MXPA00007245A - Tractor hydraulic grabbing tool - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises a tractor tool (2) that attaches to and detaches from a tractor frame (20). In one embodiment, as few as four bolts and two actuator control couplings are used to mount the inventive tool to a tractor. Small trees, bushes, piles of vegetative matter or fence posts can be pulled from the ground and moved to a rubble or debris bin. The tool is composed of a metal frame (10) having two jaw members (4) that can open and close in a scissor-like fashion. The jaw members are opened and closed by jaw actuators (24) controlled by the operator sitting on the tractor.

Description

I: • - < I HYDRAULIC TOOL FOR TRACTOR CLAMPS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to attachments of tractor tools for holding and moving objects. Currently, the most common way to lift heavy objects in the field requires the use of a tractor with rubber wheels, front loader, a bucket with hooks welded to it and a chain. The tractor operator manipulates the arms of the tractor to place the bucket on or under the object to be moved. After a foot pedal of the tractor is fixed, the operator gradually moves the tractor rolls the chain around the object, secures it to the hooks on the bucket, returns to the tractor and slowly and carefully raises and then moves the object to the new desired location . A problem with this method is that the chain often slips and must be adjusted, which is time consuming. The object can suddenly move, hitting the tractor. Another problem is that many objects can not be secured with a string. If the object is heavy, a bucket hook can retract resulting in a sudden drop in the load, which can damage the tractor or, worse, hurt the operator. In addition, the operator must rely heavily on the tractor's brake system for safety when securing the load. Once the object has been placed in the desired location, the operator must set the brake, lower the tractor and unroll the object chain and bucket hooks. This process is repeated for each object that moves. It is a process that consumes time and hard work. An alternative is to have personnel on the ground that help the tractor operator, although this is an additional cost and the ground staff can get hurt if the chain or load suddenly moves. Some special devices have been made in an attempt to alleviate these problems. John Clatterbunck describes a "Front End Attachment for Tractors" in US Patent No. 3,140,786. The Clatterbuck device comprises a pair of jaw members that rest on a forklift device. The jaw members are attached on the tongs that guide the movement of the jaws as they open and close. There are several disadvantages to the Clatterbuck tractor attachment. It is complex and awkward to install and remove it from the tractor. In addition, Clatterbuck clamp design relies on pliers that obstruct certain desirable operations. The pliers are used to provide strength and to align the opening and closing movement of the jaws; These jaws will not operate unless they are attached to the tongs. Because clatterback clamps Clatterbuck jaws are supported by pliers placed in the closed position the pliers prevent many types of objects from being deposited on a surface under the jaws. For example a tree that has a wider cup than the pincer spacing will not remain inside the tongs. The size of the object that will fall freely through the pliers, as may be desired if they load debris into a waste dump or truck, is limited to the space between the pliers. It should be noted in this regard that Clatterbuck teaches the use of the pliers in the closest position in order to provide mechanical support for their jaw members. In addition, the pliers are placed only with a narrow gap, and this restricts the ability to hold and move bulky or large clogged objects. Additionally, the tongs extend beyond the jaw members. As a result, the tongs interfere with a variety of desirable functions such as tilting the jaws towards the ground to hold an object close to the ground or to use the slanted jaw to provide an additional lever blade in the removal of an article off of the ground or after holding it. James . Riddle describes a tractor attachment to remove fallen trees in his US Patent No. 4993,914. The Riddle attachment is designed to attach to the back of a tractor. The tractor is supported on the root system of an already unraveled tree and is then used to raise roots at a short distance off the ground, vertically, so that the tree lying on the ground can be dragged along behind of the tractor. Riddle's attachment is not useful for uprooted trees or shrubs. Riddle's attachment is useless for a number of other desirable tasks such as moving or removing fence posts from the ground, moving rocks, or lifting and moving any number of irregularly made man-made items. In addition, Riddle tool tongs can not be tilted; they only rise in a vertical direction. As the subtitle suggests, the Riddle implement executes only one task. It is not a universal tool; It is a "Fallen Tree Removal Implement". In the North American Patent No. 5,584,646, Bill M.

