Backhoe Cutter Plates Saw Through Frost, Blacktop And Tree Limbs

2009 - Volume #33, Issue #6, Page #34

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Gibby Conn ran a backhoe for more than 50 years, and he was known for always being able to dig when others couldn't. His secret was his patented backhoe cutter plates.
"I got the idea while trying to dig through frozen ground," recalls Conn. "I made a prototype out of wood and took it to a metal shop. They had some old 1/2-in. bridge steel, and we made the plates out of it."
The 2 by 2 1/2-ft. plates were large enough to extend beyond the joint of the backhoe arm and bucket. This allowed the teeth to cut when Conn turned the bucket on its back and dragged it across the surface. Saw teeth were cut from the edge of the blade, staggered like carpenter's saw teeth, and hardened.
Conn could easily saw through frozen ground and pop out a bucket-size chunk with ease. Equally important, the plates didn't interfere with regular use of the bucket.
The cutting plates also worked well on blacktop. Working a job for the Army Corps of Engineers, Conn once used the plates to cut through a 5-ft. thick bed of asphalt.
"I did five holes in three days," he recalls. "Another company used diamond saw blades, and it took them three weeks to dig three holes."
The plates even helped with tree removal, making it safer and faster. "I could reach 28 ft. up into a tree with the bucket and saw off a limb. Unlike a chainsaw, it would come down gradually," says Conn. "Once it had been topped, I would use the cutter plates to dig around the stump, slice off the roots and finally push it over."
Conn was an independent operator with his own equipment. Although he had a patent, he never tried to sell the idea. Instead he told other operators to go ahead and copy it if they wanted.
"I used it on and off for more than 50 years," he says. "The teeth would wear down, and I would just get them sharpened and rehardened."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gilbert F. Conn, 1314 Old Meadow Rd., Pittsburgh, Penn. 15241 (ph 412 221-4999).

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Backhoe Cutter Plates Saw Through Frost, Blacktop And Tree Limbs MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Earth Movers 33-6-34 Gibby Conn ran a backhoe for more than 50 years, and he was known for always being able to dig when others couldn't. His secret was his patented backhoe cutter plates. "I got the idea while trying to dig through frozen ground," recalls Conn. "I made a prototype out of wood and took it to a metal shop. They had some old 1/2-in. bridge steel, and we made the plates out of it." The 2 by 2 1/2-ft. plates were large enough to extend beyond the joint of the backhoe arm and bucket. This allowed the teeth to cut when Conn turned the bucket on its back and dragged it across the surface. Saw teeth were cut from the edge of the blade, staggered like carpenter's saw teeth, and hardened. Conn could easily saw through frozen ground and pop out a bucket-size chunk with ease. Equally important, the plates didn't interfere with regular use of the bucket. The cutting plates also worked well on blacktop. Working a job for the Army Corps of Engineers, Conn once used the plates to cut through a 5-ft. thick bed of asphalt. "I did five holes in three days," he recalls. "Another company used diamond saw blades, and it took them three weeks to dig three holes." The plates even helped with tree removal, making it safer and faster. "I could reach 28 ft. up into a tree with the bucket and saw off a limb. Unlike a chainsaw, it would come down gradually," says Conn. "Once it had been topped, I would use the cutter plates to dig around the stump, slice off the roots and finally push it over." Conn was an independent operator with his own equipment. Although he had a patent, he never tried to sell the idea. Instead he told other operators to go ahead and copy it if they wanted. "I used it on and off for more than 50 years," he says. "The teeth would wear down, and I would just get them sharpened and rehardened." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gilbert F. Conn, 1314 Old Meadow Rd., Pittsburgh, Penn. 15241 (ph 412 221-4999).

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