Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
background of the Invention
The invention relates in general to the field of Buick
clam-type grapples and more particularly to a grapple corn-
Hector heat and mounting assembly for positive manipulation
S and control of the grapple jaws.
Those skilled in the art appreciate that known bucket
or clam attachments for buckeyes have many disadvantages.
In some type, one jaw is fixed so that the clam shell type
grapple is limited in the manner in which it can handle mat-
trials such as rocks dirt, under brush, logs, tree stump and the like. Some types of grapples are merely suspended
from the end of the boom or the dipper stick and thus lack
positive control in at least one dimension. Other types of
clam Hell bucket or grapples are too complicated and there-
fore too expensive or impractical for the use to which they're to be put. In any event, they fail to give the awoke
operator the versatility and flexibility Welch are JO necessary
to Avon and reduction of operator and machine time.
The following United States Patent Numbers are died for
their relation to the subject matter of this invention but
are not considered pertinent to the teachings of this in-
ventionO They are: 2,725,996; 2~788,143; 3,510,017;
3,807,589; 3,881,263; 3,920,137; and 4,047,313.
Summary of the Invention
The invention comprises a connector or mounting head which
attaches to the dipper stick of a Buick and the bucket link-
age or Crowder arms. A mounting assembly is connected to the
connector head for rotatable movement thereon. A hydraulic
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motor is provided to turn the mounting assembly and the grapple
jaws through a continuous 360 of rotation. Cylinders are,
mounted on the mounting assembly for opening and closing both
grapple jaws. In addition, controls are installed for con-
trolling the rotational movement of the grapple and for the opening and cloying of the jaws.
Accordingly, it is among the objects, features and ad van-
taxes of the invention to provide a grapple which can exactly
locate rocks, logs, pipe and the like and which has more
flexibility and versatility in digging and ditching. The
invention allows the operator to put the full pressure of the
boom and dipper stick down on the grapple since it is posit-
lively mounted rather than suspended. The grapple enables a
Buick to clean a larger strip without moving the Buick and
to do it in rectangular work areas to the side of the Buick
as opposed to the triangular stirrups to which many known
grapple are confined. The device it simple and relatively
inexpensive and very rugged and durable. The grapple greatly
facilitates and shortens the time involved in removing tree
stumps, setting rip wrap or wrecker using large and very
heavy rock. The grapple enables the operator to work at
greater distances prom the machine than has heretofore been
possible. It only requires two additional control lever in
the Buick cab for full versatility and flexibility in its
movement.
Brief Description ox the Drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the grapple ox this
invention showing its connection to the Buick dipper tick
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and bucket cylinder piston arm;
Figure 2 is also an elevation Al view showing additional
details of the connector head and mounting assembly with
respect to dipper stick and cylinders;
Figure 3 is a partial elevation Al cross-section taken
along the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing details of the hydraulic
control manifold;
Figure 4 is a partial cross-section view of the four pin
mounts for the grapple jaws;
Figure 5 is an exploded view of the connector head and
mounting assembly; and
Figure 6 is a side elevation Al view showing a jaw tooth.
Description of Preferred Embodiment
Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the
grapple, generally designated by 10, is connected to the
Buick dipper stick 12 by a main pin connection 14 and that
it is also connected to the tool cylinder piston rod 18
through linkages 20 and I and through piston rod pin 24
and connector pin 26. The connector head, generally designated
by the number 30, is comprised of two spaced apart side
plates 32 which at their upper ends are spaced apart a pro-
determined distance to receive between them the dipper stick
12. As can be seen, the side plates 32 being disposed gent
orally parallel to each other, are connected to a connector
head base plate 34. Base plate 34 may take any shape but as
can be seen in Figure 5 is shown to be generally rectangular.
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The side plates 32 are shaped so that the pin connections 14
and 26 are separated and such that the connection for pin 26
is higher than the connection for main pin 14, again as best
seen in Figures 1 and 2. Strengthening plates 38 extend
between side plates 32 below the pin connections and generally
occupy the area between the side plates and also define an
inside area. Centrally located on base plate 34 is opening
42. Bolt holes 44 are located equally spaced from each other
close to opening 42 and concentrically surrounding opening 42
and holes 44 are a series of holes 45 which are formed in base
plate 34 for purposes to be explained hereinafter.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 5, it will be seen that
a hydraulic swivel valve assembly, generally designated by
the number 50, is an elongated generally cylindrical come
potent having at its upper end a mounting flange 52 with
spaced apart bolt openings 54 which coincide with the openings
44 in plate 34. The cylindrical body 56 extends downwardly
from the mounting flange 52 to a steel sheet 58 rotating on
wear rings or which could be a brass swivel bearing. A
retainer 60 and cap screw 62 hold swivel bearing 58 on the
valve body 56. Hydraulic passages 64 and 66 extend through
the swivel valve body from couplings 68 and 70 which in turn
are connected to hydraulic pressure supply lines 72 and 74.
