GB2172045A

GB2172045A - Hydraulic clamping system

Info

Publication number: GB2172045A
Application number: GB08504709A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin James Aubrey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-02-23
Filing date: 1985-02-23
Publication date: 1986-09-10
Also published as: GB2172045B; GB8504709D0

Abstract

A member (1), having an hydraulically operated piston/cylinder arrangement (6) which includes an enlarged head (3), can be connected to a plate (4) by causing said head to pass through the large portion of a keyhole aperture (5); subsequent movement of the member (1) so as to move the head (3) out of alignment with the large aperture portion followed by actuation of the arrangement (6) such as to bring the head into contact with the plate will result in the plate (4) becoming clamped between the head (3) and the member (1). Hooks (2) on the member (1) and complementary apertures (14,15) in the plate (4) provide anti-rotational stability. The plate (4) may be incorporated in an appliance (e.g. an excavator bucket) and the member 1 may be carried upon one end of the arm- or boom-means of a vehicle, whereby the vehicle driver can mount and demount the appliance without needing to leave the driver's seat. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hydraulic clamping system This invention relates to an hydraulic clamping system.

In the fields of agriculture and the construction industry, to give but two examples, users of machines like excavators equipped with loader arms and/or booms and dipper arms, and agricultural tractors equipped with foreend loader arms, often need to change the detachable appliance which is connected to the hydraulically operable arms. Typically, the appliance is connected to said arms mechanically, for example, by quick-release connections; said connections all need to be released manually and this necessitates the vehicle operator dismounting from the driver's seat, unfixing the attached appliance, then attaching another appliance and remounting the vehicle again. This procedure not only results in wasted time but also, in bad weather conditions, results in the vehicle operator becoming cold and/or wet.

The object of the present invention is to provide a means which is operable by the vehicle operator to enable the operator to replace one demountable appliance by another one without needing to dismount from the vehicle.

According to a first aspect, the present invention consists in an hydraulic clamping system which comprises a first member and a second member; the first member including an hydraulically operated piston/cylinder arrangement whose piston is connected to a rod which extends outside said cylinder and which has an enlarged head at the distal end thereof; and the second member including a throughaperture which has two interconnected portions, one of said portions being so dimensioned as to permit the passage therethrough of said enlarged head and the other of said portions being so dimensioned both as to accommodate a portion of the length of said rod and as to prevent the passage of said enlarged head therethrough.

According to a second aspect, the present invention consists in a vehicle which includes elongate arm or boom-means which is hinged at one end thereof to the vehicle and on which is detachably mounted an hydraulically controlled appliance at the other end thereof; said arm- or boom-means being provided at said other end thereof with an hydraulically operated piston/cylinder arrangement whose piston is connected to a rod which extends outside said cylinder and which has an enlarged head at the distal end thereof; and said appliance including a plate in which there is provided a through-aperture which has two interconnected portions, one of said portions being so dimensioned as to permit the passage therethrough of said enlarged head and the other of said portions being so dimensioned both as to accommodate a portion of the length of said rod and as to prevent the passage of said enlarged head therethrough.

The first member of the hydraulic clamping system according to said first aspect of the present invention, and the arm- or boommeans of the vehicle according to said second aspect of the present invention, may additionally be provided with two hook-shaped devices which are disposed one on each side of said enlarged head, and the second member of said hydraulic clamping system and the plate of the appliance of said vehicle may additionally be provided with means which are permissive of the engagement of said second member or plate by said hook-shaped devices.

Each of the hook-shaped devices described in the preceding paragraph may be of substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape and the means permissive of said engagement described in the preceding paragraph may be through-holes in said second member or plate, each L-shaped hook being so secured to the first member or arm- or boom-means that corresponding limbs of the L-shaped hooks extend in the same direction.

The present invention further consists in a clamping system constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinafter described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a first member of said system; Figure 2 illustrates a similar view of a second member of said system; Figure 3 illustrates the first and second members in their coacting positions; Figure 4 illustrates a top plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1, of said first member; and Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate one application, by way of example, of said system to the bucket and arm of a typical excavator/loader popularly (but improperly) known as JCB's (Registered Trade Mark).

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a first member 1 which is provided with Lshaped hooks 2 which are placed one on each side of an enlarged head 3; said head 3 is carried upon the distal end of a rod 10 which extends through the member 1 and is connected to a piston (not visible) of an hydraulically operated piston/cylinder arrangement 6 which is securely mounted on that face of the member 1 which is remote from the hooks 2 and the head 3. The limbs 11 of the hooks 2 extend in the same direction along the member 1.

