旋轉(zhuǎn)開(kāi)溝機(jī)的外文論文.docx

United States Patent5,237,761Nadeau , et al.August 24, 1993*Please see images for:( Certificate of Correction )*Rotaryditcherhaving ripper bladesAbstractA rotaryditcherhas a flywheel type rotor carrying impeller blades that pick up and throw soil to the side of the rotor as the rotor is advanced into a body of soil in the direction of its axis of rotation. In advance of the rotor are two ripper blades that loosen the soil to be picked up and discharged by the rotor.Inventors:Nadeau; Gilbert M.(Fannystelle,CA), Nicolajsen; Jeff P.(Sperling,CA), Nicolajsen; Russel P.(Sperling,CA)Assignee:Rotary Ditchers Ltd.(Winnipeg,CA)Family ID:4145142Appl. No.:07/708,688Filed:May 31, 1991Foreign Application Priority DataJun 5, 1990 CA2018274Current U.S. Class:37/92; 172/109; 172/78; 37/189; 37/906Current CPC Class:A01B 13/02(20130101); E02F 3/186(20130101); E02F 3/20(20130101); E02F 5/32(20130101); E02F 7/00(20130101); E02F 5/027(20130101); Y10S 37/906(20130101)Current International Class:A01B 13/02(20060101); A01B 13/00(20060101); E02F 7/00(20060101); E02F 5/32(20060101); E02F 3/18(20060101); E02F 5/02(20060101); E02F 3/20(20060101); E02F 5/00(20060101); E02F 005/08(); E02F 005/14(); E02F 005/32()Field of Search:;37/91,92,93,109,189,DIG.19 ;172/63,78,64,108,109References CitedReferenced ByU.S. Patent Documents888327May 1908Harris1903124March 1933Miller et al.3168785February 1965Davis3261117July 1966Shoemaker et al.3417495December 1968Barras3624826November 1971Rogers4976052December 1990JeaneForeign Patent Documents216979Dec 1957AU1092391Mar 1957DE589338Jan 1978SUOther ReferencesKeyWay Ditchers of Minnesota, Inc. brochure The Rotary Ditch Cleaner.Primary Examiner:Taylor; Dennis L.Assistant Examiner:Olsen; Arlen L.Attorney, Agent or Firm:Kinney & LangeClaimsWe claim:1. Aditcheradapted to be moved in a longitudinal direction over a body of soil to form a ditch, saidditchercomprising:a frame adapted to be connected to a mobile power member;a rotor rotatably mounted to the frame about a longitudinal axis fore and aft axis;said rotor comprising a disc extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;a plurality of rotor blades fixed to the disc and having portions extending outwardly beyond a periphery of the disc;means for adjusting the depth of the frame relative to the body of soil comprising a wheel arm pivotally mounted to the frame at the rear side thereof, a wheel mounted on an outer end of said wheel arm, and a hydraulic actuator for moving the wheel arm about its pivot to change the relative position of the wheel and the frame, said wheel being mounted to trail the frame and ride in the ditch being formed by the rotor; andat least one ripper blade mounted on the frame forwardly of the rotor with respect to the direction of movement to loosen soil ahead of the rotor, said ripper blade comprising a rigid blade having a leading point, and said point having a bevel edge that inclines upwardly from near a lower end of the ripper blade to cause a lifting action to the soil as the ripper blade is moved through the soil, and said rotor being rotated at a speed to cause the soil removed by the rotor blades to be thrown laterally of the frame.2. Theditcheras specified in claim 1 and an adjustable apron pivotally mounted on the frame adjacent a lateral side where soil is thrown from theditcher,said apron being adjustable to intercept thrown soil and deflect the soil downwardly adjacent to the ditch being formed.3. Theditcherof claim 1 wherein the frame has walls thereon forming a rotor housing, including a top wall, and a lining of low friction material on an inner surface of the top wall to reduce the likelihood of soil adhering to the top wall.4. Aditcheradapted to be propelled in longitudinal forward direction over a body of soil to be ditched, saidditchercomprising:a rotor disc having a periphery and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis;a plurality of generally radial impeller blades carried by the rotor disc and having portions projecting being the periphery of the rotor disc for sequentially engaging the body of soil and propelling soil laterally from the rotor disc upon rotation of the rotor disc, each blade comprising a substantially planar body and a concave lip along an edge thereof spaced from the rotor disc;each blade being secured to the rotor disc by a pivot bolt and a shear pin, the shear pin being located farther from the longitudinal axis of the rotor disc than the pivot bolt; andmeans for adjusting the depth of the impeller blades relative to the body of soil.5. Aditcheraccording to claim 4 and a hitch comprising a three-point hitch coupling, and including pivot means connecting the hitch coupling to theditcherfor free pivotal movement of theditcherwith respect to the hitch coupling about a lateral axis.6. Aditcheraccording to claim 4 including a rotor disc shaft for the rotor, a second shaft spaced from the rotor shaft and mounted on theditcher,a chain and sprocket drive for effecting a desired speed ratio coupled between the rotor shaft and the second shaft, power take-off means connected to the second shaft for driving the rotor shaft from a power take-off of a towing vehicle through the chain and sprocket drive.7. Aditcheraccording to claim 4 wherein the means for adjusting the depth comprises a depth control wheel mounted on the ditches and trailing the rotor.8. Aditcheraccording to claim 7 wherein the means for adjusting the depth includes a wheel arm pivotally mounted on theditcherand extending rearwardly therefrom, the wheel arm and carrying the depth control wheel thereon, and hydraulically actuated means for pivoting the wheel arm with respect to theditcher.9. Aditcheraccording to claim 8 including a depth gauge displaying the position of the depth control wheel with respect to the