US3614134A

US3614134A - Hydraulic clamping apparatus and pivotal mounting for a side shiftable mechanical digger slide frame

Info

Publication number: US3614134A
Application number: US23729A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pierre Moriceau; Jean Pierre Baudet
Original assignee: Deere and Co
Current assignee: Deere and Co
Priority date: 1969-09-01
Filing date: 1970-03-30
Publication date: 1971-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-19
Also published as: GB1301910A; DE7032355U; FR2058418A5; DE2042970C3; DE2042970B2; DE2042970A1; SE376450B; NO129306B

Abstract

A mechanical digger support assembly includes a boom-supporting slide frame mounted for transverse sliding and limited vertical pivoting or rocking on a tractor-supported transverse main frame. Hydraulically applied clamping apparatus are provided for causing abutment surfaces on the slide frame to pivot into locking engagement with abutment surfaces on the main frame to secure the slide frame against movement at selected positions along the main frame.

Description

United States Patent Inventors Pierre Moriceau Saran; Jean Pierre Baudet, Orleans, both of France Appl. No. 23,729 Filed Mar. 30, 1970 Patented Oct. 19, 1971 Assignee Deere & Company Moline, Ill. Priority Sept. 1, 1969 France 6,929,784

HYDRAULIC CLAMPING APPARATUS AND PIVOTAL MOUNTING FOR A SIDE Sl-HFIABLE MECHANICAL DIGGER SLIDE FRAME 13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 280/456, 37/103,172/274, 214/138 C Int. Cl B60d l/00 Fiefd of Search 280/456;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,155,250 11/1964 French etal 214/138C 3,174,635 3/1965 Van Auwelaeretal. 2l4/138C 3,220,487 11/1965 Pilch 214/138 X 3,304,100 2/1967 Long 280/456 FOREIGN PATENTS 975,029 1 H1964 Great Britain 280/45 6 Primary ExaminerLe0 F riaglia Attorneys-H. Vincent l-larsha, Harold M. Knoth, William A.

Murray, John M. Nolan and Raymond L. Hollister ABSTRACT: A mechanical digger support assembly includes a boom-supporting slide frame mounted for transverse sliding and limited vertical pivoting or rocking on a tractor-supported transverse main frame. Hydraulically applied clamping apparatus are provided for causing abutment surfaces on the slide frame to pivot into locking engagement with abutment surfaces on the main frame to secure the slide frame against movement at selected positions along the main frame.

PATENTEDUET 19 um 3,514,134

sum 18F 2 FIG. 1 28 I8 34 & W7

fifi 32 I8 IO 34 ii 46 II 48 52 x J, INVENTORS 4 36 so PIERRE MORICEAU JEAN PIERRE BAUDEY FIG. 2

PATENTEDUCT 19 um SHEET 2 [IF 2 INVISNI'ORS RRE MORICEAU N PIERRE BAUDET HYDRAULIC CLAMPING APPARATUS AND PIVOTAL MOUNTING FOR A SIDE SI-IIFT ABLE MECHANICAL DIGGER SLIDE FRAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a side-shiftable mechanical digger and more particularly relates to a novel mounting and locking combination for the slide frame of the mechanical digger.

Such mechanical diggers ordinarily have a rigid upright main frame which can be attached to the rear of a mobile vehicle such as a tractor, in a position transverse to the longitudinal central plane of the vehicle. The frame carries a boom for supporting the digging implement and the inner end of the boom is pivoted to an upright swivel post or swing cylinder carried by a slide frame mounted on the main frame. The mechanical digger is generally operated by hydraulic actuators which are connected to and pressurized by the hydraulic system of the vehicle.

