Patent Publication Number: US-2009229433-A1

Title: Cutting Tool and Construction Equipment Therfore

Description:
CROSS-REFFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/069,166 filed Mar. 13, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates in general to construction equipment and more particularly to a cutting tool for construction equipment. 
     Such construction equipment may include, for example, an excavator comprising an articulated arm, commonly referred to as a boom or stick, a bucket and cab mounted on a pivot (i.e., a rotating platform) atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. Cutting implements for construction equipment are well known (e.g., a saw head implement, a processor head implement, a log-forestry-grapple-saw implement, etc) and are popular in forestry equipment. These cutting implements can be considered as self-contained units because they comprise their own cutting tool and levers to pinch material while it is cut. The attachment of a known cutting implement onto construction equipment requires the removal of some other non-cutting implement (e.g., digging implement, 4-in-1 bucket, etc). The problem with this mounting arrangement often arises when the removed non-cutting implement is essential to operation. For example, an excavator will loose its digging utility when the bucket is replaced with a forestry processor head implement. 
     Even though a saw head implement, a processor head implement, etc. come as self-contained implements with their own grabbing levers, they are impractical for sorting and moving diverse materials because they are cumbersome and are designed for specific manipulations. For example, a log grapple, used in forestry, with the bar-and-chain cutter, is used to sort and cut timbers. This implement can be bulky in sorting because the cutter is mounted on its side. Also, this implement lacks the digging utility of a bucket or the rigidity and smashing capability of a contractors grapple because its grapples dangle and swivel helplessly via delicate attachment. Also, because of the cutting tool&#39;s arrangement on the side of the knuckle the tool, it often gets smashed against the logs. 
     Construction equipment with non-cutting implements do not have cutting capability and, when necessity arises, they require a man or a specialized cutting-equipment to do the cutting for them. These non-cutting implements are as follows: a thumb-and-bucket; an earth manipulating bucket, shovel, or the like; a plurality of buckets that can move to oppose each other so as to pinch material; a contractors grapple; a stump-splitter-pincher; a root rake with grapple(s); any grapple; and forks with grapple(s). What is needed is a cutting tool for use with the aforementioned non-cutting implements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to construction equipment of various types (e.g., an excavator, wheeled or tracked loader, skid steer, or any equipment) comprising a cutting tool and one of the commonly available non-cutting implements. The non-cutting implements may be narrowed, for example, to an earth digging or manipulating bucket and the like, a contractors grapple, a grapple, a stump-splitter-pincher, a root rake with grapple(s), or to forks with grapple(s). 
     The attachment of the cutting tool with the non-cutting implements may be in the form of an appendage on the arm of the equipment that shares the pin(s) on which the very implements reside and are being manipulated about. The attachment schemes of the cutting tool in relation to the aforementioned non-cutting implements can differ on construction equipment in various working environments to allow unhindered use of the non-cutting implements when the cutting tool is idle. As a common sense precaution, the cutting tool may be aligned to cut clear away from the non-cutting implements, so as not to damage them. 
     The union of a cutting tool with the aforementioned non-cutting implements will improve versatility of construction equipment in applicable construction or industrial settings. It will allow clearing companies to grab and cut long pieces of various materials to make the pieces shorter for easier manipulation, such as relocating and transportation. During construction, the aforementioned equipment equipped with a cutting tool will enable safe and fast cutting of material to predetermined lengths (e.g. drainage pipes, timber, wire, etc.). Risk of accidents in various settings will be reduced due to a shorter material manipulation, removed necessity of a person to interact with heavy construction equipment, etc. 
     Various advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a partial side elevation of construction equipment with a cutting tool mounted thereto. 
         FIG. 2  is an environmental, rear elevation of the construction equipment and a cutting tool shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFFERED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a portion of construction equipment, indicated generally at  10 , with a cutting tool  12  mounted thereto. The construction equipment comprises an articulated arm  14 . The arm  14  supports a grapple  20 , in the form of a claw having two or more opposing levers, such as the bucket and the thumb  22 ,  24  shown, that pinch a log or other material, usually to catch, lift, hold or drag the material. The cutting tool  12  may be actuated when the bucket  22  and the thumb  24  grab the material. 
     It should be appreciated that the cutting tool  12  may include a cutter  30 . The cutter  30 , such as the bar-and-chain shown, may be fixed, for example, in relation to the arm  14  or grapple  20 . Alternatively, the cutter  30  may be supported for movement in relation to the arm  14  or grapple  20 . For example, the cutter  30  may move (e.g., about 180 degrees) along the path of the arrows shown in  FIG. 1  at the pivot  32  shown. A shield  34  may be provided. The cutter  30  may extend from and retract into the shield  34  when the cutter  30  is idle. The cutting tool  12  may further be provided with a drive assembly, which may be housed, for example, in the housing  36  shown. The drive assembly may be powered by a power source and connected to the cutter  30  to impart a motive force to the cutter  30 , or otherwise operate the cutter  30 . 
     The invention is not intended to be used exclusively with the construction equipment and the grapple  20  shown, but may be used with other levers (i.e., a contractors grapple, a stump-splitter-pincher, four-in-one bucket, clam bucket, forks with grapple(s), root rake with grapple(s), and the like). The reader should appreciate the drawing and references are provided to understand the main concept. From here on, a description of the preferred embodiment will continue, and refer to drawings when necessity arises. 
