Gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus

Abstract

A gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus for attachment to a vehicle on a roadway includes a framework that includes a mounting portion selectively coupled to a front of the vehicle and a mounting boom having a proximal end attached to the mounting portion and which extends rearwardly alongside the vehicle. The apparatus includes at least one wheel assembly coupled to an outer face of the mounting boom and being outwardly offset relative to the outer face, the at least one-wheel assembly including a wheel having a plurality of tines and that is rotatable when actuated. The tines are spaced apart and radially arranged so as to kick up and urge gravel in a direction toward the mounting boom while allowing grass and weeds to pass through in an opposite direction.

Claims

1. A gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus for attachment to a vehicle, comprising: a framework that includes a mounting portion selectively coupled to a front of the vehicle and a mounting boom having a proximal end attached to said mounting portion and which extends rearwardly alongside the vehicle; and at least one wheel assembly coupled to an outer face of said mounting boom and being outwardly offset relative to said outer face, said at least one wheel assembly including a wheel having a plurality of tines and that is rotatable when actuated; wherein said plurality of tines are spaced apart and radially arranged so as to kick up and urge gravel in a direction toward said mounting boom while allowing grass and weeds to pass through in an opposite direction wherein said mounting portion includes: an attachment yoke having an inverted U-shaped configuration for nesting atop a mounting framework associated with the vehicle; at least one attachment boss releasably coupled to the mounting framework; a positioning strut having a proximal end fixedly attached to said mounting portion and a distal end pivotally coupled to said mounting boom such that said mounting boom is angularly movable when actuated.

2. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a boom positioning member including a first portion coupled to said strut that defines a plurality of positioning holes spaced apart from one another and including a second portion having a first end coupled to a rearward end of said mounting boom and a second end coupled to a selected hole of said plurality of positioning holes of said first portion of said boom positioning member so as to angularly position said mounting boom.

3. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said at least one wheel assembly includes a plurality of wheel assemblies each having an axle angularly offset from and coupled to said outer face of said mounting boom, respectively, said plurality of wheel assemblies being spaced apart from one another between forward and rearward ends of said mounting boom.

4. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a pair of support jacks operatively coupled to and extending downwardly from said forward and rearward ends of said mounting boom, respectively.

5. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 1, wherein: said wheel includes a hub and a rim offset from and concentric to said hub; said wheel includes a plurality of spokes extending radially between said hub and said rim; and said plurality of tines each has a curved configuration and extends outwardly from said rim.

6. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said plurality of wheel assemblies overlap but do not touch one another.

7. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a road grader.

8. A gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus for attachment to a road grader, comprising: a framework that includes a mounting portion selectively coupled to a mounting framework associated with the road grader and a mounting boom having a proximal end attached to said mounting portion and which extends rearwardly alongside the road grader; and a plurality of wheel assemblies operatively coupled to an outer face of said mounting boom, each wheel assembly having an axle that is coupled to and outwardly offset relative to said outer face, said plurality of wheel assemblies each including a wheel that is rotatable about said axle when actuated and including a plurality of tines extending outwardly; wherein said plurality of tines are spaced apart and radially arranged and operative to kick up and urge gravel in a direction toward said mounting boom while allowing grass and weeds to pass through in an opposite direction; wherein said plurality of wheel assemblies each includes a spring assembly having a linkage and a spring that allows up-down movement of an associated axle according to variable terrain upon which an associated wheel is raking.

9. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said mounting portion includes: an attachment yoke having an inverted U-shaped configuration for nesting atop a mounting framework associated with the vehicle; at least one attachment boss releasably coupled to the mounting framework; a positioning strut having a proximal end fixedly attached to said mounting portion and a distal end pivotally coupled to said mounting boom such that said mounting boom is angularly movable when actuated.

10. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 9, further comprising a boom positioning member including a first portion coupled to said strut that defines a plurality of positioning holes spaced apart from one another and including a second portion having a first end coupled to a rearward end of said mounting boom and a second end coupled to a selected hole of said plurality of positioning holes of said first portion of said boom positioning member so as to angularly position said mounting boom.

11. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 10, further comprising a pair of support jacks operatively coupled to and extending downwardly from said forward and rearward ends of said mounting boom, respectively.

12. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 8, wherein: said each wheel, respectively, includes a hub and a rim offset from and concentric to said hub; said each wheel, respectively, includes a plurality of spokes extending radially between said hub and said rim; and said plurality of tines each has a curved configuration and extends outwardly from said rim.

13. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said plurality of wheel assemblies overlap but do not touch one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1a is a right-side perspective view of a gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrated mounted to a road grader;

(2) FIG. 1b is a left-side perspective view of the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in FIG. 1a;

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in FIG. 1a;

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in FIG. 1a;

(5) FIG. 4a is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus according to the present invention;

(6) FIG. 4b is an isolated view on an enlarged basis taken from FIG. 4a;

(7) FIG. 4c is an isolated view on an enlarged basis taken from FIG. 4a;

(8) FIG. 4d ids an isolated view on an enlarged basis taken from FIG. 4a;

(9) FIG. 5a is an exploded view of the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus as in FIG. 4; and

(10) FIG. 5b is an isolated view on an enlarged basis taken from FIG. 5a.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(11) A gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1a to 5b of the accompanying drawings. The gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus 10 for attachment includes a framework 20, at least one wheel assembly 30, each wheel assembly 30 having a plurality of tines 36.

(12) For context and clarity, the vehicle 12 to which the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus 10 may be coupled will be described in greater detail. Preferably, the vehicle 12 is a road grader and the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus 10 may be selectively and removably coupled to a front thereof or, more particularly, to a complementary attachment framework as will be described later. It will be understood that a road grader is form of heavy equipment with a long blade used to create a flat surface during grading. Modern graders are self-propelled and thus technically “motor graders”. Typical graders have three axles, with the steering wheels in front, followed by the grading blade, then a cab and engine atop tandem rear axles. A typical road grader is shown in FIGS. 1-3. In embodiments, the vehicle 12 may be a tractor, other forms of graders or round the leveling equipment, tractors, or the like.

(13) First, the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus 10 includes a framework 20 having a mounting portion 26 selectively coupled to a front of the vehicle 12 and a mounting boom 22 having an elongate configuration attached to the mounting portion 26 and which extends rearwardly alongside the vehicle 12. In an embodiment, the vehicle 12 may include a mounting framework 13 attached to its normal framework and that is complementary to the mounting portion 26 as will be described below. The mounting portion 26 may include an attachment yoke 28 that may include, amongst other structures, a pair of laterally spaced apart inverted U-shaped flanges 29 that are operative and configured for frictionally nesting atop the mounting framework 13 of the vehicle 12. Further, the attachment yoke 28 may also include at least one boss 27 proximate the pair of flanges 29 by which the yoke 28 may be coupled to the mounting framework 13, such as with a bolt. In addition, the mounting portion 26 may include a base member 27a and a pair of posts 27b extending upwardly therefrom having upper ends to which the flanges 29 are attached (FIG. 4).

(14) In a preferred embodiment, the mounting portion 26 is coupled to the mounting boom 22. More particularly, the mounting portion 26 includes a positioning strut 21 having a proximal end 21a fixedly attached to the mounting portion 26 and a distal end 21b pivotally coupled to the mounting boom 22 such that the mounting boom 26 is angularly movable when actuated as will be described below. In other words, the pivotal coupling defines a vertical axis about which the mounting boom 22 may be angularly rotated in such a manner as to correspondingly angle the plurality of wheel assemblies 30.

