Bulldozers are very useful and powerful machines with a blade to move things. It’s often the name used for any heavy equipment, though more specifically any tractor with a dozer blade. They are also a staple of the Tonka Truck line.
Usually, bulldozers are large and extremely powerful vehicles that have tracks rather than tires, similar to a tank. The track gives them better traction, and makes it more ideal for the ups and downs of rough terrain. Some have wider track for better weight displacement to help prevent their sinking into what they are working with.
They hold the ground real well, and use a torque divider between their 2 tracks to facilitate more or less dragging power. They are great for using their own weight to push heavy objects and even trees from the ground. The Caterpillar D9 can easily tow more than 70 tons. For this reason, bulldozers frequently are used to clear land rapidly, as well as level old houses.
The blade
Bulldozers utilize a heavy metal plate as a blade in the front to push and scrape with.
There are the straight blades that are short, without any other notable features. These are useful for fine grading land, and are often used before paving driveways.
The universal blade (U blade), is tall, has a large curve to it, and has large wings on the side to facilitate pushing much more ground, rough cutting of the sort.
Then there is the combination blade, which is a mix of the straight and universal blade.
Modifications
Innovation has led to many modifications on the original design to add new and more useful features to the line. Some amount to tracked loader tractors with more specialized blade and scoop like combinations. They scoop and load. These are very common within coalmining slate dump and reclamation projects. Another place you see a lot of this is in logging applications. In many of these cases they are also the means to load their product into trucks.
Smaller versions exist today too, since they fit smaller tasks and are more affordable. These units still boast power, and work great in areas with limited movement. Some of these are called calf dozers.
History
The first bulldozers were simply adapted from farm tractors. They’d add custom scoops that were more dozer blade than scoop and plow fields. They were used to dig canals, build earth dams, and many other earthmoving tasks. Eventually the plate gained the name blade. While many more specialized applications came along for other purposes, the bulldozer still remains with its own services as well.
The bulldozer blade scrapes away slices of ground, and moves it forward as it drives along. That’s the essence of the bulldozer. It’s usually the first piece of equipment on nearly any construction or excavation job.
Over time, many engineers worked to make even more improvements to meet even more demands of this important piece of heavy equipment. Some of the companies involved are CAT, JCB, Komatsu, Case, and John Deere, though there are many others. They do roar loud, and have a lot of power behind them. For this reason they got their name “bulldozer”.
Since their beginning, they have gotten bigger, better, and much more powerful. They’ve also been made more rugged and can go places they never did before. They handle better and more accurately. A lot of this has been accomplished by well designed hydraulics within their function. Many now also have a ripping claw at the back for loosening or ripping things. Winches there are found often as well.
Probably the most widely known manufacturer of bulldozers is CAT, which built its name on them. They are rough and tough, and get the job done. You probably saw one in your travels recently and will many more times in your life.
|