Patent ID: 7152519
Filing Date: 2006-12-26
Classification: B66C,E02F

Abstract:
1. A rotator assembly for rotating and actuating an operable attachment, the rotator assembly comprising: a load-bearing shaft adapted to be mounted to a boom member displacing said rotator assembly; said load-bearing shaft having: a drive assembly rotatably mounted about the load-bearing shaft, the drive assembly having a bottom body portion securable to the operable attachment, said bottom body portion having a central recess in an upper portion thereof in registry with the central recess of the load-bearing shaft and a first and a second channel in fluid communication with said central recess of the drive assembly; each of said first and second channel having a port in a bottom or side wall of the body portion for connection with hose means of the operable attachment; an actuator operatively connected to the drive assembly such that an actuation force from the actuator is transmitted to the operable attachment to rotate the operable attachment about the load-bearing shaft; a first tube having an upper end portion housed in the central recess of the load-bearing shaft and a lower end portion housed in the central recess of the drive assembly, said first tube having a top end in registry with the bottom end of said first channel of the load-bearing shaft and a bottom end in fluid communication with the first channel of the bottom body portion of the drive assembly, thereby allowing a first flow path for the pressurized fluid from the load-bearing shaft to the operable attachment; and a second tube concentrically positioned around the first tube and an annular passage between the first and second tube having an upper end in fluid communication with the bottom end of said second channel of the load-bearing shaft and a lower end in fluid communication with the second channel of the drive assembly, thereby allowing a second flow path for the pressurized fluid from the load-bearing shaft to the operable attachment.