Single arm support apparatus for a rockwheel

Abstract

A single arm support apparatus for a rockwheel for excavating a trench through difficult materials, including rock. The rock cutting attachment includes a frame assembly which supports a cutting wheel in a manner that permits it to be inserted into the ground to approximately the radius of the wheel. The cutting wheel mounts to a shaft that is supported by bearings on a single side of the wheel, and is rotationally driven by a hydraulic motor. Additional structure mounted on the frame provides depth control.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An excavation apparatus for forming a trench including: 
 a prime mover; and    an excavation wheel attachment operatively attached to said prime mover, wherein said excavation wheel attachment comprises: 
 a support structure having a first end and a second end, said support structure being operably pivotally mounted on said one end thereof to said prime mover for movement between a lowered position and a raised position;  
 a shaft operably rotatably attached to the other end of said support structure;  
 an excavation wheel assembly operatively attached to said shaft on one side of said support structure whereby said support structure provides the entire support of said excavation wheel assembly, said excavation wheel assembly including cutting teeth mounted on the outer circumference thereof for defining an effective cutting diameter adapted for cutting hard soils, wherein the effective cutting diameter is at least five times the diameter of the shaft mounting bearings and the excavation wheel assembly; and  
 a motor operatively attached to said shaft of a size capable of rotating the shaft and excavation wheel assembly in an operative mode of between 40 and 200 revolutions per minute.  
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a pair of shaft mounting bearings operably disposed on said shaft for reducing friction during the rotation of said shaft with respect to said support structure.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a hydraulic cylinder operably pivotally attached to said prime mover and to said support structure for moving the support structure between said lowered and raised positions thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a ground engaging shoe operatively attached to said support structure for determining the lowered position of the excavation wheel assembly.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  further comprising an adjusting device for adjustably moving the position of said shoe with respect to said support structure.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  further comprising a hydraulic cylinder operatively attached said support structure and said shoe for adjustably moving the position of said shoe with respect to said support structure, whereby the distance that the excavation wheel assembly can extend into the ground can be adjustably predetermined.  
     
     
         7 . A method for using an excavation apparatus for forming a trench, said apparatus comprising: 
 a prime mover; and    an excavation wheel attachment operatively attached to said prime mover, wherein said excavation wheel attachment comprises: 
 a support structure having a first end and a second end, said support structure being operably pivotally mounted on said one end thereof to said prime mover for movement between a lowered position and a raised position;  
 a shaft operably rotatably attached to the other end of said support structure;  
 an excavation wheel assembly operatively attached to said shaft on one side of said support structure whereby said support structure provides the entire support of said excavation wheel assembly, said excavation wheel assembly including cutting teeth mounted on the outer circumference thereof for defining an effective cutting diameter adapted for cutting hard soils, wherein the effective cutting diameter is at least five times the diameter of the shaft mounting bearings and the excavation wheel assembly; said method comprising: 
 rotating said excavation wheel assembly between 40 and 200 revolutions per minute; and  
 moving said support structure toward said lowered position to cause said excavation wheel assembly to dig a trench in the ground.  
 
   
     
     
         8 . A rockwheel drive, support and position control structure comprising: 
 a rockwheel adapted with a mounting hub configured to mount onto a flange on a single side;    a rockwheel shaft supported in a cantilvered manner by at least two shaft mounting bearings including a flange on one side and a drive coupling on the opposite side;    a driving motor which engages to the drive coupling of the rockwheel shaft;    a single support arm configured to support the shaft mounting bearings, and the driving motor on a first distal end, and main mounting bearings on a second distal end wherein the main mounting bearings allow the support arm to pivot between a first raised position and a second lowered position;    a support structure which provides support for the main mounting bearings;    a single positioning cylinder which connects on one end to the support arm between the first and second distal ends and on the opposite end to the support structure wherein the cylinder is capable of moving the rockwheel between the raised position and the lowered position; and    a separate cutting depth control structure attached to the support arm which includes a ground engaging shoe capable of adjustably defining the lowered position such that it is controlled relative to the ground wherein the depth control structure comprises two three-bar links, one positioned on each side of the support arm with a common axis of rotation that is located between the first and second end of the support arm.    
     
     
         9 . An excavation apparatus for forming a trench including: 
 a prime mover; and    an excavation wheel attachment operatively attached to said prime mover, wherein said excavation wheel attachment comprises: 
 a support structure mounted on a pivot in a manner to be moved between a lowered position and a raised position;  
 a shaft supported by the support structure in a cantilevered manner by at least two shaft mounting bearings; and  
 an excavation wheel assembly including cutting teeth mounted on its outer circumference defining an effective cutting diameter adapted for cutting hard soils wherein the effective cutting diameter is at least five times the diameter of the shaft mounting bearings and is disposed for rotation at between 40 and 200 revolutions per minute.