Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for attaching
implements to earth moving vehicles.
Heretofore attaching an implement to or repla~ing it
from an earth moving vehicle required complicated and time
consuming procedures. For example, when it is required to
replace an implement from the vehicle, it is generally
necessary to move the implement by means of a crane, etc. in
order to align pin holes of the implement with those of lift
arms of the vehicle. After aligning pin holes, pins are
inserted therethrough so as to attach the implement to the
vehicle. It is difficult to align pin holes formed in the
implement and the lift arms of the vehicle by moving the
vehicle itself without moving the implement by the crane or
the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of an aspect of the present
invention to provide an apparatus for attaching implements to
an earth moving vehicle wherein replacement of the implements
can be carried out easily.
An object of an aspect of the present invention is to
provide an apparatus for attaching implements to an earth
moving vehicle wherein replacement of the implements can be
carried out from the driver's cab.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention there
ar
is provided an apparatus for attaching~implement to~earth
moving vehicle, said implement having a C-shaped hook formed
on the rear surface thereof, the apparatus comprising: a
pair of lift arms for lifting the implement; a pair of tilt
rods for effecting tilting motion of the implement; a pair of
lower couplers pivotally connected to said lift arms at one
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end thereof; a pair of upper couplers pivotally connected to
said tilt rods, said lower and upper couplers being pivotally
connected with each other; an upper connecting beam provided
between said pair of upper couplers for connecting the same;
a lower connecting beam provided between said pair of lower
couplers for connecting the same, said upper and lower con-
necting beams being adapted to engage with the C-shaped hook
formed on the rear surface of the implement; and lock means
for locking said lower couplers relative to said upper couplers
thereby preventing pivotal movement with each other.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is
provided an apparatus for attaching an implement to an earth
moving vehicle, said implement having a C-shaped hook formed
on a rear surface thereof, the apparatus comprising: a pair
of lift arms for lifting the implement; a pair of tilt rods
for effecting tilting motion of the implement; a pair of lower
couplers pivotally connected to said lift arms at one end
thereof; a pair of upper couplers pivotally connected to said
tilt rods, said lower and upper couplers being pivotally con-
nected with each other; an upper connecting beam providedbetween said pair of upper couplers for connecting the same;
a lower connecting beam provided between said pair of lower
couplers for connecting the same, said upper and lower con-
necting beams being adapted to engage with the C-shaped hook
C formed on the rear surface of the implement; and lock means
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for~a~tom.~tically locking said lower couplers relative to
said upper couplers thereby preventing pivotal movement with
each other when said upper and lower couplers are accommodated
in said C-shaped hooks while allowing to remain in an unlock-
ed position during the pivotal movement of said lower couplers
! relative to said upper couplers.
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Lock releasing means may be provided on said lift arms
of the vehicle so as to release said lock means from the driver's
cab when it becomes necessary.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be readily apparent from the following descrip-
tion taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a partial back elevational view of Fig. l;
FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line
III - III in Fig. 2;
FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view partially in cross-
section of lower couplers according to the present invention;
FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of Fig. 4;
FIGURE 6 is similar to Fig. 4 but showing upper couplers
according to the present invention;
FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of Fig. 6;
FIGURE 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of lock means
according to the present invention;
FIGURE 9 is a front elevational view of Fig. 6;
FIGURE 10 is a plan view thereof;
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Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an implement according
to the present invention;
Fig. 12-I to Fig. 12-V are explanational views showing
procedures for removing the implement from the vehicle according
to the present invention;
Fig. 13 is a side elevational view partially in cross-
, section of lock releasing means according to the present inven-
!l' tion; and
¦I Fig. 14 is a plan view partially in cross-section of Fig.
10 1',13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will now be described in detail
below with reference to drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes a
~¦ lower coupler having a beam 2. Fixedly secured to both ends of
the beam 2 are inner plates 3. Referring to Figure 4, each of the
!~ inner plate 3 has a pin hole 4 formed in the upper part thereof.
¦! Further, the upper edge of the inner plate is formed in a circular
cam portion 5 defined about the pin hole 4. Each of the inner
~Iplate 3 is connected through a connecting plate 6 with an outer
1i plate 7 disposed in parallel therewith. The outer plate 7 has a
pin hole 4' formed in the upper part thereof. Further, the outer
plate 7 has a stopper 8 formed in the upper edge portion thereof.
The inner and outer plates 3 and 7 have pin holes 9 and 9' formed
in the lower parts thereof, respectively.
¦I Connected to the lower coupler l having pins 10 inserted
into the pin holes 9 and 9' are a pair of lift arms 11 of a vehicle .
Reference numeral 12 denotes an upper coupler having a bea~
13. Fixedly secured to both ends of the beam 13 are inner plates
1! 14. Each of the inner plate 14 is fixedly secured through a con-
'Inecting plate 15 to an outer plate 16 disposed in parallel there-
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Il with, Further, each of the inner and outer plates 14 and 16 has
j'l pin holes 17, 17' and 18, 18' formed in the upper and lower parts i
¦i thereof, respectively. (refer to Figure 6).
The upper part of the lower coupler 1 is inserted into
i the lower part of the upper coupler 12. The upper and lower
¦, couplers 12 and 1 are interconnected by means of pins 19 each be-
C 1l ing inserted into the pin holes 18, 18', ~ d~d 9~ . The stopper 8 ¦! is adapted to contact with the connecting plate 15 when the upper
¦ coupler 12 is aligned with the lower coupler 1.
¦ Connected to the upper coupler 12 having pins 20 inserted
into the pin holes 17 and 17' are tilt rods 21 of the vehicle.
