U.S. patent application number 09/335668 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-13 for attachment fixture of power shovel.
This patent application is currently assigned to TEKKOSHO, KABUSHIKI KAISHA MUROTO. Invention is credited to MUROTO, SHINGO.
Application Number | 20010050326 09/335668 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 13628129 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010050326 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MUROTO, SHINGO |
December 13, 2001 |
ATTACHMENT FIXTURE OF POWER SHOVEL
Abstract
The present invention relates to a fixture used when an
operation attachment of various type is mounted to a power shovel,
and the invention provides an attachment fixture capable of being
used generally for various power shovels and attachments having
different diameters and mounting widths of mounting pins. The
attachment fixture comprises a body (34) for connecting an
attachment (17) to an arm (11) and a front link (12) of the power
shovel, a spacer 35 interposed in a gap formed between the body and
the attachment, and/or a spacer (37) interposed in a gap formed
between the body and the arm as well as the front link. Each of the
spacers (35, 37) is formed into a cylindrical shape, a cylindrical
shape having a flange, or a disk-like shape with a center hole (36,
38) having the same diameters as those of mounting pins or those of
the connection pins 13, 14 connecting with the power shovel.
Inventors: |
MUROTO, SHINGO;
(KOMATSU-SHI, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MURRAY SCHAFFER
300 GARDEN CITY PLAZA
GARDEN CITY
NY
11530
US
|
Assignee: |
TEKKOSHO, KABUSHIKI KAISHA
MUROTO
|
Family ID: |
13628129 |
Appl. No.: |
09/335668 |
Filed: |
June 18, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/226.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02F 3/3613 20130101;
E02F 3/3618 20130101; E02F 3/3668 20130101; E02F 3/3672
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/226.11 |
International
Class: |
A47K 001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 23, 1999 |
JP |
11-077232 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An attachment fixture of a power shovel, comprising a body for
connecting an attachment to an arm and a front link of the power
shovel, and a spacer interposed in a gap formed between the body
and the attachment, wherein the body comprises upper plates located
at opposite outer sides of tip ends of the arm and the front link,
and a pair of link including U-shaped holes formed in inner sides
of a bracket of the attachment, the links include connection pin
holes connecting the arm and the front link at medium positions in
the longitudinal direction of the links, a pin hole of a fulcrum
pin for pivotally supporting the pair of links is disposed above
the connection pin holes, U-shaped holes opposed to each other or
directed into the opposite direction from each other are disposed
below the connection pin holes, and the spacer is formed into a
cylindrical shape, a cylindrical shape having a flange, or a
disk-like shape with a center hole having the same diameter as
those of mounting pins which connect the body and the attachment
with each other.
2. An attachment fixture of a power shovel, comprising a body (34)
for connecting an attachment to an arm and a front link of the
power shovel, and a spacer interposed in a gap formed between the
body and the arm as well as the front link, wherein the body
comprises upper plates located at opposite outer sides of tip ends
of the arm and the front link, and a pair of link including
U-shaped holes formed in inner sides of a bracket of the
attachment, the links include connection pin holes connecting the
arm and the front link at medium positions in the longitudinal
direction of the links, a pin hole of a fulcrum pin for pivotally
supporting the pair of links is disposed above the connection pin
holes, U-shaped holes opposed to each other or directed into the
opposite direction from each other are disposed below the
connection pin holes, the spacer is formed into a cylindrical
shape, a cylindrical shape having a flange, or a disk-like shape
with a center hole having the same diameter as those of connection
pins which connect the body, the arm as well as the front link with
one another.
3. An attachment fixture of a power shovel according to claim 1,
further comprising a spacer interposed in a gap formed between the
body and the arm as well as the front link, wherein the spacer is
formed into a cylindrical shape, a cylindrical shape having a
flange, or a disk-like shape with a center hole having the same
diameter as those of connection pins which connect the body, the
arm as well as the front link with one another.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an attachment fixture used
for fixing an operation attachment to a tip end of an arm of a
power shovel, and more particularly, to an attachment fixture
capable of generally using for various power shovels of different
diameter of pin or width of bracket provided for connecting an arm
and an operation attachment.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] An attachment in its default to be mounted to a tip end of
an arm of a power shovel is a bucket (shovel). Since the arm of the
power shovel moves three-dimensionally and energy can easily be
supplied to the attachment by a hydraulic pipe, various operation
attachment used in replacement of the buckets have been developed.
Examples of such attachments of this kind are clamshells, one-claw
rippers, breakers, crushers, jaw blocks and so on. These
attachments are mounted to the arm in replacement of the buckets
when particular operation is required. Therefore, attachment
fixtures which can easily and quickly attach and detach or exchange
the attachment have been proposed.
