Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
s CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-1-
FASTENER SECURED FRAME FOR BOOM MOUNTED
QUICK CHANGE BRACKET
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mounting
frame for attachment to a tool such as a clamshell,
bucket, grapple, or power unit support for an auger,
hydraulic hammer, or compactor, that will permit quick
attachment to a bracket on an arm or boom, such as a
backhoe or excavator arm, and which uses threaded
fasteners for latching the frame in place.
With the advance of reliable, positive
locking quick attachment brackets, it has become
desirable to use a quick attachment arrangement for
interchanging buckets, power earth augers, compactors,
clam shells, grapples, breakers and other implements as
well.
Efforts have been made to provide couplings
that can automatically connect tools to an articulated
arm of an excavator, backhoe or the like and while many
include automatic latches for holding the parts
assembled, a simple, low cost manual securement, after
mounting the frame on the bracket, can be used.
A readily usable frame that will easily adapt
for use on a wide variety of attachments is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mounting
frame having an adapter plate that can be attached to
a wide range of tools and accessories for a backhoe or
excavator, or other implements that support a mating
quick change bracket. The mounting frame permits
coupling to an attachment bracket on a boom or arm and
is adaptable to be used with several types of tools.
The frame can be welded to the tool, or in cases where
i
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-2-
the tool normally is attached to an arm with pin
connectors, the frame can include an adapter plate that
pins to the existing pin holes on the tool. The frame
can be otherwise supported on the tool as well.
In a preferred form of the present invention
a quick attachment bracket is mounted on a backhoe or
excavator arm and the mounting frame couples to the
quick attachment bracket by moving the boom. The quick
attachment bracket is pivoted on the arm about a
horizontal axis and is connected to the operating
linkage so it can be pivoted under power.
The quick attachment bracket and the mounting
frame of the present invention are made to slide
together with a linear motion provided with the boom or
arm. As the bracket slides into place on the mounting
frame under power operation, the mounting frame seats
in a receptacle on the bracket at one end and receives
and retains a nose piece of the quick attachment
bracket in a retainer slot formed by walls at the other
end of the frame. The frame and bracket are secured
together in the present invention with pins, as shown
threaded fasteners that permit drawing the frame and
the bracket together for final seating and locking. As
shown, a support bar on the frame aligning with
apertures in the nose piece on the bracket and bolts
are passed through the apertures and tightened to hold
the parts together. The tightening pulls the frame and
bracket together to seat the mating attachment parts
positively.
The frame is usable on a wide variety of
tools that now are pinned to linkages on the arm of a
backhoe or excavator. The frame can be universal,
and can include a section for an automatic latch, if
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-3-
the bracket is so equipped. The omission of the
automatic latch components on the bracket reduces costs
substantially.
9
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-4-
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a
backhoe or excavator arm having a quick attachment
bracket for receiving and holding a mounting frame made
according to the present invention installed on a
conventional bucket with parts in section and parts
broken away;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the quick
attachment bracket detached from its supports on a
backhoe or excavator arm;
Figure 3 is a side view of a mounting frame
and quick attachment bracket in a secured position,
with parts in section and parts broken away;
Figure 4 is a side perspective view
illustrating a mounting frame used in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is an end view taken generally
along line 6--6 in Figure 3; and
Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line
6--6 in Figure 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A powered implement arm 16 such as on an
excavator or backhoe is used to mount an auxiliary
tool, as shown a bucket 20. The arm 16 is pivotally
mounted to a boom arm section that is in turn pivotally
mounted to the excavator or backhoe represented at 10.
The arm 16 is controlled and operated from the
mounting platform, using hydraulic actuators operated
from a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, and
operated by valve controls 14. An outer end of the arm
16 as shown mounts a link assembly 18 that is used for
controlling pivoting of a tool represented as a bucket
20 relative to the arm 16. The link assembly 18 is
actuated with a double acting hydraulic actuator shown
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-5-
at 22 and operated through valve 14. The actuator 22
extends and retracts an actuator rod 22A under power
and controls pivotal movement of a quick attachment
mounting bracket 24 that is pivotally mounted on a pin
26 to the outer end of the arm 16. The actuator 22,
acting through link assembly 18 will control pivoting
of the bracket 24 about the horizontal axis of the pin
26. The hydraulic actuator 22 can be attached directly
to the bracket 24 to eliminate the link assembly 18, if
desired.
The link assembly 18 as shown, has a pair of
links 19A and 19B that are pivotally mounted together
with a pin 19C. The pin 19C also is the attachment pin
for the actuator rod 22A. The links 19A and 19B are
suitably bifurcated to permit attachment on the single
pin 19C. The link 19A is pivotally mounted to the arm
16 with the pin 19D and the outer end of link 19B is
pivotally mounted to quick attachment bracket 24 with a
pin 28.
The quick attachment bracket 24 as best seen
in Figures 1, 2 and 3 has a pair of side plates 30, 30
that support a nose bar 32 that extends across the
space between the side plates 30 at a nose portion 33.
The nose portion 33 is narrower in fore and aft
directions and is used to provide a latching portion.
