US2334835A - Loading machine - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 23, 1943. NIX 2,334,835

' LOADING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OWN WWI v INVENTOR EA-N IX FIGLI BY r An-ORNEYS 'Nov. 23, 1943. mx 2,334,835

LOADING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 3 F13 wmmh w ATTO R N EYS Patented Nov. 19.43

" UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE LOADING MACHINE Edmund A. Nix. Montreal, Quebec, Canada, as-

signor to Dominion Hoist a Shovel Company Limited, Lacbine, Quebec, Canada Application June 13, 1942, Serial No. 446,993 7 Claims. (Cl. 214-131) The main feature of the invention consists in' the provision of improved means for swinging the bucket from loading to dumping position and vice versa, said means comprising, in its preferred embodiment, a short boom mounted to swing about. a fixed horizontal axis located at the lower end thereof, a pair of bucket arms carrying a bucket between their lower ends and having their upper ends pivotally connected to the upper end portion of the boom and a pair of links for swinging the bucket carrying arms about their pivotal connections to the boom, corresponding ends of said links being pivotally secured to the bucket carrying arms at a suitable point intermediate the ends of said arms and the remaining ends of said links being mounted to swing about a fixed horizontal axis located rearwardly of the fixed boom axis about which the boom is mounted to swing. The bucket is disposed in digging position when the boom is in a substantially vertical or upright position with the bucket carrying arms extending downwardly from their points of pivotal connection with the boom. When the bucket is filled the boom is swung rearwardly and downwardly to a substantially horizontal position. During this movement of the boom the links function to swing the bucket carrying arms upwardly and rearwardly about their pivotal connections to the boom so that said arms are completely inverted to dispose the bucket in an elevated dumping position by the time the boom reaches its horizontal position. During reverse movement of the boom the said link serve to swing the bucket carrying arms -forwardly about theirpivotal connections to the boom so that, by the time the boom is restored to its normal upright position, the bucket carrying arms will be returned to their normal digging position in which they extend downwardly from their pivotal connections to the boom and support the bucket in a digging Position in front ofthe machine. Any suitable mechanism may be employed for swinging the boom about'its pivotal axis but I presently prefer to employ an air motor having its piston rod directly connected to the boom substantially in the manner hereinafter described. x

Other objects, features and characteristic advantages of my invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved loading machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said machine; and

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5

designates a truck equipped with wheels 6 arranged torun on track rails I. A turn-table I is mounted on the truck 5 and carries the component elements of my improved bucket actuating mechanism.

According to the preferred embodiment of my invention a relatively short boom 9 is mounted to swing about a horizontal axis I0 located at the lower end of the boom and adjacent the front end of the turn-table. A bucket, indicated at H, is rigidly secured in place between the lower ends of a pair of bucket arms l2 having their upper ends secured to the upper end of boom 9 by suitable pivotal connections l3. An intermediate portion of each arm i2 is pivotally secured as at It to the forward end of a link I5 having its rear end mounted to swing about a fixed horizontal axis I6 located rearwardly of the boom axis l0. An intermediate portion of boom 9 is pivotally connected, as at IT, to the piston rod [8 of a piston l9 working in an air cylinder 20, the latter being provided with trunnions 2| rotatably mounted in bearings 22 provided at the upper ends of bearing standards 23 rising from the turn-table 8.

During the digging operation the parts are arranged as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the boom 9 being disposed in a substantially vertical position with the bucket carrying arms I2 extending downwardly from their pivotal connections I3 and the piston l9 positioned at the front end of cylinder 20. When the bucket is filled pressure conditions within the cylinder 20 are varied so that the piston I9 is caused to move to the rear end of the cylinder. The resulting motion of the piston rod I8 causes the boom 9 to swing downwardlyarms i2 upwardly and rearwardly about their pivotal connections I3 so that, by the time the boom reaches its horizontal position, the arms I2 and the bucket I I are disposed in the inverted dumping position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the dumping operation is completed pressure conditions within the cylinder 20 are again varied to cause the piston 'I 9 to travel to the front end of said cylinder. During this movement of the piston theboom 9 is swung from the dotted to the full line position shown in Fig. 1 and, through the action of the links IS, the bucket arms I2 are swung forwardly about their pivotal connections I3 so that the bucket will be returned to its digging or loading position when the boom is returned to its upright position.

Various methods may be resorted to for varying the pressure conditions within the cylinder 20 to effect the desired movement of the piston I9. In the present instance I have shown a fluid pressure line 25 connected to the front end of the cylinder and a similar line 26 connected to the rear end of the cylinder. These lines may be connected so that, when air or other fluid pressure is supplied to one end of the cylinder to move the piston in one direction, the air or fluid pressure previously supplied to the opposite end of the cylinder is exhausted therefrom. They may also be connected so that the pressure in the front end of the cylinder is maintained at a constant value while the pressure in the rear end of the cylinder is varied in such relation to the front end pressure as to move the piston forwardly or rearwardly depending on whether the rear end cylinder pressure is greater or less than the front end cylinder pressure. It will also be understood that the cylinder and piston rod actuating mechanism shown in the drawings may be replaced by any other suitable mechanism for swinging the boom about its pivotal axis. I

Suitable bumper springs 28 may be secured to the cylinder supporting standards 23 so as to be engaged and compressed by the bucket carrying arms when the latter are in an inverted or dumping position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The pressure exerted by these springs-against the bucket carrying arms I2 assists the piston I9 inreturning the boom 9 to its upright or loading position.

