Hydraulically controlled ditching plow having a counterbalancing wheeled trailer

Claim 2

A ditch-forming apparatus adapted to be towed by a tractor vehicle comprising an articulated frame; a moldboard assembly connected to the frame and adapted to be raised and lowered thereon, said moldboard assembly comprising: a V-shaped plow having a knife-edge at the apex of the V and positioned so as to be directed forwardly thereof, a pair of spaced apart horizontal plates fixed in the V of said plow on the aft side thereof, a removable attachment post having one end attached to the top one of said spaced apart plates and removably attached to said frame at its other end, and at least one pair of clevis plates fixedly positioned between said spaced apart plates for supporting said plates and increasing the rigidity of said moldboard assembly, said clevis plates having holes therein for attaching said trailer to said moldboard assembly; means for raising and lowering said moldboard assembly, a ditching shoe forwardly positioned on said moldboard on the bottom thereof having a ditching edge; a wheeled trailer pivotally connected to said moldboard assembly and extending rearwardly thereof; means attached to said moldboard assembly and to said trailer for raising and lowering said trailer with respect to the ground to counterbalance said moldboard assembly when said moldboard is in its ditching mode of operation; and, means for connecting said frame to said tractor, said connecting means being positioned substantially forwardly of the aft end of said tractor.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wheeled trailer comprises a pair of parallel rails having forward ends rotatably connected to said moldboard assembly and rearward ends connected to said wheels, a cross member attached to each of said rails for maintaining said rails in a spaced apart, substantially parallel relationship, and means on said cross member for attaching said trailer raising and lowering means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wheeled trailer further includes a pair of side by side endless belts surrounding said wheels, said belts being connected by a plurality of laterally disposed grousers forming with said belts a track-laying means.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the articulated frame comprises a pivotable tongue having a drawbar end for coupling said apparatus to said tractor, and a pivot arm attached to said moldboard assembly, said tongue and said arm being pin connected.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connecting means is a swivel mounted pintle hook fixed to a bracket attached to said tractor vehicle.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wheeled trailer comprises track laying means and is adapted to track entirely within the V of said plow.

Claim 8

A ditcher apparatus for forming dimensionally precise ditches in soft or marshy ground comprising, in combination, a tractor propelled on tracklaying means, an articulated frame connected to said tractor comprising a pivotable tongue, a pivot arm connected to said tongue, actuating means connected to said tongue and to said pivot arm for pivoting said tongue, a moldboard assembly attached to said pivot arm adapted to be raised and lowered in response to pivoting of said tongue, said moldboard assembly comprising; means for connection thereof to said pivot arm, a pair of V-shaped blades opening aftwardly, an upper plate fixed between the aft sides of said blades, a bottom plate fixed on the aft side of said blades substantially on the bottom edges thereof, a removable ditching shoe centrally positioned on the bottom side of said bottom plate on the forward portion thereof for forming a dimensionally precise ditch, supporting means extending between said top and bottom plates and attached therebetween for supporting said plates and increasing the rigidity of said moldboard assembly, an axle, a track laying, wheeled trailer having a pair of rails forwardly extending from said axLe to said moldboard assembly and attached, in counterbalancing relationship to said moldboard assembly on said supporting means so as to permit rotation of said trailer about an axis through the point of attachment of said rails, and actuating means connected to said trailer and to said moldboard assembly for raising and lowering said assembly and rotating said trailer to counterbalance said moldboard assembly.

Claim 9

A ditcher apparatus for forming dimensionally precise ditches in soft or marshy ground comprising, in combination, a tractor propelled on tracklaying means, an articulated frame connected to said tractor comprising a pivotable tongue, a pivot arm connected to said tongue, actuating means connected to said tongue and to said pivot arm for pivoting said tongue, a moldboard assembly attached to said pivot arm adapted to be raised and lowered in response to pivoting of said tongue, said moldboard assembly comprising; means for connection thereof to said pivot arm, a pair of V-shaped blades opening aftwardly, an upper plate fixed between the aft sides of said blades, a bottom plate fixed on the aft side of said blades substantially on the bottom edges thereof, a removable ditching shoe centrally positioned on the bottom side of said bottom plate on the forward portion thereof for forming a dimensionally precise ditch, supporting means extending between said top and bottom plates and attached therebetween for supporting said plates and increasing the rigidity of said moldboard assembly, an axle, a track laying, wheeled trailer having a pair of rails forwardly extending from said axLe to said moldboard assembly and attached, in counterbalancing relationship to said moldboard assembly on said supporting means so as to permit rotation of said trailer about an axis through the point of attachment of said rails, and actuating means connected to said trailer and to said moldboard assembly for raising and lowering said assembly and rotating said trailer to counterbalance said moldboard assembly.