NZ199426A

NZ199426A - Taper roller pivot for articulated earthmoving vehicle

Info

Publication number: NZ199426A
Application number: NZ199426A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: D D Lorenc
Original assignee: Fiat Allis North America Inc
Priority date: 1981-01-22
Filing date: 1982-01-06
Publication date: 1984-05-31
Also published as: IT8219231A0; GB2091655A; KR830008854A; BR8200295A; DE3201139A1; AR226950A1; FR2498273A1; ZA82102B; IT1150136B

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 1 9942 Prior 2*£v - ■ - - i • • ■ ^ »■«• »■•• Gomplssto Spio-rficaticn Filed: k'J.'Pf1. r-i- — & bOJ) I \oo C!i?^ J JJf jg ^ JfjTnzb Ko: ...... i I ^ ^ ?. . . .I, i -i ■■ -- No.: Date: NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ARTICULATED FRAME JOINT WITH TAPERED BEARINGS AND TAPERED COLLETS We, FIAT ALLIS NORTH AMERICA, INC. (formerly Fiat-Allis Construction Machinery, Inc.)/ a coporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, of 106 Wilmot Road, Deerfield, State of Illinois 60015, United States of America hereby declare the invention for whichxl / we pray that a patent may be granted toxne/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- _ 1 _ (followed by page la) 199426 -IG? — BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, in general, to articulated vehicles and, in particular, to the hinge joint between the front and rear frames of an articulated vehicle. 5 More specifically, but without restriction to the particular use which is shown and described, this invention relates to joining the front and rear frames of an articulated vehicle by means of a pivot connection utilizing tapered roller bearings and tapered collets to 10 form an improved joinder of the front and rear vehicle frames. In the operation of certain type of vehicles such as those utilized in the earthmoving and construction industry, in order to increase maneuverability and 15 efficiency of vehicle operation it is very advantageous that the vehicle be articulated about a pivot axis to permit pivoting of one portion of the vehicle relative to the other. Such articulation is particularly desirable with earthmoving or construction vehicles, such as a 20 front-end or wheel loader, wherein a bucket or scoop on the forward portion of the vehicle is utilized to move materials from one location to another. With such vehicles, a forward portion of the vehicle, having a front frame, is joined to the rear portion of the 25 vehicle, or rear.- frame, about such a pivot connection. While such articulation greatly increases the maneuverability of a front-end loader, the repeated pivotal movement between the front and the rear frames about this pivot connection sometimes results in the pivot joint 30 becoming loose which must be corrected to prevent damage to the vehicle. Such loosening of the pivot connection requires taking the vehicle out of service and, therefore, decreases efficiency of operation and productivity. 1994 -2- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of this invention to improve articulated vehicles. Another object of this invention is to improve the 5 pivot connection between portions of articulated vehicles. A further object of this invention is to maintain a tight pivotal connection between pivoting portions of an articulated vehicle. 10 Still another object of this invention is to prevent loosening of the pivot connection between portions of an articulated vehicle. These and other objects are attained in accordance with the present invention wherein there is provided an 15 improved pivot connection for use with an articulated vehicle wherein a pivotal connection is formed to allow the upper portion of the connection between the two vehicle frames to float relative to each other, and the lower portion of the pivot connection is formed to 20 prevent any relative vertical movement between the two frame portions of the vehicle. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects of the invention together with additional features contributing thereto and advantages 25 accruing therefrom will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawings with like reference numerals indicating corresponding parts throughout, wherein: 30 FIG. 1 is a side-elevation view of an articulated vehicle in which the present invention is incorporated; and -3- 1994 FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the pivotal connection between the frame portions of the articulated vehicle with portions broken away to better illustrate the features thereof. 5 DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown an articulated vehicle 100 of a type commonly referred to as a wheel-loader or a front-end loader. The wheel-loader 100 includes a forward section 10 supported by a pair of 10 front wheels 11 (one of which is shown) and a hydrauli-cally actuated bucket 12 supported from a forward frame assembly which includes a forward or front frame member 13. The forward or front frame member 13 functions to form a pivot connection for joining the frame portions of 15 the articulated vehicle. A rear section 20 of the vehicle 100 includes an engine, not shown, and an operator station 21 carried on a pair of rear wheels 22 (one of which is shown) and supported by a rear frame assembly which includes a rear 20 frame member 23. The rear frame member 23 is operatively connected to the front frame member 13 to form the articulated connection between the forward section 10 and the rear section 20 to allow the vehicle to pivot about a pivot axis 30 which passes through the articulating hinge 25 connection of the vehicle. As shown in Fig. 2, the forward frame