[0005] One example of an attachment fixture of this kind proposed
by the present applicant is shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. (Japanese
Utility Model Application Laid-open No. Hei5-87039). This
attachment fixture is provided with links 2, 3, made of two pairs
of (four in total) plate materials, and are pivotally supported by
a fulcrum pin 23. Each of the links 2, 3 includes a connection pin
hole 15, 16 connected to a power shovel arm 11 and a front link 12
at a medium position in a longitudinal direction of the link. A pin
hole 29 for the fulcrum pin 23 is formed above the connection pin
holes 15, 16, and U-shaped holes 21, 22 to be connected to the
bucket are formed below the connection pin holes 15, 16. The pair
of links 2, 3 are separately pivotally supported by short fulcrum
pins 23 at the side of the arm 11. Long connection pins 13, 14
passing through the opposite link 2 or 3 are inserted in the
connection pin holes 15, 16. The connection pins 13, 14 pass
through bucket mounting holes provided in the arm tip end of the
power shovel and the front link to connect the attachment fixture
to the arm tip end of the power shovel.
[0006] An expansion mechanism 26 for swinging the links 2, 3 around
the fulcrum pin 23 to open and close the links is disposed between
the links 2, 3 located at both sides of the arm 11. The expansion
mechanism 26 is a hydraulic cylinder or a screw bar, for
example.
[0007] The operation for mounting the bucket 17 to the arm 11 using
the above-described attachment fixture will be described below. The
mounting pins 18, 19 are previously inserted to the mounting pin
holes of the bucket 17. The attachment fixture 1 is mounted to the
arm and the front link by the connection pins. Next, the distance
between the U-shaped holes 21, 22 is shortened by operating the
expansion mechanism 26. Then, one of the mounting pins 18, 19 of
the bucket 17 is inserted to one of the U-shaped holes 21, 22, and
the other pin is allowed to be opposed to the other U-shaped hole.
In this state, the expansion mechanism 26 is operated to widen the
distance between the U-shaped holes and finally, the U-shaped holes
21, 22 project in a direction widening the mounting pins 18, 19 to
thereby fix the bucket 17.
[0008] In the attachment fixture 1 of the above structure, since
the connection pins 13, 14 are located at medium positions between
the fulcrum pin 23 and the U-shaped holes 21, 22, if the distance S
between the pin holes of the bucket is narrow, the distance L
between the connection pins is also narrow, while if the distance S
between the pin holes of the bucket is wide, the distance L between
the connection pins is also wide. Therefore, drawbacks such as
variation of operation property due to difference in distance of
the pins of the attachment or a limitation of the swinging angle of
the bucket can be moderated, various attachments having different
distances S of the pin holes of the mounting pins can be used.
[0009] Further, in relation to the above-described prior art,
structures in which safety is enhanced are proposed by Japanese
Utility Model Application Laid-open No.Hei6-74849, Japanese Patent
Application Laid-open No.Hei6-322788 and Japanese Patent
Application Laid-open No.Hei7-331690.
[0010] A plurality of power shovels of different type and different
size are produced by a plurality of makers, and such power shovels
of different types from different makers have different tip end
width of arms and different diameter of connection pins in many
cases. Therefore, conventionally, an attachment fixture suitable
for the particular tip end width of the arm and the diameter of the
connection pin is prepared for each of the respective types of
power shovel. However, there are requirements that a single
attachment fixture can be used for all of the types of power
shovel, and an attachment fixture produced by a maker different
from that of a power shovel is used.
[0011] However, although the conventional attachment fixture can
overcome the difference of distance between the pins of the
attachment, if the mounting width or pin diameter is different, gap
is generated between the arm and the operation attachment as well
as the attachment fixture, and there is an adverse possibility that
the operation force may not be transmitted accurately, or the
operation force may unevenly to generate accident. Therefore, the
attachment fixture could not be used generally.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention provides a general-purpose attachment
fixture capable of being used even if a tip end width of an arm or
a diameter of a connection pin is different and a bracket width of
an attachment or a diameter of a mounting pin is different.
[0013] An attachment fixture of a power shovel according to the
present invention comprises a body 34 for connecting an attachment
17 to an arm 11 and a front link 12 of the power shovel, a spacer
35 interposed in gap formed between the body and the attachment,
and/or a spacer 37 interposed in gap formed between the body and
the arm as well as the front link.
[0014] The body comprises upper plates 6, 7 located at opposite
outer sides of tip ends of the arm and the front link, and a pair
of link 2, 3 including U-shaped holes 21, 22 formed in inner sides
of a bracket of the attachment, the links 2, 3 includes connection
pin holes 15, 16 connecting the arm and the front link at medium
positions in the longitudinal direction of the links, a pin hole 29
of a fulcrum pin 23 for pivotally supporting the pair of links is
disposed above the connection pin holes, and the U-shaped holes 21,
22 opposed to each other or directed into the opposite direction
from each other are disposed below the connection pin holes.
