Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a support and lift frame that supports a large self contained and self powered tub grinder used for comminuting industrial waste so that the grinder can be operated for a period of time at one location, but when it is desirable to move it, the lift frame and tub grinder can be lifted onto a truck equipped with a conventional hook lift or hoist for transport. The lift frame includes outriggers for stabilizing the lift frame and the attached tub grinder during use.  
           [0002]    Tub grinders have become more prevalent in recent years for comminution of industrial wastes, such as tree branches, lumber, construction and demolition debris and similar materials. The grinders are relatively capital intensive, and at present the grinders generally are mounted onto vehicles, such as large trucks, and transported to desired locations for use.  
           [0003]    It has been found that having a central grinder location works well. Materials at demolition or construction sites can be placed in roll-on containers and taken to the grinder site for volume reduction before being taken to a landfill or other disposal site. The hook lift equipped truck that is used for moving the roll-on containers at the present time can also be used for lifting the support frame of the present invention, so that the same truck that hauls the tub grinder can be used for hauling a number of containers to the site of the tub grinder. If the truck is equipped with a grapple loader, material can then be directly transferred from the roll-on container that the truck is carrying into the tub grinder.  
           [0004]    When the tub grinder is to be moved, it can be lifted with the hook lift or hoist on the truck onto the same chassis that is used for the large roll-on containers holding industrial waste.  
           [0005]    Tub grinders are well known and hook lift or hoist trucks that are used for lifting and lowering roll-on containers in the waste handling industry are well known as well.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention relates to a lift or support frame that is used for mounting a large tub grinder, and which can be lifted onto a hook lift equipped truck for transport, and removed from the truck and placed onto the ground in a relatively stationary position. The lift or support frame is placed directly on the ground. The tub grinder can be attached to the frame in any suitable manner. The lift frame is lifted and lowered with the hook lift or hoist on the truck.  
           [0007]    The lift frame carries outrigger supports, that can be lowered when the lift frame and tub grinder are resting on the ground to stabilize the lift frame and the tub grinder during use. The outriggers also can be lowered to support the frame from tending to tip when the tub is opened, which is done for cleaning the interior and the like.  
           [0008]    The frame provides a new use for the tub grinders so that they can be supported in one location and transported to another location when desired, but without the need for having the tub grinder remain on a truck which would then prevent the truck from being used for additional purposes. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a typical hook lift truck showing a tub grinder mounted thereon using a lift frame of the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the hook lift truck with the grinder of the present invention and the frame partially loaded onto hook lift truck;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lift frame used for supporting a tub grinder;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the lift frame of FIG. 3; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a tub grinder supported on the ground on the lift frame. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]    Reference is made to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/753,532, filed Jan. 2, 2001, which shows constructional features of the tub grinder of the present invention. References is also made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,502 which shows a tub grinder.  
         [0015]    Referring to FIG. 1, in particular, a tub grinder illustrated generally at  10  has an open top, rotating tub  14  mounted onto a grinder frame  16 . The tub  14  is rotatable about an upright axis, and is used for comminuting or disintegrating materials with a grinder cylinder shown schematically at  23 . The tub grinder  10  has an engine  20  that is used for powering the tub and grinding cylinder, and the tub grinder includes a folding conveyor  22  that is shown in its folded position in the Figures, by way of illustration. The conveyor has a section  21  under the tub that will receive material that has been ground by a grinder cylinder  23  shown schematically in FIG. 5 that is used for disintegrating material placed in the open top of the tub. A screen  23 A is provided below the rotor and material disintegrated or ground passes through the screen to conveyor section  21 . The top edge of the tub is illustrated at  24 , for illustrative purposes.  
         [0016]    The tub, engine, conveyor and frame  16  forms a self-contained unit, that is mounted onto a hook lift or support frame assembly  26 . The lift or support frame assembly has various supports for supporting the grinder frame  16  and the tub grinder, which is a large, extremely heavy unit. The lift or support frame  26  is made so that it is capable of being moved and lifted from a hook lift or hoist assembly on a truck  32 . The hook lift or hoist is of conventional design as shown in FIG. 2 at  30 , that is mounted onto a truck  32 . The truck has a truck frame  34 , and the hook lift or hoist includes frame members  36 , that are pivotally mounted to the truck frame  34 . The members  36  are pivoted and controlled with a hydraulic cylinder  38 . A hook holder arm  40  is pivotally mounted to the members  36  about an axis  42 , and a hydraulic cylinder  44  is used for controlling the pivoting of the arm  40 . The arm  40  carries a large hook indicated at  46  which will hook onto the front of lift frame  26  that supports the tub grinder  10 .  
         [0017]    The hook lift or hoist  30  is a conventional frame used on trucks for hauling and lifting roll-on containers, and is made by Stellar Industries, Inc., 280 West 3 rd  Street, Garner, Iowa. Hook lifts or hoists sold under the trademark STELLAR SHUTTLE by Stellar Industries have been found to be suitable.  
         [0018]    Additional showings of hoist frames by Stellar Industries are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,082,217 and 5,427,495. It should be noted that the hook that is used for this application is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 of Patent &#39;495 which is labeled as prior art, but the pivoting hoist is of the form shown in the rest of the Figures of that patent with the modifications of having a single arm protruding rearwardly for hooking onto the frame  26 .  
