A CATERPILLAR-DRIVEN EXCAVATING MACHINE EQUIPPED WITH A SEPARATE WORKING TOOL

Abstract: A caterpillar-driven excavating machine comprising an arrangement (9) manoeuvreably mounted on the under-carriage (4) and comprising a working tool (10), preferably a gripping tool (10), intended to grip around a post, and a control unit (14, 16) connected between the tool (10) and the machine. Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement (9) in a retracted, protected position for transport purposes. The distance setting of the tool (10) can be adjusted by extending a first part (14), with the aid of a hydraulic motor (12), and by advancing a second part (16) with the aid of a hydraulic piston-cylinder device. Lateral and height settings of the tool (10) are adjusted with the aid of a guide tube (17), two lateral control means (18) and two height control means (20) respectively, independently of the excavating function.

Description: A Caterpiller-Driven Excavating Machine Equipped with a Separate Working Tool. The present invention relates to a caterpiller-driven excavating machine equipped with a separate, manoeuvre- able tool, preferably a gripping tool intended for gripping around a post and firmly holding the same. When erecting telephone cables or power cables, dssen- tially two different systems are employed for the purpose of setting the necessary posts in the ground. One of these systems is known as the giraffe systeώ, in which a gripping tool is mounted on the control cabin of a wheel-driven excavator through the intermediary of a telescopically manoeuvreable operating arm. The draw¬ backs with this system are that the gripping tool and the telescopically manoeuvreable arm are unprotected during transportation and that because of its position on the machine, the arm carrying the gripping tool Kks difficulty in managing the heaviest ' posts. Furtherm re, a wheeled excavating machine has limited accessibility when the ground is muddy and wet, for instance. Neither is the digging ability of a wheeled excavator as great as that of a tracked excavator or digger, and conse- quently difficulties can arise when the ground to be dug is froaen. The other system used to mount the posts required in the erection of overhead telephone and power cables * includes a caterpiller-driven or tracked excavating machine equipped with a bucket on which a gripping tool is mounted. The most serious drawback with this system is that the digging and gripping functions of the bucket and tool respectively cannot be carried * out simultaneously, and consequently two workmen are needed to carry out the work of mounting the posts in the ground. One workman sits in the machine and with the aid of the gripping tool holds the post in position in a pre-dug hole while the other person fills in the hole around the post manually. An attempt to lessen the effect of this drawback can be made by mounting on the bucket two soil-containers which are filled with soil and operated from the control cabin. When the post is subsequently held in place by the gripping tool, the soil-containers are manoeuvred so that the soil will fall into the hole in which the post is placed. The hole is not filled completely, however, and consequent¬ ly the need for two workmen remains. These drawbacks are overcome by the tracked excavating machine of the present invention having the charac¬ terizing features set forth in the characterizing clause of the following main Claim. The tool, preferab¬ ly a gripping tool, is mounted on a control unit which during transportation is retracted into a protective position in the machine chassis, between the tracks of the machine. This reduces the risk of damage to the tool. The tool can also be manoeuvred readily into position with the aid of the control unit, which is operative to adjust the distance between the tool and the excavating machine, and also with the aid of lateral control means and height control means opera¬ tive to adjust the lateral positions and high positions of the tool respectively. Thus, the tool can be man- oeuvred independently of the bucket, thereby enabling the individual functions of the tool and the bucket to be performed simultaneously. This will enable the work of mounting posts intended for supporting overhead telephone cables or power cables to be performed by one single workman. The inventive tracked excavating machine is not re¬ stricted by the weight of the posts or prevailing weather conditions or the condition of the ground (can be used on frozen ground, for instance). The ability to use the bucket function and tool function simultaneous*- ly and independently of one another renders the ex¬ cavating machine highly versatile. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof illustra¬ ted in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of an inventive caterpi-.ller- driven excavating machine provided with a control unit, which is shown in a retracted protected position; Figure 2 is a side view similar to the side view of Figure 1, but with the control unit in an extended working position; Figure 3 is a view from above of an arrangement com¬ prising a tool (in this instance a gripping tool) and a control unit, and shows the positioning of the unit in the machine; Figure 4 is a front view of the invented machine il¬ lustrating the positioning of said arrangement (not shown in detail) in the underchassis of the machine; and ! Figure 5 is an illustration of a gripping tool for use in conjunction with the inventive excavating machine. Figure 1 is a side view of an inventive excavating machine 2. The machine 2 comprises a control cabin 6, two drive caterpillers or tracks 5, a bucket 8, and a tool 10, preferably a gripping tool 10. Figure 1 shows the machine 2 in its transport position, in which the tool 10 mounted on a control unit (not shown) is