In order to operate the boom and digging implement in such a manner as to work closely adjacent an obstruction, such as a foundation or structural frame, the slide frame may be mounted for movement along guide means, which form an integral part of the main frame, so that the swivel post or swing cylinder may be moved to selected positions along the frame. It is, of course, necessary to lock the slide frame to the main frame to prevent sliding during operation and for this purpose it is known to provide hydraulically applied clamping means. In many of the known clamping means, the weight of the slide frame and attached digger apparatus is required to be raised vertically by the hydraulic clamping means until suitably provided stop surfaces on the slide and main frames are frictionally engaged or locked against each other (see French Patent 1,330,860 to Faucheux). The vertical raising of the slide frame requires considerable force and hydraulic cylinders for applying the force are larger and more expensive than it is desired that they be.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a novel, and advantageously constructed mounting for a slide frame and hydraulically applied clamping means.

It is an object of the invention to provide a slide frame mounting including a pivot structure supporting and permitting limited vertical pivoting or rocking movement of the slide frame as well as transverse shifting movement and to provide a hydraulic locking means for swinging the slide frame about the pivot structure into locked engagement with the main frame.

A more specific object is to provide, in one embodiment, a pivot structure that includes a transverse guide rail of generally hemispherical cross section on top of the main frame and a nose on the slide frame engaging the guide rail.

Another specific object is to provide, in a second embodiment, a pivot structure that includes a hooklike projection that extends forwardly and downwardly from the bottom portion of the front of the slide frame and having a rounded end engaged in a transverse groove on the main frame.

Another object is to provide a locking means for use with the pivot structure of the first embodiment including a downwardly opening wedge-shaped transverse groove along the bottom rear corner of the main frame, a hook projecting from the slide frame and being loosely disposed in the groove and a hydraulic piston operated cam between the main and slide frames operable for swinging the hook into engagement with one side of the groove.

Still another object is to provide a locking means for use with the pivot structure of the second embodiment including a transverse rail on top of the main frame, a lever pivoted on the top of the slide frame having a hook at one end engaged over the rail and a hydraulic piston mounted in the other end for engagement with the slide frame and a downwardly facing planar, transverse abutment surface at the rear side of the main frame and a corresponding convex stop surface on the slide frame.

Still another object is to provide a simple, economical and functional mounting and locking means for the slide frame.

These and other objects will become apparent from the ensuing description and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the main and slide frames, of a side-shiftable mechanical digger shown clamped together.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the frames in an unclamped condition.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. I, but showing an embodiment of the main and slide frames.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the frames in an unclamped condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 designates the main support frame of a mechanical digger or excavator shown partially at 12, which can be connected to a tractor or similar vehicle (not shown). The excavator I2 is guided on the main frame 10 for sliding movement transverse- Iy to the direction in which the tractor runs with the aid of a slide frame 14. The excavator 12 is mounted for horizontal pivoting in the slide frame 14 and its displacement can be affected by means of a swing cylinder 16.

In order to enable the slide frame 14 to be mounted in such a manner as to permit transverse sliding, the support frame 10 is provided at its rear upper comer with a transverse guide rail 18, which is shaped to generally approximate a semicircle in cross section, and is provide at its rear bottom comer with a downwardly opening wedge-shaped, transverse guide groove 20. The guide rail 18 is provided with

bearing surfaces

22 and 24 respectively on its front and rear sides and the guide groove 20 is provided with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined stop surface 26. The slide frame 14 has complementary counterparts to the guide rail 18 and guide groove 20, namely, a nose or projection 28 that is engaged over the guide rail 18 and a hook-shaped projection 30 that is loosely, but captively received in the groove 20. The nose 28 has a pair of

bearing surfaces

32 and 34 that are respectively supported on the

bearing surfaces

22 and 24 of the guide rail 18 and the projection 30 has an upwardly and forwardly inclined stop surface 36 in opposed relationship to and adapted to be applied against the stop surface 26 of the guide groove 20. It is to be noted that the guide rail 18 and nose 28 cooperate to permit the slide frame 14 to swing vertically on the main frame 10 and that the swinging is limited by the guide groove 20 and projection 30.

