top plate butted against and welded to the top surface of the blade, a back plate bracing the rearward end of the top plate and side panels filling in the space between the top and rear plates and the rearward surface of the blade at each side of the bracket. Adjacent its side edges, the top plate of each bracket is provided with a plurality of tapped bores for reception of attachment mounting bolts 111.

The snow plow attachment, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, comprises a pair of wings 112 each including a curved mold board face 113 having a straight bottom edge of a length equal to that of a blade section, an upwardly and outwardly inclined top edge and an upwardly and outwardly inclined outboard edge, the blade being smoothly curved so as to define, in combination with the respective section of the blade 50, the configuration generally conventional for V snow plow blades. At the rearward side thereof, the mold board is reinforced by a pair of structurally integrated complementary beams 114 aligned respectively with the mounting brackets 110 and including, at the lower edges thereof, mounting plates 115 complementary to and engageable with the top plate of the respective brackets, whereby the respective wing may be bolted onto the respective blade section.

At the inner edge portions thereof, each snow wing 112 includes a rearwardly and inwardly inclined face plate 116 integrated with the respective mold board and terminating in an upright edge substantially aligned with the upright hinge pin 51 of the blade 50. Said inner edge of each plate 116 is provided with vertically spaced collars or hinge leaves 117 adapted to be interleaved with complementary hinge leaves on the other snow wing, and to be hingedly interconnected with the latter by a central hinge pin 118 aligned with the pin 51. Each hinge leaf or collar is preferably rigidified by a brace 119 (FIG. 6). The plates 116 of the two snow wings are so related to one another as to accommodate both forward and rearward veeing of the blade sections 52 and 53, whereby all of the functions and capabilities of the blade structure per se are not only retained, but particularly adapted to the handling of massive amounts of snow and the like. The snow wings are readily attached to and removed from the blade, as needed or desired.

In addition, the present invention facilitates use of the blade equipped tractor-dozer for the further duty of a high power pusher for other vehicles, such for example as bottom loading scrapers. Specifically, referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, I have provided a push plate attachment for my fully adjustable blade to facilitate performance of various pushing chores by the tractor-dozer without removing or damaging the blade structure. This attachment is comprised of a forwardly disposed, heavy duty flat plate 120 serving as the pusher, a pair of side plates 121 curved at their rearward edges to fit the blade sections 52 and 53, top and bottom plates 122 each having a V-notch therein conformably to receive the central area of the blade 50 when the latter is veed forwardly, and upper and lower mounting means for the integrated or welded assembly of plates 120.121 and 122.

The lower mounting means is comprised of a pair of hooks 123 engageable with the lower edge of the respective blade sections and adjustably mounted, respectively, on the side members 121 of the attachment; each hook including an integral threaded stud extended through a lug 124 welded to the respective side plate and carrying a nut 125 above the lug for clamping the hook to the blade. The upper mounting means comprises a similar pair of hooks 126 hooked into spaced parallel slots 127 in the top plate 122 of the attachment; each hook including a rearwardly extending threaded stud passing through a vertical slot in a respective bracket 128 bolted to the respective blade bracket 110, and a nut 129 threaded on said stud for clamping the top of the push plate attachment to the brackets 128-110. Thus, the push plate is quickly and detachably mountable on the blade when the blade is veed forwardly, so that the outer portions of the blade are swung rearwardly away from the object or vehicle to be pushed.

The present invention is thus seen to provide an improved, fully adjustable bulldozer blade structure for rubber tire tractor dozers particularly adapted to the structure and mode of operation of such tractors, and compactly mounted thereon. Also, the invention provides improved and highly desirable attachments for my fully adjustable blade. Accordingly, the objects and advantages of this invention have been shown to be attained in a convenient, economical and practical manner.

While I have shown and described what I regard to be the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be appreciated that various changes, rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.