[0015] The spacer 35 interposed between the gap formed between the
body and the attachment is formed with a center hole 36 having the
same diameter as those of mounting pins 18, 19 which connect the
body and the attachment with each other, and the spacer is formed
into a cylindrical shape, a cylindrical shape having a flange, or a
disk-like shape with a hole. The spacer 37 interposed in the gap
formed between the arm and the front link is formed with a center
hole 38 having the same diameter as those of connection pins 13, 14
which connect the body, the arm as well as the front link with one
another, and the spacer is formed into a cylindrical shape, a
cylindrical shape having a flange, or a disk-like shape having a
hole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIGS. 1 to 3 show one example of the best mode for carrying
out the present invention, wherein FIG. 1 is a side view showing
the entire attachment fixture;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a first embodiment of the
attachment fixture shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a front view showing a second embodiment;
[0019] FIGS. 4 and 5 show an example of a conventional attachment
fixture, wherein FIG. 4 is a side view and FIG. 5 is a front view;
and
[0020] FIG. 6 shows a typical technique, and is a side view of a
state in which a bucket is mounted to a tip end of a power shovel
arm through an attachment fixture.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0021] An attachment fixture shown in FIG. 1 includes a body 34 for
connecting an arm 11 of a power shovel and an attachment 17, and a
spacer 35 interposed between the body 34 and the arm 11 or a front
link and/or the attachment.
[0022] The body 34 of the attachment fixture includes a pair of
links 2, 3 pivotally connected by a fulcrum pin 23 such that a
distance between the links 2 and 3 can be freely widened and
shortened. The links 2, 3 include bridging plates 4, 5 in the
horizontal direction, a pair of upper plates 6, 7 to be located at
both sides of the arm, and a pair of lower plates 8, 9 to be
located opposite insides of two brackets of the attachment. The
bridging plates 4, 5 and the pair of upper plates 6, 7 form a wide
U-shape directing upward, and the bridging plates 4, 5 and the pair
of lower plates 8, 9 form a narrow U-shape directing downward.
[0023] Connection pins 13, 14 for connecting the attachment fixture
1 to the power shovel arm 11 and the front link 12 are inserted
through connection pin holes 15, 16 formed at medium positions of
the upper plates 6, 7. The U-shaped holes 21, 22 for fixing the
attachment fixture 1 and mounting pins 18, 19 of a bucket 17 are
provided on a receiving block 30 which connects tip ends of the
lower plates 8, 9 on opposite sides to be faced to the outside.
[0024] The links 2 and 3 are connected to each other by pivotally
connecting the upper plates on the opposite sides with each other
by a short fulcrum pin 23. The links 2 and 3 are swung around the
short pin 23 relative to each other so that the distance between
the U-shaped holes 21 and 22 is widened and shortened.
[0025] Between the lower plates 8 and 9 on both sides, block-like
trunnions 24, 25 are mounted such that their opposite pins are
pivotally supported by the opposite lower plates 8, 9. A base end
of a screw rod 26 is pivotally supported by the trunnion 24 on the
side of the link 2 rotatably and axially non-movably. The screw rod
26 is threadedly engaged with the other trunnion 25. The screw rod
26 is provided at its base end with a hexagonal screw head 27. By
inserting a box spanner or the like into the screw head 26 to
rotate the screw rod 26, the distance between the U-shaped holes 21
and 22 is widened or shortened, so that the bucket 17 is attached
or detached. The screw head 27 is provided with a split pin hole
which passes through the screw head in a direction at right angle
to the axial direction. The screw rod 26 is fixed such that a
rectangular lock plate having a size capable of fitting between the
both lower plates 8, 9 and provided at its center with a
rectangular hole fitted to the screw head 27 is inserted to the
screw head 27, and a split pin is inserted to the split pin hole to
prevent the lock plate from coming off.
[0026] The receiving block 30 is formed such that its width is
smaller than the smallest inner width of the bracket 31 among all
of the attachments to be mounted to the power shovel, and the
U-shaped holes 21, 22 are formed such that their diameters are
smaller than the smallest diameter of the mounting hole 32 of the
bracket. The mounting pin 18 for connecting the body 34 and the
attachment has the same diameter as that of the U-shaped hole
21.
[0027] The spacer 35 is cylindrical in shape, cylindrical in shape
having a flange, or disk-like shape having a hole of a size capable
of just fitting in gap formed between the body 34 and the bracket
31 of the attachment or gap formed between the mounting pin 18 and
the mounting hole 32 of the attachment. The diameter of the center
hole 36 of the spacer 35 is the same as that of the mounting pin
18.
