Focus On Mega Machines

POWERFUL

TO

HAVE GREAT STRENGTH

ROBU

STW

ITHS

TAND

HEAV

YUS

E

SPEED

TOTRAVEL

FAST

MASSIVELARGE AND HEAVY

Mega

Machines

Copyright © 2010 Top That! Publishing plcTide Mill Way, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1AP, UK

www.topthatpublishing.comAll rights reserved

Working MachinesPages 4–5

Special PartsPages 6–7

Backhoe ExcavatorsPages 8–9

Different JobsPages 10–11

Backhoe LoadersPages 12–13

Dump TrucksPages 14–15

BulldozersPages 16–17

Preparing the WayPages 18–19

Finishing the RoadPages 20–21

Mobile CranesPages 22–23

Safety on SitePages 26–27

History of TractorsPages 28–29

Tractor PartsPages 30–31

2

Snow TractorsPages 24–25

CONTENTS

Tractor TasksPages 32–35

Tractor TracksPages 36–37

Car TransportersPage 41

Petrol TankersPage 42

Rubbish TrucksPage 40

Truck OnPages 38–39

Old vs Modern CarPages 46–47

3

Concrete TransporterPage 43

Monster TrucksPage 44

History of RacingPage 45

FerrariPages 48–49

CONTENTS

LamborghiniPages 54–55

PorschePages 50–51

Aston MartinPages 52–53

JaguarPages 56–57

LotusPages 58–59

Petrol-less FuturePages 60–61

In the early 1940s, a more powerful, hydraulicdigging machine was invented by Ray and KoopFerwerda. These Dutch brothers owned a roadmaintenance company in America.

The very first excavators were used in the late 1800s.They were powered by steam engines, and theirbuckets were operated by rope or chain pullies.

Imagine digging the hole for a swimming pool using just a bucket and spade.Or, how about making a road’s surface smooth with just a rolling pin?Without the help of special machines like diggers and dumpers, these jobswould be very difficult and dangerous, and would take an extremely longtime to complete!

WORKING MACHINES

What were early excavators like When did it all change

Early excavatorswere powered

by steam.

5

With so many of the Ferwerda’s workforce fighting inWorld War II, the brothers developed their idea tohelp them mend the roads and keep their company inbusiness. Hydraulic excavators are much tougher thanthose of the past. They use the pressure of oil pushedthrough metal pipes called rams to move their partssmoothly and accurately.

What are hydraulic excavators

Whether they are digging, shovelling, pushing orlifting, today’s machines use all the latest technology.The companies that make them want theirs to be thebiggest and the best – and to be able to do all themost difficult jobs. Caterpillar, JCB, Oshkosh andKomatsu are four of the world’s top makers of mighty machines.

How mega are today’s machines

Today’s hydraulicmachines are

extremely efficientand powerful.

6

Diggers, dumpers and other big working machines are not like everydaytrucks and cars – they have special parts to help them do their jobs in all sortsof tricky situations.

SPECIAL PARTS

Bulldozers have sharp blades to help them clear the ground.

Pushing and shoving, the bulldozer’s blade clearsthe ground.

Why do bulldozers have sharp blades

Some excavators use buckets, called backhoes, to digand carry.

What are backhoes

Big wheels and tyres mean that heavy loads can becarried safely.

Why do mega machines havebig wheels

Sometimes a digger’s tyres can be taller than a man!

The backhoe’ssharp teeth canscrape out hugescoopfuls of earth.

Crawler tracks help heavy machines grip muddy oruneven ground.

How do crawler tracks help

Pipes known as hydraulic rams act like powerfulmuscles and help working machines to lift, push andpull huge weights.

What are hydraulic rams

Crawler tracks can cope with the muddiest conditions.

Hydraulic rams, like this one, can be seen on diggers, dumpers, bulldozers and cranes.

What do cranes use to lift heavy loads

There are lots of different places all over the worldwhere you can spot diggers and dumpers at work …but remember, these machines can be very dangerous,so you must never get too close. Keep a look out whenyou’re passing any of the following:

Where can you spot diggers and dumpers

• FARMS• QUARRIES

• ROADWORKS• BUILDING SITES

• DEMOLITION SITES• WATERWAYS • PORTS

• RECYCLING SITES

7

Cranes lift heavy loads on big steel hooks. Steelis one of the strongestmaterials on the planet,so is perfect for bearingthe heavy loads thatcranes lift.

