QUICK MOUNT PARTICULARLY FOR FIXING BUCKETS TO EARTH-MOVING MACHINES

Abstract: The quick mount according to the invention is particularly adapted to fix buckets of various sizes and types to earth-moving machines. The mount comprises a support (2) which can be fixed to the end of the operating arm (6) of an earth-moving machine; downwardly extending elements (10) are welded to the plate and are provided with a curved end (11) adapted to insert between the upper part of a bucket (25) and a transverse pivot (27) thereof. On the opposite side, the support bears independently or controllably actuated means (17) for coupling to the bucket.

Description: The present invention relates to a combination of a quick mount and a bucket particularly for fixing buckets to earth-moving machines. The need to replace buckets in any moment, for example during excavations or earth-moving work with earth-moving machines equipped with such buckets, is known. According to the kind of work and to the room available, different buckets are in fact normally provided which can be interchangeably associated with a same earth-moving machine. Current types of mount between buckets and earth-moving machines comprise the insertion of dowels or pins in complementary holes provided on protrusions defined on the two parts to be associated. Though they achieve their specific purposes, such kinds of mount are not free from disadvantages, among which considerable difficulty in achieving the correct positioning of the earth-moving machine with respect to the bucket in order to insert the fixing dowels or pins. Two operators are furthermore always required to perform the mount: one for maneuvering the earth-moving machine, the other one for inserting said dowels. US-A-4 355 945, which discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1, shows a hitch component for mounting a bucket to a boom. The hitch component has its upper side connectable to the boom, and is provided with, at one end thereof, a notch which engages with a first bar on the bucket. At the other end of the hitch component, a pivoting locking arm, actuated by a hydraulic jack, engages with a second bar provided on the bucket. The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages described above in the known art by providing a quick mount capable of achieving the substantially immediate replacement of buckets of various sizes and kinds on earth-moving machines. A consequent primary object is to provide a quick mount, particularly for fixing buckets to earth-moving machines, which allows the machine operator to perform the replacement operation autonomously. Another important object is to provide a quick mount characterized by easy use and complete absence of maintenance. Another object is to provide a quick mount which can be easily installed and adapted to current earth-moving machines and to current kinds of buckets. Not least object is to provide a quick mount which can be manufactured at low costs with current production systems. This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a quick mount as defined in the appended claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of two embodiments, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a side view of a mount according to a first aspect of the invention, in a first step of the mutual fixing of the parts; figure 2 is a view of the mount of figure 1 after the parts have been mutually fixed; figures 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views which illustrate the various steps of the fixing of a bucket to the arm of an earth-moving machine by means of the quick mount of figure 1; With reference to figures 1 to 5, a quick mount according to the invention is generally indicated, in a first embodiment, by the reference numeral 1 and comprises a support constituted by a metallic plate 2; two first parallel wings 3, made of thick sheet metal, are upwardly and longitudinally welded orthogonally to said plate; said wings are provided, at their ends, with coaxial pairs of transverse holes 4 and 5 for fixing to the operating arm of an earth-moving machine. As illustrated in figures 3 to 5, the end of the arm 6 is conveniently articulated between said holes 4, while the end of a lever system 7 actuated by a hydraulic piston 8 is articulated between said holes 5. Two second parallel wings 9, made of thick sheet metal and having a substantially elongated rectangular profile, are longitudinally welded below said plate 2; an element 10 extends downwards from an end of each of said second wings 9 on the side articulated to the arm 6, and has an end 11 which is outwardly curved in the shape of an arc of a circle. A half-shell 12, conveniently made by diametrically cutting a metal tube, is transversely welded between the two ends 11 of the elements 10. A transversely perforated element 13 for the pivoting ot a tubular element 14 is upwardly welded in a substantially orthogonal position at the end of each second wing 9 which is arranged opposite to the articulation of the arm 6. The rotoidal coupling between the pair of elements 13 and the tubular element 14 is achieved by inserting, in appropriate end seats of said element 14, elastic means 15 of the kind commonly termed "silent block" and by then inserting axially to said elastic means a threaded pin 16 provided with a locking nut. A hook 17 is welded radially to said tubular element 14; said hook is substantially composed of a metal plate 18 which has a metal strip 19 welded to its free end on its outer side; said strip has an outer rounding 20 which in practice joins the two surfaces which are not adapted to be coupled. Said hook 17 is kept arranged downwards and substantially orthogonal to said plate 2 as it is rigidly associated by means of bolts to an element 21 which protrudes downwards from said plate 2. An elastic rubber element 22 is interposed between said hook 17 and the element 21; its compression allows said hook a certain degree of rotation about the pivot 16. A bush 23 is transversely welded on the tubular element 14 in a position diametrically opposite to said hook 17; the end of a lever 24 can be inserted in said bush, said lever allowing the above mentioned rotation when manually actuated. The quick mount 1 can be associated with the upper portion of a bucket 25 which is conveniently provided with a pair of third longitudinal wings 26 made of thick sheet metal, between which a large cylindrical pivot 27 is transversely welded on the side of said elements 10; the outer surface of