member 13 carries a pair of tapered roller bearing assemblies 14 at both an upper pivot connection 40 and a lower pivot connection 50. The roller bearing assemblies 14 are each 30 carried at the ends of frame member 13 and held between a pair of plates 15 joined by means of bolt assemblies 16 to secure the roller bearing assemblies 14 in a desired position. Lubrication for the roller bearing assemblies 1 994 -4- 14 is supplied through a fitting 17 which is in fluid communication with each bearing assembly by means of a suitable bore. Each of the plates 15 is formed with a groove for receiving a suitable seal or packing 18 to prevent loss of lubricant therethrough. The upper pivot connection 40, between the front frame member 13 and rear frame member 23, is formed through the inner race of the tapered roller bearing assembly 14 being connected to and engaging an upper pivot pin 41 supported by bushings 42 between two portions 23a and 23b of the rear frame member 23. The outer race of the bearing assembly is connected to the forward frame member 13. The upper pin 41 is fixedly connected between the two rear frame member portions 23a and 23b by means of the bushings 42 which connect the upper pivot pin 41 to each of the rear frame members 23a and 23b. As best shown in Fig. 2, the upper end or head of pivot pin 41 is carried by portion 23a of the rear frame member 23, and the lower end of the upper pivot pin 41 has secured thereto a plate 43 which secures the pin 41 between portions 23a and 23b, but spaced out of contact with portion 23b of the rear frame member 23, In this manner the upper pivot connection 40, between the front frame 13 and rear frame 23, permits the upper tapered roller bearing assembly 14 to "float" on the upper pivot pin 41 so that no vertical loading is transmitted at this connection. To insure that the pivot pin 41 does not pivot relative to the rear frame member 23. the plate 43 is formed with a depending leg 44 which engages a U-shaped bracket 45 secured to the bottom of portion 23b of rear frame member 23 as by welding. Referring to the lower pivot connection 50, the lower portion of the front frame member 13 also has the tapered roller bearing assembly 14 carried thereby and connected to a lower pivot pin 51 in the manner pre- 1 994 -5- viously described with reference to the upper tapered roller bearing assembly 14. The plates 15, between which the tapered roller bearing assembly 14 is secured, are connected together by a similar bolting assembly 16 with 5 seals 18 forming a lubricant-tight seal. At the lower pivot connection 50, the lower pivot pin 51 is fixedly connected between two parallel portions 23c and 23d of the rear frame members 23 with the tapered roller bearing assembly 14 carried therebetween. An upper end of the 10 lower pivot pin 51 extends through the portion 23c of the rear frame members 23 and is supported therein by means of a bushing 42 with the head of pin 51 in contact with portion 23c of the rear frame members. Two spacers, 52 and 53 are positioned between the lower surface of rear 15 frame member portion 23c and the inner race of the tapered roller bearing assembly 14. The spacers 52 and 53 are coaxial with the lower pivot pin 51 and secured thereabout. A spacer 54, similar to the spacer 53, is carried at 20 a lower end of the lower pivot pin 51 and is coaxial therewith and secured thereto in the same manner as the spacer 53. The lowermost end of spacer 54 engages a base portion of an outer tapered collet 55 which is coaxial with the pivot axis 30 and supported in a bore in the 25 lower portion 23d of the rear frame member 23. The uppermost end of spacer 54 abutts the inner race of the lower tapered roller bearing assembly 14. A second or inner tapered collet 56 is also carried coaxially with the pivot axis 30 and positioned such that 30 a tapered face of each collet 55 and 56 mates. Upon vertical movement of tapered collet 56, relative to the other tapered collet 55, a horizontal force will be imposed upon the tapered collet 55 as well as a vertical force. This horizontal force fixes the connection 35 between the pivot pin 51 and frame 23. 1 994 -6- A bearing plate 57 is carried by the lowermost end • of the lower pivot pin 51 which may be tightened against the inner tapered collet 56 by tightening of cap screws 58 threadingly engaged in the lower pivot pin. This 5 tightening will thereby form a rigid connection throughout the assembly and spacers between the frame portions 23c and 23d which prevents the lower pivot bearing connection 50 from floating. The torquing of the cap screws 58 forces the inner tapered collet 56 upward 10 against the tapered collet 55 wedging the collet 55 outwardly against the bore formed in the lower rear frame member portion 23d. The inner tapered collet 56 also pushes against the outer tapered collet 55 forcing the outer tapered collet 55 upward against the spacer 54 to 15 insure metal to metal contact. This metal to metal contact thereby prevents relative movement between the lower pivot pin 51 and the rear frame 23 thereby eliminating any need for the use of shims under the end plate as heretofore required. In this manner the lower pivot 20 bearing connection is fixed to thereby absorb all vertical loading in the lower pivot bearing. While the invention has been disclosed with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes 25 may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope 30 thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. 35 </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> 1 994 -7- WHAT^WE CLAIM IS- The claim3 defining——invention are as—fnl l.nws :