retr¬ acted into a protected position in the carriage 4 of the excavating machine 2, between the tracks 5. Figure 2 is a side view of the inventive machine shown in Figure 1 and shows the tool 10 extended to a working position. A control unit 14, 16 carrying the tool 10 is also extended in this position of the tool. The control unit comprises a first part 14 and a second part 16. The first part 14 is manoeuvred with the aid of a motor unit not shown. The second part 16 can only be manoeuvred when the first part 14 is fully extended. A hydraulic piston-cylinder device (not shown) is used to extend the second part 16 from its retracted position in the first part 14. The distance of the tool 10 from the machine 2 can be adjusted through the intermediary of the control unit 14, 16 in the state illustrated in Figure 2. The tool can also be adjusted laterally and vertically with the aid of lateral control means and height control means respectively, so as to enable the tool 10 to be adjusted to suitable working positions. Figure 3 illustrates from above an arrangement 9 which includes a tool 10 and a control unit 14, 16, said Figure showing the position of the arrangement 9 on the machine 2. Figure 3 also illustrates the position of the arrangement 9 in a transport position, i.e. the retracted, protected position shown in Figure 1. In this protected position, the first part 14 and the second part 16 of the control unit are completely retracted one within the other, i.e. the second part 16 is retracted in the first part 14. When occupying said transport position, the major portion of said unit- parts are accommodated in a passageway 7 in the under- chassis of the machine 2. Only the tool 10 will project beyond the tracks 5 of the machine 2 in this protected position of the arrangement. When the machine operator wishes to use the tool 10, he/she activates a hydraulic motor 12, such as to advance the first part 14, through the intermediary of a toothed drive for instance, to.a fully extended position, in which it is locked by a shoulder 34. The other part 16 of the control unit is located substantially in the passageway 7 of the-chass¬ is 4 and cannot be extended to a desired position until the first part of said unit is locked in position. This will enable the adjustments to be made to the distance at which the tool is located from a post on which cables are to be mounted. The tool 10 can be adjusted laterally with the aid of two hydraulic piston-cylinder devices 18 movably mounted on the chassis 4. Lateral, movement of the tool 10 is determined, inter alia, by an attachment point 15 which connects a frame 13 and a guide tube 17, the arrangement 9 being rotatable about said attachment point. The broken lines indicate the lateral outer positions of the tool 10. The vertical or height position of the gripping tool 10 can be adjusted with the aid of two hydraulic piston-cylinder devices 20 movably mounted on the chassis 4 and the frame 13. Thus, as a result of this three-dimensional setting of the tool 10, the machine operator is able to grip the post and hold the post firmly in a hole intended there¬ for, with the aid of two hydraulic piston-cylinder de¬ vices (not shown) , one for each gripping claw. The machine operator is then able to fill-in the hole around the post with the aid of the bucket 8, so that the post will stand firm. These two functions, the gripping function and the digging function, can be performed simultaneously and independently of one another, since the control cabin (6, see Figures 1, 2) and therewith the bucket 8 can be rotated relative to the chassis 4 in a known manner. Normally, only one hydraulic outlet for serving five mutually hydraulic functions at the same time is found on a conventional excavating machine. Consequently, the inventive excavating machine is provided with three additional activating devices, for instance hydraulic and magnetic valves, which are operative to control the supply of oil to the hydraulic piston-cylinder devices for carrying out a maximum of eight functions simultaneously. Figure 4 is a front view of an inventive excavating machine, although the arrangement 9 shown in Figure 3 has not been included. Provided in the chassis 4, between the tracks 5, is a passageway 7 which in the transport position of the arrangement (see Figure 3) accommodates a major portion of the aforesaid first part 14, the second part 16 and the hydraulic piston- cylinder device by means of which said second part is operated, so that the arrangement is located in a retracted, protective position. This positioning of the arrangement and associated tool 10 also enables the bucket 8 to be manoeuvred in three dimensions, irres- pective of manoeuvring of the tool 10, since the con¬ trol cabin 6 and the bucket can be rotated without needing to move the chassis 4 and thus the tool 10. Figure 5 illustrates a gripping tool 10 intended for use with the inventive excavating machine. The gripping tool 10 comprises two gripping claws 25 which are connected to said second part 16 and which can be manoeuvred between gripping and open positions with the aid of two hydraulic piston-cylinder devices not shpwn. ; - , ■ " The gripping tool 10 also includes two slides 24 jich are mounted on the claws 25 and which are slideable on roller bearings, for example. Each of the slides 24 is manoeuvred with the aid of a respective hydraulic piston-cylinder 26 in the directions of the arrows t shown in the Figure. The slides are also provided^with teeth 28 which ensure that a good gripping action is obtained around, for instance, a post. A post-,.gripped by the tool 10 can be rotated by manoeuvring the slides 24 with the aid of the piston-cylinder devices 26. The tool 10 also includes a slide roller 30 located between the gripping claws 25 so as to facilitate rotation ©f the post.