Lewis, et al. "Describes a complex" Handling Apparatus "that can be mounted to a turret placed at the top of a vehicle's cab.The objects can be fastened for movement from one place to another using clamping chains that are connected The structure of Lewis, et al is made for workshop use and therefore emphasizes that it can not be stable in the field, and is extremely complex and difficult to manufacture and disassemble. Use on a dedicated vehicle It should be very desirable to have a tractor tool that could be attached to separate from the tractor easily • only with a few attachment points and capable of a large number of varied grip and movement tasks such as lifting heavy objects or unraveling trees or pulling poles out of the ground and repositioning the object in a way easy precise and flexible. It is an object of this invention to provide a tractor accessory tool capable of holding, lifting, pulling, collecting, holding, loading, rotating and moving objects without requiring a tractor operator to descend from it. The tool of the invention is easy to attach to and separate from the tractor. In addition, it can be attached to the front of the tractor for easy visibility of the operator. The present invention comprises: a) a structure having at least one section of the attachment; b) a couple • of jaw members, each member pivotally mounted on the structure, the jaw members moving in a manner similar to scissors on the front of the tractor; c) an assembly-jaw actuator capable of opening and closing the jaw members in synchrony; and d) control connection means for connecting a tractor operator control to the clamp actuator assembly.

The tool of the invention allows a tractor to be used to collect logs, rocks and large objects. By inserting the jaws between stationary elements of an article to be lifted, irregularly shaped objects such as a chisel, a disc or other implements can move. By using the tilting movement of conventional tractor arms, the tractor tool of the present invention can be tilted downward to hold, for example, a shrub or just below a ground level at the top of its roots. The tractor can tilt the tool to provide torsion, thus allowing an increased lifting force to be applied to the bush. The inclination of the tool helps in addition to the collection and moves. piles of plant material such as poison sumac, vines and branches and tree branches. The jaws can be placed on the pile with the jaws open and then moved downward, compressing the pile against the ground before closing the jaws and raising the pile. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a general perspective view of the tool of the invention attached to a tractor. Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of one embodiment of the tool of the invention attached to the arms of a tractor. Figure 3 shows a top plan view of the tool of the invention having the jaws in an open position. Figure 4A shows a front elevation view of the tool of the invention. Figure 4B shows a cross section through the jaw mounts. "The present invention provides a tractor attachment tool capable of holding and lifting a heavy object, moving it to a new location and fixing it without the tractor operator leaving the controls of the tractor.The object can be simple or irregular, and it can be moved to a location that requires it to be elevated over a barrier such as a wall.Small trees, shrubs or fence posts can be pulled from the ground and moved to a gravel bin or scrap for hauling The tractor tool of the invention comprises, a) a structure having at least one attachment section; b) a pair of jaw members,. each member pivotally mounted on the structure, the jaw members moving in the form of scissors on the front of the tractor; c) a jaw actuator assembly capable of opening and closing the jaw members in synchrony; and d) a control connecting means for connecting a tractor operator control to the jaw actuator assembly. Figure 1 shows the tractor tool of the invention 2 attached to a tractor with conventional rubber wheels. Other vehicles can also be used, including tow-type tractors. As seen in Figures 1-4, the unique configuration of the jaws 4, which are pivotally mounted on the structure 14 and connected to the structure only in pivotal mounting and by means of actuators, allows the tool of the invention be tilted during use. Using the conventional tractor operation, the tool 2 can be tilted forward to hold, for example, a bush, close to, at or just below the ground surface. When this movement is reversed to raise or raise the bush, the tractor causes the jaws 4 to tilt backwards, thus providing torsion towards the article to be lifted. In addition, the inclination of the tool 2 slightly forward when holding the object allows the jaws 4 to be driven into the ground a short distance as the tractor is driven forward. This allows the jaws to be placed as low as possible under a bush, rock or other object for removal. It also maximizes lifting force when tool 2 is used to uproot shrubs or small trees or pull posts off the ground. The weight of the object that can be raised depends on the nature of the tractor used, for example the averaged lifting capacity and hauling of the tool of the invention is manufactured. It can of course be manufactured from lighter or heavier materials depending on the required strength characteristics. The lifting force of a tractor can be averaged approximately to 1,700 pounds and the application of the torsion by tilting the tool maximizes the lifting force applied to the object. Tool 2 is easily attached to and separated from the tractor. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-4, the structure 14 of the tool 2 is attached to the tractor using a tie plate 10 on each side of the structure (Figure 3). In this embodiment, each tie plate 10 has two openings, 6 and 8, which are aligned to engage the bucket attachment openings on the tractor arms. A total of four bolts, two on each joint plate, are all necessary to mechanically assemble the tool of the invention on the tractor. To assemble the tool, the jointing plates are placed close to the arms of the tractor so that the openings 6 and 8 align with the bucket mounting openings on the arms of the tractor. In other embodiments, the tool may be joined in a conventional manner using an individual joining section, for example, by means of a pole or bar connection to the middle of the structure. The inclination in this case would be controlled by at least one rotating element 22 provided on the tractor. There are a large number of conventional attachment mechanisms generally well known to practitioners of this technique. All of them do not need to be described to understand the present invention. Additionally, the control connections for the jaw actuators must be made when the tool is attached. In the preferred embodiment, two control connections are used. Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of the tool of the invention 2. The jaw members are pivotally mounted on the bars 12 (shown in Figure 4) which in turn are attached to the steel structure 14 by assemblies rigid 16 soldiers to the structure. The structure is made from any of a number of materials strong enough to withstand the action of the jaw. Preferably the structure is made from metal. In the current mode, the structure was made from continuous welding steel.

In the embodiment shown, a triangular piece of steel 18 is welded to each jaw member 4 and to a metal sleeve 19 which pivots with the jaw member around the bar 12. This piece of steel reinforces mechanically the jaws. The tool 2, mounted as shown in Figure 2, is rotated or raised by the activation of a rotating hydraulic assembly 20 and / or hydraulic lift assembly 22, both of which are typically provided on conventional compound tractor arms. Figure 3A shows a top plan view of the tool of the invention wherein the jaws 4, comprising two members, are in the open position. The dotted lines show the jaw members in the closed position. Each jaw member has a clamping edge formed to prevent the object from sliding. The clamping edge is preferably in the form of a wave. The waveform 5 of each jaw member corresponds to • the wave -in the other jaw member so that the jaws 4 can be brought to a fully closed position as shown in Figure 3. That is, the jaw members have a corresponding waveform positioned for coupling when the jaw members close against each other. Waveform 5 extends substantially along the entire length of each jaw member in the preferred embodiment, although they may be shorter for some applications. The wave portion serves to prevent the raised object from sliding. Other forms of irregular patterns can be used, such as tooth or sawtooth patterns. The waveform is preferred because it combines ease of fabrication with clamping ability. It also has jagged edges to catch on irregular shapes or to cause injury to workers. Other jaw member geometries that may be advantageous for the use of specific fastening tasks include a flat or paddle shape. The vanes can be slotted or formed into a wave to prevent the object from slipping. In another embodiment of the jaws 4, two or more parallel wave sections 5 can be mounted on each flat jaw member, such that 2, 3, 4 or more corresponding parallel wave sections together each time the jaws are closed. In preferred embodiment the two jaw members are open and closed synchronously using a pair of jaw actuators 24 which can be controlled from the seat or the tractor cab. While a pair of actuators comprising hydraulic cylinder assemblies is shown in the drawings, other means for opening and closing the jaws such as electric or gasoline engines, cables and pulleys, or other means generally known to practitioners can be used. the machinery techniques. The means for synchronous activation of the jaw members are stranded and well known and is described in mechanical engineering texts and manuals. For example, an individual actuator having a coupling and a pivot point could serve to close the jaws against a mechanical spring, whose spring would restore the jaws to an open position when the individual actuator was not activated. Such assemblies are conventional and the field thereof need not be shown to understand the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the jaw actuators 24 are hydraulic actuators comprising hydraulic cylinder assemblies. An actuator moves each jaw member with respect to the tool structure 14. Each actuator is therefore connected at one end (one end proximal to