GB2083794A

GB2083794A - Implement mounting mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2083794A
Application number: GB8126684A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: MCCONNELL F W Ltd
Current assignee: MCCONNELL F W Ltd
Priority date: 1980-09-11
Filing date: 1981-09-03
Publication date: 1982-03-31
Also published as: GB2083794B

Abstract

An implement mounting mechanism for use with an implement/towing vehicle combination has a king post mounting an implement carrier arm (6), the kingpost being pivotable about an axis (A) for sewing of the arm. The kingpost is also pivotable about a fore and aft axis (B) by means of control rams (13,14) acting between mounting means (11) of the kingpost and ground- engaging arms (12a, 12b) to pivot the kingpost relative to the arms whereby the kingpost may be disposed in a desired attitude relative to the horizontal irrespective of the attitude of the towing vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Implement mounting mechanism This invention relates to an implement mounting mechanism for mounting an implement, such as a digger bucket for example, on a towing vehicle, such as a tractor. The mechanism is essentially of the type having an implement carrier arm mounted on a king post for slewing movement about a substantially vertical axis, enabling the implement to be swung between positions respectively longitudinally and laterally of the vehicle, in use.

In many conventional mounting mechanisms for implements such as diggers, the king post has a fixed relationship to the towing vehicle and this can lead to unsatisfactory operation of the implement in some circumstances. For example, when the vehicle and implement are working on ground which slopes in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the tractor, and the implement is a digger used to dig a trench extending in the direction of vehicle travel, the bottom of the dug trench will inevitably lie at the same angle as the ground, which can be undesirable for purposes such as land drainage.If on the other hand, the digger extends laterally of the vehicle and downwardly of the slope to work transversely of a trench or ditch in order to remove silt and other debris for example, slewing of the implement carrier arm about the king post axis will be required to enable the digger bucket to be emptied and such slewing movement will entail raising the digger and its load by an amount determined by the slope and the angle of a slew. Such lifting of the implement is wasteful of power and can place an excessive demand upon the power available from the vehicle.

Diggers and other implements are habitually mounted on a frame which includes telescopically adjustable ground support legs, the frames being usually attached to the vehicle by means of a conventional coupling arrangement, such as a 3point or other linkage. It is possible to compensate to some extent for sloping ground by making use of the limited possibility for raising one side of the coupling linkage and thus tilting the implement slightly relative to the tractor, adjustment of one of the ground support legs relative to the other being effected to provide adequate support for the tilted linkage. However, besides such adjustments being difficult and inconvenient to make, they are inadequate to accomodate tilt arising from severe slopes and they are, therefore, an unsatisfactory solution to the problems outlined above.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved implement mounting mechanism which minimises or avoids the said problems.

According to the invention, a mechanism for use in mounting an implement on a towing vehicle comprises an implement carrier arm, a kingpost upon which the carrier arm is mounted, the king post being pivotable to permit slewing of the arm about a slewing axis, enabling the arm to be swung between positions respectively longitudinally and laterally of the vehicle, in use, the kingpost being pivotable about an axis extending in a direction substantially fore and aft of the towing vehicle, and control means operable to control pivoting of the kingpost about said fore and aft axis, whereby the kingpost may be disposed in a desired attitude relative to the horizontal plane irrespective of the attitude of the vehicle relative to that plane.

In one convenient arrangement, the king post is carried by mounting means adapted for connection to the vehicle, the mounting means being mounted about said fore and aft axis relative to a sub-frame adapted to rest upon the ground and also adapted for connection to the vehicle. The connections to the vehicle are made preferably by means of a standard coupling arrangement, such as a 3-point linkage.

Said control means conveniently acts between the mounting and support means and preferably comprises one or more fluid pressure-operated rams.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the implement mounting mechanism of the invention, mounted on a towing vehicle and depicted in a first mode of operation, and Figure 2 is a rear end elevation of the mechanism and vehicle of Figure 1 depicted in a second mode of operation.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, this shows an implement mounting mechanism, indicated generally at 1 mounted on the rear of a towing tractor 2 by way of the tractor 3-point linkage which has an upper link 3 and a pair of lower links, one of which is illustrated at 4. A kingpost 5 supports a carrier arm 6 pivotably mounted thereon at 7, the free end portion of the carrier arm being pivotably connected to a jib arm 8, on the free end of which is pivotably mounted an implement, shown as a digger bucket 9. The kingpost 5 also carries a seat 10 for an operative controlling operation of the implement. A conventional arrangement of rams (not shown) is provided for pivoting the arm 6 relative to the king post 5, for pivoting the arm 8 relative to the arm 6 and for pivoting the bucket 9 relative to the arm 8.

The kingpost 5 is pivotably mounted on a support frame 11 by way of a pin 1 1A so as to be capable of pivoting about an axis A which would normally be vertical, thereby permitting slewing of the arm and implement.

The frame 11 is pivotably mounted about a horizontal axis B on a sub-frame 12 constituted by a pair of telescopically extendable arms 1 2a, 1 2b as will be seen more clearly from Figure 2. The frame 11 is also connected to the arms 1 2a and 1 2b respectively by rams 13, 14 which can be actuated to tilt the frame 11 relative to the sub-frame about the axis B, for the purpose to be described.