The slide frame 14 is generally U-shaped and the nose 28 and projection 30 are respectively at the top and bottom of a web or median portion 38. A hydraulically operated actuator or piston 40 is installed in a sleeve or casing 42 embedded in the forward side of the web 38, it being understood that additional pistons may be installed in side-by-side relationship if desired. Pressurized fluid for operating the piston 40 is admitted by means of a pressure pipe 44 extending into the sleeve 42 from the rear side of the web 38. The piston 40 has a free end surface 46 of convex shape and positioned for engagement thereby is a cam 48 that is loosely but captively received in a pocket 49 defined by the web and projection 30 of the slide frame 14 and a vertical stop surface 50 on the main frame 10. The cam 48 has a circular or rodlike bottom end 52 that is supported in the pocket bottom 54 defined by the junction of the web 38 and the projection 30 of the slide frame 14. The cam 48 is pivoted about its bottom end 52 into engagement with the stop surface 50 of the main frame when the piston 40 is pressurized.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment in which a slide frame can pivot vertically a limited degree on and can be locked on a main support frame. Specifically there is shown a main frame 56 having provision at its top and bottom rear corners respectively in the form of a transverse guide rail 60 of substantially rectangular cross section and a guide groove 62 for slidingly mounting a slide frame 58 thereon. The slide frame 58 is provide with a forwardly and downwardly extending hooklike projection 64 having a rounded end 66 supportingly engaged in the guide groove 62. As hereinafter described, the slide frame 58 pivots or rocks vertically a limited amount about the rounded end 66 of the hooklike projection 64 when the slide frame is being locked on the main frame.

To apply the force for locking the slide frame 58 on the main frame 56, there is provide a lever 68 pivoted intermediate its ends on a transverse pin 70 located in an arm 72 cantilevered forwardly from the top of the slide frame 14 to a location above the main frame 56. The forward end of the lever 68 is in the form of a downwardly opening hook 74 which is disposed over the guide rail 60 and in engagement with a front stop surface 76 of the guide rail 60. A hydraulic piston 78 is installed in a vertically disposed sleeve or casing 80 embedded in the under side of the rear end of the lever 68 and the piston is pressurized by means of a pressure pipe 82 extending into the sleeve 80 from the top side of the lever 68. The piston 78 has a free arcuate end 84 which is disposed for engagement with a planar horizontal bearing surface 86 on the slide frame 58. The rear side of the main frame 56 is recessed, as at 88, and loosely receives a projection 90 that extends forwardly from the side frame 58. The recess 88 has a top upwardly and rearwardly inclined stop surface 92 and the projection 90 has an upper convex stop surface 94 which is brought into locking contact with the stop surface 92 when the hydraulic piston 78 is pressurized.

The operation of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is first described. Prior to being shifted, the slide frame 14 is placed in the unlocked condition illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein the hydraulic piston 40 is unpressurized, the cam 48 is free to slide with the slide frame 14, and the slide frame 14 is free to pivot vertically about the guide rail 18 to a limited degree defined by the looseness of the hook-shaped projection 30 within the guide groove 20. After the slide-frame 14 is in the position desired for the operation of the excavator 12, the slide frame 14 is locked by actuating the hydraulic piston 40. Actuation of the hydraulic piston 40 thrusts it forwardly against the cam 48 which rotates about its rounded end 52 into engagement with the stop surfaces 50 of the main frame 10. This causes the slide frame 14 to rotate about the guide rail 18 until the

stop surfaces

26 and 36 respectively of the guide groove 20 and hooklike projection 30 are in locking engagement in the condition illustrated in FIG. 1.

The operation of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 is generally similar to that of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Specifically, prior to shifting, the slide frame 58 is placed in the unlocked condition illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein the hydraulic piston 78 is unpressurized, the projection 90 of the slide frame is free to move in the recess 88 in the main frame 56 and the slide frame 58 is free to pivot vertically about the rounded end 66 of the hooklike projection 64 a limited degree defined by the lever 68. When the slide frame 58 is at a desired transverse location on the main frame 56, it may be locked thereon by actuating the hydraulic piston 78. Actuation of the hydraulic piston 78 thrusts it downwardly against the stop surface 86 which causes the lever 68 to be pivoted about the pin 70. This pivoting acts through the hook 74 at the front of the lever, and the stop surface 76 of the guide rail 60 to rock or swing the slide frame forwardly about the rounded end 66 of the hooklike projection 64 until the stop surfaces 92 and 94 of the recess 88 and projection 90, respectively, are in locking engagement as illustrated in H6.