the structure and the other end, a distal end) to a respective jaw member. A control valve, located on the tractor where the operator sits, presses one of the control hoses 26 and 28 that join a coupling on a manifold 30 which in turn is attached to the structure. In addition to the mechanical assembly the inventive tool on the tractor, controls hoses 26 and 28 that must be coupled to the power take-off hoses on the back of the tractor before operation. In a different mode, a control hose could be attached to the manifold. One of the control hose lines 26 or 28 routed through the manifold, feeds the distal ends of the two hydraulic actuators, which control the opening of the jaw members, and the other line of control hose feeds the proximal ends of the two hydraulic actuators, which control the closing of the jaw members, thus achieving the synchronous opening and closing of the jaws. For clarity, Figure 3B shows the tool that holds the jaws -only in the closed position. Figure 4A shows a front elevation view of the tool of the invention. The jaw members 4 are preferably located as low as possible in the structure 14. To optimize the mechanical strength, an optional triangular structural support 18 is preferably attached between each jaw and each pivotal mounting, shown in this embodiment as a sleeve 19 on the bar 12. Figure 4B shows another view of the sleeve relation 19, the bar 12 and the assembly 16. The height of each bar 12 and support 18 is preferably as high as the geometry allowed by the structure. The shape of the structure was selected to minimize the length of the hydraulic hoses, although the structure can take many other forms. The modality shown in the Figures uses a continuous piece of steel for the structure although it depends on the strength and other requirements that the necessary structure is not formed from a continuous piece. Furthermore, other materials besides steel can be used. Example 1 A Kubota tractor, equipped with the tool of the present invention was used to remove rooted shrubs from a ground. The tractor was driven into a bush, the jaws were placed in an open position, the tool was tilted slightly downward, and was lowered until the jaws were placed on the ground or slightly below it. The jaws were then closed around the stems of the bush near the roots and the tool leaned forward from the ground and rose. The shrub and its root system were lifted from the ground and deposited in a tank with other waste without the operator having to leave the tractor seat. Example 2 The trees were removed from a field using the tool of the invention in a manner similar to that described above. The trunks of the trees were approximately 6 and approximately 8 inches in diameter. The entire tree, including the crown, trunk and capellón, were uprooted, moved to a waste area and dropped there without the operator having to leave the tractor. Example 3 A tractor equipped with the tool of the invention is useful for lifting and loading hay bales; collect and move large pieces of trees or tree branches; elevate and move poles or logs to hold trunks for cutting, for example in the wood; arrive behind a stationary wall to collect and elevate an item; raise a vehicle for maintenance or repair work; move pallets of material; load waste boxes; load items on trucks; remove fence posts; move and fix trees, rocks or other heavy objects for ornamental gardening; elevate and move equipment in a yard such as in a rental equipment yard; load and unload construction materials; and raising and moving clogging items such as steel pipe culverts, fence rolls, farm implements or the like. Therefore, the present invention provides a novel universal fastener, lifter and movement apparatus that can be attached to a tractor in an uncomplicated manner and that has the strength and the ability to be placed to hold heavy objects of irregular shape from the ground or other surface and move them to more desirable locations and deposit them in the new location. In its preferred use, the tractor attachment is designed to move heavy and / or bulky objects, and to hold bushes, or small trees that have logs up to about 6 inches in approximately 8 inches in diameter, or fence posts, and Apply enough force to unravel them from the ground. The description of illustrative embodiments and the best modes of the present invention are not intended to limit the scope thereof. Various modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true and spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (25)

1. CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for securing one or more objects that is attached to a tractor comprising: a) a structure having at least one attachment section for attaching the structure to the tractor; b) a pair of jaw members, each member pivotally mounted on the structure, and having an internal clamping edge configured to prevent the sliding of one or more objects clamped with respect to the clamping edge, the jaw members being move in a plane common to a position where the internal edges are substantially adjacent; c) a jaw actuator assembly capable of opening and closing the jaw members in synchrony; and d) control connection means for connecting a tractor operator control to the jaw actuator assembly.
