WO1990008234A1

WO1990008234A1 - A device for detachably coupling an implement to a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO1990008234A1
Application number: PCT/SE1990/000035
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ahrne RÖNNBLOM
Original assignee: Stålteknik I Skellefteå Ab
Priority date: 1989-01-19
Filing date: 1990-01-16
Publication date: 1990-07-26
Also published as: SE8900187L; SE465325B; SE8900187D0; AU4946090A

Abstract

A device for detachably coupling an implement to a work-performing machine, the device including a first coupling-part which is carried by the implement and which presents substantially U-shaped and mutually opposing recesses, and a second coupling-part which is carried by the machine and which includes mutually parallel pins and which permits parallel movement between the pins. In the coupled state of the device, the pins are each located in two mutually spaced recesses. In order to enable coupling devices of this kind to couple together an implement and a machine in at least two positions, each of the recesses has mutually the same configuration and dimensions and each pin (8, 9) carries two spacer members (10, 11). Each of the spacer members has a part (12) whose configuration and dimensions correspond to those of the recesses. Arranged between the pins (8, 9) is a clamping mechanism (17) which enables the pins (8, 9) to be moved in parallel away from one another, for introduction of the spacer members (10, 11) into respective recesses, and away from one another for disengaging the spacer members (10, 11) from respective recesses and for coupling the implement to the machine and disengaging the implement therefrom respectively.

Description

A DEVICE FOR DETACHABLY COUPLING AN IMPLEMENT TO A VEHICLE

The present invention relates to a coupling device for detachably coupling an implement to a work-performing machine, said coupling including a first coupling-part which is carried by the implement and which has mutu¬ ally opposing U-shaped recesses provided therein, and a second coupling-part which is carried by the machine and which has mutually parallel pins and which permits said pins to be moved parallel with one another, said pins being engaged in each of two mutually spaced recesses in the coupling state of the coupling device.

Coupling devices of this kind intended for detachably coupling an implement to a work-performing machine are known to the art. One primary drawback with such coup¬ ling devices, however, is that they will only permit the implement to be coupled to the machine in one position, even in the case of so-called reversible implements, such as excavating buckets, for example. As is well known, an excavating bucket can be used to dig from above and downwards in one position of the bucket, and to dig from below and upwards in another, or reversed bucket-position.

Conseguently, the object of the present invention is to provide a coupling device of the kind described in the introduction of such configuration as to overcome the aforesaid drawback and therewith to enable an implement to be coupled to a work-performing machine in at least two positions, and which will also be able to compensate automatically for wear and small devia¬ tions in positional-tolerances in the region of said recesses. Accordingly, the inventive coupling device is charac¬ terized in that said recesses•have mutually the same configuration and dimensions; in that each of said pins carries two spacer members each of which has a part whose configuration and dimensions correspond to the configuration and dimensions of said recesses; and in that arranged between the pins is a clamping mech¬ anism which is operative to move the pins in paral¬ lelism away from one another, for the purpose of in- serting said spacer members into a respective recess, and away from each other for the purpose of removing said spacer members from said respective recesses, with the intention of respectively coupling and disen¬ gaging the components of said coupling device and therewith couple and disengage an implement to and from a work-performing machine. This will enable the two mutually parallel pins of the coupling-part car¬ ried by the machine to have mutually different dia¬ meters, which for reasons of mechanical strength is normal in the case of large machines at least, e.g. excavating machines or diggers, while allowing, never¬ theless, the position of the implement to be reversed in a ready and simple fashion.

Other characteristic features of the invention and other advantages afforded thereby will be evident from the following description of two embodiments chosen by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates schematically and in perspective a first embodiment of the inven¬ tion; Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention, also schematically and in perspective; and Figure 3 is a side-view which illustrates a side-piece forming part of the inventive coupling device. The inventive device includes a first coupling-part 1 which is mounted on or forms an integral part of the implement concerned, and a second coupling-part 2 which is mounted on or forms an integral part of the machine. Neither the implement nor the machine are shown in the drawings, since they form no part of the invention per se.

