Westinghouse Air Brake Company

Walter E Lott

John H Hyler

Clifford E Johnson

An off-highway earth-moving vehicle of the scraper type which includes a tractor section and scraper section interconnected by a draft frame providing rolling rigidity, each section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels. A floating axle assembly is provided on the tractor section permitting independent movement of the tractor wheels in the following of ground contours. The scraper section is driven by a prime mover having a torque converter for coupling to the rear axle. The prime mover, in addition, drives an AC synchronous generator which is electrically connected to an induction motor in the tractor section. The motor in turn is drivingly coupled, via a second torque converter, to the tractor wheels. The sections of the vehicle are so proportioned in size and weight that the weight applied to the scraper wheels under both loaded and unloaded conditions is approximately twice the weight applied to the tractor wheels and the drive systems in the sections are so proportioned that at normal operating engine r.p.m. the power supplied to the scraper wheels is approximately twice the power provided by the motor to the tractor wheels. This is preferably accomplished by using torque converters having respective maximum horsepower output ratings at an input speed corresponding to normal operating prime mover r.p.m. which substantially total the maximum rated horsepower produced at such r.p.m. and which bear a ratio to one another on the general order of 2:1.

Four-wheel drive scraper with main propulsion at rear axle

An off-highway earth-moving vehicle of the scraper type which includes a tractor section and scraper section interconnected by a draft frame providing rolling rigidity, each section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels. A floating axle assembly is provided on the tractor section permitting independent movement of the tractor wheels in the following of ground contours. The scraper section is driven by a first engine having a first torque converter coupled to the scraper wheels. The tractor section is driven by a second engine having a second torque converter coupled to the tractor wheels. The sections of the vehicle are so proportioned in size and weight that the weight applied to the scraper wheels under both loaded and unloaded conditions is approximately twice the weight applied to the tractor wheels and the torque converters in the sections are so proportioned that at normal operating engine r.p.m. the power supplied to the scraper wheels is approximately twice the power supplied to the tractor wheels. This is accomplished by using torque converters having respective maximum horsepower output ratings at an input speed corresponding to normal operating engine r.p.m. which bear a ratio to one another on the general order of 2:1.

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Washington, IL, United States of America

Walter E Lott