Referring to Figure 8, the inner plate 14 of the upper
coupler 12 have a lock means 22 fixedly secured thereto. The lock
i means 22 comprises a block 23 fixedly secured to the inner plate
14. The block 23 has vertically extending holes 24 and 25 formed
therein. Inserted into the hole 24 is a lock pin 26 having a
spring seat iK~ formed thereon. The lock pin 26 has a notch 28
¦ formed in the upper end thereof, and also has a pin 29 attached
! to the lower part thereof. The block 23 has a spring retainer
¦plate 30 fixedly secured thereto, and a spring 31 is interposed
¦between the spring retainer plate 30 and the spring seat 27. In-
serted into the hole 25 is a rod 32 urged downwardly by the bias-
ing force of a spring 33. A ~g~k 34 is attached to the upper end
of the rod 32. The block 23 has in the upper part thereof a lever
¦35 pivotally mounted by means of a pin 36. The leading end of the
A ! lever 35 is connected through a pin 37 to the/~4r~-34. A claw 38
¦is fitted to the lever 35.
In ~igure 11, reference numeral 39 denotes an implement
~comprising a bucket. The implement 39 has a pair of C-shaped
jlhooks 40 fixedly secured to the rear surface thereof.
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The implement 39 is fitted to the lift arms 11 by allow- I
ing the beam 13 of the upper coupler 12 to engage with upper
portions 40a of the hooks 40 and the beam 2 of the lower coupler
1 to engage with the lower portions 40b of the hooks 40. In this
case, the lock pin 26 of the lock means 22 is inserted into stop- I
per grooves 41 of the circular cam parts 5 of the inner plates 3. ¦
The operation of the apparatus of the present invention
¦ will now be described below.
I! The lock pin 26 is lifted by the operator against the
¦I biasing force of the spring 31 by pulling up a tool 42 engaged by
Il him with the pin 29 of the lock pin 26 so that the notch 28 of
¦I the lock pin 26 can be engaged with the claw 38 of the lever 35
thereby disengaging the lock pin 26 from the stopper groove 41.
(Refer to Figure 12-I)
Then, the implement 39 is tilted back to allow the stopper
face 43 of the upper coupler 12 to abut against the stopper 44 of
the lift arms 11. Subsequently, the implement is dumped to allow
'stopper face 45 of the lower coupler 1 to abut against a connect- ¦
¦ling rod 46 of the lift arms 11. (refer to Figure 12-II)
l Thereafter, when the lift arms 11 are lifted and the im-
plement 39 is dumped continuously further, the upper portions 40a
~¦of hooks 40 of implement 39 are engaged with the beam 13 of the
upper coupler 12, whilst the beam 2 will move along the guide
,¦until the lower coupler 1 is allowed to abut against the implement
39- If the implement 39 is dumped continuously further, point
l"B" on the upper coupler 12 will move to point "B"'; point "C" on
!jthe implement 39 ~ill move to point "C"'; and point "D" will move
I~to point "D"' so that the upper and lower couplers 12 and 1 are
¦'kept at an angle of about seventy degrees by the connecting plates
1~6 and 15. (Refer to Figure 12-III) At that time the rod 32 of the
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lock means 22 is allowed to abut against the circular cam portionsl
5 of the inner plates 3 thereby actuating the lever 35 so that the¦
claw 38 can be disengaged from the notch 28 of the lock pin 26.
As a result, the lock pin 26 is urged by the resilient force of
1.' the spring 31 against the abovementioned circular cam portions 5. ¦
!l If the implement 39 is dumped further, the point "B" will
move towards point "B"".
I In the next place, the implement 39 is dumped further
¦ while it is placed on the ground and the vehicle is moved back-
! wards. (Refer to Figure 12-IV)
Next, dumping of the implement is stopped when the beam 13
1 has been disengaged from the hooks 40, and the vehicle is moved
! back further so as to detach the implement 39. (Refer to Figure
!i 12-V)
The implement 39 can be mounted on the vehicle by effect-
ing the abovementioned sequence reversely.
In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention
!l unlocking of the lock means 22 is made manually; however another
¦l embodiment of the invention which will be mentioned below is of a
Itype wherein the arrangement is made such that the lock means can
be unlocked by the operator in the driver's cab effecting its
remote controls.
The aforementioned lift arms 11 have unlocking means~50
fixedly secured on the upper surfaces thereof. The unlocking
¦means 50 comprises a spring loaded cylinder 51 fixedly mounted on
the lift arm 11. Slidably mounted in the spring loaded cylinder
i51 is a piston 52. The piston 52 has a rod 53 connected to a mem-
¦ber 54 having an inclined face 55 formed thereon. Each of the
¦,lift arms 11 has a stopper 56 fixedly secured thereto. Accommo-
i~dated within the spring loaded cylinder 51 is a spring 57 which
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urges the piston 52 thereby allowing the member 54 to urge againstl
the stopper 56. The piston 52 is connected to a cable 58 which
extends to the driver's cab so as to be connected to a control
lever (refer to Figure 13).
Thus, if the control lever is operated to pull the cable
I' 58 to the right hand, the piston 52 is moved against the biasing
! force of the spring 57, the member 54 is moved through the rod 53
and the unlocking pin 29 is pushed upwardly by the inclined face
! 55 of the member 54, the lock pin 26 can be disengaged from the
¦ grooves 41, and the notch 28 of the lock pin 26 can be engaged
¦ with the claw 38 of the lever 35. In this condition, the upper
I~ and lower couplers 12 and 1 becomes capable of swinging freely
relative to each other.
. It is to be understood that the foregoing description is
merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments of the present
II invention and that the scope of the present invention is not to
¦' be limited thereto, but is to be determined by the scope of the
appended claims.
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