US3678885A

US3678885A - Slope and grade meter

Info

Publication number: US3678885A
Application number: US143848A
Authority: US
Inventors: William K Ferguson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-05-17
Filing date: 1971-05-17
Publication date: 1972-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-25

Abstract

A device for use on construction equipment of the type having an earth moving tool positionably mounted thereon. The meter includes a first indicator for indicating the desired position at which the tool must be held to form a desired slope or grade. A second indicator is provided which indicates the actual tool position so that by comparing the desired and the actual position indications an operator is able to move the tool accordingly.

Description

0 United States Patent 1151 3,678,885 Ferguson 14 1 July 25, 1972 [54] SLOPE AND GRADE METER 2,851,799 9/1958 Meents et a1 ..37/1)1o. 14 [72] Inventor: William K Ferguson, 2526 E. North Lane, 3,235, 39; 9/1962 Holland ..172/4.5 Phoenix Adz. 85028 3, 8/1964 Curlett et al ..172/4.5 3,556,225 1/1971 Matsuzak1 ..172/4.5 [22] Filed: May 17, 1971 Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi [2]] App! Altorne v--Herbert E. Haynes, Jr.

[52] [1.5. Cl ..ll6/l24, 37/D1G. 19, l16/DIG. 13, [57] ABSTRACT 51 l t Cl A device for use on construction equipment of the type having i 56/208, an earth moving tool positionably mounted thereon. The 1 5 14 172/4 meter includes a first indicator for indicating the desired position at which the tool must be held to form a desired slope or 56 References Cited grade. A second indicator is provided which indicates the actual tool position so that by comparing the desired and the ac- UNITED STATES PATENTS tual position indications an operator is able to move the tool accordingly. 1,825,258 9/1931 Barber ..37/DlG. 19 2,029,455 2/1936 Wilson ..37/DlG. 14 9 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures Patented July 25, 1972 3 Shuts-Shut l I \ma Iran =1 SLOPE AND GRADE METER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to meters and more particularly to a slope and grade meter for use on construction equipment.

2. Description of the Prior Art The necessity for accurate positioning of the earth moving tools of construction equipment when forming embankments, roadways, parking lots and the like has long been known.

Several devices have been devised to aid an operator in holding the earth moving tool of a construction machine in a desired position. In general, these prior art devices are either inaccurate, hard to see, or difficult for the operator to use. Hence, most operators rely on feel" with the result that final or finish grading is left for the most experienced and skilled operators.

In an attempt to alleviate this problem, a fully automatic electrohydraulic servo system was developed. This system automatically repositions the tool when such variables as irregularities in smoothness and density of the surface or the materials being worked cause the earth moving machine to deviate from the ideal path and position. This particular prior art system is very complex, costly, and requires extensive maintenance and therefore has received little acceptance.

In view of the foregoing, the need exists for an accurate and inexpensive slope and grade meter which is easy for an operator to use and requires very little maintenance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention disclosed, a new and useful slope and grade meter is described for use with earth moving equipment.

The mechanism of the present invention comprises a first indicator adapted to be preset at a predetermined reading to which a blade or other tool of an earth moving machine must be held to form a desired slope or grade. The mechanism also includes a second indicator which indicates the actual position of the tool. By comparing the actual reading with the desired reading, an operator can move the tool accordingly.

Also disclosed are three types of mounting arrangements which permit the mechanism of the present invention to be mounted at various locations on a motor grader. One of the mounting locations permits the slope and grade meter to be used for relatively level work such as on a roadway or any other slope forming jobs upon which the motor grader itself may operate. A second mounting location is employed when the slope being formed is too steep for the grader to operate on and requires that the blade be moved laterally with respect to the machine so that only the blade is set on the desired slope. The third mounting location is employed to indicate the depth at which the blade is set with respect to a particular reference, such as forming the subgrade of a roadway with the reference being the curb.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful slope and grade meter for use on earth moving equipment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful slope and grade meter which is accurate, easy to use, inexpensive, and requires minimum maintenance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful slope and grade meter in which indicators provide indications of the desired and the actual tool positions for operator comparison.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful slope and grade meter with a plurality of mounting arrangements which allow the meter to be employed for different types of earth moving operations.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention, the various features thereof, as well as the invention itself, may be more fully understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a fragmentary perspective view of a motor grader having the mechanism of the present invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the mechanism of the present invention being employed in a subgrade forming operation;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top view of the meter of the present invention further showing the mechanism employed in the subgrade forming operation;

FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating the indicators and scales of the slope and grade meterof the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the mechanism and mounting arrangement suitable for the formation of steep embankments;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top view of the mechanism and mounting arrangement illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view illustrating the mechanism of the present invention and a mounting arrangement suitable for use in relatively level slope forming operations;

' FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary back view of a vernier mechanism of the preset indicator of the present invention;

FIG. II is a sectional view taken on the line lll1 of FIG.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the mechanism of the present invention taken on the line 12-12 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIG. I shows an earth moving machine 15 sometimes called a motor grader. The mechanism of the present invention is illustrated and described herein as being used on the motor grader 15 due to the extensive use of this type of machine in earth moving operations. It should be noted, however, that the present invention may be employed on other types of machines such as bulldozers, tractors, trenchers and the like.

The motor grader I5 is provided with the usual operator's compartment 16, main frame 17, front wheels 18 and the rear wheels 19. An A-frame 20 is positioned below the main frame 17 and is swingingly connected to the front thereof by a suitable ball joint (not shown). The rear portion of the A-frame 20 is coupled to appropriate control mechanisms which allows the operator to control the movements of the A-frame 20. The rear portion of the A-frame 20 is also provided with a rotatable ring 2l from which is suspended a blade 22. The blade 22 is adapted to be rotated about the center of the ring 2] and held in various positions. The blade 22 is connected to suitable control devices so that it may be moved laterally with respect to the ring 21.

The above described elements and operation of the motor grader 15 are well known in the art and therefore were briefly described only in sufficient detail to facilitate the understanding of the hereinafter described mechanisms of the present invention.

A slope and grade meter 24 as seen best in FIGS. 5, I0, ll, I2 and I3 is provided with an enclosing housing 25 having a front 26 upon which an appropriate scale 27 is displayed.

The scale 27 is divided into increments which are identified with the indicia of the most commonly used slopes. It is customary to refer to a slope as a 3 to l, 2 to 1, etc. with the first numeral indicating the horizontal dimension and the second numeral indicating the vertical dimension of the slope. Thus, a l to l slope would be a slope angle of 45.

The scale 27 is used to preset a first indicator means 28 to provide an indication of a desired slope at which the blade 22 must be held to form that slope. The first indicator means 28 comprises a hand 30 which is pivotably positionable about an axis 31 that is perpendicular to the front 26 of the housing 25 (see FIG. 12). The hand 30 is provided on one end with a positioning pointer 32 which is disposed to register with the indicia of the scale 27, and the other end of the hand 30 is provided with a desired tool position indicating pointer 33. As will hereinafter be described in detail, the pointer 33 may be ad justable and is positioned by a vernier mechanism 34 which allows the hand 30 to be set at fractional divisions between the indicia ofthe scale 27.

The meter 24 is provided with a rotatable shaft 36 disposed along the axis 31. The shaft 36 is journaled for rotation in a pair of spaced apart bearings 37 suitably mounted within the housing 25. A pendulously suspended weight 38 is attached to the shaft 36 at a point intermediate the spaced apart bearings 37. The weight 38 is a gravity responsive device which together with the shaft 36 provides one type of a control means..This type of control means dampens or resists rotary movement of a second indicator 48 when the meter 24 is moved in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis 31. The mounting and coupling of the second indicator 48 to the control means will hereinafter be described.

