Compaction roller

A compaction roller machinery assembly (10) suspended from the rear of a bulldozer (12) for compacting surfaces such as sand. The assembly (10) includes a vehicle (12) having a power plant for driving the assembly, a vibratory compaction roller (18) extending in a cantilevered fashion from a pivot axis on the vehicle for compacting a surface and a roller lift assembly (20) mounted to the vehicle (12) and interconnecting the vibratory compaction roller (18) and the vehicle (12) raising and lowering the vibratory compaction roller (18) about the pivot axis between a raised position and a surface engaged position. The vibratory compaction roller (18) includes a roller (22) for rolling and compacting surfaces and a vibration producing mechanism for vibrating the roller to facilitate the compaction of the surfaces. In addition, the assembly includes a first and second hydraulic pump disposed on the vehicle (12) for supplying hydraulic power to the roller lift assembly for raising and lowering the roller and to the hydraulic vibration producing mechanism (24) on the vibratory compaction roller (18) to vibrate the roller (22) to facilitate the compaction of the surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
(1) TECHNICAL FIELD 
The subject invention relates to a hydraulic vibratory compaction roller 
adapted to be permanently and pivotally connected to the back of a 
vehicle. 
(2) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Compaction rollers are well known in the art and are employed, for example, 
by construction contractors who are involved in digging operations. For 
instance, when laying sewer pipes, the construction contractors are 
required to compact the soil tightly when back filling trenches. To 
accomplish this, contractors employ large independently driven roller 
machines with large drum rollers located on the front, similar to the type 
used to compact asphalt during road paving. This invention, however, 
relates to tow type vibratory compaction rollers adapted to be towed 
behind bulldozers, or the like, to compact the back fill in the trenches. 
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,407 issued to Dresher on Nov. 30, 1971 
discloses a vibratory compaction roller which includes a hitch and a 
source of hydraulic power mounted to the back of a bulldozer. The 
compaction roller is permanently attached to the back of the bulldozer and 
includes a frame in the form of a yoke and a tow bar. A drum is rotatably 
mounted in the arm of the yoke. Although the roller is permanently 
attached to the back of the bulldozer, the Dresher '407 patent does not 
disclose a roller lift means for raising and lowering the roller nor a 
first and second hydraulic pump for supplying hydraulic power to both the 
hydraulic cylinder or the roller lift means and the hydraulic vibration 
producing means on the roller. 
Compaction rollers adapted to be towed behind vehicles and including roller 
lift means are also known in the art and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,052 
issued to Anderson on Mar. 29, 1983. The Anderson '052 patent discloses an 
articulated tractor attachment with roller including a three part hitch 
and a hydraulic cylinder for raising and lowering the roller. However, the 
Anderson '052 patent does not disclose any means for vibrating the roller. 
Detachable tow type compaction rollers are difficult to hitch to and from 
machinery and this can also be time consuming. In addition, detachable tow 
type compaction rollers are presently manufactured with vibration 
producing motors for vibrating the drum rollers which aid in the 
compaction process. These motors increase the cost of the detachable tow 
type compaction rollers. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES 
The subject invention relates to a vibratory compaction roller machinery 
assembly for compacting surfaces such as sand. The assembly includes a 
vehicle having a power plant, such as a bulldozer, for driving the 
assembly, roller means extending in a cantilevered fashion from a pivot 
axis on the bulldozer for compacting the surface and roller lift means 
mounted to the bulldozer and interconnecting the roller means and the 
bulldozer for raising and lowering the roller means about the pivot axis 
between a raised position and a surface engaged position. The roller means 
includes a roller for rolling and compacting surfaces and vibration 
producing means for vibrating the roller to facilitate the compaction of 
the surfaces. The assembly is characterized by including first and second 
hydraulic pump means disposed on the bulldozer for supplying hydraulic 
power to the roller lift means for raising and lowering the roller and to 
the hydraulic vibration producing means on the roller means to vibrate the 
roller to facilitate compaction of the surface. 
The present invention overcomes all of the aforementioned problems by 
incorporating an inexpensive vibratory compaction roller adapted to be 
pivotally and permanently connected to the back of a vehicle having a 
power plant which includes means for raising and lowering the roller for 
selective use of the compaction roller. No time is wasted attaching and 
removing the roller as it is permanently affixed to the back of the 
vehicle and may be raised by the roller lift means when not in use. 
Finally, the present invention eliminates the need for an auxiliary power 
source on the roller means for powering the vibration producing means as 
required by tow type compaction rollers by employing first and second 
hydraulic pump means disposed on the vehicle for supplying hydraulic power 
to the roller lift means for raising and lowering the roller and to the 
hydraulic vibration producing means on the compaction roller to vibrate 
the roller to facilitate the compaction of the surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A compaction roller machinery assembly for compacting surfaces such as sand 
is generally shown at 10 in FIG. 1. The assembly includes a vehicle 
including a power plant 12, such as a bulldozer, for driving said 
assembly. The bulldozer 12 is of the conventional type including a blade 
14 disposed at the front of the bulldozer and a pair of endless tracks 16 
which aid in the bulldozer's maneuverability in areas where tire traction 
is poor. The assembly 10 further includes a vibratory compaction roller 
means 18 extending in a cantilevered fashion from a pivot axis on the 
bulldozer 12 for compacting a surface and roller lift means, generally 
indicated at 20, mounted to the bulldozer 12 and interconnecting the 
roller means 18 and the bulldozer 12 for raising and lowering the roller 
means 18 about the pivot axis between a raised position and a surface 
engaged position. The vibratory compaction roller means 18 includes a 
roller 22 for rolling and compacting surfaces and a vibration producing 
means 24, schematically represented in FIG. 3, for vibrating the roller to 
facilitate the compaction of the surfaces. The vibration producing means 
24 may be of any type commonly known in the art and for example, as shown 
in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,407 issued to Dresher and directed toward a 
vibratory compaction roller. The assembly also includes a first and second 
hydraulic pump means disposed on the driven machinery 12 for supplying 
hydraulic power to the roller lift means for raising and lowering the 
roller means 18 and to the hydraulic vibration producing means 24 on the 
roller means 18 to vibrate the roller 22 to facilitate the compaction of 
the surface. The roller means 18 includes a housing 28. The vibration 
producing means 24 and the roller 22 are disposed within the housing 28. 
The assembly 10 includes a pair of stabilizers 30 extending in a 
cantilevered fashion from the pivot axis on the vehicle and between the 
housing 28 and the vehicle 12 and in parallel spaced relationship with 
respect to one another. The stabilizers 30 are fixedly secured at one end 
to the housing 28 and pivotally connected at the opposite end to the 
bulldozer 12. 
The roller lift means 20 includes a hydraulic cylinder 32 having a piston 
(not shown) moveable therein between first and second positions and a rod 
34 extending from the piston exteriorly of the cylinder 32. The hydraulic 
cylinder 32 receives hydraulic pressure from the first hydraulic pump 
located within the driven machinery. The first hydraulic pump typically 
delivers hydraulic power to the piston cylinders which raise the blade 14 
and is adapted to also power hydraulically operated attachments to the 
driven machinery 12. Accordingly, the first hydraulic pump is also 
employed for supplying the roller lift means 20 with hydraulic power for 
carrying and raising the roller means 18. A piston delivery passage 36 is 
employed for providing positive fluid pressure to one side of the piston 
in the cylinder 32 to move the rod 34 to its extended position. A piston 
return passage 38 provides positive fluid to the other side of the piston 
in the cylinder 32 to move the rod 34 to its retractable position to lift 
the roller means 18. 
The roller lift means 20 also includes a cylinder support means, generally 
indicated at 40. The cylinder 32 is pivotally connected at one end to the 
cylinder support means 40. The hydraulic cylinder 32 raises the roller 
means 18 to the raised position when the rod 34 is moved to its retracted 
position and lowers the roller means 18 to the lowered position once the 
rod 34 is moved to its extended position. The cylinder support means 40 
includes a pair of opposing flanges 42 disposed in spaced relationship 
with respect to one another and fixedly secured to the driven machinery 
12. The hydraulic cylinder 32 includes a hole disposed at the end opposite 
to the rod 34 and the piston support means 40 includes a pin 44 disposed 
through the hole in the hydraulic cylinder 32. The pin 44 extends between 
the opposing flanges 42 for allowing the hydraulic cylinder 32 to pivot as 
the roller means 18 is raised and lowered. The housing 28 includes a 
mounting bracket 48. The mounting bracket 48 includes a U-shaped flange 
having opposing sides 50 spaced from one another. The rod 34 extending 
from the cylinder 32 includes a hole disposed at the distal end thereof. 
The mounting bracket 48 includes a mounting pin 54 disposed through the 
hole and extending between the opposing sides 50 of the U-shaped flange 48 
for allowing the hydraulic cylinder 32 to pivot as the roller means 18 is 
raised and lowered. 
The bulldozer 12 includes a fluid oil reservoir 56, shown schematically in 
FIG. 3, for storing a quantity of fluid and a power take off shaft (not 
shown) continuously driven by the bulldozer 12. The second hydraulic pump 
means 26 includes a second hydraulic pump operatively connected to the 
driven machinery 12 at the power take off shaft for continuously driving 
the second hydraulic pump 26. The assembly includes fluid delivery means, 
generally indicated at 62, interconnecting the second hydraulic pump 26, 
the hydraulic vibration producing means 24 and the fluid reservoir 56 for 
providing fluid communication therebetween to facilitate the second 
hydraulic pump 26 operatively pumping fluid through the fluid delivery 
means 62 from the fluid reservoir 56 to the hydraulic vibration producing 
means 24 for vibrating the roller 22 and to pump fluid back to the 
reservoir 56. The delivery means 62 includes a valve means 64 and an 
arterial passage 66 extending between the valve means 64 and the second 
hydraulic pump 26 for providing fluid communication there between. The 
valve means 64 selectively regulates the flow of fluid to and from the 
vibration producing means 24 on the roller means 18. The delivery means 62 
includes a control means 68 which is operatively connected to the valve 
means 64 for selectively controlling the valve means 64 to direct the flow 
of fluid to and from the vibratory producing means 24 on the roller means 
18. The control means 68 is connected by a series of linkages, commonly 
known in the art, to the cab of the bulldozer 12 wherein an operator may 
control the control means 68 and therefore the valve means 64. The 
delivery means 62 also includes a compactor delivery passage 70 extending 
between the valve means 64 and the vibration producing means 24 for 
providing fluid communication therebetween. A compactor return passage 72 
extends between the vibration producing means 24 and the fluid reservoir 
56 for providing fluid communication therebetween. A bypass passage 74 
extends between the valve means 64 and a point on the compactor return 
passage 72 for providing fluid communication between the valve means 64 
and the compactor return passage 72 to bypass the vibration producing 
means 24 when the valve means 64 is in a predetermined bypass position. In 
this way, when the roller 22 is not being used, it may be raised by the 
roller lift means 20 and the hydraulic fluid, which is continuously pumped 
by the second hydraulic pump 26 operatively connected to the power take 
off shaft, may be diverted by the valve means 64 to the bypass passage 74 
into the compactor return passage 72 then on to the reservoir 56 to "short 
circuit" the system and therefore bypass the vibration producing means 24. 
A check valve 76 is employed to prevent the back flow of hydraulic fluid 
toward the vibration producing means 24 through the compactor return 
passage 72. The delivery means 64 further includes a pump return passage 
78 extending between the second pump means 26 and the fluid reservoir 56 
for providing fluid communication therebetween. A fluid relief passage 80 
extends between the vibration producing means 24 and the fluid reservoir 
56. The relief passage 80 provides a path for fluid flow when the 
hydraulic fluid pressure of the hydraulic vibration producing means 24 
exceeds a predetermined level. This may occur when, for instance, dirt, 
grit, or other substances find their way into the vibration producing 
means 24 thereby causing it to bind up. In this case, the hydraulic fluid 
pressure will rise until it exceeds a predetermined level wherein fluid 
may then be allowed to flow along the relief passage 80 back to the 
reservoir 56 thereby relieving this pressure and preventing any damage to 
the vibration producing means 24. 
In its operative mode, the roller means 18 may be selectively lowered from 
the raised position to the surface engage position when the operator of 
the bulldozer 12 selectively directs hydraulic fluid to one side of the 
piston in the cylinder 32 of the roller lift means 20. Further compactive 
force may be exerted on the surface to be compacted by means of the roller 
lift means 20. Hydraulic fluid is continuously pumped from the second 
hydraulic pump 26 through the arterial passage 66 to the valve means 64. 
When the vibratory compaction roller is in its lowered, surface engaged 
position the operator actuated control means 68 selectively regulates the 
valve means 64 to direct the flow of fluid through the compactor delivery 
passage 70 to the vibration producing means 24. The compactor return 
passage 72 allows the hydraulic fluid to return to the fluid reservoir 56. 
From the fluid reservoir 56, the hydraulic fluid is drawn back to the 
second hydraulic pump 26 through a pump return passage 78. When the 
vibratory compaction roller means 18 is not being used the operator of the 
driven machinery 12 may then actuate the control means 68 to selectively 
regulate the valve means 64 to direct the flow of fluid through the bypass 
passage 74 and then into the compactor return passage 72 and onto the 
fluid reservoir 56 thereby bypassing the vibration producing means 24. The 
check valve prevents any fluid from flowing back through the compactor 
return passage 72 into the vibration producing means 24. 
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be 
understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in 
the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are 
possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be 
understood that within the scope of the appended claims wherein reference 
numerals are merely for convenience and are not to be in any way limiting, 
the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.