Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Ripping: Tools,
Techniques, and
Applications
Introduction The condition of rock also af- Fig. 1— Fixed par-
fects its rippability. Although allelogram with
The art of ripping has been sedimentary rocks offer the best droop snoat tip. , “
around since the Remans built the opportunity to rip and igneous
Appian Way, but only in the last and metamorphic the least, decom- P
decade has ripping emerged as a posed granite and other weath- ground angle regardless of tooth
close competitor with drilling and ered igneous and metamorphic depth. This type of ripper has ad-
blasting in breaking up heavy rock rock often can be ripped econom- vantages over the hinge–type
formations. That is not to say rip- ically. Little or no trouble is en- when ripping above maximum
ping is as effective in every case, countered with hardpan, clays, depth, but does not provide the ag-
or even applicable in all cases, but shales, or cemented gravel. Like- gressive tooth angle necessary for
it does provide a cost efficient op- wise, highly stratified or lamina- hard-to-penetrate materials. The
tion in many situations—ifthe op- ted rocks offer good possibilities adjustable parallelogram com-
timum ripping techniques are for ripping. However, thickly- bines the benefits of both the
used. bedded rock formations generally hinge and the parallelogram rip-
Originally designed only to must be drilled and blasted. pers. It has the additional benefit
loosen hard pan, the ripper has The physical characteristics of being able to vary the tip angle
evolved into a powerful tool, its that favor ripping may be summa- to the optimum angle of penetra-
capability increasing as the weight rized as follows: tion. It can also be adjusted while
and horsepower of tractors in- . Fractures, faults, and planes moving, for the optimum ripping
creased. The tractor–mounted rip- of weakness of any kind; angle in any material.
per extended the range of ripping . Weathering, resulting from Several other factors that are
because of the additional weight it temperature and moisture important in selecting the right
brought to bear on the ripper changes; ripping equipment are down pres-
tooth. Tandem ripping added the ● Brittleness and crystalline na- sure available at the tip of the rip-
weight and power of a second ture; per, tractor flywheel horsepower,
tractor, extending the rippability . High degree of stratification and the tractor’s gross weight.
range even further. or lamination; Down pressure at the tip deter-
Of course, the use of ripping de- . Large grain size; mines whether ripper penetration
pends on the type of material to be . Moisture permeated clay, can be obtained and maintained.
ripped. Not all rock can be ripped. shale, and rock formations; Flywheel horsepower rating de-
Determination of rippability—an and termines whether the tractor has
art in itself—is often inconclusive c Low compressive strength. the power to advance the tip. The
but there are certain universal tractor’s gross weight determines
principles that can be considered Ripper Types whether the tractor will have suf-
in the first step toward optimizing ficient traction to use the horse-
ripping techniques. A second fundamental to op- power:
Each of the three basic rock timal ripping is choosing the right The best ripping procedure de-
types, igneous, sedimentary, and equipment for a particular job. pends on the job’s actual condi-
metamorphic, exhibits character- There are three types ofrippers— tions. While conditions, vary, it is
istics that bear on rippability. Ig- the hinge, the parallelogram, and still possible to apply certain
neous rocks are the most difficult the adjustable parallelogram. In proven techniques to a typical rip-
to rip because they lack the strati- the hinge ripper the linkage carry- ping situation. Caterpillar Tractor
fication and cleavage planes es- ingthe beam and shank pivots on a Co.’s Handbook on Ripping says
sential to ripping hard rock. fixed point at the rear of the optimum ripping efficiency can
Sedimentary rocks are generally tractor. The resulting arc from up be realized if—before actual rip-
the most easily ripped since they and down movement causes up to ping begins—these questions and
are built of layers differing in ma- 3W differential in the tip-ground answers are considered.
terial, texture, color, and thick- angle. Thus, the tooth angle
ness. Metamorphic rocks vary in changes as it enters and proceeds Information for this article was derived
rippability with degree of lamina- to ripping depth. from the Handbook of Ripping, prepared
tion or cleavage caused by trans- The parallelogram ripper’s by Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, IL
formation from pre-existing rock. linkage maintains the same tip- 61629