         [0019]    Lift or support frame  26  is shown in perspective view in FIG. 3 with the grinder removed for sake of clarity. Also, FIG. 4 shows the front view of the frame  26 . Frame  26  includes longitudinally extending main frame rails  50 , that are joined together with a rear cross member  52 , that as can be seen extends laterally outwardly from rails  50 . Support sections  54  are provided so the lateral width of the cross member  52  is substantially greater than the spacing of the rail members  50  which are made to fit onto conventional rollers or tracks  33  on the truck frame  34  for the truck  32  to lift the lift or support frame  26 .  
         [0020]    The forward end of the lift or support frame  26  is joined with a cross member  56 , which is positioned between the longitudinal rail or frame members  50 . An A-frame or lift arm  58  has upright members  60  that taper together upwardly to support a hook rail  62  on which a schematically shown hook  46  from the hook lift on the truck will engage. The upstanding A-frame or arm is used for lifting and pulling the lift or support frame  26  onto the truck.  
         [0021]    Suitable bracing on the frame is provided, as shown. The cross member  56  supports side plates  66  that have apertures for receiving end portions of the grinder frame  16  of the tub grinder so that the tub grinder can be pinned into place on those portions.  
         [0022]    Additionally, the lift or support frame  26  has a raised support saddle  68 , that has longitudinal members  70 , and cross members  72 . The members  70  are supported on brackets  69  at the front and are spaced above the longitudinal rails  50 . The space between members  70  and the cross-members  72  receives the lower portions of the grinding cylinder  23  that are below the floor of the tub grinder, as illustrated schematically. Also, the members  70  provide clearance for the horizontal portion of a conveyor section  21  that receives ground material and transfers it to the folding conveyor  22 .  
         [0023]    The folding conveyor  22  will receive material from the lower conveyor sections  21  underneath the tub, as the material is ground.  
         [0024]    The frame  26  has four retractable stabilizer assemblies shown generally at  78 , which are substantially identical, and are mounted on opposite sides of the frame adjacent the front and rear ends.  
         [0025]    The stabilizer assemblies  78  are shown somewhat schematically. There are a plurality of stabilizer supports or anchors  80 , extend laterally out from the longitudinal rail members  50 . The stabilizer supports include hubs  82  for mounting pivoting stabilizer arms  84 . The stabilizer arms  84  are channel shaped and are pivotally mounted on the hubs  82 . The stabilizer arms are reinforced suitably. The side walls of the channel shaped stabilizer arms fit to the outside of the hubs, and also straddle upright members  86  forming part of the support for the stabilizers.  
         [0026]    The stabilizers are controlled for movement about the axis of the hubs  82  by a hydraulic actuator  88 . The hydraulic actuator  88  is pivotally mounted as at  90  to an upright flange  92 , in a suitable manner. The hydraulic actuator  88  for each of the stabilizers has an extendable and retractable rod  93  that has its rod end pivotally mounted on a pin  94  that also mounts a stabilizer foot  96 . By extending and retracting the actuators  88 , the stabilizer arms can be pivoted from a raised position or transport position shown on the right-hand side of FIG. 4, to a stabilizing or lowered position shown on the left-hand side of FIG. 4.  
         [0027]    It can be seen that the stabilizers can be lowered to support part of the tub grinder weight to stabilize the lift frame  26 . While not contemplated for operation the frame can be lifted off the ground.  
         [0028]    The weight carried by the stabilizer arms can be such that it insures that the lift frame  26  is not likely to rock or tilt, and that there is a firm base for supporting the grinder when it is in operation grinding materials. When the frame  26  and the tub grinder  10  are supported on the ground, as shown in FIG. 5, the open top of the tub is accessible and material can be dropped into the tub from the top in a normal manner. The conveyor is shown removed from its transport position over the top of the tub in FIG. 5. The top of the tub grinder is lowered substantially over when it is mounted on a truck or semi-trailer. The tub grinder together with its drive motor can remain on the frame  26  and be used for disintegrating material that is brought to the site of the tub grinder.  
         [0029]    A roll-on container truck can deliver containers of the material to be ground up, and the material then can be loaded into the tub grinder with a grapple or front-end loader as desired. The lower height of the top of the tub, or in other words the lower loading height, will permit smaller loaders, such as skid steer loaders, to be used for handling the debris.  
         [0030]    When the tub grinder is to be moved, the hook  46  mounted on the lift or hoist  30  is lowered to a position where it will go under the cross member  62  on the lift frame, and then the hydraulic actuators  38  and  44  are operated to lift the A-frame  58 , and the front end of the lift frame  26  (after the stabilizer arms have been raised to the position shown in FIG. 5). The lift frame and tub grinder then can be tilted to the position shown in FIG. 2 where the longitudinal rails  50  will roll onto suitable rollers on the truck frame  34  so that the unit can be loaded. Its fully loaded position is shown in FIG. 1, and the hook lift or hoist is moved to a position so that the arm  40  extends uprightly just ahead of the A-frame  58  on the tub grinder frame  26 .  
         [0031]    The removal process is the opposite movement, and is accomplished quite easily. Once loaded, the truck of course can be moved in any desired location before the tub grinder is off loaded. The spacing of the longitudinal rail members  50  can be such that they will roll on rollers used for roll off containers, and the overall assembly can easily be modified to fit existing hook lift or hoist trucks.  
         [0032]    Once the tub grinder is installed on the frame and is securely anchored, it will remain on the frame and moved from site to site for use as desired.  
         [0033]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: b