/The implement-carried coupling-part 1 includes two mutually spaced side-pieces 3, each of which has at one end thereof an outwardly projecting part 4 in which there is configured a substantially U-shaped and inwardly open recess 5 (Figure 3) , the bottom of said recess being semi-circular in shape and having a specific radius or diameter. The other end of each said side-piece 3 has an outwardly projecting part 6 which presents at least one substantially U-shaped, inwardly-open recess 7, the bottom of which has a semi-circular shape whose radius or diameter is the same as that of the recess 5 and which thus conforms with the recess 5 in both shape and dimension. The outwardly projecting part 6 of each side-piece 3 of the illustrated embodiments has three such recesses 7 provided therein, wherein the distance between the centres of said re-cesses to the centre of the recess 5 shall be the same, or essentially the same, for each recess 7.

The other coupling-part 2, carried by the machine, includes two mutually spaced and mutually parallel pins 8 and 9 which are joined to the intended part of the machine, e.g. to a so-called lever structure, in some suitable known manner which will enable the pins to be moved in parallel towards and away from one another. Each of the two pins 8 and 9 carries two spa¬ cer members 10 and 11 respectively, said members pre¬ ferably having the form of rollers. Each of the spacer members has a cylindrical part 12 whose diameter is the same, or essentially the same, as the diameter of the semi-circular bottom of respective recesses 5 and 7. Located on either side of the cylindrical part 12 are spacer-member parts 13, 14 whose dimensions, seen in cross-section, are much larger than the diameter dimension of the cylindrical part and which have mutu¬ ally facing side-surfaces 15 which define therebetween a circular groove 16 which, seen in cross-section, may have a substantially U-shape, i.e. the side-surfaces 15 are mutually parallel, or an obtuse U-shape, i.e. the side-surfaces 15 are outwardly inclined. The cylindrical part 12 of each spacer member has an axial width which corresponds at least to the thickness of the equally-thick side-pieces, therewith enabling the cylindrical part 12 of each spacer member 10, 11 to be inserted into any of the recesses 5 and 7 and enabling the spacer-members 10, 11 to be locked against lateral movement by their laterally located parts 13, 14 when inserted in said recesses. Consequently, it is not necessary to attach the spacer members 10, 11 rigidly to respective pins 8, 9 and the spacer members can therefore be freely or movably mounted in those cases in which the pins 8, 9 are attached rigidly to said intended part of the machine, said intended part being connected to the pins 8, 9, either between the spacer members 10, 11 or externally thereof. Naturally, in this latter case, the pins 8, 9 will have a length greater than that illustrated in the drawings. It will also be understood that the spacer members 10, 11 can be connected rigidly to their respective pins 8, 9 in which case the pins can be connected to said intended part of the machine in a manner which will permit the pins to move axially.

Mounted between the pins 8 and 9 is a clamping mechanism which is operative to enable the mutually parallel pins 8, 9 to be moved in parallelism towards and away from one another, for the purpose of coupling the implement to the machine and disengaging said im¬ plement therefrom.

As will be seen in Figure 1, this clamping mechanism comprises two hydraulic or pneumatic piston-cylinder devices 17, may be of the single-acting type fitted with a powerful return-spring for coupling-disengage- ment purposes, or a double acting type. Each such piston-cylinder device 17 joins the mutually opposite spacer members 10, 11 carried on a respective 8, 9 to form a pair, and more specifically the ends of said piston-cylinder devices are connected to each respec- tive spacer member 10, 11 of said pair. In the illu¬ strated embodiment of Figure l, each piston-cylinder device 17 is attached between the cylindrical part 12 of the associated spacer member, although it can, of course, also be attached between the part 14 or the part 13 of said spacer members, although not shown on the drawing.

In the Figure 1 illustration, the coupling-parts 1 and 2 of the inventive coupling device are shown coupled together in the innermost position, i.e. the spacer members 10 carried by the pin 9 are located in the inner recesses 7. When wishing to mutually disengage the coupling-parts 1 and 2, i.e. uncouple the imple¬ ment from the machine, the two piston-cylinder devices 17 are activated simultaneously, such as to withdraw the pistons and therewith move the pin 9 towards the pin 8 while lifting, at the same time, the spacer members 10 from the recesses 7 in the outwardly pro¬ jecting part 6. The coupling-part 2 can then be swung- out around the pin 8, with the aid of the machine, in order to remove the spacer members 11 from their res¬ pective recesses 5 in the outwardly projecting part 4, and therewith also enabling the coupling-part 2 to be withdrawn between the outwardly projecting parts 4 and 6 of the coupling-part 1. When coupling the two parts together, the reverse procedure is carried out, i.e. the spacer members 10 on the pin 8 are first located in the recess 5 of the outwardly projecting part 4, whereafter the coupling-part 2 is swung-in around the pin 8 to a position opposite the recesses 7 in the outwardly projecting part 6 in which the coupling-part 2 is intended to be fitted so as to obtain the desired angular position between implement and machine. The piston-cylinder devices 17 are then activated so as to extend the pistons thereof and thereby urge the cy¬ lindrical part 12 of the spacer members into respec¬ tive recesses 7 in the outwardly projecting part 6 of the coupling-part 1. The two parts are therewith coup¬ led together. In order to lock the piston-cylinder devices 17 in this state or position, the pressure- fluid circuit of the piston-cylinder devices will preferably incorporate an hydraulic or pneumatic latching means.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the clamp¬ ing mechanism comprises two mutually identical toggle- lever devices 18, each of which includes two lever- arms 20 which are mutually connected by a pivot pin 19 and the mutually opposite ends of which are each con- nected to the cylindrical part 12 of a respective spacer member 10 and 11, as illustrated in Figure 2, or alternatively to the spacer-member part 14 or 13. In this case, either the spacer members 10, 11 must be rotatable relative to their respective pins 8, 9, or the pins must be rotatable relative to the machine- part carrying said pins, in order for the toggle-lever device to function in the manner intended.

Furthermore, one lever-arm of each toggle-lever device 18, more specifically the lever arm 20 connected with the spacer member 10, is provided with a carrier arm 21 which extends in towards the coupling-part 1 and which carries a wedge 23 forming part of the clamping mechanism, said wedge 23 being located in the recess 22 provided in the side-pieces 3, in the state of the coupling device illustrated in Figure 2. Upon inser¬ tion on the carrier arms 21, the wedge 23 functions to co-act with a convex, arcuate camming surface 24 pro¬ vided on an anvil or counter-pressure surface 25 con- nected to the spacer members 11, such as to cause the carrier arms 21 to displace the pin 9 in a direction away from the pin 8, and therewith urge the cylindrical part 12 of the spacer members 10 into respective recesses 7 and into abut- ment with the bottom surfaces thereof, and, at the same time, also to urge the cylindrical part 12 of the spacer members 11 against the bottom surfaces of re¬ spective recesses 5. The spacer members are thus lock¬ ed in this position by the wedge 23, which can be secured against unintentional movement in its longi¬ tudinal direction with the aid of a locking pin in¬ serted in a hole 26. In this respect, the pitch-angle or conicity of the wedge 23 is such that in co-action with the arcuate camming surface 24 on the anvil sur- face 25, the web is able to produce the requisite displacement of the pins 8, 9 in a direction away from one another such that the spacer members 10, 11 will be held positively pressed against the bottom surfaces of respective recesses. The recesses 22 in the side- pieces 3 will, of course, have a corresponding height extension. The anvil surface 25 may also be connected to the lever arms 20 connected to the spacer members 11, and when the lever-arms 20 are connected, for instance, to the part 14 of said spacer members, each carrier arm 21 may be formed integrally with an associated lever-arm and have the configuration of a recess in such an arm, wherein the bottom of the re¬ cess forms the wedge carrier-arm or carrier-surface. In order to ensure that the wedge 23 of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 will be held positively on the carrier arms 21, even when the coupling-part 2 is coupled to the outer recess 7, each carrier arm is preferably provided with upstanding wedge-stop means on the end of said arm 21 not visible in Figure 2.

