US3169649A

US3169649A - Excavators

Info

Publication number: US3169649A
Application number: US294658A
Authority: US
Inventors: Brocklebank Norman; Scott Gordon
Original assignee: Priestman Brothers Ltd
Current assignee: Priestman Brothers Ltd
Priority date: 1963-07-12
Filing date: 1963-07-12
Publication date: 1965-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-16

Description

1965 N. BROCKLEBANK ETAL 3,169,649

EXCAVATORS Filed July 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventors NORMAN Became-ARK GORDON Sco-rr 1965 N. BROCKLEBANK ETAL 3,159,649

EXCAVATORS Filed July 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors NORMAN BRQLKLEBANK Gonvou Sea-r1- A ftorney;

United States Patent 3,169,649 EXCAVATORS Norman Brocklebank, Beverley, and Gordon Scott, Hull, England, assignors to Priestman Brothers Limited, Hull, England, a British company Filed July 12, 1963, Ser. No. 294,658 Claims. (Cl. 214-138) This invention relates to mechanical excavators in which a bucket is pivotally mounted on an arm carried from the body of the excavator and the bucket also has pivoted to it a link by, which the bucket can be rocked about its pivot on the arm during digging and for discharging its contents.

According to the present invention the bucket of such an excavator has two connections, one near the top and one near the bottom of the bucket by either of which it can alternatively be attached to the arm, and the link incorporates a swivel which allows the bucket, when attached to the arm by one connection, to be disconnected, turned around on the swivel so that the bucket faces in an opposite direction relatively to the arm and then attached again to the arm by the other connection.

With this simple arrangement the excavator can easily be altered from use as a drag shovel or back-actor to use as a face shovel. All that is necessary is to disconnect the connection by which the bucket is attached to the arm and then to turn the bucket through 180 on its swivel and connect the bucket to the arm again by the other connection.

The link may connect the bucket to an inner boom part, which is pivoted directly on the excavator body, and to the free end of which the arm carrying the bucket is pivoted as in the excavator described in British Patent No. 940,607. Alternatively the link may be con.- nected to a hydraulic ram by which the bucket is directly rocked on the end of the arm,

In any case the bucket is preferably mounted on the end of the arm and the link may then consist of a bar which extends along the arm and is connected by a pivoted lever to a point near the end of the arm.

In order to provide the swivel, the link may consist of a bar which is divided into two portions each of which has a circular head at one end, the two circular heads abutting each other and being surrounded by a split collar which holds them together but allows them to rotate relatively to each other, when clamping bolts are loosened.

One example of an excavator constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE I is a side elevation of our new mechanical excavator;

FIGURE 11 is a side elevation of the bucket which is shown while it is being turned around;

FIGURE III is a side elevation of the bucket after it has been turned around and reconnected to the arm; and

FIGURE IV is a side elevation of the swivel in the link.

The excavator consists of a body 1 which is carried through a turntable 2 on a track laying base 3. A box shaped boom 4 is pivoted at its lower end 5 to the body 1 and is raised and lowered by a hydraulic ram 6. A channel shaped digging arm 7 is pivoted to the free upper end 8 of the boom 4 by means of a pair of brackets 9 which extend one on each side of the boom 4 and arm 7. The brackets 9 carry an extension 19 which is connected by a hydraulic ram 11 to the boom 4 so that, upon operation of the ram 11, the digging arm can be swung backwards and forwards on the end of the boom 4. A bucket 12 having digging teeth 13 is fitted to the free end of the arm 7. The bucket 12 is rocked about the end of the arm 7 by a hydraulic ram 14 which is pivotally connected to the brackets 9 and to one end of a link 15 the other end of which is pivoted to the bucket 12. A pivoted lever 16 connects the common junction of the ram 14 and a link 15 with a point near the end of the arm 7.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE II, the sides of the bucket 12 are formed with rearwardly extending flanges 17 and the two flanges have three sets of aligned holes through them. One set 18 is near the top, one set 19 is near the bottom, and the third set 20 is midway between the other two sets. The two sets of

holes

18 and 19 form alternative connections at which the bucket 12 can be connected to the end of the arm 7 by a pin which passes through a set of holes 21 in the side plates of the arm 7 as well as through the

holes

18 or 19. The end of the link 15, which incorporates a swivel 22, is connected to the flanges 17 of the bucket by a pin which passes through the set of holes 20.

