Soil compactor

Claim 2

Apparatus for compacting specimens of soil and earth rock materials comprising, in combination: a. a base; b. a superstructure, mounted above said base; c. a hammer means; d. gripping means mounted on said superstructure for holding and releasing said hammer means; e. means for raising and lowering said gripping means with respect to said superstructure comprising a cable cylinder fixedly mounted on said superstructure, a continuous chain mounted on said superstructure, means for connecting the cable of said cable cylinder to said continuous chain, a platform for mounting said gripping means thereupon and means for connecting said platform to said continuous chain; f. a rotatable platen mounted directly below said hammer means to hold a specimen to be compacted; g. means to rotate said platen in response to the completion of each stroke of said hammer means.

Claim 3

Apparatus for compacting specimens of soil and earth rock materials comprising, in combination: a. a base; b. a superstructure, mounted above said base; c. a hammer means; d. gripping means mounted on said superstructure for holding and releasing said hammer means; e. means for raising and lowering said gripping means with respect to said superstructure; f. a rotatable platen mounted directly below said hammer means to hold a specimen to be compacted; g. means to rotate said platen, in response to the completion of each compaction stroke of said hammer means, comprising a cable cylinder, a chain having one end connected to one end of said cable cylinder and the other end connected to the other end of said cable cylinder, a pawl plate having teeth in mesh with said chain, a ratchet plate concentrically fixed below said platen and mounted concentrically above said pawl plate, means to impede rotation of the ratchet plate with respect to the pawl plate in one direction while allowing free rotation in the opposite direction, whereby as rotation in one direction is imparted to the pawl plate by said cable cylinder, the ratchet plate and affixed platen will follow said pawl plate, but when the direction of rotation is reversed the ratchet plate and affixed platen will not follow said pawl plate.

Claim 4

Apparatus for compacting specimens of soil and earth rock materials comprising, in combination: a. a base; b. a superstructure, mounted above said base; c. a hammer means; d. gripping means mounted on said superstructure for holding and releasing said hammer means; e. means for raising and lowering said gripping means with respect to said superstructure; f. a rotatable platen mounted directly below said hammer means to hold a specimen to be compacted; g. means to rotate said platen, in response to the completion of each compaction stroke of said hammer means, comprising a cable cylinder, a chain having one end connected to one end of said cable cylinder and the other end connected to the other end of said cable cylinder, a pawl plate having teeth in mesh with said chain, a ratchet plate concentrically fixed below said platen and mounted concentrically above said pawl plate, means to impede rotation of the ratchet plate with respect to the pawl plate in one direction while allowing free rotation in the opposite direction, whereby as rotation in one direction is imparted to the pawl plate by said cable cylinder, the ratchet plate and affixed platen will follow said pawl plate, but when the direction of rotation is reversed the ratchet plate and affixed platen will not follow said pawl plate.

Claim 5

Apparatus for compacting specimens of soil and earth rock materials comprising, in combination: a. a base; b. a superstructure, mounted above said base; c. a hammer means; d. two identical grippers mounted on a platform member on the superstructure for holding and releasing said hammer means, wherein each gripper comprises a pivot means, an L-shaped member mounted for pivotal movement on said pivot means, a semi-circular engagement member mounted on one arm of said L-shaped member and a cylinder connected between the other arm of said L-shaped member and said platform, whereby movement of said cylinder causes said L-shaped member to pivot about said pivot member thus retracting and extending said semi-circular engagement member; e. means for raising and lowering said gripping means with respect to said superstructure; f. a rotatable platen mounted directly below said hammer means to hold a specimen to be compacted; g. means to rotate said platen in response to the completion of each compaction stroke of said hammer means.

Claim 6

Apparatus for compacting specimens of soil and earth rock materials comprising, in combination: a. a base; b. a superstructure, mounted above said base; c. a hammer means; d. two identical grippers mounted on a platform member on the superstructure for holding and releasing said hammer means, wherein each gripper comprises a pivot means, an L-shaped member mounted for pivotal movement on said pivot means, a semi-circular engagement member mounted on one arm of said L-shaped member and a cylinder connected between the other arm of said L-shaped member and said platform, whereby movement of said cylinder causes said L-shaped member to pivot about said pivot member thus retracting and extending said semi-circular engagement member; e. means for raising and lowering said gripping means with respect to said superstructure; f. a rotatable platen mounted directly below said hammer means to hold a specimen to be compacted; g. means to rotate said platen in response to the completion of each compaction stroke of said hammer means.

Claim 7

Apparatus for compacting specimens of soil and earth rock materials comprising, in combination: a. a U-shaped base member; b. a superstructure, mounted above said base and movable vertically with respect to said base; c. a hammer; d. gripping means mounted on said superstructure for holding releasing said hammer; e. means for raising and lowering said gripping means with respect to said superstructure; f. a rotatable platen mounted directly below said hammer to hold a specimen to be compacted; g. means to rotate said platen in response to the completion of each compaction stroke of said hammer; h. means to count the number of compaction strokes imparted to a given specimen; i. means to stop compaction in response to said counting means reaching a certain preselected number; j. trip means to limit the upper and lowermost travel of said gripping means; k. means for causing said gripping means to disengage said hammer in response to said gripping means reaching said upper travel limit, thus allowing said hammer to drop upon a specimen to be compacted; l. means for causing said gripping means to engage said hammer in response to said gripping means reaching said lowermost travel limit; m. auxiliary grippers fixedly mounted to said superstructure and concentric with said gripping means.

Claim 8

Apparatus for compacting specimens of soil and earth rock materials comprising, in combination: a. a U-shaped base member; b. a superstructure, mounted above said base and movable vertically with respect to said base; c. a hammer; d. gripping means mounted on said superstructure for holding releasing said hammer; e. means for raising and lowering said gripping means with respect to said superstructure; f. a rotatable platen mounted directly below said hammer to hold a specimen to be compacted; g. means to rotate said platen in response to the completion of each compaction stroke of said hammer; h. means to count the number of compaction strokes imparted to a given specimen; i. means to stop compaction in response to said counting means reaching a certain preselected number; j. trip means to limit the upper and lowermost travel of said gripping means; k. means for causing said gripping means to disengage said hammer in response to said gripping means reaching said upper travel limit, thus allowing said hammer to drop upon a specimen to be compacted; l. means for causing said gripping means to engage said hammer in response to said gripping means reaching said lowermost travel limit; m. auxiliary grippers fixedly mounted to said superstructure and concentric with said gripping means.