WO2009064203A2 - Coupler assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

A plastics component including coupler for interconnecting an implement and a vehicular arm.

Description

"COUPLER ASSEMBLIES" Such couplers are suitable for coupling between a boom or arm and any appropriate implement. .

Couplers for such usage have been sold by us and/or our affiliates as the QUICK- HITCH™ throughout the world. Early versions of such a product were typified by US Patent 5082389 (William J Balemi). It involves a dock to receive a machine or implement pin from one . direction and a dock opening into which the other pin can be positioned from another (and not opposite) direction prior to being locked into position.

Later variants of such couplers include that of US Design Patent 458942 (Stephen J Balemi). Other variations include articulating forms of such couplers.

Various other forms of coupler exist in the art and in the marketplace. Many of these include similar orthogonally open docking arrangements as in US Patent 5082389 and US Design Patent 458942. Others however have other arrangements.

US Patent 6902346 (Hendricks Manufacturing Limited) has one docking arrangement on a pivoted arm that is moveable under the action of double acting ram against a stop. Similarly UK Patent Application GB2330570 of Miller et al.

Nevertheless, we believe there is a need for an alternative coupler to those disclosed. Any such form should not only be easy to operate and be safe to use, but also cheap and/or easy to manufacture. That is an object of the invention. Most commonly cast or fabricated steel has been used for major components with or without subsequent machining. Steel has been preferred as it is less brittle than some other variants of iron alloys.

The present invention recognizes that for some applications a light weight, cheaply and quickly manufactured coupler assembly can arise where one or more major component is mouldable and/or machinable from a material other than of a metal.

The present invention also recognizes that with appropriate design choices for major components, at least one or more major component can be moulded, or initially be moulded, in a. plastics material for some minor subsequent machining. Such a plastics material can, for example, be fibre reinforced nylon stabilized against UV. Other variants include shock resistant resin based fibre reinforced systems capable of setting to a moulded form, whether still requiring downstream machining or not.

A preferred material is one having the requisite mouldability and strength as moulded. As moulded the component should be able to resist shock and should be able to deal with both the static and dynamic loads asked of it during normal use. Suitable materials include POM, PC, PBT, PPS, PEI, PVD and PEEK. The choice of material will lead to a lighter coupler assembly and this has advantage from the point of manufacture, from the point of assembly, from the point of supply, from the point of usage, etc.

Optionally the coupler is one having a main body having a dock and another component providing a dock and being moveable relative to the dock of said first component. One or both of these components will be totally or in part moulded in a plastics material or a fiber reinforced composite material.

In other (less preferred) forms, as in some of the earlier mentioned designs, a single member can provide a dock for receiving a pin from one direction transverse to the pin axis and another dock for receiving a similar such pin from a direction also transverse to die pin axis but orthogonal to the receiving direction of the first pin thereto. In such arrangements preferably some latching mechanism is provided.

Irrespective of the form of the assembly which is to provide the coupler, the coupler preferably is of a kind permanently or semi permanently pivoted about an axis of the boom that is parallel to one or more homontal rotational axis (or axes) in the boom itself. The coupler is to serve the function of being able to engage at will with appropriate docking features (hereafter "pins" irrespective of the form thereof) of attachable- apparatus ("implement^)") under the action of a controller of the boom and any control functions thereof and its carrying of the coupler.

We favour oppositely open docks for engaging the implement pins with at least one being locked to cover the case of any hydraulic failure, and if one, or an alternative, object of the invention.

It is a further or alternative object of the present invention to provide such a coupler, an arm or boom embodying such a coupler, a combination of an appropriate implement dockable with such a coupler and the coupler or the coupler and the boom, and related assemblies, subassemblies, procedures of use and the like, which will at least provide the public with a useful choice insofar as coupling is concerned.

In an aspect the invention consists in. a coupler assembly of or for a boom or arm and connectable to a double pinned implement, the coupler assembly having at least one component having a first dock into which a first pin is to be received transversely of its pin axis; wherein that component, or another component moveable relative thereto, has a second dock into which a second pin is to be received transversely of its pin axis, and wherein a latching mechanism of the assembly and/or relative movement of the components is able to lock the docks with respect to each other and/ or at least one of the pins in a said dock (thereby to remain coupled); and wherein at least one component is of a plasties material or a fibre reinforced composite material (whether a plastics matrix and/or resin based matrix).

In a further aspect the invention consists in a moulded and/unmachined or a moulded and largely unmachined component of a coupler assembly of any of the kinds previously described, said component being of a plastics material or a fibre reinforced composite material (whether plastics and/or resin based).

The component may embed partly or fully some other component whether of metal or any other material. For example it may partly embed a steel or other material dock surface defining member. In yet a further aspect the invention consists in the use of a coupler assembly in accordance with the present invention wherein at least one of the major components thereof, ie, preferably one including at least one dock is of such a material.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in methods substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. In another aspect the invention consists in a coupler assembly of or for a boom or arm and connectable to a double pinned implement, the coupler assembly having a first component or assembly ("first component"), the first component having a dock into which a first pin is to be received transversely of its pin axis, a slide or second component ("slide") slideably mounted by said first component, the slide having a dock into which a second pin is to be received transversely of its pin axis, an actuator remotely or manually actuable to control the position of the slide relative to the first component, and a pivoted retention member pivoted from the first component and deployed or deployable as a retention member for a said first pin in the dock of the first component when the slide is not actuated to a position beyond that it assumes when docking and holding docked a second pin in the dock of the slide wherein at least one of the first component and/or slide is of a plastics material or a fibre reinforced composite material (whether a plastics matrix or resin based matrix).

