CA1046994A - Locking mechanism for quick change attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR
QUICK CHANGE ATTACHMENT
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An attachment for use on loader booms that enables quick changes of working implements. The attachment having an implement carrier frame provided with carrier saddles and slots positioned to carry and locate standard mounting pins in stock implement mounting frames such that the implement is automatically locked to the carrier frame via the means of automatic locking devices of spring loaded pins in receiving apertures.

Description

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This application is a division of Canadian Serial No. 240,728, filed November 28, 1975.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR
QUICX CHANGE ATTACHMENT
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BACK~ ~ ~D OF THE INVENTION

l. Field of the Invention: i -....
The invention relates to loader aktachments that ~i~
are designed to accommodate a broad range of boom carried implements to be utilized alternatively with a single boom asse~bly.

2. Description of the Prior ~rt~
It has been known ~o provide a permanent implement ~ -carrying frame on loader booms for quick attachment to an array of work implements. Various types of attaching `~
systems have been developed~ These generally consis~ of an alignment means mounted on the loader boom that is com-patible to receive an appropriately modified implement such that alignment between the alignment means and the implement is attained. After the implement is positioned it is usually locked in place by the operator either with manually or hydraulically controlled p~ns, bars or latches.

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Qu~i~c~ att~ch lQ~e~ a~s~e~bl~es~, axe ,a,lso kno~n whe~e~n extens~ve mod~f~c~t~on to the 'mplements to be used on the loade~ boom assem~lles mus~t be made in o~der that the combination can be used.
Th~s in~ention allev~ates numerous shortcomings in the state of the art of which the most obvious are; the '' extensive modification of implements in order to make them compatible with the system and closely fitting alignment devices which present attaching diff~culties in the field '-~
due to the necess~ty of perfect alignment of components prior to locking. Another disadvantage of some of the state ~'' of the art of quick attach assemblies is the active part that the operator plays in locking the implement in place which would contribute to a safety hazard if he would forget to lock the implement in position prior to operating. '~
The instant invention requires that no action be taken by the vehicle operator in order to lock an implement to the carrier frame. This is accomplished completely automatically minimizing exposure to safety hazards.
Stock implements normally compatible with the boom of the loader vehicle being used don't require extensive modifications as with some systems. They need only have one hole drilled in each outboard plate of the stock mounting channels to accommodate a locking pin. Simple and straight-forward attaching means with few moving parts optimize the present service life of this quick change system. ~ -, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is concerned with quick attach fixtures for fix~ng implements to a boom of loader vehicles.

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More particularly, it contemplates a quick change attachment for use on a loader boom assembly which comprises an implement carrier frame having a left and a right carrier attached to a transverse stabilizer and spaced apart from each other at either end of the transverse stabilizer, pin means for attaching the implement carrier frame to the boom assembly eomprising first top and first bottom pair of mounting pins, a work implement having ~-upper and lower apertures, and second top and bottom mounting pins for insertion into the work implement apertures. A means attaehes the work implement to the implement earrier frame which has a pair of earrier saddles ineorporated in the left and right carriers that are capable of receiving the second top mounting pins, and a means a:Ligns the work ~-implement with the implement carrier frame and it eomprises a pair of alignment slots that are capable ~ of reeeivin~ the seeond bottom mounting pins. An ; 20 automatie locking meehanism is earried on each of the earriers of the implement carrier frame to secure the work implement to the implement carrier frame, and a kiekoff means is mounted on the loader boom assembly of suffieient length that it will initiate loeking aetion throu~h interaetion with the automatie locking meehanism when the implement earrier frame is rolled back past the vertical usiny the loader boom assembly.
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Locking mechanisms can be disengaged by pulling a handle mounted on the out~oard end of each locking pin. A
locking pin can ~e deta~ned in a disengaged position by rotating the handle and positioning it such that an extension of the handle is held in tension on a detent. The automatic locking mechanism can only be maintained in a disengaged position when either the carrier frame is rotated forward slightly (when an implement is hanging in the pin carrying saddles~ or when no implement is hanging in the carrier frame.
The primary ob~ect of this invention is to provide a quick change attachment for allowing the use of a multitude of implements on a loader vehicle.
Broadly, that ob~ect is attained by a quick change attachment means to be attaehed to the boom assembly of a work vehicle for permitting connection of a variety of implements to-the boom assembly. The attachment means comprises an implement carrier frame having carriers capable of supporting an implement, an automatie locking meehanism earried by the implement earrier frame and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, biasing means for urging the automatic loeking mechanism toward its locked position~ and a lockout stop means for retaining the automatic locking mechanism in the unlocked position. A kickoff means is mounted on the boom assembly for disengaging the automatic locking mechanism from its retained position with the loekout stop means whereby the biasing means will urge the automatie Iocking means into a loeked position in response to contaet between the kiekoff means and the automatic loeking meehanism.

