I'm curious to know if anyone has any operating experience with Rolling Push Blocks on the tail-end of scrapers? At the recent ConExpo, I saw one of the big scrapers had a new rolling push-block design, and was interested to know how smooth it would work on site.
Hi Shane. I got thousands of hours on tearass TS-24's. All had rolling stingers. Makes it easy for the push cat blade to follow the stinger up and down. Adds smoothness to the push which makes it easier on your back. Chuck
I will add that push pulling with them can lead to the push pad rolling up over the top of the roller and hanging up if the rear operator is not paying attention. As far as new, Terex has used them since sometime in the 50's I think. I agree that they push easier with a dozer.
Here's an image I snapped of it at the show for those of you who like the visual inspections. Would it roll?
I think they cut all of them off our Terexs. I know I asked about them at one point, but I don't remember what the issue was. Old age/wear most likely.
Yair . . . Bloody Hell !! I have see rolling pushblocks on something but they were eighteen inches or more diameter with tapered ends for "sliding on". To me that unit would be pretty hard on a blade not sheeted up with extra plate for push loading. in other words (in my opinion) there is not enough surface area on that little roller and it looks light and vulnerable to me . . . but those folks build scrapers they should know . . . but then again have they ever seen a big tattooed Grinning Maori on a NineG PushCat with the back wheels of a Twenty-one off the ground and about to push him through to China? (big grin) Cheers.
ha ha.
they were pretty good I thought.A few TS14's had them too.Problem was that they would wear at the trunnion fittings and could be knocked off by idiot pushers.If they fell off and couldn't find them it was an expensive replacement. The button in your pick looks rubbish.Not big enough and as Scrub Puller says it looks like it could abuse your blade.
You gotta take into account these scrapers are not mass earthmovers like a self propelled unit we all know and love and as such have to be used differently too, in most cases they will have a farm tractor up front and likely some other farm tractor pushing at the rear so it wont be the traditional slewing on pickups from a dozer and all that good stuff that goes on on a well run mass dirt moving show. That said I don't see it hurting a blade at all if the appropriate size dozer was used, once you are square onto it it should roll up and down the curvature of the blade as opposed to steel on steel skidding up and down so should be easier on the blade skin/pushpad in any case.
A couple of more suitable buttons for you all. Gavin,I agree those little pull scrapers aren't probably getting used in pushloading applications and just need the occasional nudge if they get bogged.
Ah - proper scrapers........
the lad leaning against the front wheel is me.Was about 19 then and getting a fairbit of seat time in these 637C's (as they weren't actually called,just 637's) This was for Crouch Mining at Libry Moore 1991.Richard Levacks kit.he's in sunnier climbs now.You may have heard of him.
Richard Levack, cant say I've heard of him. What name did he trade under..? I was well gone overseas by 1991. Was Libry Moore in Northumberland..? That was always Crouch's territory in their heyday. I was at Butterwell years earlier thatn that. Our scraper fleet was Merriman's 657s - 24 of them IIRC triple pushed with D9Gs.
Nige. are you still working for the interior ?
Yessir, but possibly not for much longer. My contract is up at the end of July so I'll likely be moving on (been here 6 years by then). Where to is another subject altogether, maybe retirement .........
Nige,Crouch also had many sites in Ayrshire,Scotland.Libry Moore was at Kirkconnel.I did work on some sites in Northumberland(dragline county) namely East and West Chevington(Budge and Crouch),Plenmellor (Mowlem).Butterwell was finished in my day to be morphed into Stobswood. I worked alongside Merrimans 657A's briefly at Haddiwell blaze bing during 1989/90.It was to be their last job before they faced the gas axe.They were tandem pushed with 9G's. When working at Crouch's Rough Hill site in Ayreshire Becher had his 657B's we pushed them with twin 9H's with occasional triple pushing from Blackwells 155 or Crouch's 9N. An awesome site.The muck would disappear before your eyes.The 777's and 120 shovels couldn't match the production in the heavy boulder clay that the 57's could reach
R J Levack.