     Due to advances in cutting technology, it is now practical to fit the equipment with a grapple  20 , as shown, or the other levers (i.e., a contractors bucket, a stump-splitter-pincher, etc.) with various cutters  30 . The cutting ability will allow clearing companies to grab and cut long pieces of various materials to make the pieces shorter for easier manipulation, such as relocating and transportation. During construction, the aforementioned equipment equipped with the cutting tool  12  will enable safe and fast cutting of material (e.g. drainage pipes, timbers, logs, wire, and other material) to predetermined lengths. 
     Continuing with reference to the drawings, the cutting tool  12  may comprise any cutter  30 , including, for example, a blade, or a bar-and-chain (as shown), or other cutters (e.g., common torch, plasma, laser, laser emitting element, abrasive-jet, high pressure nozzle), or a setup that cuts universally different material types. Also, multiple cutting tools  12  or cutters  30  can be installed on the arm  14  of the equipment  10  to cut various materials. The cutter  30  or other suitable cutter will add cutting capability to the aforementioned equipment without a noticeable tradeoff or reduction in standard performance because of the reduced size, speed, efficiency, and versatility in available cutting technology. Cutting fluid tanks (e.g., carrying lubricants, coolants, carrying mediums, abrasives, gas/gasses, etc.) may be combined with the cutting tool  12  or cutter  30 , or may be placed elsewhere on the arm  14  or the equipment if size is of concern or the placement of these tanks on the cutting tool  12  or cutter  30  is unsafe or undesirable. 
     Fastening of the cutting tool  12  onto the existing pin(s)  38  on the equipment is beneficial. The existing pin(s) are the pin(s) that hold the grapple  20  (i.e., the grabbing, picking, earth manipulating implements, or other levers  22 ,  24 ) on the arm  14  of the equipment. Alternatively, the existing pin(s)  38  may be replaced with prefabricated pin(s). The prefabricated pin(s) may be elongated at least on one side and in some cases on both sides when applicable. As an option, customers can install elongated pins with their elongations on opposing sides of the arm  14  of the equipment to permit the cutting tool  12  to be attached at either side of the arm  14 . The elongations may have mating surfaces onto which the cutting tool  12  may be fitted, or onto which an optional quick-attach base (not shown) can be fitted. 
     The cutting tool  12  on its own can be installed and removed quickly, but the quick attach base may have an advantage because of greater versatility and speed of installation or removal. When the cutting tool  12  is taken off the base, the base by itself may be of slim design. The base may have neatly arranged block of hydraulic or electrical couplers or connectors, respectively. The cutting tool  12  can also be attached on a semi-flexible attachment. This setup will help protect the cutting tool  12  in case it is accidentally bumped, in that it will flex to either side and reduce the blow, thus potentially saving itself from destruction. The choices of the semi-flexible attachment setups (e.g., springs, flexible material, engineering solutions, etc.), which will enable the cutting tool  12  to return to its correct position as soon as the unintended force on the cutting tool  12  recedes, are limitless. 
     Safety should be of great concern when operating the cutting tool  12 . Debris, pieces, or other cutting material may fly out. Thus, it may be necessary to provide sufficient guards or deflectors to reduce the risk that this will occur. The safety guards may be in the way of operation and get torn off. Thus, easily replaceable guards may be considered. Also, setting up the cutting tool  12  in such a way where the cutting material stream flies underneath, for example, a loader  10  or other equipment can be considered in cases where it is applicable. For instance, equipment in the form of an excavator with the boom or arm  14  extended out further away from the cab (not shown) can have a tendency to deflect cutting material debris towards the cab. In this example, the excavator can have an option (if equipped with such versatile cutter) to swing the cutter  30  both ways, that is, to cut the material from the top or from the bottom. This configuration would allow the operator to choose which direction the cutting debris is directed. This versatile cutting approach would have a minimal to nonexistent loss in performance. 
     Bystanders and crew members are often found working in close vicinity of the equipment (e.g., when hooking up a lifting chain on a loader or an excavator). A laborer on the ground should have a reliable way to disable the cutting tool  12  from outside of the equipment. Once the cutting tool  12  is disabled, an operator inside the equipment will have no way to activate it from inside. This precaution will reduce the risk of accidents due to a short in the system or unintended use of the cutting tool  12 . Disabling the cutting tool  12  should be easy to reach from the ground and should not require a laborer to put oneself at extra risk. For example, a laborer need not be reaching or getting any part(s) of his/her body between the levers  22 ,  24  (e.g., a contractors grapple, a stump-splitter-pincher, or forks with grapple(s) and the like) of a wheeled or tracked equipment. 
     One way of easy access to the disabling mechanism (not shown) is the placement of an antenna-type rod with a push-button at its end, on one or both sides of the equipment  10 . The disabling button may turn off the power supply to the cutting tool  12 , which may be electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, or any imaginable alternative power source. As the cutting tool  12  is turned off, the disabling mechanism may send a confirmation signal (e.g., sound blip or light). Furthermore, the operator or the laborer outside should be able to know if the cutting tool  12  is disabled just by looking at coded signals. Another way is a conventional approach that can be very reliable and economical. This method may use purely manual means of locking or disabling the cutting tool  12 , for example, a pin that would slide through, for example, the cutting-bar  30  and the housing  36  to lock the cutting tool  12  in its place. Due to the cutting tool&#39;s agility (speed), safety should be of greatest concern when working near it. Also, servicing, installing, uninstalling a cutting tool  12  should be done by a certified person with references to various manuals. 
     In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.