As seen best in FIG. 12, the shaft 36 is provided with a front end 40 which extends through the front 26 of the housing 25 and passes through a bushing 4] fixedly attached thereto. The bushing 41 is formed with a shoulder 42 on its peripheral diameter 43. The hand 30 of the first indicator 28 is adapted to be rotatably mounted on the peripheral diameter 43 of the bushing 41, and is biased into frictional engagementwith the shoulder 42 thereof by a spring washer 44 that is held in place by a suitable keeper 45. With the hand 30 mounted as described, it will retain its set position with respect to the scale 27 and is not affected by the movements ofthe shaft 36.

The front end 40 of the shaft 36 is formed with a reduced diameter portion 46 to provide a shoulder 47.

A second indicator means 48 is adapted to be rotatably mounted on the reduced diameter portion 46 of the shaft 36, and is biased into frictional engagement with the shoulder 47 thereof by a spring 49. The inwardly disposed end of the spring 49 exerts a biasing force on the second indicator 48 so that it will respond to the gravity-affected movements of the shaft 36. The outwardly disposed end of the spring 49 is retained by a pointer 50 which is held on the front end 40 of the shaft 36 by a nut 51. The shaft 36 has flats 52 (FIG. formed on the front end 40 thereof upon which the pointer 50 is mounted. The pointer 50 is formed with flat-mating portions 53 which cause the pointer 50 to move with the shaft 36, and also radially position the pointer to indicate a diametrically opposed direction with respect to the disposition of the weight 38.

The second indicator 48 will normally be positioned to indicate a direction which is diametrically opposed to the position of the weight 38. Thus it may be seen that the second indicator 48 and the pointer 50 will normally operate in unison. To assure proper positioning of the indicator 48 when it is operating in unison with the pointer 50, the indicator 48 is provided with a detent means 54 formed thereon which will register with the pointer 50 when properly aligned. The normal operating conditions as well as the instance when it may be desirable to move the indicator 48 out of alignment with the pointer 50 will hereinafter be described in detail.

The shaft 36 is provided with a back end 56 which extends rearwardly from the housing 25. A control arm 57 is pendulously suspended from the back end 56 of the shaft 36 and is aligned with the weight 38. The free end of the arm 57 may be provided with an auxiliary weight 58 in which an aperture 59 is formed. A set screw 60 is threadably mounted in the free end of the arm 57 and is positioned to align with the aperture 59. The control arm 57.0r a second type of control means is employed in grading operations as will be described.

The vernier mechanism 34 provided on the first indicator 28 is best seen in FIGS. 5, and 11. The vernier mechanism 34 comprises a movable lever 64 having a spring clip 65 suitably mounted on the upper end thereof. The spring clip 65 is provided with a pointer 66 which is positioned to register with a vernier scale 67. The scale 67 may be divided into increments which are representative of percent of grade or tenths per ten feet which are the measurements customarily employed in grading operations. The lever 64 is pivotably mounted to the hand 30 by a pin 68 which rotatably carries a first roller 69 thereon. The first roller 69 is positioned between the hand 30 and the lever 64. A second roller 70 is rotatably mounted on the lever 64 and is adjacent to the first roller 69 so that the peripheral diameters of the rollers are in abutting contact with each other. The second roller 70 rides in a cut-out 71 provided in a movable plate 72. The plate 72 has the indicating pointer 33 attached thereto which is adapted to extend forwardly through an arcuate slot 73 formed in the hand 30. The pointer 33 extends through the slot 73 and depends downwardly for alignment with the second indicator 48. The plate 72 is provided with parallel upper and lower

arcuate surfaces

74 and 75. The lower arcuate surface 75 of plate 72 is in engagement with an upper arcuate surface 76 of a guide rail 77 suitably attached to the hand 30.