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Other objects of the invention are to provide a quick change attachmen-t that is easy to use under field conditions, self-aligning, automatically locking, and sturdy and positive in use.
A f~rther object is to provide a system that can be retrofitted to current loaders and implements without the need for significant component modifications.

BRIEF DESCRI_TION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects of the invention will become ap-parent upon reEerring to the accompanying drawings which are illustrative of the invention.
FIGURE 1 is a side view of a loader bucket about to be mounted on a quick attach carrier frame and a partial loader boom;
FIGURE 2 is an elevation view of the quick attach carrier frame;
FIGURE 3 is a front elevation view of the quick attach carrier frame taken through plane 3-3 of Figure 2;
FIGU~E 4 is a plan view of a portion of the quick attach frame through lines 4-4 of Fiyure 2 having mounting pins installed and a portion of an implement mounted in position;
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the left carrier of the quick attach frame with boom means and mounting pins;
FIGURE 6 is an elevation view of the rear surface of a loader bucket taken as plane 6-6 of Figure l;
FIGURE 7 is the locking pin assem~ly of the invention in partial section.

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DET~ILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA~1INC
~ The preferred embodiment of the invention as well as specific features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the invention is explained by reference to the following detailed de-scription when considered in connection with the accompa-nying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts.
Lookinj firsr at Figure 1 a fragmentary forward portion of a forward extending loader boom assembly gen-erally depicted as 10 consisting of a boom 12, a fragmen-tized forward portion of a conventional boom lift cylinder 14 pivotally attached to the boom 12 at one end and to the vehicle frame (not shown) at the other end such that the boom assembly 10 can be adjustably raised or lowcred.
Loader tractors qenerally have a left and right boom as-sembly mounted outboard of the body of the vehicle. Only the left boom is shown ln Figure 1, that corresponding to the left side of an observer at the rear of the vehicle facing the ve~icle.
Referring additionally to Figures 2, 3, and 5 it is shown that the implement carrier frame 30 is mounted on the boom assembly 10 using first top mounting pins 26 and ` -firs~ bottom mounting pins 28 whlch are positioned throuyh first top apertures 56 of the outboard attaching plate 40 of the implement carrier frame 30 and in the first bottom apertures 58 of the same plate; then passed through the top pin receiving means 22 of an implement cylinder piston rod 20 o lmplement cylinder 16 and the bottom pin receiving means 24 at the forward end of the boom 10; and finally :`

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passiog thr~gh t~ irst top a~er~r~ 56 in til~ drd attachinq plate 38 of the im~lement ~arrier frame 30 and thc first bottom aperture 5B of the same plate. Mounting pins 26 and 28 are retained in position using conventional means such as cotter pins. This pin mounting technique is used on both the left and right booms. However, it is felt that only one attaching sequence need be described for an under~
standing of the technique which is similar to the normal boom-implement attaching system well known in the art~ In order to attach the implement carrier frame 30 which is now an integral component of the boom assembly 10 to the imple ment, in this case exemplified by a bucket 60 (Figures 1 and 6) which has second top mounting pins 66 and second bottom mounting`pins 68 permanently located in each of the left an~
right mounting channels 62 and 64. It is only necessary for the loader vehici~ u~eïatvl ~o 'ower the boom as~emblv 10 bv means of the boom lift cylinder 14; roll the implement carrier frame 30 forward by means of the implement operating link, in this case cylinder 16; drive the loader forward 20 while aliqnin~J the pin carrying saddles 42 and 44 with th~ -mounting pins 66 in the bucket 60; position the carrier frame 30 such that the left 42 and right carrying saddle (right shown only~in Figure 3) engage the second top mounting pins 66 which are a permanent fixture in the left and right mounting channels 62 and 64 respectively (Figure 6); roll the carrier frame backward with the implement cylinder 16 such that the second bottom mounting pins 68 of bucket 60 will swinq toward the bottom pin slots one shown as 46.
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When the bucket carrier frame has been rolled back far enough and there is sufficient ground clearance, the bucke4 ` ' ' ,~ '- ~' .

