Trench compactor

Claim 2

A compactor for use in tamping earth or the like in a relatively narrow trench, said compactor comprising, in combination: an elongated rectangular shoe comprising a flat center section and upwardly curved end sections, the width of said shoe being relatively narrow compared to its length; a vibrator rigidly mounted to said center section to provide an oscillating tamping force to said shoe; a handle comprising a fork portion having left and right fork members each having one end coupled to opposite ends of a cross member, the ends of said left and right fork members remote from said cross member being pivotably mounted to said shoe; a band extending from one of said end portions of said shoe to the other of said end portions of said shoe and rigidly affixed at each end, said band having an upper and lower surface, the cross member of said fork portion being spaced above the upper surface of said band regardless of the position of said fork portion relative said shoe; and said handle further comprising an elongated member having one end coupled to said fork portion and extending away from said shoe, and a second member slidably mounted to said first member and releasably engageable with selected portions of said band to selectively lock said handle in any one of a plurality of predetermined angular positions relative to the vertical axis of said compactor.

Claim 3

A compactor as defined in claim 1 wherein said band includes a plurality of means defining apertures dis-tributed along the length of said band, said second member being a rod slidably mounted to the first member of said handle the lower end of which is releasably positionable in one of said apertures.

Claim 4

A compactor for use in tamping earth or the like, said compactor comprising, in combination: an elongated rectangular shoe comprising a flat center section and upwardly curved end sections, the width of said shoe being relatively narrow compared to its length; a vibrator rigidly mounted to said center section to provide an oscillating tamping force to said shoe; a handle comprising a fork portion having left and right fork members each having one end coupled to opposite ends of a cross member, the ends of said left and right fork members remote from said cross member being pivotally mounted to said shoe; said handle further comprising a first elongated member having one end coupled to said fork portion and extending away from said shoe, and a second member coaxially aligned with and slidably mounted to said first member to form a telescopic handle for said compactor, said shoe including means for rigidly fixing the angular position of said handle relative to a vertical axis of said compactor, said means including a band extending from one of said upwardly curved end sections to the other of said upwardly curved end sections and rigidly attached to said shoe at the junctions of said end sections with said shoe, said band including apertures distributed along the length of said band, said means including a releasable rod mounted to said handle, said rod having an end portion which is adapted to communicate with any one of said apertures in said band thereby fixing the position of said handle in one of a variety of angular positions relative to the vertical axis of said compactor, said rod extending from Said handle intermediate said right and left fork members.

Claim 5

A compactor for use in tamping earth or the like, said compactor comprising, in combination: an elongated rectangular shoe comprising a flat center section and upwardly curved end sections, the width of said shoe being relatively narrow compared to its length; a vibrator rigidly mounted to said center section to provide an oscillating tamping force to said shoe; a handle comprising a fork portion having left and right fork members each having one end coupled to opposite ends of a cross member, the ends of said left and right fork members remote from said cross member being pivotally mounted to said shoe; said handle further comprising a first elongated member having one end coupled to said fork portion and extending away from said shoe, and a second member coaxially aligned with and slidably mounted to said first member to form a telescopic handle for said compactor, said shoe including means for rigidly fixing the angular position of said handle relative to a vertical axis of said compactor, said means including a band extending from one of said upwardly curved end sections to the other of said upwardly curved end sections and rigidly attached to said shoe at the junctions of said end sections with said shoe, said band including apertures distributed along the length of said band, said means including a releasable rod mounted to said handle, said rod having an end portion which is adapted to communicate with any one of said apertures in said band thereby fixing the position of said handle in one of a variety of angular positions relative to the vertical axis of said compactor, said rod extending from Said handle intermediate said right and left fork members.

Claim 6

A compactor as defined in claim 3 wherein said vibrator is pneumatically operated and further includes an adjustable pneumatic valve mounted on said compactor such that the tamping forces provided by said compactor can be varied by adjusting said valve.