Other

David E Tapphorn

Ralph M Tapphorn

An earth moving machine attachment is disclosed comprising a plurality of disk units mounted to a disk unit mounting beam which is fixed to a beam pushing frame for pivotally coupling to a dozer or tractor C frame. The beam pushing frame is angled obtusely in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from the direction of push by a pair of reciprocal operating hydraulic cylinders to grade the earth materials to one side or the other of the C frame. The disk unit mounting beam and attached disk units are hingedly connected to a parallel offset shaft of the beam pushing frame for tilting the disk blades to provide restricted floatation on the earth materials. A sliding feature of the hinged connection between the disk unit mounting beam and the beam pushing frame accommodates hydraulic power means of shifting the load relative to the pushing axis of the earth moving machine. In operation, each disk blade of the attachment excavates a ribbon of earth materials and discharges these materials laterally with a high momentum as determine by the speed of the earth moving machine. The angled arrangement of the sequential disk units grades the earth materials to one side or the other of the C frame depending on the set angle of the beam pushing frame. A hydraulic power means of setting the pitch angle of the disk blades for optimum excavation and grading is provided by an articulated embodiment of the plurality of disk units mounted as a gang relative to the disk unit mounting beam. The device is designed as an efficient blade attachment for rough excavating and grading of earth materials including snow using earth moving machines.

Disk excavating and grading attachment

A disk grading terrace plow comprising a plurality of disk units mounted below an angled beam frame which is towed at an angle of 40 to 45 degrees to the direction of tow via a tractor connected to an elevated hitch beam mounted to the said angle beam frame in a lateral position which balances draft torques. Alignment of the said disk units, each comprising a disk blade, shank and attachment structure, along the angled beam frame is such that dirt is excavated from a furrow and discharged both vertically and laterally in front of the next sequential rearward disk. The excavated dirt then continues to shift from disk-to-disk in a compound grading manner until all the dirt is shifted around the rearmost disk blade. The depth of cut for the disk grading terrace plow is controlled by adjusting hydraulic cylinders connected to a front and rear gauge wheel, respectively. Construction or maintenance of a terrace ridge is achieved by grading dirt toward the centerline of the ridge at speeds of 4 to 5 miles per hour wherein limitations associated with using conventional plows is overcome with this invention by grading dirt beyond the throw of a single disk or plow blade with each pass.

Growing community of inventors

Colby, KS, United States of America

David E Tapphorn