A second member or plate 4 has, substantially centrally thereof, a through-aperture 5 of so-called keyhole shape, namely, a shape which consists of two interconnected aperture portions of different sizes; the portion 12 of said aperture is so dimensioned as to permit the passage therethrough of the head 3 whereas the portion 13 thereof is so dimensioned as to accommodate a portion of the rod 10 but not to permit the passage therethrough of the head 3.

The plate 4 also has two other throughapertures 14, 15 of which the through-aperture is defined on all sides by the plate material and of which the through-aperture 15 is open-ended because it is defined on only three sides by the plate material.

It will be understood that, if the member 1 is so moved as (a) to cause the hooks 2 to extend into and through the through-apertures 14, 15, and to cause the head 3 to pass through the portion 12 of the aperture 5, and (b) subsequently, to cause the hooks 2 to move in the direction indicated by the arrow B in Figure 3 relatively to the member 4, the hooks 2 and the rod 10/head 3 will become positioned as illustrated in Figure 3; thus positioned, the hooks 2 engage the second member or plate 4 and the rod 10 will be accommodated in the portion 13 of the aperture 5 with the head 3 out of aiignment with the portion 12 of the aperture 5.

Actuation of the hydraulically-operated piston/cylinder arrangement 6 will cause the member or plate 4 to become firmly gripped between the member 1 and the head 3, and the engagement of the hooks 2 in the apertures 14, 15 provides antirotational stability.

Referring briefly to Figures 5 to 7 it will be seen that the second member or plate 4 has been made as an integral part of an excavator bucket 20 and that the first member 1 is mounted on one end of an arm- or boommeans 21 of a vehicle which is not illustrated.

If a number of different-sized buckets or other appliances are equipped, in any suitable man ner, with the second member or plate 4, the vehicle operator can change appliances with out having to dismount and with consequent improvement productivity.

There is no need for the aperture 15 to be open-ended and, indeed, (because of the provision of a back-wall 22 of the bucket 20 which effectively closes the relevant end ofthe aperture 15) it is seen to be similar to the aperture 14 in Figure 5.

Claims

1. An hydraulic clamping system which comprises a first member and a second mem ber; the first member including an hydraulically operated piston/cylinder arrangement whose piston is connected to a rod which extends outside said cylinder and which has an en larged head at the distal end thereof; and the second member including a through-aperture which has two interconnected portions, one of said portions being so dimensioned as to permit the passage therethrough of said enlarged head and the other of said portions being so dimensioned both as to accommodate a portion of the length of said rod and as to prevent the passage of said enlarged head therethrough.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said first member is additionally provided with two hook-shaped devices which are disposed one on each side of said enlarged head, and wherein said second member is provided with means which are permissive of the engagement of said second member by said hookshaped devices.

3. A system as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each of the hook-shaped devices is of substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape and wherein the means permissive of said engagement of said second member by said hookshaped devices are through-holes in said second member, each L-shaped hook being so secured to the first member that corresponding limbs of the L-shaped hooks extend in the same direction.

4. A vehicle which includes elongate arm- or boom-means which is hinged at one end thereof to the vehicle and which carries a demountable hydraulically controlled appliance at the other end thereof; said arm- or boommeans being provided at said other end thereof with an hydraulically operated piston/cylinder arrangement whose piston is connected to a rod which extends outside said cylinder and which has an enlarged head at the distal end thereof; and said appliance including a plate in which there is provided a through-aperture which has two interconnected portions of which one portion is so dimensioned as to permit the passage therethrough of said enlarged head and of which the other portion is E D dimensioned both as to accommodate a p rtion of the length of said rod and as to pr vent the passage of said enlarged head th rethrough.

5. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the arm- or boom-m ans is additionally provided at said other e d thereof with two hook-shaped devices which are disposed one on each side of said enlarged head, and wherein the plate of the appliance is provided with means which are permissive of the engagement of said plate by said hook-shaped devices.

6. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 5, wherein each of the hook-shaped devices is of substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape and wherein the means permissive of said engagement of said plate by said hook-shaped devices are through-holes in said plate, each Lshaped hook being so secured to the arm- or boom-means that corresponding limbs of the L-shaped hooks extend in the same direction.

7. An hydraulic clamping system constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

8. A vehicle constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

9. Any features of novelty, taken singly or in combination, of the embodiments of the invention hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.