Backhoe loader

A backhoe loader is an engineering vehicle, which consists of a tractor, a front shovel/bucket and a small backhoe in the rear. Due to its (relatively) small size and versatility, backhoe loaders are very common in urban engineering and small construction projects (such as building a small house, fixing city roads, etc).

Invented in Burlington, Iowa in 1957 the Backhoe loader (note: this needs checking - may have been invented in the UK by Joseph Cyril Bamford, founder of JCB, whose first tractor equipped with both a backhoe and a front mounted loading bucket was completed in 1953) is probably the most common variation of the classic farm tractor. As the name implies, it has a loader assembly on the front and a backhoe on the back. When both the loader and the backhoe are permanently attached, it is almost never called a tractor and not generally used for towing.

When the backhoe is permanently attached, the machine usually has a seat that can swivel to the rear to face the hoe controls. Removable backhoe attachments almost always have a separate seat on the attachment itself.

Backhoe-loaders are very common and can be used for a wide variety of tasks: construction, small demolitions, light transportation of building materials, powering building equipment, digging holes/excavating, breaking asphalt, and paving roads. The backhoe bucket can often be replaced with other tools such as a breaker for smashing concrete and rock. Some loader buckets have a retractable bottom, enabling them to empty their loads more quickly and efficiently.

Retractable-bottom loader buckets are also often used for grading and scratching off sand. The front assembly may be a removable or permanently mounted attachment. Often the bucket can be replaced with other devices or tools. The backhoe loader must be equipped with a tool coupler in order to mount different attachments to the loader. A tool coupler consists of two hydraulic cylinders on the end of the loader arm assembly which can extend and retract allowing different tools to be attached to the unit.

Their relatively small frame and precise control make backhoe-loaders very useful and common in urban engineering projects such as construction and repairs in areas too small for larger equipment. Their versatility and compact size make them one of the most popular urban construction vehicles.

Exercise 3. Answer the following questions:

1. What parts does a backhoe loader consist of?

2. Why are backhoe loaders very common in construction projects?

3. When and where was a backhoe invented?

4. What tasks can a backhoe be used for?

5. What attachment can a loader bucket be replaced with?

6. What makes a backhoe one of the most popular construction vehicles?

Exercise 4. Translate the following words into Russian:

Backhoe, bucket, rear, versatility, construction, invent, assembly, attach, seat, swivel, dig, break, pave, excavate, replace, empty, arm, frame, repair, construction project, attachment, grade, coupler, removable, expand, due to, such as, both … and, with, in order to, too.

Exercise 5. Translate from Russian into English:

Заменять, ремонтировать, обратная лопата, изобретать, стрела, ковш, мостить, крепить, сидение, рама, задняя сторона, высыпать, универсальность, сидение, выкапывать, строительство, агрегат, поворачиваться, разрушать, копать.

Exercise 6. Match the following words (A) with their definitions (B):

«A»

1. excavate

2. empty

3. assembly

4. bucket

5. invent

6. attach

7. swivel

8. repair

9. pave

10. loader

«B»

1. a part of a vehicle

2. to cover a path with a hard level surface

3. to put by removing from a container

4. a machine which puts heavy objects on or in a vehicle

5. to make a hole by digging

6. to turn round on a central point

7. an open container with a handle for carrying loose material

8. to restore to good condition, renovate

9. to connect to

10. to create by thought (method, instrument)

Exercise 7. Form gerunds and translate them:

Apply, boil, change, carry, complete, deliver, equip, expand, heat, invent, join, link, pave, repair, supply, tow, turn, travel, twist.

Exercise 8. Define the functions of Gerund and translate the sentences:

1. Before using the engine one should study the instructions.

2. Fuel vapour and air mixing takes place in a carburetter.

3. The principle of working of a steam engine is simple.

4. The information given in the report needs checking.

5. The advantage of any machine is developing much greater forces than those of a man.

6. Engines are the machines used for changing heat into motion.

7. Doing work on an object simply means transferring energy to that object from a man or a machine that does this work.

8. The function of hydraulic turbines is transforming the energy of water into electrical energy.

9. Engineers use various devices for testing building materials in their laboratories.

10. We know of new materials having been used in this structure.

Exercise 9. Translate the following sentences, paying attention to ing-forms (define the part of speech and function):

1. Backhoe loaders are very common in building small houses, fixing roads, etc.

2. Steam enters one end of a cylinder pushing the piston back.

3. There are some valves or openings in the steam chest.

4. The moving piston opens and closes the valves automatically.

5. Building materials can be natural or artificial.

6. Modern equipment is gradually replacing the old and less efficient one.

7. The information about inventing the backhoe loader in Burlington, Iowa in 1957 needs checking.

8. Digging holes, breaking asphalt and paving roads are some of the backhoe functions.

9. In some cases the axle may be fixed in position with a bearing.

10. We studied some interesting facts from the history of construction machinery.

11. A great achievement of Hans Renold was inventing a roller chain in 1880.

12. According to Plutarch, it was Archimedes who developed the first documented block and pulley system.

13. The piston going forward, the wheel makes half a turn.

14. The piston goes back, the wheel making the other half turn.

Exercise 10. Analyze the sentences underlined in Text A. Find Gerunds and define their function.

Exercise 11. Translate the following texts without a dictionary:

Text B