We claim:

1. A side-shiftable excavator comprising: a main transverse frame adapted for connection to a mobile vehicle and having vertically spaced transverse guide groove and guide rail means at the rear side thereof, a slide frame having a first projection means engaged with said guide rail and second projection means positioned in said guide groove, one of said first and second projection means and one of said guide groove and guide rail means having respective surface means cooperating to support the slide frame for vertical pivoting movement, opposed stop surfaces on said main and slide frames disposed for locking engagement when the slide frame is pivoted to a locked position, and lock applying means operatively connected between said main and slide frames for selectively pivoting the slide frame to the locked position.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said guide rail means is approximately semicircular in cross section and wherein first projection means includes surface means engaged over and vertically pivotally supporting said slide frame.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said guide groove means opens upwardly and said second projection means includes a rounded end engaged in said guide groove and pivotally supporting said slide frame.

4. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said guide groove opens downwardly and said first projection means is captively, but loosely, received in said guide groove and said opposed stop surfaces being respectively along one side of said groove and on one side of said first projection means.

5. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said first projection means includes a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the slide frame for swinging movement crosswise to said guide rail means and having a hook at one end engaged with said guide rail means and said lock applying means including a hydraulic piston carried by said lever and selectively engageable with said slide frame.

6. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said lock applying means includes at least one generally horizontally disposed hydraulic piston carried by said slide frame, a cam positioned forwardly of and being located for selective engagement by said hydraulic piston and being pivoted on said slide frame for movement toward and away from said main frame whereby upon actuation of said hydraulic piston, said cam is pivoted into engagement with said main frame causing the latter to pivot to the locked position.

7. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said guide rail and guide groove means are respectively located at the top and bottom rear corners of said main frame.

8. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein said guide rail means is approximately semicircular in cross section and wherein said first projection means includes surface means engaged over and vertically pivotally supporting said slide frame.

9. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein said guide groove means opens upwardly and said second projection means includes a rounded end engaged in said guide groove and vertically pivotally supporting said slide frame.

10. The invention defined in claim 8 wherein said guide groove opens downwardly and said first projection means is captively, but loosely, received in said guide groove and said opposed stop surfaces being defined respectively along one side of said groove and on one side of said first projection means.

11. the invention defined in claim 9 wherein said first projection means includes a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the slide frame for swinging movement crosswise to said guide rail means and having a hook at one end engaged with said guide rail means and said lock applying means including a hydraulic piston carried by said lever and selectively engageable with said slide frame.

12. The invention defined in claim 8 wherein said lock applying means includes at least one generally horizontally disposed hydraulic piston carried by said slide frame, a cam positioned forwardly of and being located for selective engagement by said hydraulic piston and being pivoted on said slide frame for movement toward and away from said main frame whereby upon actuation of said hydraulic piston said cam is pivoted into engagement with said main frame causing the latter to pivotto the locked position.

13. The invention defined in claim 11 wherein said main frame has a transverse recess in its rear side between the top and bottom rear comers, said slide frame having a projection said lever and guide rail to pivot the opposed stop surfaces into locking engagement.

Claims

12. The invention defined in claim 8 wherein said lock applying means includes at least one generally horizontally disposed hydraulic piston carried by said slide frame, a cam positioned forwardly of and being located for selective engagement by said hydraulic piston and being pivoted on said slide frame for movement toward and away from said main frame whereby upon actuation of said hydraulic piston said cam is pivoted into engagement with said main frame causing the latter to pivot to the locked position.

13. The invention defined in claim 11 wherein said main frame has a transverse recess in its rear side between the top and bottom rear corners, said slide frame having a projection loosely received in said recess and said opposed stop surfaces respectively being top surfaces of said recess and projections whereby actuation of said hydraulic piston will act through said lever and guide rail to pivot the opposed stop surfaces into locking engagement.