rotor.10. Theditcherof claim 4, further comprising an adjustable apron pivotally mounted on theditcheradjacent a lateral side where soil is propelled from theditcher,the apron being adjustable relative to the rotor disc to intercept soil propelled by the rotor disc and deflect the soil downwardly adjacent to the ditch being formed.11. Theditcheras specified in claim 10 wherein the apron has at least two sections, a first section being pivotally mounted to the frame, and a second section pivotally mounted to an outer end of the first section and angularly adjustable relative thereto.12. Aditcheradapted to be propelled in longitudinal forward direction over a body of soil to be ditched, saidditchercomprising:a frame having a wall thereon forming a rotor housing including a top wall, and a lining of low friction material on an inner surface of the top wall;a rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis on the frame and at least partially in the housing;a plurality of generally radial impeller means carried by the rotor for sequentially engaging the body of soil and propelling soil laterally from the rotor upon rotation of the rotor, the propelled soil also being retained in a path of movement by the housing, the low friction material lining reducing the likelihood of soil adhering to the top wall;means for adjusting the depth of the impeller means relative to the body of soil; andat least one ripper for engaging and loosening the body of soil longitudinally forwardly of the rotor, the ripper entering into the soil and being positioned to loosen soil in the path subsequently cut by the rotor.13. Aditcheraccording the claim 12 wherein the rotor comprises a disc, and the impeller means comprises a plurality of spaced-apart blades having portions projecting beyond a periphery of the disc.14. Aditcheraccording to claim 13 wherein the spaced-apart blades each comprise a flat blade member having a beveled leading edge, and the flat blade member being supported with the beveled leading edge spaced from a face of said rotor disc and being angled back toward the rotor disc.15. Aditcheraccording to claim 14 wherein at least the leading edge and an outer end edge of the portion of the flat blade member projecting beyond the periphery of the disc are hard surfaced.16. Aditcheraccording to claim 12 wherein the ripper comprises two ripper blades converging downwardly.17. Aditcheraccording to claim 16 wherein the ripper blades have concave beveled leading edge adjacent lower end portions, wherein the lower end portions are bent toward a center line of theditcher.18. Aditcheraccording to claim 16 including means for adjusting the vertical portion of the ripper blades on the frame.DescriptionBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to ditchers and more particularly to rotary ditchers for forming drainage ditches.In a rotaryditcher,impellers carried by a rotor engage the soil to be ditched as the rotor is rotated and scoop the soil from the surrounding surface and throw it centrifugally to the side of the ditch being cut. With ditchers of this type considerable power is required to draw the rotor into the body of the soil being ditched, especially if the soil is heavy or highly compacted, for example in clay soil. The presence of rocks and other hard objects in the soil aggravates this problem and can, in a worst case, cause significant damage to theditcher.The present invention provides an improvedditcherthat provides improved operation of ditchers of the type.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the present invention there is provided aditcheradapted to be moved in a longitudinal forward direction over a body of soil to be ditched. Theditchercomprises a frame mounting a rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis that is preferably driven from a power takeoff of a towing vehicle.A plurality of impellers or blades are carried by the rotor to sequentially engage the body of soil and propelling soil laterally from the rotor and frame upon rotation of the rotor and forward movement of the frame to form the ditch. Ripper means for engaging and loosening the body of soil below the surface longitudinally forwardly of the rotor may be used. The rippers loosen the soil ahead of the rotor to an appropriate depth so that the rotor functions primarily to throw the already loosened soil to one side of the ditch rather than operating as a digging implement.Theditcheris preferably drawn by a three-point hitch of a tractor and has a depth control wheel. The frame of theditchermay be pivotally connected to the hitch so that it can pivot up freely on impact with large objects that cannot be loosened by the rippers.The impeller may be a single-sided blade with a concave lip along one edge or, in a preferred embodiment, a blade assembly that has a hard surface edge for soil engagement. The impellers are preferably connected to the rotor through the use of bolts, for replacement purposes. In one form, a bolt is closest to the center of rotation and a shear pin is used outwardly of the bolt. With this arrangement, impacts with rocks or other hard objects sufficient to severe the shear pin will cause the impeller or blade to pivot towards the rotor axis to release the object. While continued rotation of the rotor will cause the impeller or blade to swing outwardly, its maximum extent is approximately its operating position so that no undue hazard is caused.The top of the interior chamber for the impellers may be lined with polyethylene or other low friction material to reduce sticking of dirt to the housing.