When one line 72 or 74 is under pressure then the other will
function a a fluid return line. Within the steel swivel bearing 58 are annular passages 76 and 78 which in turn open
to inlet-outlet supply fittings 79 and 80. Annular supply
passage I is connected to supply passage 64. Annular supply
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groove 78 is connected to fittings 82 and 84 and also connect
to supply passage 66. Seal means 86 axe provided above and
below etch of the annular passages 76 and 78 to prevent leak-
age of the high pressure hydraulic fluid as it is being dir-
acted to the grapple cylinders. The hydraulic swivel valve enables the grapple to be rotated through a full 360 continuous
circle without the concern of over-extending hoses or other
hydraulic lines or without having to reverse the direction of
rotation because of a limit on rotational movement.
lout will be seen by reference to Figures 2 and 4 that a
combination gear and bearing, generally designated by the
number 90, attaches to the connector head 30 and the mounting
head lo which will be described in more detail hereinafter.
The drive gear and bearing assembly 90 has a bearing portion
1532 with bolt holes 94 therein which align with openings 45 in
the base plate 34. In rotatable relation to the bearing
portion 92, is ring gear portion 96 with openings or bolt
holes 98 and around the outside are gear teeth 100. It will
be appreciated that the gear teeth may if desired, be on the
20 inside of the ring gear in which case the bearing portion
would be around the outside. Details of the King gear and
bearing assembly 90 are not shown in detail since such come
pennants are known prior art.
A hydraulic motor 102 is mounted on the outside of plate
34 with the shaft thereof extending through an opening in
plate 34 at the end of which shalt is mounted a pinion gear
104 which meshes with ring gear teeth lo. ~ppxopxiate hydraulic
connections are made to the hydraulic motor 102 as shown in
Figure ED Again, it is to be appreciated what if desired, the
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bearing and gear assembly may be of the type which would put
the ring year inside and the bearing on the outside in which
case hydraulic drive motor 102 would be mounted within the
space between side plates 32.
The mounting head assembly which will now be described, is
generally designated by the number 110, and is best shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 5 and is basically a box-shaped component
having a top wall 112, side walls 114 and 116 and end walls
118. Side walls 114 and 116 extend downwardly below the
lowest point of the end walls 118 a can bet be seen in
Figures 2 and 5. Mounted within the mounting head assembly
and depending from the top plate 112 and disposed between
and parallel to side plate 114 and 116 are interior support
walls 120 and 122 both of which are equally spaced from their
related side wall 114 or 116.
Extending between side plate 114 and support plates 120
as shown in Figure 4 it pin support tubing 124 and between
side plate 116 and interior mounting plate 122 is tubing 126.
~ubings 124, see Figure 4, and 1~6 receive pin assemblies 128
which are welded to plate 130 which in turn can be bolted to
side plates 114 and 116. The pins 128 are designed to be the
removable pivot means for the grapple jaw cylinders as can
be seen in Figures 1 and 2. It will be noted that ring gear
96 secures to upper plate 112 of the mounting assembly by
virtue of a concentric series of bolt holes 111 which corn-
respond with bolt holes 98 in the ring gear itself, thus making
the mounting assembly 110 rotatable movable with respect to
the connector 30 and the bearing 92.
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Located lower down on side plates 114 and 116 and extending
there between are pin mounting or pin holding tubes 132 and
133 which receive pin on which the grapple jaw are supported
and which will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.
Note that the end walls 118 have cut-away sections therein
which are in the form of downwardly facing V-shaped notches
134 which enable thy mounting end of the cylinders to
extend from within the mounting assembly to the connecting
point on the back of the grapple jaws.
The grapple jaws, generally designated by the numbers 150
and 152, are pivotal connected to the mounting assembly 110
by pins 154 and 156 respectively which are received in tube
132 and 133 with hardened bushings. The grapple jaws are
generally identical structures having side walls 158 and 160,
lo the side walls having a back edge 162, a front or inside edge
164, and a bottom edge 166, which together define the side
wall. The side walls 158 and 160 are roughly triangular in
shape as can best be seen in Figure 1. the narrow upper end
of the wide walls ox the grapple jaws are attached to the
mounting assembly 110 by pins 154 and 156 extending through
the tube 132 and 133. A closure plate 168 shown in dotted
lines cover generally all of that part of the grapple between
the side wall beginning near the inside edge 164 and extending
to the back and then down to the bottom edge so the jaws are
enclosed. Cutting plates 170 extend from the closure plate
and complete the enclosure of the j a interiors. Edge plate
172 are shown to be attached to the wide walls 158 and 160 to
clove the gap between front edges 164.
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Grapple teeth generally designated by number 174,
have lugs 176 which are attached to cutting plate 170 or
receiving replaceable teeth caps 178 which are secured
onto lugs 176 by removable pins. thus, when the teeth caps
178 are worn, they can be knocked off with a sledge hammer
and new teeth caps fitted on. It will be appreciated by
reference to the drawings thaw teeth on the opposed jaw
portions are staggered so as to prevent interference in jaw
cloying. The grapple jaw sections are operated by cylinders
180 having piston rods 182. The cylinder ends attach pi-
ovally to the removable pins 1~8 described above and the piston
rods themselves pivotal attached to rigidizing brackets 184
on the grapple back wall.
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