said pivot 27 is shaped complementarily to the inner surface of said half shell 12. A crosspiece 28 is welded to the bucket 25 on the side of said hook 17; said crosspiece is upwardly chamfered and downwardly shaped complementarily with respect to the coupling regions of said hook. The various steps of the fixing of a bucket to an earth-moving machine are illustrated in figures 3, 4 and 5, which illustrate a first step of approach of the operating arm 6 to the bucket 25, with the mount 1 in a substantially vertical position due to the traction exerted on the lever system 7 by the hydraulic piston 8. A second step consists in inserting the half-shell 12 between the pivot 27 and the upper part of said bucket 25. By subsequently actuating the lever system 7 by means of the hydraulic piston 8, the mount 1 is rotated about the pivot 27 until the rounded portion 20 of the hook 17 makes contact with the chamfered portion of the crosspiece 28. As said rotation of the mount 1 continues, the crosspiece 28 forces the hook 17 to rotate about its articulation pivot until it stably engages. If the bucket 25 is to be released from the arm 6, it is sufficient to insert the lever 24 in the bush 23 and to rotate the hook 17 until it disengages from the crosspiece 28, subsequently performing the above described operations in reverse sequence. Said bushes are in fact subject to considerable wear, since they are heavily stressed during the use of the bucket. From what has been described and illustrated above it is therefore evident that the invention brilliantly achieves the intended aim and objects, a mount having been provided which allows the substantially immediate replacement of buckets on earth moving machines. The speed and ease of the coupling and uncoupling operations allows their execution on the part of a single operator, in particular the operator of the earth moving machine. The invention is furthermore composed of simple elements which can be mutually assembled without difficulty, and this makes it constructively convenient and competitive as regards its sales price. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials employed, so long as compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: A combination of a quick mount and a bucket, particularly for fixing said bucket to earth-moving machines, comprising a support (2) which is fixable to the end of the operating arm (6) of an earth-moving machine, elements (10) with a curved end (11) extending downwards from said support on one side, said curved end being adapted to insert between the upper portion of said bucket (25) and a transverse coupling pivot (27) thereof and, on the opposite side, means (17) for coupling to the bucket, said means for coupling to the bucket comprising a hook-like element (17) articulated to the support and biased into a closed and locked position about a crosspiece (28) of said bucket (25), said hook-like element (17) being disengageable from the crosspiece (28) by means of a rotation, said quick mount being characterized in that said means for coupling to the bucket further comprise elastic means (22) for biasing said hook-like element (17) into its closed and locked position, and thereby said hook-like element (17) being disengageable from the crosspiece (28) by means of a rotation thereof in contrast with the action of said elastic means (22). Combination according to claim 1, characterized in that the hook-like element (17) is kept in a downwardly directed position by virtue of said elastic means (22) which cooperate with fixing means (21), said elastic means comprising an elastic rubber element interposed between said hook-like element (17) and said fixing means (21). Combination according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said support is constituted by a plate (2), above which two first parallel wings (3) are welded longitudinally in a substantially orthogonal configuration, said wings having, at their ends, coaxial pairs of transverse holes (4, 5) for fixing to said operating arm of an earth-moving machine, the end of said arm and the end of a lever system (7) actuated by a hydraulic piston (8) being articulated between said holes. Combination according to claim 3, characterized in that two second parallel wings (9) are welded longitudinally below said plate, one of said elements (10) with curved ends extending downwards from an end of each of said wings on the side of articulation to said operating arm, the shape of said end being an outwardly directed arc of a circle. Combination according to claim 4, characterized in that a half-shell (12) is welded transversely between the curved ends (11) of said elements (10), said half-shell and said curved-end elements being insertable between the upper portion of said bucket and said transverse pivot thereof, which is provided between a pair of third longitudinal wings which extends therefrom. Combination according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said hook-like element (17) is radially welded to a tubular element (14) articulated between pivoting elements which extend substantially orthogonally upwards from said plate at the end opposite to the articulation to said operating arm, the rotoidal coupling being provided by inserting elastic means (15) in appropriate end seats of the tubular element and by then inserting axially to said elastic means a threaded pivot (16) with a locking nut. Combination according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said hook-like element (17) is substantially composed of a plate (18), with a strip (19) welded to its free end, on the outer side, said strip having a chamfering which comprises the two sides not suitable for coupling. Combination according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said hook-like element (17) keeps a downwardly directed position as an effect of said fixing elements, which protrude downwards from said plate and are fixed to said hook-like element by bolting, said elastic elements (22) being interposed between said fixing elements (21) and said hook-like elements (17). Combination according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said transverse element which protrudes from the upper portion of said bucket (25) is composed of a crosspiece (28) which is upwardly chamfered and downwardly shaped complimentarily to the coupling regions of said hook-like element.

Inventors: VACCARO, TIBERIO
Applicants: V.T.N. BENNE S.R.L.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: E02F3
IPC codes: E02F3