Centrally Articulated Compound Road Construction Yard Machine With Orientable Auxiliary Element

Abstract

A compound road construction yard machine comprising at least a tractor unit, a central articulated joint for steering and another work unit; for example, an earth compacting unit with vibrating drum or pneumatic wheels, characterized in that the two units comprise therebetween, besides the conventional joint, at least an auxiliary orientable element provided with a disassemblable supporting member. It comprises a device to be applied to centrally articulated machines for rapidly and easily separating the two units thereof and forming then readily other combinations of units on the road construction yard itself.

Parent Case Text

This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 131,297, filed Apr. 5, 1971, and now abandoned.

Description

There are known at present self-moving, central articulated joint machines which comprise a first unit provided with wheels set into rotation by a thermal motor over associated transmission means (this first unit will be called from now on "tractor unit") and a second unit provided at the other side of the central joint and consisting of a static or vibrating type earth compactor provided with metallic drums or pneumatic wheels having smooth surfaces or surfaces with radial projections.

In said conventional machines the central articulated joint does usually not allow for an easy and rapid separation of the two units. However, as the experience has often shown, it is highly desirable in a road construction yard to separate one unit from the other to form different combinations of earth compacting machines by connecting the tractor unit to other earth compacting units available on the yard which may be more suitable for certain kind of works to be performed.

The present invention comprises a device to be applied to centrally articulated machines for rapidly and easily separating the two units thereof and forming then readily other combinations of units on the road construction yard itself.

More precisely the present invention relates to a compound road construction yard machine comprising at least a tractor unit, a central articulated joint for steering and another work unit e.g., an earth compacting unit with vibrating drum or pneumatic wheels, characterized in that the two units comprise therebetween besides the conventional joint at least an auxiliary orientable element provided with a disassemblable supporting member.

The devices comprised by the present invention are: an auxiliary element mounted on the tractor unit by means of a joint comprising at least a vertical rotation axis, said joint being made to rotate by actuating means (fluid operated cylinder-piston group) coinciding with the actuating means of the central joint and a supporting roll member which may be rapidly applied to (and after use disassembled from) said auxiliary element to allow for the tractor unit to perform small displacements even along curves to move farther away from the trailer unit it was originally connected to and enter into contact with another unit of different kind which it may be readily coupled to form a new compound earth compacting machine.

The accompanying drawings diagrammatically show by way of example only the novel auxiliary element and several coupling ways for the different units.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a tractor unit provided with the auxiliary element and its associated roll supporting member.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same tractor unit wherein the auxiliary element has the roll supporting member removed therefrom and shown in dotted lines, said tractor unit being coupled to a towed vibrating earth compacting unit to form a self-moving, vibrating, high efficiency earth compacting machine.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same tractor unit with the auxiliary element coupled to a towed vibrating roller of standard type by means of a connecting element permitting said coupling without modifying the towed vibrating unit.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the unit shown in FIG. 1.

The tractor unit shown in FIG. 1 is provided with pneumatic wheels 2 actuated by the transmission means 3 and suspended by suspension means 4, said tractor unit being guided from the seat 5. Said tractor unit is connected by the joint 6 having a vertical axis 7 to an auxiliary element 8, the rotation of which is obtained by extension and retraction of the actuating means 9 operated by the driver on seat 5.

The auxiliary element 8 has a flange type surface 10 or the like destined to be brought into contact with a similar surface belonging to any other unit which is to be coupled to the tractor unit 1.

The lower portion of the auxiliary element 8 comprises a flange like surface 11 which permits the rapid assembling and disassembling of a supporting roll member 12 provided with one or more idler wheels 13.

In FIG. 2 the tractor unit 1 is connected over the auxiliary element 8 to a high efficiency vibrating earth compacting unit 14 having an independent motor; the unit 14 is provided with a flange surface 15 or the like which may be connected to and disconnected from the surface 10 of the auxiliary element 8. In this figure the supporting roll member 12 is shown with dash lines since it has been removed or alternatively, the roll member 12 may be turned upwards by conventional means (not shown).

FIG. 3 shows the same tractor unit 1 connected to a vibrating roller 16 of standard type to form a compound earth compacting machine, the horizontal bar 17 of said roller 16 having a connecting element 18 provided with a surface 19 which is to be connected to the surface 10 of the auxiliary element 8. Also in this case the supporting roll member 12 has been removed or turned upwards.

FIG. 4 is a plan view on the different components of the tractor unit and of the auxiliary element 8 shown in FIG. 1, namely the pneumatic wheels 2, the guide seat 5, the pivot 6 coaxial with the axis 7 the auxiliary element 8 rotates about, under the action of the acuating means 9, the coupling surface 10 and, indicated with dash lines, the supporting element 12 with its wheels 13.

The illustrated embodiments are given by way of example only and are not limitative at all, all the illustrated elements and members as well as their different arrangements being susceptible of any modification without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A compound road construction machine comprising a tractor unit, a work unit, an auxiliary orientable member connected for rotation relative to said tractor unit about a vertical axis, means for swinging said auxiliary member about said vertical axis, said auxiliary member having a vertical first flange surface on the side thereof opposite said tractor unit, said work unit having a vertical second flange surface thereon detachably interconnected to said first flange surface whereby said work unit is detachably secured to said tractor unit for rotation relative to said tractor unit about said vertical axis, said auxiliary member having a horizontal third flange surface disposed at the lower end of said first flange surface and extending toward said tractor unit from the lower edge of said first flange surface, an element having a horizontal fourth flange surface detachably secured to said third flange surface beneath said third flange surface, and wheels carried by and disposed beneath said element.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, said work unit comprising a vibrating roller, a connecting bar extending from said roller toward said tractor unit, and a connecting element disposed between and interconnecting said second flange surface and said horizontal bar and supporting the end of said horizontal bar which is nearest said tractor unit.