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60 will bc in position. Specifically second top mounting pins 66 will be resting in the pin carrying saddIes 42 and 44 and second bottom mounting pins 68 res~ing on the rear curved surface of the forward opening pin alignment slGts ~6 and 48 to be locked into place through the m~ns of automatic locking mechanism 80. (Detailed in Figure 7).
It is necessary to point out (referring to Figurcs 4 and 7) that the inboard and outboard walls 38 and 40 of bo~h left and right carriers 36 and 34 are spread apart further at the rear sections which houses the boon, assernbly 10 than they are at the forward sections, which are offset inwardly, which must be sufficiently narrow to Eit into the a mounting channels 62 and 64 of the implement 60. This is accomplished by the vertical creases 50 and 52 in the out-board and inboard plates 40 and 38. Upper recesses connected : by a plate 43 form the pin carrying saddles 42 and 44 and lower recesses connected by a plate 47 form the alignment slots ~6 and 48. It is disclosed ~hat both the left and right carriers, which are fixedly .Linked together with the transverse st~bilizer 32, have ~his offset configuration.
~ Automatic locking of the implement had been accompllshed coincidental to the bucket 60 swinging into -. :
position as described above. Automatic locking was facili- - .
tated by means of interaction of the kickoff means 18, a projecting rod attached to the boom contacting the retractin~
handles 82, best shown in Figure 5, (when the implement carrier frame was rolled back past vertical) which were .
released from the restrained positlon allowing the locking : :
pins 8~ ~both left and right) to pass through the locking pin apertures 74 and 54 in the outboard flanges 72 and 70, .

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right and left respectively, of the imple~ent mounting channels 62 and 64 of Figure 6, and the ou~board attachins plate of the left 36 and right 34 carriers of the implement carrier frame 30.
Referring to Figure 7 it is shown that the re-tracting handles 82 previously noted, (whlch have been placed in a retained position by the operator when he detached the previous implement) arè integral with the aft secti~n 98 of the locklng pins 84, which in themselves are carried in cylindrical containers 86 along with the biasing means 88 which tends to exert pressure on the locking pin ~4 such that the locking pin will attempt to escape the container . -when not restrained by the retracting handle extension 82 i~
~ither a locked position A or a restrained position as sho~n by position B of Fi~ure 7.
- ~ The locking pin 84 (Figure 7) has a leading ~ `
portion 96 which is larger in diameter than the aft sec~ion - .
98 such that biasin~ means 88 is captive between surface 1~0 and a second surface 102 àt the outboard end of pin con- `
. 20 tainer 86. The handle coilar 104 prevents the biasing means - 88 from urging the locking pin 84 completely out o~ tne container 86 as the handle collar 104 will not pass through the outboard end of the pin container 86.
The automatic locking mechanism 80 is mounted on a m.ounting plate 90 (Figure 5) that is fixedly attached to t~e rear (widest) portion of the outboard wall 40 and is offse~
away from ~he outboard wall at its forward portion so that the outbound implement flange 70 can fit between the at- ~ :
: taching plate and the mounting plate 90.
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The loader is now in readiness to be used as desired by the operator.
Detaching the bucket, or other implements, from the implement carrier frame 30 is safe and simple when performed as follows.
- The operator positions the bucket 60 through - manipulation of the boom lift cylinder 14 and the implement cylinder 16 slightly off the ground ln a substantially level position in order to minimize binding between the lockin~
pins and the locking pin apertures 74 and 54 of the outboard implement mounting flanges 72 and 70 and the outboard walls 40. The retraction handle 82 is then pulled ou'twardly (Figure 7) causing locking pin 8~ to be retrieved from the . locking pln aperture 74. Once the locking pin is clear of bucket 60 the locking handle is rotated such that. landing sur~ace 92 of an exten~io~ on .he 'oeki~q hlndle rest5 on the flat end of the lockout stop means 94 causing the locking :pin 84 to remain in the retracted ~osition until it is asain disengaged by means of the kickoff means 18 described earlie~.
The implement is now free to swing forward in the pin carrying saddles 42 and 44 of the implement c2rrier ~ : -frame 30. This will be so unless the operator rolls the carrier back causing relocking of the implement. In o.rder to drop the implement the operator will roll the carrier frame 30 forward while lowering the boom 12; When the implement is detached, the pin carrying saddles 42 and 44 : (~igure 3) are free of.. the second top mounting pins 66 .:
; tFi~ure 6), the operator backs the vehicle away from the resting implement.