The nose bar 32 is welded to the side plates 30 to form
an assembly. The side plates 30 have lower support
ears 36 that are recessed to support a "C" shaped
saddle or retainer 40 that also extends across the
space between the side plates 30 and is welded thereto
to secure the opposite ends of the plates 30 of the
quick attachment bracket 24. A tongue 40C of the
saddle extends between the side plates 30. The saddle
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-6-
is a retainer or latch portion that is open in
direction toward nose or latching portion 33.
The side plates 30 receive the main mounting
pin 26 through bores 26A and the pin 26 extends across
the space between the side plates 30. The linkage pin
28 also extends through bores 28A and extends across
the space between the side plates 30.
A pin 38 is supported on the outer ends of
the ears 36 of the side plates and is held in place
partially under a lead-in lip 40A on one outer edge of
the "C" shaped saddle 40. The pin 38 extends outwardly
beyond the side plates 30 to provide support ends 38A,
which are used to support a mounting frame 48, shown
welded to the bucket in the first form of the
invention, during mounting and releasing the frame and
attached tool from the quick attachment bracket 24.
The mounting or attachment frame 48 is
mounted to couple to quick attachment bracket 24 shown
in Figures 1-4. The frame 48 is made up of side plates
50, 50 that are welded to a latch backing plate 52.
The latch backing plate 52 is welded to an adapter
plate 49 to make a plate assembly 55.
The backing plate 52 of frame 48 may be used,
as shown in U.S. Patent No. 6,000,154 to mate with and
be retained by an automatic latch of quick attachment
bracket 24. The present invention does not provide an
automatic latch, but frame 48 can be made as a
universal frame with little additional cost, so an
automatic latching surface is shown for illustrative
purposes. Plate 52 includes a planar flange portion
52A at one end. In the mid portions of the plate 52 it
bends inwardly through opening 49A in adapter plate 49.
An inclined automatic latch wall section 52B and a
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
section 52H of plate 52 are formed to extend through
opening 49A so the plate protrudes through the opening
to an opposite side of the plate 49 from portion 52A
(see Figure 1). Side plates 50 support the plate 52
along its side edges and the center portions also
extend through opening 49A. The plate 52 has a section
52F that is coplanar with planar flange portion 52A and
on the same side of the plane of plate 49 as portion
52A. The end of the plate 52 then has a flange 52C
formed at right angles to the plane of the planar
flange portion 52A and the wall section 52F; as well as
at right angles to the main portion 49B of plate 49.
The plate 52 can be left planar in the center portion
for purposes of the present invention.
The plate 49 is formed inverted into a
channel 53, forming a latch rim with flange 52C.
Flange 52C forms part of the rim or channel 53, as
perhaps can be best seen by referring to Figure 3. The
channel 53 is formed with a base wall 49C bent from
plate portion 49B and an outer wall 49D is formed from
plate 49 to extend back toward the opposite end of the
plate 49. The channel base is double thickness with
flange 52C.
The side plates 50 of the frame 48 are spaced
wider than the side plates 30, the nose bar 32 and the
"C" shaped saddle 40 of bracket 24. The side plates 50
thus will fit over the outside of the quick attachment
bracket 24 when the bracket 24 seats on the quick
attachment frame 48. The lower ends of the side plates
50 have ear or hook ends 54 with receptacles 56 formed
in them for engaging rod ends 38A for support when
installing or removing the frame from the bracket.
The attachment frame 48 plate 49 forms an
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
_8_
adapter plate providing a base for support of the frame
to tools such as the bucket 20. The adapter plate 49
defines a reference plane for fastening additional
supports that are used as welding or support brackets
for various tools or attachments.
For example, in Figures 1 through 6, the
adapter plate 49 is supported by brackets 60 that are
welded to the adapter plate 49 and are notched so they
support the interior of channel 53 with end portions 62
and have shank lengths 64 that support the plate and
are sufficiently high so the automatic latch wall
portions 52B and 52H of the plate 52 will not interfere
with the back wall of a bucket on which the frame 48 is
mounted. In Figure 1 the frame 48 is welded to a
conventional bucket back wall 20A. Using the adapter
plate 49 and the brackets 60 makes it possible to
convert buckets with pivot pin brackets to be mounted
on a quick exchange system, by cutting off the existing
brackets and welding on the frame 48 using the brackets
60 and the adapter plate 49.
The attachment frame 48 and the added
brackets 60 permit mounting the attachment frame
through the adapter plate to any tool that has a flat
wall that is the normal attachment location for the
tool.
The channel 53 forms a f first latching rim or
interlocking retainer engaging the quick attachment
bracket 24. The interlocking of channel or rim 53 is
done with a linear motion, and the first end of the
attachment bracket 24 has a receptacle, the C shaped
saddle 40, that is open in direction toward the nose
piece or latching portion 33 and forms a first
interlocking latching portion for engagement with rim
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-9-
or channel 53, while the nose piece 33 forms a second
latching portion.
