Vibratory Roller With Axially Spaced Zig Zag Impact Bars and Wire Rope Cleaners

Various forms of compaction vibratory-type rollers previously have been provided. The outer surfaces of these rollers include various different forms of pro-jections to accomplish different compacting operations. Some forms of vibratory rollers as well as non-vibratory rollers are designed to compact sanitary landfills and other forms of rollers are designed to compact roadbeds and other ground areas. However, most vibratory rollers used to perform compacting operations for roadbeds include smooth outer cylindrical surfaces, inasmuch as various forms of projections such as those provided on a sheepsfoot roller have a tendency to cause "fluffing" or loosening of the surface material and partial destruction of the surface being compacted. Further, other previously known forms of lugs also have undesirable operating characteristics when compacting roadbeds.

Examples of various different forms of compacting rollers as well as other types of rollers including some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,261,893, 2,509,463, 2,895,390, 3,318,211, 3,463,063 and 4,240,510.

The roller of the instant invention is of the vibratory type and includes lug bands extending circumferentially thereabout and spaced axially along the roller. Each of the lug bands comprises lug sections disposed in end abutting relation with adjacent lugs being inclined generally 90.degree. relative to each other and oppositely generally 45.degree. relative to a diametric plane of the roller. Each of the lugs is further hexagonal in transverse cross section wherein the outer surfaces of the lugs are disposed generally normal to radii of the roller and the lugs include opposite side surfaces intersecting with the outer surfaces thereof which are inclined substantially 60.degree. relative to the lug outer surfaces. The lugs are secured to the outer cylindrical face of the drum by welding through the utilization of a welding operation wherein fillets are formed on opposite sides of the lugs forming general continuations of the oppositely inclined opposite side surfaces of the lugs which intersect with the outer surfaces thereof.

The main object of this invention is to provide a vibratory roller of an improved lug-type specifically designed for compacting roadbeds and whereby the outer surfaces of the lugs are of sufficiently small area to break up surface rocks.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lug-type vibratory roller whose lugs are of a configuration that assist in floating the fines of the material being compacted to the top surface thereof.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a roadbed compacting vibratory roller of the lug-equipped type wherein the lugs are arranged on the roller in circumferential bands laterally spaced apart longitudinally of the roller defining circumferentially continuous paths between adjacent bands along which stationary scraper members may operate during rotation of the roller in order to clean the areas between adjacent lug bands.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide a vibratory roller of the lug-equipped type wherein adjacent sides of the lugs thereof are configured to displace roadbed surface portions therebetween toward the cleaning paths centrally disposed between adjacent bands of lugs.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a vibratory roller in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and automatic in operation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical form of Ingersoll-Rand compactor equipped with a vibratory roller constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the roller and an adjacent portion of the compactor from which the roller cleaning scrapers are supported;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5--5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the roller.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of Ingersoll-Rand compactor equipped with a roller referred to in general by the reference numeral 12 and constructed in accordance with the present invention. The roller 12 is journalled from a frame portion 14 of the compactor and the frame portion 14 includes a transverse bar 16 closely opposing and extending transversely of the outer periphery of the roller. The roller 12 includes a cylindrical body 18 having a cylindrical outer face 20. The roller 12, as described to this point, is conventional in construction. However, the roller 12 includes circumferentially extending lug bands 22 carried by the outer face 20 and the lug bands 22 are disposed in laterally spaced zones 24 of the outer face 20 extending circumferentially thereabout and in which diametric planes of the roller lie. The lug bands 22 are comprised of lugs 26 including outer surfaces 28 disposed at least substantially normal to intersecting radii of the roller and generated about the axis of rotation of the roller 12. The outer surfaces 28 are at least substantially circumferentially continuous about the roller 12 and extend in zig-zag paths contained in the aforementioned zones 24. The lateral spacing between adjacent zones 24 define circumferentially continuous paths 30 of the outer face 20 which are free of the lug bands 22. A plurality of elongated scraper members 32 are supported from the bar 16 by suitable clamps 34 and may be adjusted generally radially of the roller 12 to engage corresponding ends of the scraper members 32 with the outer face portions defining the paths 30. The scraper members 32 comprise twisted strand wire rope sections.

As may best be seen from FIG. 5 of the drawings the lugs 26 comprise individual lug members 32 spaced about the outer face 20 with alternate lug members 32 inclined generally 90.degree. relative to each other and oppositely generally 45.degree. relative to the corresponding diametric plane of the roller. The lug members 32 are hexagonal in transverse cross section with the inner surfaces 34 thereof opposing and disposed in surface-to-surface contact with the outer face 20. The lug members 32 include opposite side surfaces 36 thereof which are oppositely inclined relative to the outer surface 28 and diverge inwardly toward the outer face 20. The inwardly convergent opposite side surfaces 38 of each lug member 32 are welded by full welding and the formation of welding fillets 40 to the outer face 20. The welding fillets 40 form general continuations of the oppositely inclined opposite side surfaces 36 of the lug members 32 divergent toward the outer face 20.

In operation, the roller 12 may be rolled over a roadbed and the outer surfaces 28 of the lug members 32 will contact and apply sufficient pressure to surface rock to break up the same. As the lug members 32 are forced down into the surface of the roadbed being compacted to a predetermined depth defined by the spacing between the outer surface 28 and the outer face 20, the material between adjacent lug bands 22 is displaced toward the paths 30 for scraping therefrom as the roller moves past the scraping members 32. In this manner, a high efficiency compacting operation is carried out and the roller 12 is maintained free of accumulated debris. Further, the compacting operation carried out by the roller 12 functions in a superior manner to float the fines to the top of the roadbed being compacted.

The lug members 32 are constructed of high carbon content steel. Because of the small contact area of the outer surfaces 28 with the material being compacted, surface rocks are readily broken into fines and the fines are floated to the top of the surface being compacted. Inasmuch as the welding fillets 40 form continuations of the oppositely inwardly divergent side surfaces 36 of the lug members 32, the cleaning action of the scraper members 32 in the paths 30 is rendered more efficient.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.