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It should be understood that care should be exercised in keeping the implement carrier frame free of accumulated dirt, brush, rocks, etc. and also in good alignment. This is necessary to prevent a faulty mating of the implement to the implement carrier frame.
Thus, it is appare,nt that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, a quick change attachment that fully satisfies the objects, aims, and advantages set forth above. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to thosc skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. For example, the invention might be equally utilized on other types of implements or vehicles.
Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

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Claims (5)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an automatic locking mechanism for use on an implement carrier frame carried on the forward portion of a pair of boom arms said automatic locking mechanism comprises:
a mounting bracket having a locking pin aperture in the forward portion thereof;
a cylindrical container attached -to said mounting bracket in alignment with said locking pin aperture being opened at the inboard and outboard ends;
a locking pin rotatably carried inside said container capable of sliding through said locking pin aperture having a large diameter leading portion and a smaller diameter aft section;
a biasing means inside said container carried on said locking pin between said leading portion of said locking pin and said outboard end of said cylindrical container to urge said locking pin into said locking pin aperture and said work implement locking pin aperture;
a handle fixedly attached to said aft section of said locking pin to assist in retracting said pin against said biasing means, said handle comprising an extension to afford retention of the pin when retracted;
a lockout stop mounted on said cylindrical container positioned to receive said extension of said handle when said handle is rotated such that said lockout stop and said handle extension are in contact;
kickoff means attached to said boom arms having a projecting rod that upon contact with said handle will dis-engage said lockout stop and said handle extension and allow said biasing means to urge said locking pin through said cylinder until said handle limits the travel of said locking pin by coming to rest on said outboard portion of said cylinder.

2. The invention in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said automatic locking mechanism can be maintained in an unlocked position through the engagement of said handle and said lockout stop.

3. A quick change attachment means to be attached to the boom assembly of a work vehicle for permitting connection of a variety of implements to the boom assembly comprising:
an implement carrier frame having carriers capable of supporting an implement;
an automatic locking mechanism carried by said implement carrier frame and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position;
biasing means for urging said automatic locking mechanism toward its locked position;
lockout stop means for retaining said automatic locking mechanism in said unlocked position; and kickoff means mounted on the boom assembly for disengaging said automatic locking mechanism from its retained position with said lockout stop means whereby said biasing means will urge said automatic locking means into a locked position in response to contact between said kickoff means and said automatic locking mechanism.

4. The invention as described in Claim 3 wherein the implement carrier frame further comprises:
a pair of carriers having inboard and outboard side-walls deformed vertically such that said outboard walls are deflected inward toward said inboard walls and said inboard walls are deflected toward said outboard walls while both walls remain parallel and equidistant from each other at their respective forward and rear sections on either side of said vertical deformation;

said carriers having first top and bottom apertures on said rear section of said inboard and outboard walls;
connected upper recesses formed in the forward upper section of each carrier;
connected lower recesses defining slots formed in the lower forward section of each carrier;
a transverse stabilizer connecting said inboard plate of each carrier together; and an automatic locking mechanism attached to the rear section of said outboard walls of at least one of said carriers with the front portion of said automatic locking mechanism offset outwardly from the forward section of said outboard wall of said carrier.

5. The invention in accordance with Claim 3 wherein the automatic locking mechanism further comprises:
a mounting bracket having a locking pin aperture in the forward portion thereof;
a cylindrical container attached to said mounting bracket in alignment with said locking pin aperture being opened at the inboard and outboard ends;
a locking pin rotatably carried inside said container capable of sliding through said locking pin aperture having a large diameter leading portion and a smaller diameter aft section;
a biasing means inside said container carried on said locking pin between said leading portion of said locking pin and said outboard end of said cylindrical container to urge said locking pin into said locking pin aperture;
a handle fixedly attached to said aft section of said locking pin to assist in retracting said pin against said biasing means, said handle comprising an extension to afford retention of the pin when retracted;
a lockout stop mounted on said cylindrical container positioned to receive said extension of said handle when said handle is rotated such that said lockout stop and said handle extension are in contact;
kickoff means having a projecting rod that upon contact with said handle will disengage said lockout stop and said handle extension and allow said biasing means to urge said locking pin through said cylinder until said handle limits the travel of said locking pin by coming to rest on said outboard portion of said cylinder.