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the invention;FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1 with the covers removed;FIG. 3 is an end view of a first form of impeller or blade;FIG. 4 is a section along line 5-5 of FIG. 1;FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a depth control;FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a modified embodiment of the invention with parts removed for sake of clarity;FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion of the rotor of the modified form of the invention of FIG. 6;FIG. 8 is an end view of a cutting blade and a portion of the rotor shown in FIG. 7;FIG. 9 is a fragmentary front view illustrating a top wall and a lining therefor for the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6;FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view illustrating a ripper blade installed on the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6;FIG. 11 is a plan view of a ripper blade shown in FIG. 10;FIG. 12 is a rear view of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 6 showing an alternate soil deflection apron mounted on theditcher;FIG. 13 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 shown from the discharge side of themachine,but with the apron removed;FIG. 14 is a top plan view of a portion of the apron shown in FIG. 12 with parts broken away for clarity;FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of a gear box assembly utilized with the present invention; andFIG. 16 is a sectional view taken on line 16-16 in FIG. 15.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSReferring to the accompanying drawings and especially FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated aditcher10 that is built on a frame 12 with an open side 14 for the ejection of soil being ditched. The remainder of the frame is enclosed by cover plates 15 to form a rotor housing.As illustrated most particularly in FIG. 2, the frame encloses a rotor 16 composed of a flywheel type disc 18 extending radially from a central mounting shaft 32. The disc carries three impellers 20 on its leading face. Each impeller includes a radially extending blade 22 with a planar body and a concave lip 24 along its outer edge. The blades are arranged radially on the leading face of the disc 18 and project longitudinally of theditcher,to the front of the disc. Each impeller also includes a mounting flange 26 lying on the face of the disc 18 and projecting from the blade in a direction opposite the curve of the lip 24. The mounting flange 26 carries a bushing 27 (FIG. 4) perpendicular to the disc 18 and rotating on a mounting bolt 28 that passes through the bushing and the disc. The mounting flange 26 is also fixed to the disc 18 with a shear pin 30 that extends through aligned holes in the flange and the disc. The shear pin 30 is smaller in diameter and of less strength than the bolt 28. It is positioned radially farther from the center of disc 18 so that on impact of the impeller with a hard object, the shear pin will shear and release first, allowing the impeller blade to rotate freely around the bolt 28. A stop 29 on the disc 18 limits the rotation of the respective impellers to protect the mounting shaft 32 of the disc 18. The shaft 32 supported in bearings 34 on the frame 12.In front of the rotor 16 on the frame 12 are two ripper blade housings 36 fixed to the frame 12. These are rectangular tubular slide housings converging in downward direction. Each of the housings 36 slidably supports a ripper blade 38 with a leading cutting edge 40. The upper end of each blade 38, where it projects from the associate housing 36, is equipped with a handle 42. A series of apertures 44 in the ripper housing 36 may selectively be aligned with a mating aperture in the associated ripper blade and the two sliding parts held together with a pin 46. This provides for the adjustment of the ripper blades in the ripper blade housing so the blades will penetrate the soil. The lower ends of the ripper blades 38 are preferably shaped to provide a lifting action as shown. The lower tips of the ripper blades 38 are shaped to have a point portion 45 that is defined by an inclined and beveled upper surface 47 that is recessed and beveled or sharpened so there is an edge 47B formed by the beveled surface 47. The beveled surface sheds the soil as well. The sharpened edge slides through the soil and lifts and loosens the soil through which the blade moves. The ripper blades 38 are used where the ground is hard packed clay or the like. A more detailed showing is made in FIGS. 10 and 11.At the leading end of the frame 12 are two beams 48 that fit into respective sockets 49 in the frame 12 and are bolted in place. Each of the beams 48 is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 50 at its leading end to one side of a three-point hitch coupling 52. Each side of the coupling 52 is a plate with a lower section 54 to which the beam 48 is connected, the coupling plates each include an inwardly offset upper section 56. A flange 57 along the bottom edge extends under the beam 48 to limit the pivoting movement of the frame 12 on the hitch coupling.A power take-off shaft 58 is connected to the front end of the rotor shaft 32 to drive the shaft from the power take-off of a towing vehicle.To control the depth of cut of theditcher,a depth control mechanism is mounted on the trailing end of the frame 12. This includes a depth control wheel 64 mounted on a wheel arm 66 pivoted to the frame by a pivot 68. A hydraulic cylinder 70 extends between the frame 12 and the wheel arm 66 to control the vertical position of the wheel 64 with respect to the rotor 16.A visual depth gauge 72 is mounted on the apparatus to indicate the depth to which theditcherhas been set. This includes a rod 74 mounted on the wheel arm 66 by pivot a 76 and a sleeve 78 on the frame 12 through which the rod 7 slides. The rod 74 is graduated and readings are taken where the rod enters the sleeve 78 to indicate the ditch depth.In FIGS. 6-16, a modified form of the invention