Abstract:
A handle configured to attach an implement to an industrial machine. The handle includes a first member, a second member, and a third member extending between the first member and the second member. The third member includes a first transition extending toward the first member and a second transition extending toward the second member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/295,266, filed on Feb. 15, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a mining shovel, and more specifically, a handle for supporting a dipper on a mining shovel. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In the mining field, and in other fields in which large volumes of material must be collected and removed from a work site, it is typical to employ industrial machines including a large dipper for shoveling the materials from the work site. Industrial machines, such as rope shovels, draglines, etc., are used to execute digging operations to remove material from, for example, a bank of a mine. Rope shovels typically including a boom, a handle movably coupled to the boom and supporting a digging attachment (e.g., a dipper), and a pulley or boom sheave supported on the boom. The handle supports the dipper while the dipper is removing material from the bank. A hoist rope extends over a portion of the boom sheave and is connected to the dipper to raise and lower the dipper, thereby producing an efficient digging motion to excavate the bank of material. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In one aspect, the invention provides a handle configured to attach an implement to an industrial machine. The handle includes a first member, a second member, and a third member extending between the first member and the second member. The third member includes a first transition extending toward the first member and a second transition extending toward the second member. 
         [0005]    In another aspect, the invention provides a connecting member of a handle configured to attach a work implement to an industrial machine. The handle includes a first member having a first interior face, and a second member having a second interior face opposite the first interior face. The connecting member includes a third member extending between the first member and the second member. The intersection of the third member with the first interior face is non-orthogonal and the intersection of the third member with the second interior face is non-orthogonal. 
         [0006]    Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates an industrial machine according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective of a conventional handle. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a partial perspective cross-sectional view of the conventional handle of  FIG. 2  taken along line  3 - 3  shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a handle according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a partial perspective cross-sectional view of the handle of  FIG. 4  taken along line  5 - 5  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a handle according to another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a partial perspective cross-sectional view of the handle of  FIG. 6  taken along line  7 - 7  shown in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Although the invention described herein can be applied to, or used in conjunction with a variety of industrial machines (e.g., an electric rope shovel, dragline, etc.), embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are described with respect to a power shovel, such as the power shovel shown in  FIG. 1 . The shovel  10  includes a mobile base  15 , drive tracks  20 , a turntable  25 , a boom  35 , a sheave  45 , tension cables  50 , a back stay  55 , a stay structure  60 , an implement  70  (e.g., a dipper), a hoist rope  75 , a winch drum  80 , a handle  85  (e.g., a dipper arm), a saddle block  90 , and a pivot point  95 . 
         [0016]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a conventional handle  85   a  is illustrated that is used on a mining shovel similar to the shovel  10  of  FIG. 1 . In particular, the handle  85   a  includes a first rectangular, box member  110  and a second rectangular, box member  114  that are joined at a first end  118  by a torsion tube  122 . The torsion tube  122  extends between an interior face  126  of the first member  110  and an opposite interior face  130  of the second member  114 . The conventional handle  85   a  further includes implement attachment points  134  (e.g., dipper attachment points) at the first end  118  where a dipper (similar to the dipper  70  of  FIG. 1 ) is attached to the handle  85   a.    
         [0017]    Disadvantages of the conventional handle  85   a  include the presence of locations with high mechanical stress. In particular, with reference to  FIG. 3 , rear corners  138  of the torsion tube  122  are locations where cracking and/or mechanical failure are likely to occur due to large stress concentrations. More specifically, the rear corners  138  are where the tube  122  attaches at a right angle to the first and second members  110 ,  114  (i.e., the tube  122  is abutted flat against the interior faces  126 ,  130  of the first and second members  110 ,  114 ). In other words, the handle  85   a  includes higher stresses at the attachment points between the torsion tube  122  and the members  110 ,  114 . The high stress in these areas requires the use of larger torsion tubes  122 , larger welds, and thicker plates for the first and second members  110 ,  114 . 
         [0018]    With reference to  FIGS. 4-5 , a handle  85   b  is illustrated according to an embodiment of the invention. The handle  85   b  is intended to replace the handle  85  in the shovel  10  of  FIG. 1 , in some embodiments of the invention. The handle  85   b  includes a first member  210  and a second member  214  that are joined at a first end  218  by an arcuate transition cross member  222 . The cross member  222  extends between an interior face  226  of the first member  210  and an opposite interior face  230  of the second member  214 . The handle  85   b  further includes implement attachment points  234  (e.g., dipper attachment points) at the first end  218  where an implement (for example, a dipper similar to the dipper  70  of  FIG. 1 ) is attached to the handle  85   b.  In the illustrated embodiment, the first member  210  and the second member  214  are rectangular (i.e., box-shaped), but in alternative embodiments, the first and second members  210  and  214  may have different cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, etc.). 
         [0019]    The cross member  222  includes an upper planar portion  238 , a lower planar portion  242 , and a curved portion  246  connecting the upper and lower planar portions  238 ,  242 . In the illustrated embodiment, the upper planar portion  238  is parallel to the lower planar portion  242 . Each of the upper planar portion  238  and the lower planar portion  242  include a smooth, curved (i.e., arcuate) transition  250  extending toward each of the first and second members  210 ,  214 . More specifically, the transitions  250  extend toward the interior faces  226 ,  230  of the rectangular members  210 ,  214  such that the cross member  222  meets (i.e., intersects) both of the members  210 ,  214  at non-orthogonal angles. The curved transitions  250  eliminate any high stress concentration points between the cross member  222  and the first and second members  210 ,  214 . In other words, the cross member  222  extends transversely between the first and second members  210 ,  214  and includes mechanical stress-reducing curved portions  250  to transition into the top and bottom of the first and second members  210 ,  214 . In the illustrated embodiment, the upper transitions  250  have a radius of approximately 28 inches that is swept through an angle of approximately 90 degrees, and the lower transitions  250  have a radius of approximately 35 inches that is swept through an angle of approximately 90 degrees. In alternative embodiments, the upper and lower transitions  250  may have a radius within a range of approximately 10 inches to approximately 40 inches that is swept through an angle within a range of approximately 80 degrees to approximately 100 degrees. 