2. 2. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the structure is metallic.
3. 3. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 2, characterized in that the metallic structure is a structure welded continuously.
4. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it has attachment sections on each side of the structure.
5. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that each attachment section comprises joining plates having openings that align with the openings, on a tractor arm so that a pin can be inserted through them to join the structure to the tractor arm. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each jaw member is pivotally mounted at a different location on the structure. 7. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the pivotal assemblies for the jaw members comprise parallel bars mounted on the structure. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each jaw member is mechanically stabilized with a reinforcement assembly attached to the jaw member. 9. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 8, characterized in that the reinforcement assembly comprises a piece of steel pivotally mounted welded to the jaw member. 10. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 9, characterized in that the piece of steel is triangular. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the jaw members have a corresponding waveform. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each jaw member has an internal edge and wherein said internal edges are aligned to engage as the jaws close. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the jaw members are configured to be selectively carried in a fully closed position. 14. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the jaw members have a two-dimensional pallet interface. 15. The apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the two-dimensional interface has two or more corresponding wave squat parallel. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the jaw actuator assembly comprises a pair of jaw actuators comprising a first actuator for selectively applying an opening or closing force on a first jaw member and a second actuator for selectively applying an opening or closing force on a second jaw member, each actuator connected at one end to the structure and at a second end to a respective one of the jaw members. The apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that each actuator comprises a hydraulic cylinder assembly connected to one of the jaw members at a first distal end and to the structure at a second proximal end. 18. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 17, characterized in that the connecting means comprise a hydraulic manifold attached to the structure, the manifold having on a first side connectors for coupling to two control lines from a tractor operator control and having a plurality of connectors on a second side of the manifold to couple the hydraulic lines to each hydraulic cylinder assembly. 19. An apparatus for securing one or more objects that are attached to a tractor comprising: a) a metal structure having tie plates on each side, each tie plate that is aligned with a tractor arm attachment section, so that a rotary controller on the tractor can tilt the structure towards the ground; b) a pair of jaw members, each member pivotally mounted on the structure and having an internal clamping edge configured to prevent the sliding of one or more objects clamped with respect to the clamping edge, the jaw members extending in an address that is normal to the surface of the structure and are capable of movement relative to each other to a position where the internal edges are substantially non-adjacent; c) a pair of hydraulic actuators, each comprising a hydraulic cylinder assembly, each cylinder having a proximal and a distal end relative to the structure and each actuator attached to a first end to the structure and at a second end to one of the jaw members so that each jaw member is connected to one of the hydraulic actuators; d) a first hose coupling joined to the structure, the coupling having on one side a connector for an external pressure source and having on its second side a hydraulic connection towards the distal ends of both hydraulic cylinders; and e) a second hose coupling joined to the structure, the coupling having on one side a connector for an external pressure source and having on a second side a hydraulic connection towards the proximal ends of both hydraulic cylinders. 20. The apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that each jaw member is pivotally mounted in a different location on the structure. A method for securing objects comprising: a) attaching a tool to a tractor having hydraulically actuated jaws having a clamping edge-an interface configured to prevent the sliding of one or more objects fastened with respect to the clamping edge; jaw members that are movable in a common plane to a position where the internal edges are substantially adjacent, each jaw member pivotally mounted on a structure and connected to the structure only in pivotal mounting and by means of hydraulic actuators; and b) using the tractor to place the open jaw members around an object; c) closing the jaw members around the object; d) use the tractor to move the object to a new location; and e) opening the jaw members to deposit the object in the new location. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the jaw members are placed around the base of an object near or in the ground and the tractor is used to lift the tool and the object. 23. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the object is a plant that is being unraveled. 24. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the hydraulically actuated jaws are additionally connected to a structural reinforcement plate which is in turn connected to the pivotal mounting. 25. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: a) tilting the tool down before closing the jaws; and b) using the tractor to apply torsion to the object during the lifting step after closing the jaws.