Preferably the pin axes and pivot axis are parallel when retaining docked pins. Preferably the docks open to opposite directions.

Preferably the slide moves at least substantially parallel to those directions.

Preferably the actuator is a double acting hydraulic ram.

As used herein the term "and/oi" means "and " or "or", or both.

As used herein the term "(s)" following a noun includes, as might be appropriate, the. singular or plural forms of that noun. - A -

As used herein the term "pin" or variations thereof in respect of an implement includes any structure (whether round in section, or not, and whether, supported at both ends, or not, by the implement) which is receivable in a dock of a complementary coupler.

As used herein the term "dock" refers to any recess or other like arrangement adapted to provide part of the support and/ or location of a pin of an implement when docked therein.

As used herein "implement" includes those forms of apparatus previously mentioned and also any other apparatus that might merit attachment to and/ or detachment from a machine boom or arm. Examples include but are not limited to buckets, scoops, vibrators, picks, grapples, etc.

This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompany drawings in which

Figure 1 is a isometric view of one form of coupler assembly where the major component with the dock A is made from a plastics or fibre reinforced plastics material, or alternatively from a suitable set resin or fibre reinforced resin system,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement of Figure 1 , Figure 3 is a side elevation of the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, a second dock B being shown either as a pivoted member that pivots relative to the main component or slides relative thereto, and

Figure 4 is an elevation from the end showing the latchable dock A. In the preferred form of the present invention the major component 1 is light weight and moulded to include the dock A which has a tongue region 2 which co-acts with the recess 3 as a pin locator. A moving locking member or members 4 co-act to lock any such pin in the recess 3.

A second dock B is provided by the member 5 (optionally also or instead of a plastics material). This can be pivoted from the component 1 at 6 and be movable to a locking condition under the action of a ram or other means 7 so as to have its recess 7, as the dock B, fit tightly against the second pin. Even should any hydraulics or other powering system for the means 7 fail the fact that the latch 4 remains in place provides the appropriate back up safety.

Alternatively a slide type arrangement disclosed in the aforementioned New Zealand registered design number 409035 can be used as can the latching mechanism therein disclosed. The present invention envisages the prospect that the member 5 also, or instead, can be of a plastics or fibre reinforced plastics material, or indeed a resin based system, whether fibre reinforced or not.

Appropriate materials include glass or carbon fibre reinforced nylon. Other plastics useful in a moulding process such as this include PPS, POM, PC, PVD, PEEK, PEI and PBT.

Appropriate resin based systems include polyurethanes.

Appropriate other fibres or materials to be used for matrix (plastic or resin based) reinforcement include aramid, flax, glass beads, etc.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A couplet assembly of or for a boom or arm and connectable to a double pinned implement, the coupler assembly having at least one component having a first dock into which a first pin is to be received transversely of its pin axis; wherein that component, or another component moveable relative thereto, has a second dock into which a second pin is to be received transversely of its pin axis, and whetein a latching mechanism of the assembly and/or relative movement of the components is able to lock the docks with respect to each other and/or at least one of the pins in a said dock, thereby to remain coupled; and wherein at least one component is of a plastics material or a fibre reinforced composite material (whether a plastics matrix and/or resin based matrix).

2. A moulded and/unmachined or a moulded and largely unmachined component of a coupler assembly of any of the kinds previously described, said component being of a plastics material or a fibre reinforced composite material, whether plastics and/ or resin based.

3. The use of a coupler assembly in accordance claim 1 or 2 wherein at least one of the major components thereof, ie, preferably one including at least one dock is of such a material.

4. Methods substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

5. ^' A coupler assembly of or for a boom or arm and connectable to a double pinned implement, the coupler assembly having a first component or assembly ("first component"), the first component having a dock into which a first pin is to be received transversely of its pin axis, a slide or second component ("slide") slideably mounted by said first component, the slide having a dock into which a second pin is to be received transversely of its pin axis, an actuator remotely or manually actuable to control the position of the slide relative to the first component, and a pivoted retention member pivoted from the first component and deployed or deployable as a retention member for a said first pin in the dock of the first component when the slide is not actuated to a position beyond that it assumes when docking and holding docked a second pin in the dock of the slide wherein at least one of the first component and/or slide is of a plastics material or a fibre reinforced material ["composite material] whether a plastics matrix or resin based matrix.

6. An assembly of claim 5 wherein the pin axes and pivot axis are parallel when retaining docked pins.

7. An assembly of claim 6 wherein the. docks open to opposite directions.

8. An assembly of claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein the slide moves at least substantially parallel to those directions.

9. An assembly of claim any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the actuator is a double acting hydraulic ram.