Caterpillar Inc.

David O Philips

Paul Thomas Corcoran

George B Kokos

Harvey A Knell

James M Retterer

Gary L Greenfield

In the operation of a landfill compactor it is a common problem for the wheels to pick up debris, especially wire and cable, and carry it around the wheel as they rotate. When the debris falls from the wheels in the direction toward the frame and the axles, it becomes packed between the frame and the axle hampering machine operation and requiring hours of corrective maintenance. The wheel assembly of the subject invention provides teeth that are positioned across the width of the wheel assembly in a plurality of rows. The outermost row is positioned adjacent the outer periphery of the wheel assembly while the innermost row is spaced from the inner periphery a preselected distance (X).

Wheel assembly for a compacting machine

Compactor tooth

Tooth for a compactor wheel

Capactor teeth are normally utilized to provide crushing and/or grinding and compaction of refuse material and to compact soil on top of the refuse material. It is advantageous to provide a tooth that provides good traction of a capactor wheel and both good demolition and penetration of the material being crushed. In the subject arrangement, a tooth has an outer surface which has at least six edges with a plurality of side surfaces extending therefrom and angled with respect thereto at an obtuse angle. The tooth has a generally rectangular base with a longitudinal plane defined therein parallel to the length of the generally rectangular base. Apexes defined by the side surfaces are parallel with the longitudinal plane and angled with respect to the outer surface within the range of 115.degree.-135.degree.. The shape of the outer surface along with the plurality of side surfaces extending therefrom at an obtuse angle with respect to the outer surface provides a tooth that readily penetrates and compacts the refuse material and/or soil while providing good traction of the compactor wheel with respect to the materials being compacted.

Teeth for compactors are normally utilized to crush and/or grind refuse material and/or soil being worked and to effectively compact the refuse material and/or soil being worked. It is also advantageous to insure that the teeth being used provide traction of the compactor wheel on the materials being worked while not allowing the refuse material and/or soil to collect between the teeth of the compactor wheel. In the subject arrangement, the tooth provides a tip portion having an outer surface with at least six edges and a plurality of corresponding side surfaces extending therefrom at an obtuse angle with respect to the outer surface. The tooth defines a longitudinal plane therethrough that is parallel to the length of the tooth and perpendicular to the outer surface. Two of the side surfaces lie perpendicular to the longitudinal plane and form obtuse angles with the outer surface in the range of 115 degrees to 135 degrees. The angle of the two side surfaces with respect to the outer surface and the angle of the plurality of other sides with respect to the outer surface provides a tooth that effectively penetrates the refuse material and/or soil being worked, crushes and/or compacts the refuse material and/or soil being worked while providing sufficient traction for the compacting wheel thereon.

Growing community of inventors

Metamora, IL, United States of America

David O Philips