The side plates 50 have spaced apart ears 70
that protrude from the plate 52. These ears 70 have
slots that receive a cross retainer bar 72, that is
thus spaced from the parallel plate portion 52A of
plate assembly 55 to form a receiver slot 73 for the
nose portion 33 and nose bar 32. Upon sliding the
quick attachment bracket 24 into latched position along
plate 52 after the bracket has been pivoted clockwise
in Figure 1 until the edges 32A rest on plate portions
52A and 52F, the nose bar 32 and nose piece 33 will
pass between the bar 72 and the plate portion 52A as
the channel or rim 53 seats in the receptacle formed by
C shaped channel 40 on the quick attachment bracket 24
as shown.
The attachment frame 48 can easily be
installed on the quick attachment bracket 24 on the arm
16. When the bucket 20 or other tool is to be attached
to the arm 16, the receptacles 56 of side plates 50 are
hooked onto the ends 38A of the rod 38, with the bucket
or tool in an appropriate stored position. The bucket
can be stored by resting it on the ground. Elongated
tools can be stored either to be in a substantially
horizontal position, or supported in a vertical rack.
Moving the arm 16 to the desired location and extending
the actuator 22 will roll the quick attachment bracket
24 so that the nose bar 32 and nose portion 33 fit
between the side plates 50, 50 and edges 32A can be
rested against the plate portions 52A and 52F, which
are part of plate assembly 55, when the receptacles 56
are supported on rod ends 38A. The relative position
of bracket 24 and specifically nose portion 33 and nose
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-10_'
bar 32 is shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, before
entering the receiver slot 73.
The channel or rim 53, including flange 52C,
forms a retainer rim end that slips into the "C" shaped
saddle 40 receptacle or retainer by moving the arm 16
about its mounting pivot to linearly slide the
attachment bracket 24 in direction as indicated by
arrow 75 in Figure 3 to engage and retain both ends of
the attachment frame. The rim or channel 53 is held in
"C" shaped member 40 and the nose piece 33 slides under
the bar 72 to be held in slot 73 by bar 72, plate
portion 52A and side plates 50.
For unlatching, the motion of the bracket 24
can be reversed to move so the bracket 24 and nose
piece 32 is in the relative dotted position of Figure
3. The receptacles 56 will receive the ends 38A of rod
38, so as the bracket 24 is lifted away from the frame
48 and the tool, the frame 48 and tool will hang on rod
38 for permitting movement to a stored location.
The bucket 20 or other tool thus can be
quickly attached to or removed from a backhoe or
excavator arm when using the adapter plate and frame of
the present invention.
Figures 3, 5 and 6 show the fastener
connection for securing the frame 48 and bracket 24
together after they have been slid into position with
nose bar 32 in receptacle 73 and channel 53 in saddle
or retainer 40. The bracket and frame do not have to
be fully seated, but nose bar 32 is close to its
secured position.
The ears 70 have flat edge surfaces 79, on
which end flanges 130 of a cross bar 132 rest. The
cross bar 132 has a pair of bolt holes through which
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-11-
bolts 134 extend, and the bolts are long enough to
extend through aligning holes in the nose bar 32. When
the frame 48 and the bracket are slid almost into full
engagement, the bolts 134 can be inserted through the
aligning holes on the cross bar 132 and the nose bar 32
and tightened to securely hold the bracket and the
frame 48 together. The nose bar 32 preferably will be
spaced from the under surface of the cross bar 132 when
the channel 53 first engages saddle 40 and the bolts
134 are first inserted. Tightening the bolts 134
exerts a seating force so channel 53 is seated tightly
in saddle 40, and the space shown at 135 in Figure 3
between the nose bar 32 and cross bar 132 can be left,
if the bolts are torqued sufficiently. Usually the
surface of the nose bar 32 and cross bar 132 are
clamped so they are in contact when the bolts 134 are
fully tightened and parts of bar 32 and cross bar 132
are preferably preloaded by the tension in bolts 134.
This preload will be reacted to hold the channel 53
tightly in the saddle 40. Other fasteners can be used.
Cap screws threaded into openings in the nose bar 32
can be used, and cam operated pins, which tighten by
cam action can be used. The location of the fasteners
can be changed as well. The fasteners can be used
between saddle 40 and channel 53 to draw the parts
together, or side mounted cams that operate between
side plates 30 and 50 will work. Separate clips on the
frame 48 and bracket 24 which receive fasteners are
usable.
It is desirable to use fasteners that provide
a locking force tending to urge the channel 53 securely
into saddle 40 and to hold it under a sustained force.
Fast reliable operation for interchanging
CA 02261467 2004-05-26
-12-
buckets or other attachments or tools is achieved. The
ability to remove the bucket or other tool with the
bucket or tool off the ground without having the bucket
fall freely is helpful, and is achieved by use of the
overlapping ears 54 and receptacles 56 on the frame
48, in combination with the ends 38A of rod 38 on the
bracket 24. Grapples, power augers, hydraulic
brackets, and many other tools can be supported on
bracket 24.
Although the present invention has been
described with reference to preferred embodiments,
workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes
may be made in form and detail without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention.
