US3002300A - Bulldozer with laterally adjustable blade - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 3, 1961 B. F. TURBYFILL 3,002,300

BULLDOZER WITH LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE BLADE Filed April 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f l: l E L 0 5 /3 Z4 v 7 7 34 W QM lm Kw /4 O l: O 0 -Z O I" J a o l/ a 4 o /j z3 Z 4 Oct. 3, 1961 B. F. TURBYFILI.

BULLDOZER WITH LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE BLADE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1959 INVENTOR. BEA/MMM F 72/@5 YF/LL forma Filed Apr. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 809,380 1 Claim. (Cl. 37-'144) This invention relates to bulldozers and particularly to an improved bulldozer which includes means to shift or adjust the blade laterally with respect to the tractor upon which it is mounted so that upon making a side or bank cut, the tendency of the tractor to skew is reduced.

Conventional bulldozer blades are considerably wider than the tractors upon which they are mounted. As a result, a side cut into a bank where most of the load is imposed at one end of the blade results in twisting or skewing of the tractor out of its intended path of travel. This necessitates frequent correction through steering which is -diicult for the operator and results in an uneven cut rather than the constant smooth cut desired.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a bulldozer with a blade that may be shifted laterally to bring either end thereof as nearly into line with the side of the tractor as possible to reduce the leverage which tends to turn or skew the tractor while a side cut is being made.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple power actuated means for shifting the blade.

A still further object is to provide the means described in combination with a bulldozer wherein the blade may be adjusted angularly and tilted vertically all through the same braces which are adjustable to accommodate lateral shifting.

Further objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which it is carried into practice are made apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of a laterally adjustable bulldozer shown in place on a tractor which is illustrated schematically;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the bulldozer with parts shown in section;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the parts in dilerent positions from those illustrated in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 -is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation with parts shown in section; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail with parts in section taken on the line V--V of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a bulldozer blade is shown as supported forwardly of a C-frame 11 which is pivoted to the truck frame, not shown, of a tractor illustrated at 12 through the medium of trunnions 13 which permit raising and lowering of the C-frame and blade. The vertical adjustment of the C-frame may be accomplished through any suitable means herein shown as a cable and sheaves, generally indicated at 14, actuated by a power drive from the tractor engine by means, not shown, in a conventional manner.

The blade 10 is supported with respect to the C-frame 11 for angular adjustment by means of a clevis 15 and clevis pin 16 most clearly shown in FIG. 4 and it is stabilized in any position of adjustment by triangular braces which, as shown in FIG. 2, include a telescoping link 17. This link is connected at one end by a ball and socket joint 18 with the C-frame and at its opposite end by a universal fitting 19 with the lower portion of the blade 10. The telescoping link 17 may be fixed in any position of adjustment by means of a pin 20 extend- "ice 2 ing through suitable perforations in its inner and outer telescoping parts. The link 17 carries an upwardly and forwardly extending arm 21 having an adjustable jack screw connection22 with the upper portion of the blade 10 through another universal connection shown at 23. Additional sockets 24 are provided on the C-frame 11 for reception of the ball end of the link 17 for acute angular adjustments. Tilting of the blade forwardly or rearwardly with respect to a vertical plane may be accomplished by adjustment of the jack screw 22 in a conventional manner.

In accordance with the present invention, a slidable connection is provided between the blade 10 and the C- frame 11 to permit lateral adjustment of the blade and this connection comprises a C-shaped rail 25 secured to the back of the blade to slidably receive an interlocking block 26 formed integrally with the clevis 15. The rail 25 is provided with a plurality of spaced holes 27 for the reception of a locking pin 28 adapted to pass through a hole in the rail 25 for securing it in a position of adjustment against sliding movement on block 26. The sliding block may be confined in its movement to the length of the rail 25 by the use of pins 29 in suitable holes adjacent the ends of the rail.

A double acting jack 30 adapted to be actuated by hydraulic fluid under pressure or the like has its piston rod pivotally connected as at 31 to the blade and its head end connected as by a ball and socket joint 32 to the C-frame in such a position that extension or retraction of the jack will tend to impart lateral movement to the blade with respect to the C-frame and tractor. The jack may be connected to any source of Huid under pressure as is conventional practice in connection with the adjustment of tractor mounted implements of various kinds and will preferably be controlled by a suitable valve located in a convenient position for actuation by the tractor operator.

In FIG. l of the drawings, the blade 10 is illustrated in its extreme right hand position of adjustment in readiness for making 'a left bank cut and in this position, the left end of the blade is substantially in alignment with the left side of the C-frame 11 which limits the approach of the tractor toward the cut. Thus the moment arm or leverage tending to turn the tractor in reaction to the load imposed by reducing the cut is as short as possible.

Lateral adjustment of the blade is accomplished by first removing one of the pins 20 from an adjustable link 17 and the pin 28 from the rail 25. With these two pins removed, the jack 30 is actuated to effect movement of the blade 10 in the desired direction and when the extent of movement is attained the pin 28 is replaced. This leaves the blade in a position of angular adjustment and the angularity may be further adjusted or the blade brought to its normal transverse position by removing the other of the pins 20 from the opposite link 17 and then again actuating the jack 30 to swing the blade about the clevis pin 16 until the desired angularity is obtained. At this time, both of the pins are replaced and the bulldozer is ready for operation.

Additional sockets 34 like the sockets 24 are provided forwardly of the sockets 18 on the C-frame and may be used for the triangular braces in some positions of adjustment. One of these sockets is also available as an alternate connection for the inner end of the jack 30 as illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 3 when it is desired to make acute adjustments of the blade.

I claim:

In a bulldozer which includes a blade supported forwardly of a tractor by a C-frame or the like, a clevis pivoted to the central forward portion of the C-frame, a guide rail on the back of the blade, a perforate portion on the clevis slidable in said guide rail, said guide rail having spaced perforations for a locking pin adapted to pass through the perforation in the clevis, an extensible 3 brace between each side of the C-frame and the adjacent end of the blade, and jack means connecting the C-frame and blade whereby the blade` may be shifted laterally by removing the locking pin, adjustingsaid extensible braces one at a` time and imparting angling movement tothe 5 blade with the jack means.

References Citedkin the 'ler of this ,patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

2,224,725 F61: Dec. 1o, 1940 10 Low Feb. 18, 1941 Owen Aug. 26, 1947 Allan Aug. 21, 1951 Perkins Oct. 16, 1956 Brant Jan. 15, 1957 Leliter July 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS France May 20, 1946

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