[0028] Next, a method for mounting various attachments to the arm
using the above-described attachment fixture will be explained. In
the case of the lower left attachment shown in FIG. 2, the diameter
of the mounting hole 32 of the bracket of the attachment 17 is
greater than that of the mounting pin 18, and the width of the
receiving block 30 of the body is narrower than the inner width of
the bracket 31. To such an attachment, the cylindrical spacer 35
having the flange is inserted to the mounting hole 32 from its
inner side, and the mounting pin is inserted into the center hole
36 of the spacer 35. Then, the U-shape hole 21 of the body is
fitted over the mounting pin 18 from the outside, thereby mounting
the attachment without any gap.
[0029] In the case of the lower center attachment shown in FIG. 2,
the mounting hole 32 of the bracket has the same diameter as that
of the U-shaped hole 21, and the inner width of the bracket 31 is
substantially the same as the width of the receiving block 30 of
the body. This attachment can be mounted without any gap without
using any spacer.
[0030] In the case of the lower right attachment shown in FIG. 2,
although the mounting hole 32 of the bracket has the same diameter
as that of the U-shaped hole 21, the inner width of the bracket 31
is slightly wider than the width of the receiving block 30 of the
body. In this case, the disk-like spacer 35 having the hole is
inserted to the mounting pin 18 such that the spacer 35 is located
inside the bracket, and the receiving block 30 of the body is
fitted between the spacers 35 from the outside, thereby the
attachment being mounted without gap.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows an example of the spacer to be provided on the
upper plate, and shows the fixture capable of being mounted to
various arms having different tip end width. This fixture includes
a spacer 37 interposed between the body 34 and the arm 11 as well
as the front link 12.
[0032] The diameter of each of the connection pin holes 15, 16 of
the body 34 is formed greater than the outer diameters of the
connection pin 13 of the power shovel arm and the front link. The
inner width of the upper plate is formed wider than the maximum
width of the tip end width of the power shovel arm and the front
link to which the body is mounted. The spacer 37 is cylindrical in
shape, cylindrical in shape having a flange, or disk-like shape
having a hole of a size capable of just fitting in gap formed
between the body 34 and the arm 11 or gap formed between the
connection pin 13 and the connection pin hole 15. The diameter of
the center hole 38 of the spacer 37 is the same as that of the
connection pin 13.
[0033] Next, a method for mounting the attachment fixture of the
present embodiment to the arms of various shapes will be explained.
In the case of the upper left arm shown in FIG. 3, the width of the
arm and the inner width of the upper plate of the body are the
same, but the diameter of the connection pin is smaller than that
of the upper pin hole. In this case, a short cylindrical spacer 37
is inserted to the pin hole 15, and the connection pin 13 is
inserted in a state in which the upper plates are located on
opposite sides of the arm. With this procedure, the arm and the
fixture can be connected to each other without gap.
[0034] In the case of the upper center arm shown in FIG. 3, the
width of the arm and the inner width of the upper plate of the body
are the same, and the connection pin 13 and the pin hole 15 of the
upper plate have the same diameter. In this case, the fixture can
be mounted to the arm without gas even if the spacer 37 is not
used.
[0035] In the case of the upper right arm shown in FIG. 3, the
width of the arm 11 is smaller than the inner width of the upper
plate 6 of the body, and the connection pin 13 and the pin hole 15
of the upper plate have the same diameter. In this case, the
disk-like spacer 37 having the hole is placed inside of the upper
plate, the tip end of the arm is inserted between the spacer 37 and
the upper plate so that the connection pin 13 is inserted to the
pin hole 15. With this procedure, the fixture can be mounted to the
arm without gap. If there are gaps between the connection pin and
the mounting hole, and between the arm and the upper plate, the
fixture can be mounted without gap by using the cylindrical spacer
having the flange.
[0036] By using the attachment fixture having both the structure
explained in FIG. 2 and the structure explained in FIG. 3, it is
possible to mount the arm and the front link and the attachment
without gap and therefore, it is possible to provide a
general-purpose attachment fixture capable of connecting various
types of power shovel and various types of attachment with each
other by using one fixture.
[0037] By using the attachment fixture of the present invention, it
is possible to connect an arm and an operation attachment having
different mounting width and pin diameter and an attachment fixture
to one another without generating gap therebetween, and in such a
state, it is possible to accurately and safely operate the
operation attachment. Therefore, for a construction worker or
construction site using various power shovels or operation
attachments, cost and burden required for preparing the operation
attachment can be reduced.
[0038] Having described preferred embodiments of the invention with
reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that
the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that
various changes and modifications could be effected therein by one
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of
the invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *