US2673725A - Power-driven cutting machine for pavements and the like - Google Patents

Description

March 30, 1954 N. C. COATES POWER-DRIVEN CUTTING MACHINE FOR PAVEMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 21, 1950 INVENTOR. A/e/(q/r C. wafes figzig 4 TTORNE Patented Mar. 30, 1954 POWER-DRIVEN CUTTING MACHINE FOR PAVEMENTS AND THE LIKE Neligh C. Coates, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Concrete Saw Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application August 21, 1950, Serial No. 180,592

Claims. 1

This invention has to do with an assembly particularly adapted to cut kerfs in road surfaces or the like, the primary object being to provide an adjustable, power driven, rotary cutting element having a mobile support so arranged as to minimize the binding of the cutter within the kerf occasioned by movement of the assembly over uneven terrain being out.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a cutter for road surfaces and the like that includes a swingable cutterhead mounted on a mobile platform having a number of wheels to support the same with one of the wheel and axle assemblies swingably secured to the platform to compensate for uneven terrain and thereby reduce the amount of bind between the cutter itself and the kerf being out, and further, for the purpose of facilitating manual handling of the apparatus as the same is pushed along or otherwise motivated and guided to cut on a straight line.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a cutting assembly having a mobile platform, together with a frame swingable on the platform, the frame carrying a rotatable cutter and a prime mover for the latter, all movable as a unit as the frame is swung, to vary the height of the cutter blade and therefore, the depth of the slot being out.

Other objects of this invention include the way in which the entire assembly is rendered adaptable for automatic guiding along a straight line; the way in which manually operable means is provided for the swingable cutter-head to vary the depth of the out; and the details of construction relating not only to the above-mentioned pivotal connection between one of the wheel and axle assemblies of the support, but to the manner of adjustably mounting the auxiliary frame or cutter-head upon the platform-like support.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a power driven cutting machine for pavements and the like, made according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevational View thereof, parts being broken away and in section for clearness.

Fig. 3 is a detailed, sectional view of a portion of the manual control for the swingable cutterhead; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a modified form of a wheel and axle assembly.

A suitable support for the component parts of the power driven cutting machine hereof, preferably takes the form of a flat, horizontal plat- 29 and 22 thereon. The forwardmost assembly.

It includes anelongated shaft 24 havingwheels 26 and 28 rotatably secured thereto.

The shaft oraxle 24 passes through a tube 30 that is, in turn, rigidly connected with a transversetubular member 32 midway between the ends of theaxle 24. Ashort stub shaft 34 secured to the lowermost face ofplatform 10 projects through the forwardmost flange l2 and through thetubular member 32 for rotatably mounting the latter and thereby serving as the sole means of interconnection between assembly 16 and the platform l9.

The platform H) has a pair of spaced-apartupstanding bearings 36 on the uppermost face thereof for rotatably receiving ashaft 38 that spans the distance between thebearings 36.Shaft 38 intersects an elongated auxiliary frame 40 intermediate the ends of the latter and is preferably its uppermost face adjacent that end thereof opposite to the housing 42 and directly above theshaft 38 for aninternal combustion engine 52 or other prime mover such as an electric motor. Thedrive shaft 54 ofprime mover 52 has apulley 56 thereon, and an endless belt or the like 58 is trained oversheave 48 andpulley 56, thereby operably connectingprime mover 52 with therotatable cutting disc 46. shape ofbase 50, the prime mover is supported in a normal upright condition when thecutter disc 46 is lowered from the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 to a cutting position as hereinafter to be made more clear.

A pair of spaced-apart, U-shapedhandle bars 60 are secured to the side flanges l2 of platform v between by a pair of pintles iii. Theblock 68 is By virtue of the wedge internally tapped for receiving an externallythreaded, elongated rod I2 that passes through an opening I4 in the bracket 65 and has a crank arm 16 on the uppermost end thereof. The rod I2 depends from thebracket 64 and passes loosely through a perforated block I8 that is, in turn, pivotally secured between a pair of furcations extending outwardly from that end of theframe 46 opposite todisc 46, one only of such furcations being illustrated and designated by thenumeral 86. Each furcation is provided with apintle 82 for pivotally mounting theblock 18 in the same manner as illustrated in Fig. 3, with respect to theblock 68. Downward movement of the rod 12 with respect to block I8 is limited by means of a nut orcollar 84, and aspring 66 coiled about the rod I2 is interposed between block I8 and a nut 88 on the lower-most end of rod '12.

Means for holding the rod "I2 and parts associated therewith in a selected position to govern the depth of cut includes asplit tube 96 circumscribing the rod 12 having a pair of spaced-apart, laterally-projecting ears 92 which receive a clamping element 94 capable of contracting thetube 96 into and out of gripping relationship to rod I2 when element 94 is tightened.

Ascale 95 formed on rod I2 has indicia thereon to guide the operator in settingtube 96 for stopping engagement withblock 68 whencutter 46 reaches the desired depth in response to manual I manipulation of crank arm 16. Thetube 66 is set to holdcutter 46 in an elevated position in Fig. 1. When a out having a depth of two inches, for example, is to be made, thetube 96 is adjusted along rod I2 to have its lower end in register with the two inch designation onscale 95. Thus, when arm I6 has been turned to draw rod l2 upwardly, allowingcutter 46 to lower to a place wheretube 96 is againstblock 68, the cutter cannot be lowered further; and the cut is of a depth indicated onscale 95.

An arcuate fender or guard I64 is provided on theframe 46 for thedisc 46 in overlying relationship to the latter, said guard I64 having a removable section I06. Section I66 is removed when the forward or front portion of thecutter 46 is to be moved against the wall, curbing or other vertical structure.

Fluids such as liquid coolants may be directed to thecutter disc 46 through the medium of a line I68 registering with guard I64 and having a manually-operable valve H6 interposed therein and mounted on thebracket 64. Anarm 96 extending forwardly from clevice I65 is supported at its outermost end bycaster wheel 98, and the pointer I66 is pivotally secured thereto. An L- shaped pointer I62 is, also, pivotally carried by the platform I6 at the rearmost edge thereof as at I03.

Both pointers I66 and I62 may be swung to an inoperative position about their respective mountings when the machine is not in use. These said pointers are in alignment withcutter 46 and such distances forwardly and rearwardly therefrom as to assure accuracy of cut and a minimum amount of binding.

During normal use, the entire assembly is moved forwardly by an operator grasping thehandle bars 66 and directing his weight against the arcuate surface on intermediate tie member 6I. Pointers I66 and I62 are maintained on a preformed line on the surface to be cut. The depth of the cut is determined by swinging of theframe 46, together with thecutter 46 and theprime mover 52 thereon as a unit about the axis 4 of theshaft 38, which swinging movement is controlled by the rotation of rod 12 inblock 68.

After the operator has lowered thecutter blade 46 from that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 by manipulation of crank arm I6 to a cutting position, the rod I2 is prevented from further rotation and longitudinal movement in one direction by thetube 86 which has been set as above explained. As thecutter blade 46 is caused to rotate byprime mover 52, any relatively hard obstruction within the path of travel of thecutter blade 46 tending to cause the latter to rise above its adjusted, set position will be compensated for by the sliding movement of block "I8 on rod 12 against the action ofspring 86.

Irrespective of the advantages of a three-point mobile support for platform II), the fourwheels 26, 22, 26 and 28 have been provided so as to facilitate the guiding of the assembly by the operator along a straight line. In other words, at all times, irrespective of the unevenness of the surface being traversed, the platform I6 and all parts mounted thereon are supported at four points; and such is made possible because of the pivotal connection between tube 30 ofaxle 24 and theshaft 34 of platform I6.

The apparatus is further rendered highly maneuverable by virtue of the fact that the operator may raise or lower thedisc 46 while theprime mover 52 continues in operation by simply bearing downwardly upon thehandle bars 66 and member BI and pivoting the platform ID on axle It. In view of the fact that the wheel and axle assembly i6 is relatively close to thecutting disc 46, binding of the latter in the kerf being formed will be prevented when thewheels 26 and 28 enter a cavity or pass over a rise in the pavement being cut. Since the operator has more control over the rear wheel and axle assembly than that of the assembly I6, he can prevent such binding of thedisc 46 as the same becomes necessary when one of the rear wheels rises or falls.

The machine above described may be used with a pair of tracks H2 when slightly modified as illustrated in Fig. 4 when it is desirable to positively guide the assembly in its forward movement along a straight path of travel. Tracks I I2 are L-shaped in cross-section, and the horizontal flanges thereof serve as a support for the wheels of assemblies I4 and I6. Additionally, one end of each axle I8 and 24 respectively is provided with a sheave I I4 that is guided along the uppermost edge of the upright flange of one of tracks H2 and which may or may not ride upon such edge, as shown in Fig. 4.

The tracks H2 may be interconnected or anchored to the pavement being cut in any suitable and well-known manner to prevent movement out of relation with the line of cut therebetween.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for cutting pavement or the like, said machine comprising a platform; a frame; a cutter rotatably carried by the frame; a prime mover on the frame operably coupled with said cutter; means mounting the frame on the platform for swinging movement on an axis parallel with the axis of rotation of the cutter, with the cutter disposed forwardly of the platform and therebeyond; a rear wheel and aXle assembly including an axle secured to said platform in parallelism with said axis of rotation and having a pair of wheels; a front wheel and axle assembly including an axle normally parallel with said axis of rotation and having a pair of wheels; a front axle support on the platform for swinging movement of the front axle with respect thereto on an axis parallel with the normal path of travel of the machine, said four wheels providing a four-point support for the machine, said rear wheels and said front axle support providing a three-point mounting for the platform, whereby to minimize binding of the cutter in the pavement as the machine is moved therealong, during cutting and when the pavement is uneven; and structure interconnecting the frame and the platform for varying the depth of cut.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure includes an extensible member extending upwardly from the frame at one end thereof remote from the cutter, and means on the platform for mounting the uppermost end of said member, said axis of swinging movement of the frame being intermediate the ends of the latter.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 2, wherein said axis of swinging movement of the frame is above the platform and said axles, in a vertical plane disposed between the axles and parallel thereto.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said axis of swinging movement of the front axle is parallel to and substantially in alignment with the plane of rotation of the cutter.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4, wherein said axis of swinging movement of the front axle is intermediate between the wheels of the front assembly.

NELIGI-I C. COATES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 333,436 Wright Dec. 29, 1885 892,056 Jackson June 30, 1908 1,090,646 Perkins Mar. 17, 1914 1,709,422 Wright Apr. 16, 1929 1,851,866 Quinan Mar. 29, 1932 2,051,694 Fishleigh Aug. 18, 1936 2,468,336 Lewis Apr. 26, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 60,501 Norway Feb. 27, 1939 125,951 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1921

Images