Wacker Corporation

Gregory S Dombek

Alan D Bengtson

Steven E Jansen

Robert M Motl

Thomas G Artzberger

Jeff A Himmelsbach

Lee J Weber

A power buggy is configured to be safe, stable, easy to control, and comfortable. Frequently-used controls, such as a dump control, a kill switch, and a directional control, are located at or very near handgrips of an operator's handle so as to permit the operator to control the vehicle without releasing either of the handgrips. The power buggy comprises a plurality of wheels and a movable chassis which is supported on the wheels and which has front and rear end portions. A dumpable article support is supported on the front end portion of the chassis. The power buggy also includes an axial piston hydrostatic pump assembly that has an axial piston pump which supplies power to the wheels and a second pump which charges a hydraulic system of the power buggy.

Power buggy

A truss screed includes a shaft guard that covers the screed's exciter shaft to protect it from concrete and debris and that protects the surroundings from the rotating exciter shaft. The shaft guard includes a plurality of tubing sections that surround the shaft and that are supported on joints disposed between the guard sections. In a first preferred embodiment of the shaft guard, each joint includes a resilient spring ring, a support cup that receives the spring ring and an end of an associated tubular section, and a bearing that engages the support cup and that supports the joint and a portion of the exciter shaft on the screed's frame. In a second preferred embodiment, each joint includes a support cup that supports an end of the associated tubular section, a bearing, and a U-shaped bracket that couples the support cup to the bearing. The bearing and/or the bracket have elongated slots therethrough for accommodating misalignment of joint components. Joints located at a juncture between adjacent screed sections also include a cup guide that bears the associated support cup while permitting limited tilting movement of the support cup relative to the bearing. Hence, both types of joint accommodate component misalignment, provide an at least limited seal, and permit adjustment of the angular orientation of adjacent screed sections relative to one another.

Truss screed with covered vibrator shaft

A power buggy is configured to be safe, stable, easy to control, and comfortable. Frequently-used controls such as dump controls, a speed control, and a directional control, arc located at or very near handgrips of the operator's handle so as to permit the operator to control the vehicle without releasing either of the handgrips. For instance, speed and direction arc both controlled by a bidirectional twist grip forming one of the handgrips. The twist grip must rotate through a neutral position before changing directional control from forward to reverse so that an operator cannot reverse the vehicle's direction of travel without first rather gradually reducing vehicle speed. Operator comfort is also enhanced by a fuel tank that shields the operator from the engine. The fuel tank also has a large capacity while simultaneously functioning as a support for side shrouds of the vehicle. A stowable operator's platform is lockable in both its stowed and operative positions so as to prevent injury to the operator from unintended platform movement.

A power buggy is configured to be safe, stable, easy to control, and comfortable. Frequently-used controls such as dump controls, a speed control, and a directional control, are located at or very near handgrips of the operator's handle so as to permit the operator to control the vehicle without releasing either of the handgrips. For instance, speed and direction are both controlled by a bidirectional twist grip forming one of the handgrips. The twist grip must rotate through a neutral position before changing directional control from forward to reverse so that an operator cannot reverse the vehicle's direction of travel without first rather gradually reducing vehicle speed. Operator comfort is also enhanced by a fuel tank that shields the operator from the engine. The fuel tank also has a large capacity while simultaneously functioning as a support for side shrouds of the vehicle. A stowable operator's platform is lockable in both its stowed and operative positions so as to prevent injury to the operator from unintended platform movement.

Growing community of inventors

Germantown, WI, United States of America

Gregory S Dombek