When the vernier mechanism 34 is moved to set the first indicator 28 at a division between the indicia of scale 27, the lever 64 is pivoted about the pin 68 which moves the second roller 70 in an are thus moving the plate 72. The movement of the plate 72 is guided by the upper arcuate surface 76 of the rail 77 and by the peripheral diameter of the first roller 69 which engages the upper arcuate surface 74 of the plate 72. It should be noted that the

arcuate surfaces

74, 75 and 76 which control movements of the plate 72 and thus the indicating pointer 33, are arcs of a circle the center of which is located on the axis 31. This geometric relationship results in movements of the indicating pointer 33 transcribing an are which is parallel to the arc transcribed by the second indicator 48. Therefore, accurate visual comparisons may be easily made of the positions of the pointer 33 and the indicator 48.

In view of the foregoing, it may be seen that the meter 24 may be employed in various environments which require comparison between a preset indicator and an indicator which responds to a control means. When the meter 24 is used on the grader l5, three different types of earth moving operations can be performed in which the meter 24 may assist the operator.

In a first operational mode the meter 24 is mounted on the main frame 17 of the grader l5, and is preferably positioned close to the operators compartment 16. This mode is employed in the formation of relatively shallow slopes, that is any surface upon which the grader itself may operate.

In a second operational mode, the meter 24 is mounted on the A-frame 20 of the grader l5, and is employed in this position for the formation of relatively steep slopes. Relatively steep slopes are considered to be those upon which the grader 15 is unable to operate, for example, slopes of 2 to l or greater are normally considered at steep slopes.

In a third operational mode, the meter 24 is mounted on the blade 22 for grading operations such as formation of subgrades in a roadway. This type of earth moving operation requires that the blade 22 be accurately positioned with respect to a particular reference such as a curb.

FIRST OPERATIONAL MODE The mounting of the meter 24 on the main frame 17 is accomplished by a clamp 80 shown in FIG. 9. The clamp 80 is adapted to be removably mounted on the main frame 17 by suitable attaching hardware such as set screws 81. The clamp 80 is provided with an upstanding member 82 to which a U- shaped bracket 83 is attached. The bracket 83 is provided with parallel spaced apart upper and

lower arms

84 and 85 between which the meter 24 is mounted by bolts 86 so as to provide swivel movement of the meter about an axis 87 through the bolts 86. The swivel movement of the meter 24 is provided so that it may be angularly positioned for easy viewing by the operator.

To adjust the meter for this first operational mode, the grader is located on a relatively flat surface and the meter 24 is placed on any structural member that is known to be level with respect to the grader 15. The first indicator 28 is set so that its positioning pointer 32 is in registry with the H mark (horizontal) of the scale 27. The vernier mechanism 34 is set at zero, and the second indicator 48 is positioned to operate in unison with the pointer 50. The operator of the grader 15 then lowers the blade 22 into contact with the surface upon which the grader 15 is located, and by pushing down on one end or the other of the blade 22, repositions the grader 15 until the indicator 48 is brought into alignment with the pointer 33 of the indicator 28. With the grader 15 held in this position, the meter may then be mounted on the clamp 80.

With the meter 24 adjusted as previously described, the

blade 22 is horizontally disposed and any deviation from the horizontal will be indicated by misalignment of the

indicators

28 and 48. Any desired shallow slope may then be set by moving the first indicator 28 to the desired reading on the scale 27 and moving the blade 22 until the second indicator 28 aligns with the desired tool position indicating pointer 53.

SECOND OPERATIONAL MODE To operate the grader 15 in this mode, the meter 24 is mounted on the A-frame of the grader as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. For this type of slope forming operation the blade 22 is moved laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the grader so that the blade 22 is operating entirely outside the track of the grader 15. This is accomplished by the controlled swivel movements of the A-frame 20 and with the lateral movement ofthe blade with respect to the ring 21.

