Vibratory earth compacting apparatus

Claim 2

In a vibration generator, the combination of: a. a supporting structure; b. parallel driving and driven eccentric shafts rotatably mounted on said supporting structure; c. normally meshed driving and driven gears on said driving and driven shafts, respectively; d. means mounting said driven gear on said driven shaft for axial movement of said driven gear relative to said driven shaft into and out of mesh with said driving gear; and e. whereby said driven gear and shaft may be displaced angularly relative to said driving gear and shaft, when said driven gear is out of mesh with said driving gear, so as to angularly displace said driven shaft relative to said driving shaft.

Claim 3

In a vibratory earth compacting apparatus, the combination of: a. a vehicle having a main frame; b. a roller frame mounted on said main frame for vertical movement relative thereto; c. an earth compacting roller means mounted on said roller frame for rotation about a transverse axis; d. two vibration generators mounted on said roller frame in transversely spaced relation; e. each of said vibration generators including an eccentric driving shaft and an eccentric driven shaft extending longitudinally of said vehicle, the axes of said driving and driven shafts lying in a common horizontal plane; f. each of said vibration generators including gear means interconnecting said driving and driven shafts thereof, each of said gear means incorporating means for varying the relative angular positions of said driving and driven shafts of that particular generator, each of said gear means including a driving gear on said driving shaft, a driven gear on said driven shaft and normally meshed with said driving gear, means mounting said driven gear on said driven shaft for axial movement of said driven gear relative to said driven shaft into and out of mesh with said driving gear, and whereby said driven gear and shaft may be displaced angularly relative to said driving gear and shaft, when said driven gear is out of mesh with said driving gear, so as to angularly displace said driven shaft relative to said driving shaft; and g. means for driving said driving shafts of said vibration generators.

Claim 4

In a vibratory earth compacting apparatus, the combination of: a. a vehicle having a main frame; b. a roller frame mounted on said main frame for vertical movement relative thereto; c. an earth compacting roller means mounted on said roller frame for rotation about a transverse axis; d. two vibration generators mounted on said roller frame in transversely spaced relation; e. each of said vibration generators including an eccentric driving shaft and an eccentric driven shaft extending longitudinally of said vehicle, the axes of said driving and driven shafts lying in a common horizontal plane; f. each of said vibration generators including gear means interconnecting said driving and driven shafts thereof, each of said gear means incorporating means for varying the relative angular positions of said driving and driven shafts of that particular generator, each of said gear means including a driving gear on said driving shaft, a driven gear on said driven shaft and normally meshed with said driving gear, means mounting said driven gear on said driven shaft for axial movement of said driven gear relative to said driven shaft into and out of mesh with said driving gear, and whereby said driven gear and shaft may be displaced angularly relative to said driving gear and shaft, when said driven gear is out of mesh with said driving gear, so as to angularly displace said driven shaft relative to said driving shaft; and g. means for driving said driving shafts of said vibration generators.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said driving shafts are between said driven shafts.

Claim 6

In a vibratory earth compacting apparatus, the combination of: a. a vehicle having a main frame; b. a roller frame mounted on said main frame for vertical movement relative thereto; c. an earth compacting roller means mounted on said roller frame for rotation about a transverse axis; d. two vibration generators mounted on said roller frame in transversely spaced relation; e. each of said vibration generators including a rotatable eccentric driving shaft and a rotatable eccentric driven shaft extendIng longitudinally of said vehicle; f. the axes of rotation of all of said shafts lying in a common horizontal plane; g. drive means connected to said driving shafts for driving same; h. each of said vibration generators including gear means connecting said driven shaft of that generator to said driving shaft thereof; and i. said gear means of each of said vibration generators including a means for varying circumferentially the angular position of said driven shaft of that generator relative to said driving shaft thereof without disconnecting said driving shaft from said drive means.

Claim 7

In a vibratory earth compacting apparatus, the combination of: a. a vehicle having a main frame; b. a roller frame mounted on said main frame for vertical movement relative thereto; c. an earth compacting roller means mounted on said roller frame for rotation about a transverse axis; d. two vibration generators mounted on said roller frame in transversely spaced relation; e. each of said vibration generators including a rotatable eccentric driving shaft and a rotatable eccentric driven shaft extendIng longitudinally of said vehicle; f. the axes of rotation of all of said shafts lying in a common horizontal plane; g. drive means connected to said driving shafts for driving same; h. each of said vibration generators including gear means connecting said driven shaft of that generator to said driving shaft thereof; and i. said gear means of each of said vibration generators including a means for varying circumferentially the angular position of said driven shaft of that generator relative to said driving shaft thereof without disconnecting said driving shaft from said drive means.