Mounting points 15 are provided on lugs 16 of the sub-frame 12wherebythe mounting mechanism is connected to the lower tractor links 4. The frame 11 is connected to the upper tractor links 3 at 17 and the link 3 usually includes a variable length device such as a turnbuckle or a ram to enable the frame 11 and sub-frame 12 to be pivoted forwardly or rearwardly about the pivot points 15. The attachment points of the link at one or both ends incorporate ball joints or similar swivel devices to accomodate any tilting of the frame 11 relative to the tractor when the rams 13, 14 are operated in the manner to be described. The sub-frame 12 also carries a pair of arms 18, pivotably mounted thereon and arranged respectively beneath the lower arms 4 of the 3-point linkage.The arms 18 are associated with one or more rams (not shown) enabling them to be raised into engagement with the arms 4 and, according to the pressure applied to the or each ram, to transfer some or all of the weight of the tractor on to the frame 11, in known manner.

In Figure 1,the implement 9 is illustrated in operation digging a ditch extending extending in the direction of movement of the tractor 2. Figure 2 illustrates the carrier arm 6 and bucket swung through 90iso as to extend laterally of the vehicle and performing a ditching operation i.e. removing material from a ditch or trench in a direction transverse thereof.

By virtue of the pivotable connection about the axis B between the frame 11 and sub-frame 12, it is possible, by actuating the rams 13 and 14 to tilt the frame and with it the kingpost pivotably mounted thereon, relative to the sub-frame 12. It sometimes happens that the arms 1 2a, 1 2b are required to rest on ground which is inclined to that upon which the tractor rests and for this reason, the lower 3-point linkage arms are capable of sufficient rotation to permit the desired tilting of the frame 11 relative to the sub-frame 12. For this purpose, some or all of the linkage attachment points may conveniently incorporate ball joints or similar swivel devices.

It will be seen that, according to the attitude adopted by the tractor, depending upon the terrain on which it is disposed, the rams 13 and 14 can be operated to tilt the frame 11 so as to maintain the axis A always in a substantially vertical attitude, irrespective of the tractor attitude. This means that is is possible to dig a ditch, in the manner illustrated in Figure 1, with the bottom thereof substantially horizontal, even when the tractor is standing on ground which is inclined in a direction transversely of the ditch, as in Figure 2.Moreover, it will be appreciated that with the implement extending laterally of the tractor as illustrated in Figure 2, if the axis Awere to adopt the same inclination as the tractor, slewing of the arm 6 towards the rear of the tractor, in order to emptythe bucket for example, would effectively involve raising the bucket during the slewing movement since that movement would take place in a plane inclined to the horizontal and such upward movement would require extra power from the slewing drive means. However, the arrangement of the invention enables the axis Ato be maintained in a substantially vertical attitude, which means that slewing of the arm 6 can be accomplished in a horizontal plane with no extra power requirement.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides an implement mounting mechanism of simple and robust construction which enables a tractor to operate on relatively severe slopes and yet enable digging and slewing to be performed as if the vehicle were on level ground.

The arrangement illustrated may be modified in many ways. For example, although it is shown connected to the towing vehicle by way of the vehicle and the tractor 3- point linkage, other attachment arrangements of conventional type may be employed. The rams 13 and 14 may be replaced by mechanical devices of variable length such as turnbuckles for example. Although the mechanism of the invention is shown with a digger bucket mounted thereon, it may be used with alternative devices such as loaders, for example. The invention is particularly applicable to a mounting mechanism for attachment to a towing vehicle, although it may be embodied in a permanent vehicle and implement combination.

Claims

1. A mechanism for use in mounting an implement on a towing vehicle and comprising an implement carrier arm, a king post upon which this carrier arm is mounted, the kingpost being pivotable to permit slewing of the arm about a slewing axis, enabling the arm to be swung between positions respectively longitudinally and laterally of the vehicle, in use, the king post being pivotable about an axis extending in a direction substantially fore and aft of the towing vehicle, and control means operable to control pivoting of the kingpost about said fore and aft axis, whereby the kingpost may be disposed in a desired attitude relative to the horizontal plane irrespective of the attitude of the vehicle relative to that plane.

2,. A mechanism according to Claim 1 wherein the kingpost is carried by mounting means adapted for connection to this vehicle, the mounting means being mounted about said fore and aft axis relative to a sub-frame adapted to rest upon the ground and also adapted for connection to the vehicle.

3. A mechanism according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said control means acts between the mounting and support means.

4. A mechanism according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein said control means comprises one or more fluid pressure operated rams.

5. A mechanism according to any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the mounting means is adapted for connection to the vehicle by the upper link of a 3-point linkage and the sub-frame by the lower links of the 3-point linkage.

6. A mechanism according to Claim 5 wherein some or all of the links of the 3-point linkage form a connection with the vehicle and/or the mounting mechanism by way of swivel joints.

7. A mechanism for use in mounting an implement on a towing vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. An implement/towing vehicle combination in which the implement is mounted on the vehicle by way of a mechanism according to any one of Claims 1 to 7.