Self-propelled tiling machine

Claim 2

A self-propelled tile trenching machine providing continuous protection from cave-in danger comprising: a frame having a pair of vertical walls positioned apart a fixed space; a pair of opposing front wheels directly engageable and contractable with the ground rotatably mounted about a fixed axis to said frame; a pair of opposing rear wheels directly eNgageable and contactable with the ground rotatably mounted about a second axis to said frame, said front wheels and said rear wheels are exteriorly flush with said side walls the cooperate with said side walls to protect said space from cave-in danger; bearing means mounted to said frame and engaging and supporting said front wheels and said rear wheels away from said frame; and, power means mounted on said frame to propel the machine.

Claim 3

The machine of claim 1 wherein: said power means rotatably drives said front wheels; and further comprising; digging means positioned on said frame and operable to dig a tile channel in said trench; and, tile dispensing means mounted on said frame in said space and operable to position tile sections in said channel in interconnecting relationship.

Claim 4

A self-propelled tile trenching machine providing continuous protection from cave-in danger comprising: a frame; a pair of opposing front wheels rotatably mounted about a first axis to said frame; a pair of opposing rear wheels rotatably mounted about a second axis to said frame; bearing means mounted to said frame and engaging and supporting said front wheels and said rear wheels away from said frame; and, power means mounted on said frame to propel the machine and constructed to apply a downward force increasing the traction of said wheels when the machine sticks in a trench; and wherein: said power means rotatably drives said front wheels; and further comprising: digging means positioned on said frame and operable to dig a tile channel in said trench; and, tile dispensing means mounted on said frame and operable to position tile sections in said channel in interconnecting relationship; said frame has a top pair and a bottom pair of horizontally extending channel beams spaced inwardly of said front and rear wheels; and, said tile dispensing means has a vertically extending frame with operator seat, said vertically extending frame has roller wheels and is movable thereon horizontally along said beams, said vertically extending frame has a tile engageable tongue vertically movable thereon.

Claim 5

A self-propelled tile trenching machine providing continuous protection from cave-in danger comprising: a frame; a pair of opposing front wheels rotatably mounted about a first axis to said frame; a pair of opposing rear wheels rotatably mounted about a second axis to said frame; bearing means mounted to said frame and engaging and supporting said front wheels and said rear wheels away from said frame; and, power means mounted on said frame to propel the machine and constructed to apply a downward force increasing the traction of said wheels when the machine sticks in a trench; and wherein: said power means rotatably drives said front wheels; and further comprising: digging means positioned on said frame and operable to dig a tile channel in said trench; and, tile dispensing means mounted on said frame and operable to position tile sections in said channel in interconnecting relationship; said frame has a top pair and a bottom pair of horizontally extending channel beams spaced inwardly of said front and rear wheels; and, said tile dispensing means has a vertically extending frame with operator seat, said vertically extending frame has roller wheels and is movable thereon horizontally along said beams, said vertically extending frame has a tile engageable tongue vertically movable thereon.

Claim 6

The machine of claim 3 wherein: said front and rear wheels have interconnected drive arms with proximal ends rotatably mounted about said first axis and said second axis, said arms have distal ends with spring loaded ratchets therein engageable in ratchet fashion with said front and rear wheels; said arms mounted about said first axis being positioned at all times between and above said first and second axis; and, said power means is a power cylinder mounted between said first axis and said second axis with a piston rod connected to said arms mounted about said first axis and extendable upwardly therefrom.

Claim 7

The machine of claim 4 further comprising: carrying means movable along said bottom pair of channel beams and having said digging means resting thereon, said digging means being positioned forwardly of said tile dispensing means.

Claim 8

The machine of claim 5 and further comprising: a double walled enclosure mounted to and extending around said frame being flush interiorly and exteriorly with said rear wheels and said front wheels, said enclosure extending between said wheels preventing dirt from passing therein.

Claim 9

The machine of claim 6 and further comprising: a plurality of power cylinders operable to move said driving arms rotatably about said first axis.

Claim 10

The machine of claim 1 wherein: said front and rear wheels have interconnected drive arms with proximal ends rotatably mounted about said first axis and said second axis, said arms have distal ends with spring loaded ratchets therein engageable in ratchet fashion with said front and rear wheels; said arms mounted about said first axis being positioned at all times between and above said first and second axis; and, said power means is a power cylinder mounted between said first and said second axis with a piston rod connected to said arms mounted about said first axis and extendable upwardly therefrom, said power means is operable by extending said piston rod to apply downward force increasing the traction of said wheels when the machine sticks in a trench.

Claim 11

The machine of claim 1 wherein: said frame has a pair of vertical walls positioned apart a fixed space; said wheels are of large diameter and extend vertically to immediately beneath the bottom edge of said side walls to immediately below the top edge of said side walls.