8

Excavators are machines that can dig. They dig into the ground with a largemetal bucket, called a backhoe, and can move more than 500 spadefuls ofearth with every scoop!

BACKHOE EXCAVATORS

The driver of a backhoe excavator may have tooperate the machine all day, so needs a comfortablecab to sit in. Inside the cab, the driver uses joysticks(on the arms of the chair) and foot pedals to control theexcavator. A digital display shows the driver whetherthe engine is working properly.

These powerful machines can cause a lot of damage,so the driver looks through the cab’s large windows tomake sure that it’s safe to start work. The cab can beturned all the way around, so the excavator can workin quite a small space. The driver also wears a hardhat and has to be observant all of the time to preventaccidents from happening.

How do you control a backhoe excavator

The driver has a clear all-round view from high up in the cab.The backhoe is often operated with a joystick.

9

The driver controls the whole machine, from thedirection it travels to the long digging arm, which iscalled a gooseneck boom. The driver can make theboom longer or shorter depending on the job. At theend of the boom is the part called the dipper arm,which is connected to the bucket. The dipper arm liftsthe bucket in and out of the ground. The driver usesthe controls in the cab to make sure the bucket digs in exactly the right place every time. The bucket has strong metal teeth, which cut through earth and rubble with ease!

What does the driver control

The dipper arm liftsthe bucket.

Can you see how the boom getsthe name ‘gooseneck’?

10

Not all excavators are used for digging. The bucket can be changed to adifferent attachment depending on the type of job.

DIFFERENT JOBS

Some excavators can drillfar into the ground usingan attachment called anauger. An auger is like anenormous screw, whichcan remove earth when itis twisted deep into theground.

How does an excavator drill

An auger drillsinto the ground.

A grapple is a very usefulattachment for lifting upheavy loads. It is like agiant claw, and is oftenused to move rubbish atlandfill sites.

What is a grapple

When there’s concrete to smash or rocks to shatter, therock breaker is the tool for the job! Its powerfulhammer-like action breaks the concrete or rocks intosmaller pieces that a bulldozer can then shovel out ofthe way.

How does an excavator smash

A rock breaker can quickly smash up solid surfaces, such as concrete.A claw-like grapple.

How does an excavator liftheavy loads

11

Looking like the two halves of a shell, an excavatorclamshell attachment acts like a giant mouth. It is ableto bite huge chunks out of the ground and is also usedfor grabbing and lifting.

How does an excavator ‘bite’

Metal forks are used to lift pallets, crates and boxes.They make it easy to load and unload lorries or tomove goods around a warehouse.

A lumber grapple is a loader attachmentthat is used to pick up heavy equipmentand resources, such as logs and loadthem onto lorries ready for the sawmill.It is also able to pick up lots of pipes at once.

How does an excavator pickthings up

A lumber grapple is used topick up a pile of logs.

These strong metal forks make aplatform to lift pallets and crates.

12

This machine is two in one! As well as digging with its backhoe, it canmove rubble and earth with a specially shaped shovel on the front called aloader bucket.

BACKHOE LOADERS

The letters ‘JCB’ stand for Joseph Cyril Bamford,the man who invented the backhoe loader.Back in 1953, Bamford modified a farm tractorwith a backhoe and afront-mounted loaderbucket, and now hisinvention is used allover the world!

What does ‘JCB’ stand for

Loader buckets come in different sizes, and can bechanged to suit the job in hand. The bucket isspecially designed to prevent earth being spilled as it is lifted. Some loader buckets have a retractablebottom, meaning they can drop their load quickly and efficiently.

What is a loader bucket

A backhoe loader is twomachines in one!

FACT BYTES

Known as the ‘JCB Dancing Diggers’, the JCB displayteam tour around agricultural shows, demonstratingunusual moves and ways in which the machines cansupport themselves.

To purchase this book and others in theseries, vistit www.topthatpublishing.com.

What is a clamshell attachment?How fast does a Ferrari go?

Why do tractors plough fields?

Bursting with bite-sized facts, illustrations and photographs, this engaging 64-page book contains

answers to all the questions you always wanted to askabout mega machines – and more!

No question is too tough, no answer toodifficult to explain – Focus On titles are

the ultimate in addictive reading!

Published by Top That! Publishing plcCopyright © 2010 Top That!Publishing plcTide Mill Way, Woodbridge,Suffolk, IP12 1AP, UKwww.topthatpublishing.comTop That! is a registered trademark of Top That! Publishing plcAll rights reserved.0 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1Printed and bound in China