(15) With further regard to the mounting boom 22, the mounting boom 22 includes a forward end 22a and a rearward end 22b that is opposite the forward end 22a. Determining an angle of the elongate mounting boom 22 and, as a result, the angle of the plurality of wheel assemblies 30, is determined by a critical structure described as follows. A boom positioning member 19 couples the strut 21 with the rearward end 22b of the mounting boom 22. More particularly the boom positioning member 19 includes a first portion 19a coupled to the strut 21 and defines a plurality of positioning holes 19b that are spaced apart from one another. The boom positioning member 19 includes a second portion 19c having a first end coupled to the rearward end 22b of the of the mounting boom 22 and a second end coupled to a selected hole of the plurality of positioning holes 19b so as to angularly position the mounting boom 22, i.e., to swivel or rotate the mounting boom 22 about the vertical axis defined by its pivotal coupling to the strut 21.

(16) In another aspect, the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus 10 includes at least one wheel assembly 30 coupled to an outer face 23 of the mounting boom 26 and is outwardly offset relative to said outer face 23. Each wheel assembly 30 includes a wheel 32 having a plurality of tines 36 and that is rotatable when actuated. Preferably, and as shown in the illustrations, the gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus 10 includes a plurality of wheel assemblies 30. In an embodiment, each wheel assembly includes an axle 31 extending between the outer face of the mounting boom 22 and a wheel hub 31a, the axle 31 providing the angular offset. A respective axle 31 may also be referred to as a wheel shaft. In an embodiment, each wheel includes a hub 31a coupled to the respective axle 31, both of which are configured to enable the respective wheel 32 to rotate in a conventional manner. Further, each wheel 30 includes a rim 31b having a circular configuration that is concentric (although a larger diameter) to the respective hub 31a. Further, each wheel 32 includes a plurality of spokes 35 positioned radially and extending between a respective hub 31a and rim 31b. Finally, each wheel 32 includes a plurality of tines 36 extending outwardly and spaced apart radially from a respective rim 31b. The plurality of tines 36 are spaced apart and radially arranged and each tine 36 preferably has a bent and irregular configuration so as to kick up and urge gravel in a direction toward said mounting boom 26 while allowing grass and weeds to pass through in an opposite direction. Described above is essentially a form of “raking” that is able to recapture gravel back onto a roadway while leaves, grass, and brush are allowed to pass through the tines, spokes, etc.

(17) In another aspect, each wheel assembly 30 may include a spring assembly 40 coupled to each respective axle 31 such that the axle 31 and wheel assembly 30 can move up and down (e.g., can bounce) as an associated wheel 32 rotatably impacts a variable height ground surface as it rotates/turns. In other words, a ditch from which gravel is being recaptured is unlikely to have a smooth or consistent depth or grade and each wheel assembly 30 must have the flexibility and capability to bounce up and down as the vehicle 12 travels downstream adjacent the ditch. More particularly, a spring assembly 40 may include a wheel linkage 42 or framework from which a spring 44 may be coupled at one end, the spring 44 being coupled at an opposite end to a respective axle 31 (FIGS. 4a to 5b). In an embodiment, the spring 44 may be an expansion or coil spring capable of stretching or being pulled apart and then being resilient to return to its original size and tightness.

(18) In another aspect, respective ends of major horizontally-oriented structures may be supported by strategically positioned legs or posts which may, in some embodiments, be implemented using variable height adjustable jacks. Reference numeral 50 is used to refer to the support legs of either construction. More particularly, a support leg or jack may be positioned to extend downwardly from the forward and rearward ends 22a, 22b of the mounting boom 22 as well as from a terminal end of the mounting portion (FIG. 4a).

(19) In use, a gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus includes at least one wheel assembly having a plurality of tines 36 that are rotatable when actuated and which are configured to kick up gravel, brush, grass, and even trash from a ground surface adjacent a roadway. Each wheel assembly includes a raking wheel configured such that heavier and bulkier objects such as gravel are thrown in the direction of the roadway while lighter and less dense objects such as grass and brush are allowed to pass through the tines and fall back to the ground surface.

(20) It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.