         [0020]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , the cross member  222  defines a channel and includes an open cross-section (i.e., not a closed tube). The transitions  250  allow the torsional stiffness to be gradually transitioned into the first and second members  210 ,  214 . In the illustrated embodiment, the cross member  222  includes a C-shaped cross-section. In alternative embodiments, the cross member  222  may include the arcuate transitions  250  with any cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, etc.). Any loss of torsional stiffness with the cross member  222  is traded for a significant reduction in stress at the connection between the cross member  222  and the rectangular members  210 ,  214 . With the reduced stress profile, supporting plates that are positioned within the first and second members  210 ,  214  for additional support, can be reduced in size and lightened. 
         [0021]    Alternatively, the cross member  222  and implement attachment points  234  can be a cast component that is welded along a line  254  to the first and second members  210 ,  214 . In other words, everything to the right of the line  254  from the frame of reference of  FIG. 4  can be formed as a single cast part and then welded on to the first and second members  210 ,  214 . Additionally, by utilizing the cross member  222  to reduce the stress levels, the thickness  258  of the first and second members  210 ,  214  can be reduced. 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIGS. 6-7 , a handle  85   c  is illustrated according to an embodiment of the invention. The handle  85   c  is intended to replace the handle  85  in the shovel  10  of  FIG. 1 , in some embodiments of the invention. The handle  85   c  includes a first member  310  and a second member  314  that are joined at a first end  318  by an arcuate transition cross member  322 . The cross member  322  extends between an interior face  326  of the first member  310  and an opposite interior face  330  of the second member  214 . The handle  85   c  further includes implement attachment points  334  (e.g., dipper attachment points) at the first end  318  where an implement (for example, a dipper similar to the dipper  70  of  FIG. 1 ) is attached to the handle  85   c.  In the illustrated embodiment, the first member  310  and the second member  314  are rectangular (i.e., box-shaped), but in alternative embodiments, the first and second members  310  and  314  may have different cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, etc.). 
         [0023]    The cross member  322  includes an upper planar portion  338 , a lower planar portion  342 , a curved portion  346  connecting the upper and lower planar portions  338 ,  342 , and a flat portion  348  also connecting the upper and lower planar portions  338 ,  342  (opposite the curved portion  346 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the upper planar portion  338  is parallel to the lower planar portion  342 , and the flat portion  348  extends perpendicularly between the upper and lower planar portions  338 ,  342 . Each end of the flat portion  348  includes a smooth, curved transition  350  extending toward each of the first and second members  310 ,  314 . More specifically, the transitions  350  extend toward the interior faces  326 ,  330  of the rectangular members  310 ,  314  such that the cross member  322  meets (i.e., intersects) both of the members  310 ,  314  at non-orthogonal angles. The transitions  350  eliminate any high stress concentration points between the cross member  322  and the first and second rectangular members  310 ,  314 . In other words, the cross member  322  extends transversely between the first and second members  310 ,  314  and includes mechanical stress-reducing curved portions  350  to transition into the top and bottom of the first and second members  310 ,  314 . In the illustrated embodiment, the transitions  350  have a radius of approximately 20 inches that is swept through an angle of approximately 90 degrees. In alternative embodiments, the transitions  350  may have a radius within a range of approximately 10 inches to approximately 30 inches that is swept through an angle within a range of approximately 80 degrees to approximately 100 degrees. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIG. 7 , the cross member  322  includes a closed cross-section, and the smooth transitions  350  allow the torsional stiffness to be gradually transitioned into the first and second members  310 ,  314 . In the illustrated embodiment, the cross member  322  includes a D-shaped cross-section. In alternative embodiments, the cross member  322  may include the arcuate transitions  350  with any cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, etc.). The torsional stiffness of the cross member  322  is similar to a torsion tube, but a significant reduction of mechanism stress is achieved with the cross member  322 , thereby increasing the expected life of the handle  85   c.  With the reduced stress profile, supporting plates that are positioned within the first and second members  310 ,  314  for additional support, can be reduced in size and lightened. 
         [0025]    Alternatively, the cross member  322  and implement attachment points  334  can be a cast component that is welded along a line  354  to the first and second rectangular, box members  310 ,  314 . In other words, everything to the right of the line  354  from the frame of reference of  FIG. 6  can be formed as a single cast part and then welded on to the first and second members  310 ,  314 . Additionally, by utilizing the cross member  322  to reduce the stress levels, the thickness  358  of the first and second members  310 ,  314  can be reduced 
         [0026]    The handles  85   b  and  85   c  eliminate the highly stressed portions of the conventional designs (e.g., the handle  85   a ). The gradual and even transitions  250 ,  350  on the cross members  222 ,  322  provide for an even stress flow into the top and bottom of the side members, with less susceptibility to cracking. As such, the handles  85   b  and  85   c  have an increased expected life when compared to the conventional handle  85   a.