Thus, the present invention enables an implement to be coupled to a machine in either a first position or a second position in which the implement is turned through 90° in relation to the first position, while automatically compensating for any wear and play that may be present between the recesses and the cylindri¬ cal parts of the spacer members.

It will be understood that the present invention is not restricted to the aforedescribed and illustrated embodiments, and that modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the inventive concept defined in the following claims. For instance, the clamping mechanism may consist of a single piston-cylinder de- vice 17 or a single toggle-lever device 18, which in this case will be placed between the spacer members 10, 11 on respective pins 8, 9 and act directly on the pins 8 and 9. Furthermore, the recesses 5, 7 and the part 12 of the spacer members 10, 11 need not have the aforedescribed and illustrated configuration, and may instead have any desired form, for instance a V-shape or U-shape form, which applies particularly to the Figure 1 embodiment, and also to the Figure 2 embodi¬ ment in those instances when the toggle-lever device or devices acts, or act, directly between the pins 8, 9 and said pins are rotatable relative to their res¬ pective spacer members 10, 11.

Claims

1. A device for detachably coupling an implement to a work-performing machine, said device comprising a first coupling-part, carried by the implement and presenting substantially U-shaped, mutually opposing recesses, and a second coupling-part which is carried by the machine and which includes mutually parallel pins and permits parallel movement between said pins, said pins being inserted in two mutually spaced reces¬ ses in the coupled state of the device, c h a r a c- t e r i z e d in that the recesses (5, 7) have mutual¬ ly the same configuration and dimensions; in that each pin (8, 9) carries two spacer members (10, 11) each of which has a part (12) whose configuration and dimen¬ sions correspond to the configuration and dimensions of the recesses (5, 7); and in that a clamping me¬ chanism (16) is arranged between the pins (8, 9) for parallel displacement of the pins (8, 9) away from one another for insertion of the spacer members (10, 11) in respective recesses (5, 7) and towards one another for disengaging the spacer members (10, 11) from res¬ pective recesses (5, 7) and for the purpose of cou¬ pling the implement to the machine and disengaging said implement therefrom respectively.

2. A device according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the implement-carried coupling- part (1) includes two mutually spaced side-pieces (3) , each of which presents a first and a second outwardly projecting part (4 and 6 respectively) which are pro¬ vided with said inwardly open and mutually opposing recesses (5, 7); and in that the first or second out¬ wardly projecting part (4, 6) of the side-pieces presents more than one recess (7), said recesses being located at the same distance from the recess (5) in the other or the first outwardly projecting part (6, 4) of said side-pieces.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that there are located on each side of said part (12) of the spacer members further parts (13, 14) whose cross-section dimensions are greater than the cross-section dimensions of the part (12) intended for co-action with the recesses (5, 7).

4. A device according to any one of the preceding Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the clamping mechanism (16) includes two piston-cylinder devices (17) , each of which is arranged between each pair of mutually opposite spacer members (10, 11) carried by a respective pin (8, 9) for parallel displacement of said spacer members into and out of engagement with respective recesses (5, 7).

5. A device according to any one of the preceding Claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the clamping mechanism (16) includes two toggle-lever de- vices (18), each of which includes two lever-arms (20) which are pivoted together and which are connected_^at their mutually opposite ends with a respective spacer member (10, 11) and of which one of said arms presents a carrier arm (21) for supporting a wedge device (23, 24) operative to co-act with an anvil surface (25) for parallel displacement of the spacer members (10, 11) into and out of engagement with respective recesses (5, 7).

6. A device according to any one of the preceding Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the mutually similar recesses (5, 7) have a substantially semi- cylindrical bottom part; and in that the part (12) of each spacer member intended for co-action with said recesses has a cylindrical configuration and a dia¬ meter which corresponds to the diameter of the bottom part of said recesses.