Claims: Claims 1. A caterpiller-driven excavating machine (2) com- prising a chassis (4) and a control cabin (6) which is provided with an excavating bucket (8) and which can be rotated relative to the chassis (4), c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the machine also includes an arrangement (9) which is manoeuvreably mounted on the chassis (4) and which includes a working tool (10), preferably a gripping tool (10) intended to grip around a post and to hold said post firmly, and a control unit (14, 16) which is connected between the tool (10) and the machine (2) and which is operative to adjust the distance between the tool (10) and the machine (2); and in that in a transport position, the control unit (14, 16) is intended to occupy a retracted, protected posi¬ tion in the chassis (4) of the machine (2) between said caterpiller tracks, therewith enabling the bucket (8) to be manoeuvred in three dimensions irrespective of the manoeuvring of the arangement (9). 2. A machine according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the control unit (14, 16) includes a first part (14) and a second part (16) connected to the first part (14); in that the second part (16) is in¬ tended to be retracted constantly in the first part (14) when the arrangement (9) is in said transport position and to remain retracted until the first part (14) is completely extended, said first part being extended with the aid of a motor unit (12) forming part of the arrangement (9) . 3. A machine according to Claim 2, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the arrangement (9) also includes a locking device (34) which is operative to lock the first part (14) in its fully extended position, and further includes activating means and a longitudinally displacing means for activation and longitudinal dis¬ placement of said second part (16), said activating means being operative to enable activation of the longitudinal displacement means solely when the first part (14) is locked in said fully extended position, this position enabling adjustments to be made to the position of the tool (10) in its longitudinal direction. 4. A machine according to Claim 3, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the arrangement (9) further includes lateral control means (18) and height control means (20) which can only be activated for the purpose of adjusting the position of the tool (10) laterally and vertically respectively when the first part (14) is locked in said fully extended position, said means being activated by activating devices intended therefor. 5. A machine according to Claim 4, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the arrangement (9) further includes control means operative to adjust the gripping action of the gripping tool (10), two slide elements (24) mounted on the inner surface of the gripping tool (10) and provided with tooth-like projections which function to provide a good gripping action around the post, guide means (26) operative to guide said two slide - elements (24), and a slide roller (30) which is located along the longitudinal axis of the gripping tool (10), therewith enabling the post when gripped by the gripp¬ ing tool (10) to be rotated to a desired position of orientation. 6. A machine according to Claim 5, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the longitudinal displacement means, the lateral control means (18), the height control means (20), the grip adjusting means and the guide means (26) have the form of hydraulic piston-cylinder devices; in that the motor unit (12) is a hydraulic motor; in that the gripping tool (10) includes two gripping claws (25); and in that the activating means are hydraulic and magnetic valves.

Inventors: MARKSTROEM ESKIL, MARKSTROEM, ESKIL
Applicants: MARKSTROEM ESKIL, MARKSTROEM, ESKIL
Application year: 1990
Main classification: E02F5
IPC codes: E02F3, E02F5, E02F9