Wacker Corporation

Wacker Neuson Corporation

Ronald R Sartler

Peter J Smith

Dale Di Iulio

Todd J Lutz

Robert M Motl

Steven D Grant

Darin Noyes

Jason R Alberti

Light tower

Riding concrete finishing trowel

A concrete finishing trowel has one or more driven rotor assemblies coupled to an engine or other power source of the machine by a novel torque transfer system including at least one flexible shaft and possibly including a variable speed ratio torque converter assembly. The flexible shaft, preferably comprising a flexible wound wire shaft, bends to accommodate tilting movement of the associated rotor assembly that occurs upon a steering operation, thereby eliminating the need for high-maintenance universal joints or other, less durable equipment. The torque converter assembly, preferably taking the form of a pair of variable speed clutches each having variable diameter sheaves, permits the speed and torque ratios of the drive system to change with increases in engine speed so that the same machine can be effectively used for both low speed/high torque floating operations and for high speed burning operations. Multi-application use is further facilitated by moving the blades axially along their support arms to permit the blades to operate in either an overlapping mode or a non-overlapping mode.

Concrete finishing trowel with improved rotor assembly drive system

A power trowel incorporates a counterbalanced blade pitch adjust assembly that is relatively easy to manufacture and to install (and hence that can be retrofitted onto an existing power trowel machine) and that is easy to operate. The blade pitch adjust assembly includes 1) a blade pitch adjustment mechanism, 2) a pivotable control lever assembly that is coupled to the adjustment mechanism by a cable or other tension element, and 3) a counterbalancing mechanism such as a torsion spring. The counterbalancing mechanism imposes a force on the control lever assembly that is significantly lower than the resistive force imposed on the control lever assembly by the tension element to avoid potentially dangerous control lever snap-back and to provide the operator with a sense of feel as he or she adjusts blade pitch. A latch mechanism is incorporated into the system that releases automatically when the operator applies a pivotal force to the control lever assembly--thereby obviating the need to effect a secondary release operation. The orientation of the control lever assembly also can be adjusted to meet the needs of the operator.

Power trowel with counterbalanced trowel blade pitch adjust assembly

Trowel ring guard for a concrete finishing machine

Growing community of inventors

West Bend, WI, United States of America

Ronald R Sartler