To accomplish the indications needed in the second operational mode, an extending bracket 90 is mounted on one end of the rear cross member 91 of the A-frame 20. The bracket 90 is adapted to be removably mounted on a ball joint pad 92 of the rear member 91 by a spring latch 93. The bracket 90 extends outwardly from the pad 92 and has the U-shaped bracket 83 and the meter 24 mounted on its free end. The bracket 83 is the same one described previously in the description of the first operational mode, and therefore allows the same swivel movement of the meter 24 about the axis 87, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7. The meter is also adapted to be rotated about an axis 94 which passes through a bolt 95 with which the bracket 83 is mounted on the bracket 90. The bracket 90 is provided with a pointer 96 formed on its free end which registers with a scale 97 displayed on the bracket 83. The purpose for rotational movement of the meter 24, as well as the pointer 96 and scale 97, will hereinafter be described in detail.

To adjust the meter 24 for operation in the second operational mode, the blade 22 is moved laterally with respect to the grader 15 and is set at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the grader 15. The first indicator 28 is set to the indicia of the desired slope, and the blade 22 is moved until the second indicator 48 is in alignment with the pointer 33 of the indicator 28. A small test area is then formed on the embankment which, if desired, may be checked by conventional measuring techniques, The right angle setting of the blade 22 may now be changed to a more suitable work approach angle. Changing the work approach angle of the blade 22 with respect to the test area formed on the embankment, and the geometric relationships of the A-frame and other blade control devices, will cause the blade 22 to lift off of the test area, When the blade 22 is moved back into contact with the test area, an error will result in the readings of the meter 24. This erroneous reading is adjusted out of the meter 24 by loosening the bolt 95 and revolving the meter 24 until the second indicator 48 aligns with the pointer 33 of the indicator 28.

The pointer 96 formed on the free end of the bracket 90 and the scale 97 on the bracket 83 are employed to help the operator remember the setting of the meter for the particular approach angle and slope.

THIRD OPERATIONAL MODE As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the meter 24 may be mounted directly on the blade 22 for operations involving the type of work previously described as the third operational mode. In this instance the control arm 57 of the meter 24 is connected to a reference sensing means 100 which is shown as a caster 10] mounted on an extending rod 102. The extending rod 102 is adjustably mounted in the aperture 59 by the set screw 60 of the control arm 57. The rod 102 is adjusted so that the caster 101 is in contact with a reference such as a surface 103 of a curb 104. It should be noted that other types of reference sensing means may be connected to the arm 57, such as a wire contacting mechanism (not shown) for sensing a guide wire.

The extending rod 102, adjusted as described, will move the control arm 57, the weight 38 and the second indicator 48 when the blade 22 is moved vertically. Therefore, adjustments of the meter 24 for this mode of operation are made by moving the blade 22 to the desired vertical position. In this instance the second indicator 48 moves in response to movements of the control arm 57, and not to the effect of gravity on the weight 38. Thus, the indicator 48 may be rotated independently of the pointer 50 to any position, usually determined by the operators viewing preference. When the indicator 48 is in the desired position the first indicator 2 8 is moved into alignment therewith to provide a stable indication of the desired blade position. During the grading operation, misalignments which might occur will notify the operator that the blade 22 has deviated from the desired position.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the meter 24 is mounted on the blade 22 by a bracket 106. The bracket 106 is adapted to slidingly engage a pair of spaced apart rails 107, the rails 107 forming an integral part of the blade 22. The bracket 106 comprises a plate 108 having

hook members

109 and 110 formed thereon to engage the rails 107. The bracket 106 is provided with a quick disconnect mechanism 111 which includes an offset roller 112 movably mounted in lugs 113 (one shown) welded or otherwise attached to the back surface 114 of the plate 108. The offset roller 112 is an overcenter device which is moved by a handle 115 into frictional engagement with the back of the blade 22. The front surface 116 of the plate 108 is provided with a pair of spaced apart,

parallel arms

117 and 118. The meter 24 is mounted between the

arms

117 and 118 by bolts 119 to allow swivel movements of the meter 24 in the same manner as previously described for mounting of the meter 24in the bracket 83.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 a rod retainer 122 or reference sensing means retainer is adjustably mounted on the top of the housing 25. The retainer 122 is formed with an elongated slot 123 through which the extending rod 102 will move.