1. A pivot connection for coupling together the frame portions of an articulated vehicle to permit relative movement between portions of the vehicle about a pivot 5 axis comprising a first frame means carried by a first portion of an articulated vehicle and having an upper and lower end thereof for connection with a second portion of an articulated vehicle, a second frame means carried by a second portion of an articulated vehicle and having an 10 upper and lower end thereof for connection with said first frame means for forming a pivotal connection therewith about which said first and second portions of the vehicle may pivot relative to each other, a tapered roller bearing assembly carried at each end cf said first 15 frame means for operative connection to said upper and lower ends of said second frame means, said tapered roller bearing assembly carried at said upper end of said first frame means being connected with said upper end of said second frame means for pivotal movement relative 20 thereto, and said tapered roller bearing assembly carried at said lower end of said first frame means being connected with said lower end of said second frame means for pivotal movement relative thereto and fixedly secured for vertical movement therewith. 25

2. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said upper and lower end of said second frame means each comprise? a pair of spaced parallel frame members having a pivot pin extending therebetween with which said first frame means is pivotally connected. 30 -s- 19 94 26

3. The apparatus of Claim 2 wherein said upper and lower end of said first frame means are connected between said spaced parallel frame members at said upper and lower ends of said second frame member, respectively.

4. The apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said upper end of said first frame means is pivotally connected to said pivot pin carried between said upper pair of spaced parallel frame members of said second frame means and spaced from operative contact with said spaced parallel frame members.

5. The apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said lower end of said first frame means is pivotally connected to said pivot pin carried between said lower pair of spaced parallel frame members of said second frame means in 15 operative contact with said spaced parallel frame members to prevent vertical movement relative thereto.

6. The apparatus of Claim 5 further including a plurality of spacers positioned coaxially about said lower pivot pin and carried between said tapered roller 20 bearing assembly and said spaced parallel frame members of said lower end of said second frame means to form an operative connection between said tapered roller bearing assembly and said spaced parallel frame member to prevent vertical movement relative thereto. 25

7. The apparatus of Claim 5 further including at least two relatively movable expandable collets positioned coaxially about said lower pivot pin and carried between said pivot pin and at least one of said spaced parallel frame members of said lower end of said second 30 frame means for securing said pivot pin to said second frame means upon relative movement between said collets. 5 10 199426 -9-

8. The apparatus of Claim 5 further including at least two relatively movable expandable collets positioned coaxially about said lower pivot pin and carried by said lower end of said second frame means in operative 5 contact with said tapered roller bearing assemblies positioned therebetween to form said operative contact between said lower ends of said first and second frame means to prevent vertical movement therebetween.

9. The apparatus to Claim 7 further including a 10 bearing plate connected to said lower pivot pin for vertical movement relative thereto and in contact with at least one of said collets, and means for vertically moving said bearing plate relative to said lower pivot pin to effect expansion of said collets into contact with 15 said lower end of said second frame means.

10. The apparatus of Claim 8 further including a bearing plate connected to said lower pivot pin for vertical movement relative thereto and in contact with at least one of said collets, and means for vertically 20 moving said bearing plate relative to said lower pivot pin to move said collets into operative contact with said lower tapered roller bearing assembly to fixedly secure said lower end of said first frame means to said lower end of said second frame to prevent relative vertical 25 movement.

11. An articulated frame joint with tapered bearings and tapered collets constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying drawings. .r .uaLAlti Byj^is/THeir authorised Agents, A. J. PARK SON Per^" ; v </div>