The specific assembly of parts required to provide the pivotal axis I and the pivotal connections I3 and I1 constitute mechanical details which are subject to considerable variation. In the present instance I have shown a boom bifurcated at its lower end to provide bearing members 29 which are rotatably mounted on end portions of a pivot shaft 30 to provide the pivotal axis III, the central portion of said shaft being fixed against rotation by shaft supporting lugs 32 extending upwardly from the turn-table 8. The upper end of the boom is also bifurcated to provide a central cylinder receiving opening 33 which permits the boom to move past the cylinder as it travel to its horizontal position. The upper end portions of the boom which lie at opposite sides of the cylinder receiving opening 33 carry short pivot shafts 34 on which the upper ends of the bucket carrying arms l2 are mounted to provide the pivotal connections I3. The intermediate portion of the boom lying between the cylinder receiving opening 33 and the lower bearing member 29 is provided with forwardly projecting reinforcing webs 35 which are spaced apart and present opposing pin-carrying members 36 in which the ends of a pivot pin 31 are fitted. the central portion of said pin being encircled by an eye member 38 provided at the front end of the piston rod I8. This provides the pivotal connection I'I.

tionary shaft 43 to provide the previously mentioned horizontal axis I6, said shaft being held in place by the shaft supporting casting M. The bucket carrying arms I2 are formed with inclined portions I2a which, when the parts are in the full line position shown in Fig. 1, bear against a bevelled surface 8a provided at the front end of the table 8.

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of this invention it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A loading machine of the mechanically actuated bucket type comprising a boom mounted to swing about a fixed horizontal axis located a substantial distance below the upper end of the boom, means for swinging said boom either forwardly or rearwardly through an angle not substantially greater, than. whereby said boom may be transposed from a substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position and vice versa, said boom extending rearwardly from its pivotal axis when disposed in said substantially horizontal position, a pair of bucket arms carrying a bucket between the lower ends thereof, said arms being secured to said boom by pivotal connections which, when the boom is disposed in a vertical position, are located a substantial distance above the bucket and the axis about which the boom is swingable and means for swinging said arms upwardly. and rearwardly about said pivotal connections and through an angle not substantially greater than 90 during swinging movement of the boom from its vertical to its'horizontal position, said last mentioned means also functioning to swingsaid arms forwardly and downwardly about said pivotal connections during swinging movement of the boom from its horizontal to its vertical position.

2. A loading machine as set forth in claim 1, in which the means for swinging said boom comprises an air motor including a cylinder, means mounting said cylinder for oscillating movement about a horizontal pivotal axis located above and rearwardly of the horizontal axis about which said boom is mounted to swing a piston working in said cylinder and a piston rod having one end a connected to said piston and the other end connected directly to said boom.

3. A loading machine as set forth in claim 1, in which the means for swinging said boom is directly connected to and acts against portions of the boom located between said axis and said pivotal connections.

4. A loading machine as set forth in claim 1, in which the means for swinging said arms about said pivotal connections comprises rigid links having corresponding ends pivoted directly to said arms at points located between said pivotal connections and the bucket carrying ends of the arms, the remaining ends of said links being mounted to swing about a fixed horizontal axis located rc rw r y of the axis about which the boom is mounted to swing.

5. A loading machine of the character described comprising a relatively short boom mounted to swing about a fixed horizontal axis located at the lower end thereof, means for swinging said boom from a substantially vertical to a substantially horizontal position and vice versa so that, in its substantially horizontal position, said boom extends rearwardly from said axis, a pair of bucket arms carrying a bucket between their lower ends and having their upper ends pivotally secured to the upper end of said boom so that, when the boom is in its vertical position, said arms extend downwardly therefrom and support the bucket in its di ging or loading position, a pair of links having their front ends pivotally secured to said arms at points located a substantial distance from the upper and lower ends of said arms, the rear ends of said links being mounted to swing about a fixed horizontal axis located rearwardly of said first mentioned axis so that, in the vertical position of the boom, the links are disposed in a substantially horizontal position with their rear ends slightly lower than their front ends, said links serving to swing said arms upwardly and rearwardly about their pivotal connections to the boom in response to swinging movement of the boom to its substantially horizontal position and to swing said arms upwardly and forwardly about said pivotal connections in response to swinging movement of the boom from its horizontal to its vertical position.

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30 to swing past said cylinder.

10 position, a pair of rigid link having their rear ends mounted to swing about a horizontal axis located rearwardly of the horizontal axis about which the boom is mounted to swing, the forward ends of said links being pivoted directly to inter- 15 mediate portions of the bucket carrying arms located between the bucket and the pivotal connections between the bucket carrying arms and the boom, 9. cylinder mounted to swing about a horizontal axis located above and rearwardly 0f the 20 axis about which the rear ends of the links are mounted to swing, a piston working in said cylinder and a piston rod having one end connected to said piston and the other end directly connected to said boom at a point located above the pivotal 25 axis of the boom but below the pivotal connections between the boom and the bucket arms.

1 7. A loading machine as set forth inclaim 6, in which the boom is slotted to permit the boom EDMUND A. NIX.

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