The rod retainer 122 is provided to limit downward movement of the extending rod 102 which would otherwise fall to the surface being graded when the grader 15 enters such areas as an intersection of roadways. The retainer 122 prevents damage to the rod 102 and to the caster 101, and also allows the operator to resume controlled grading after passing the intersection. The operator may replace the caster 102 on the curb 104 without dismounting from the grader 15 by raising the blade 22 until the caster 102 is positioned above the curb 104 and then lowering the blade to the proper position.

While the principles of the invention have now been made clear in an illustrative embodiment, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components, used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted for specific environments and operating requirements without departing from those principles.

For example, the indicators could be adapted to operate suitable electronic devices which could be employed to send appropriate signals to remotely located audio or visual display equipment.

The appended claims are therefore intended to cover and embrace any such modifications within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A slope and grade meter for use on construction equipment of the type having a positionable earth moving tool thereon, said meter adapted to provide an indication of the relationship between a desired tool position and an actual tool position, said meter comprising:

a. a housing having a scale with indicia of the desired tool positions;

b. mounting means for attaching said meter to the construction equipment;

c. a first indicator on said housing and adapted to move therewith, said first indicator positionable on said housing to register with the scale thereof for indicating the desired tool position;

d. a second indicator rotatably mounted on said housing for providing an indication of the actual tool position, the indication of said second indicator located adjacent to the indication of said first indicator to display the relationship therebetween; and

e. control means coupled to said second indicator for controlling the rotary motion thereof in accordance with changes in the relationship between the desired tool position and the actual tool position.

2. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim I wherein said first indicator comprises:

a. a hand;

b. a positioning pointer formed on one end of said hand, said positioning pointer disposed adjacent to the scale provided on said housing for locating said hand to indicate the desired tool position; and

c. a desired tool position indicating pointer mounted on the other end of said hand.

3. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first indicator further comprises a vernier mechanism connected to said desired tool position indicating pointer for adjustable positioning thereof at fractional divisions between the indicia ofthe scale on said housing.

4. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 3 wherein said vernier mechanism comprises:

a. a vernier scale displayed on said hand;

b. a lever pivotably mounted on said hand;

c. a spring clip attached to one end of said lever, said spring clip having a pointer which registeringly aligns with said vernier scale; and

d. a movable plate mounted on said hand and adapted to be arcuately reciprocated by said lever, said plate having said desired tool position indicating pointer attached thereto.

5. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises:

a. a shaft rotatably mounted within said housing, said shaft having a front end extending exteriorly from said housing;

b. means for mounting said second indicator on the front end of said shaft, said second indicator adapted to move with said shaft; and

c. a weight pendulously suspended from said shaft for resisting rotary motion thereof upon the occurrence of undesired movement of the construction equipment.

6. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim I wherein said control means comprises:

a. a shaft rotatably mounted within said housing, said shaft having a front end and a back end each of which extends exteriorly from said housing, said shaft having a shoulder formed on the front end thereof;

b. biasing means on the front end of said shaft for biasing said second indicator into frictional engagement with the shoulder of said shaft, said biasing means adapted to allow radial positioning of said second indicator with respect to said shaft;

c. a control arm attached to the back end of said shaft; and d. reference sensing means connected to said control arm for sensing a reference and causing rotation movement of said shaft when the actual tool position deviates with respect to the reference.

7. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises:

a. a clamp removably mounted on the frame of the construction equipment;

b. an upstanding member affixed to said clamp; and

c. a U-shaped bracket removably mounted on said upstanding member, said bracket having a pair of parallel spaced apart arms between which said meter is swivelingly mounted.

8. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim I wherein said mounting means comprises:

a. an extending bracket removably mounted on the frame of said construction equipment, said bracket extending substantially laterally from said frame;

b. a U-shaped bracket rotatably mounted on the free end of said extending bracket, said U-shaped bracket having a pair of parallel spaced apart arms between which said meter is swivelingly mounted; and

c. means on said extendingbracket and on said U-shaped bracket for indicating the rotational position of said meter with respect to said extending bracket.

9. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises:

a. a bracket removably mounted on the tool of the construction equipment;

b. quick disconnect means attached to one side of said bracket for frictionally mounting said bracket to the tool; and

c. a pair of parallel spaced apart arms attached to the other side of said bracket between which said meter is swivelingly mounted.

Claims

1. A slope and grade meter for use on construction equipment of the type having a positionable earth moving tool thereon, said meter adapted to provide an indication of the relationship between a desired tool position and an actual tool position, said meter comprising: a. a housing having a scale with indicia of the desired tool positions; b. mounting means for attaching said meter to the construction equipment; c. a first indicator on said housing and adapted to move therewith, said first indicator positionable on said housing to register with the scale thereof for indicating the desired tool position; d. a second indicator rotatably mounted on said housing for providing an indication of the actual tool position, the indication of said second indicator located adjacent to the indication of said first indicator to display the relationship therebetween; and e. control means coupled to said second indicator for controlling the rotary motion thereof in accordance with changes in the relationship between the desired tool position and the actual tool position.

2. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first indicator comprises: a. a hand; b. a positioning pointer formed on one end of said hand, said positioning pointer disposed adjacent to the scale provided on said housing for locating said hand to indicate the desired tool position; and c. a desired tool position indicating pointer mounted on the other end of said hand.

3. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first indicator further comprises a vernier mechanism connected to said desired tool position indicating pointer for adjustable positioning thereof at fractional divisions between the indicia of the scale on said housing.

4. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 3 wherein said vernier mechanism comprises: a. a vernier scale displayed on said hand; b. a lever pivotably mounted on said hand; c. a spring clip attached to one end of said lever, said spring clip having a pointer which registeringly aligns with said vernier scale; and d. a movable plate mounted on said hand and adapted to be arcuately reciprocated by said lever, said plate having said deSired tool position indicating pointer attached thereto.

5. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises: a. a shaft rotatably mounted within said housing, said shaft having a front end extending exteriorly from said housing; b. means for mounting said second indicator on the front end of said shaft, said second indicator adapted to move with said shaft; and c. a weight pendulously suspended from said shaft for resisting rotary motion thereof upon the occurrence of undesired movement of the construction equipment.

6. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises: a. a shaft rotatably mounted within said housing, said shaft having a front end and a back end each of which extends exteriorly from said housing, said shaft having a shoulder formed on the front end thereof; b. biasing means on the front end of said shaft for biasing said second indicator into frictional engagement with the shoulder of said shaft, said biasing means adapted to allow radial positioning of said second indicator with respect to said shaft; c. a control arm attached to the back end of said shaft; and d. reference sensing means connected to said control arm for sensing a reference and causing rotation movement of said shaft when the actual tool position deviates with respect to the reference.

7. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises: a. a clamp removably mounted on the frame of the construction equipment; b. an upstanding member affixed to said clamp; and c. a U-shaped bracket removably mounted on said upstanding member, said bracket having a pair of parallel spaced apart arms between which said meter is swivelingly mounted.

8. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises: a. an extending bracket removably mounted on the frame of said construction equipment, said bracket extending substantially laterally from said frame; b. a U-shaped bracket rotatably mounted on the free end of said extending bracket, said U-shaped bracket having a pair of parallel spaced apart arms between which said meter is swivelingly mounted; and c. means on said extending bracket and on said U-shaped bracket for indicating the rotational position of said meter with respect to said extending bracket.

9. A slope and grade meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises: a. a bracket removably mounted on the tool of the construction equipment; b. quick disconnect means attached to one side of said bracket for frictionally mounting said bracket to the tool; and c. a pair of parallel spaced apart arms attached to the other side of said bracket between which said meter is swivelingly mounted.