As best seen in FIGURE IV, the link 15 consists of two

identical portions

23 and 24 each of which has a machined circular head 25 at one end and a forked bracket 26 at the other end. The circular heads 25 abut one another and are surrounded by a split collar 27 the two parts of which are fixed together by bolts 28. When the bolts 28 are drawn up tightly, the heads 25 of the

portions

23 and 24 are drawn up tightly together as a result of an engagement between chamfered surfaces 29 inside the collar 27 with correspondingly shaped surfaces beneath the heads 25. However, when the bolts 28 are loosened, the

portions

23 and 24 of the link 15 can rotate relatively to one another within the collar 27 so that the bucket 12 can be turned around.

If then the bucket is initially in a position shown in FIGURE I in which the open front of the bucket faces backwards and the excavator is ready for use as a back. or r r chg er, n h pin whi h Pas t ro gh the holes 18 in, the flanges 17 and connects the bucket to the arm 7 is removed, the bucket will drop to the position shown in FIGURE II in which it is supported by the link 15. If the bolts 28 are released the bucket can then be swung around through about its swivel 22 and reconnected to the arm 7 by a pin which passes through the holes 19 in the flanges 17 and through the holes 21 in the arm 7. When the bolts 28 have been tightened once more, the excavator will be ready for use as a face shovel as shown in FIGURE III. The procedure is of course the same to reconvert the excavator for use as a drag shovel once more.

We claim:

1. In a mechanical excavator comprising a boom, 21 digging arm pivotally mounted on said boom, and power operated digging means mounted on the free end of said arm, the improved digging means which comprises a digging bucket, first pivotal connection means on the free end of said arm, second and third pivotal connection means at the front and rear respectively of said bucket for alternative cooperation with said first pivotal connection means to rockably mount said bucket on Said arm with the front of said bucket in positions facing forwards and backwards respectively, power means mounted on said arm, a rigid link, fourth means pivotally connecting one end of said link to said power means, fifth means pivotally connecting the other end of said link to said bucket intermediate said second and said third pivotal connection means, whereby said link can transmit thrust and pull from said power means to said bucket to rock said bucket on said arm when said bucket is mounted in either of said positions, and swivel means in said link whereby said bucket may be swivelled while supported by said link to selectively bring said second or said third pivotal connection means into cooperation with said first pivotal connection means.

2. An-excavator as claimed inclaim l in which the bucket is mounted on the end of the arm and the link consists of a bar which extends beside the arm but is spaced therefrom by a lever pivotally connected at one end to the link and at the other end to a point near the end of the arm.

3. An excavator as claimed'in claim 1 in which the link consists of a bar divided into two portions, each portion having a circular head at one end with the two circular heads abutting each other, and a split collar. surrounding'said heads which holds them together but allows them to rotate relatively to each other to form the swivel.

4. An excavator as claimed in claim 1 in which said power means is a hydraulic ram by means of which the bucket is locked on the end of the arm.

,5. An excavator as claimed in claim 1, in which the connection for the bucket to'the arm, and the central holes'in the flanges beingarranged-to receive a pin which extends between the two flanges and forms a connection for the link.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,185,427 5/16 Moore 2141 37 1,385,322 7/21 Hoifmeyer 2l4'138 1,479,849 1/24 Williams 214137 2,678,140 5/54 GOetZ 214138 HUGO O. 'SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A MECHANICAL EXCAVATOR COMPRISING A BOOM, A DIGGING ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BOOM, AND POWER OPERATED DIGGING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FREE END OF SAID ARM, THE IMPROVED DIGGING MEAN WHICH COMPRISES A DIGGING BUCKET, FIRST PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS ON THE FREE END OF SAID ARM, SECOND AND THIRD PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS AT THE FRONT AND REAR RESPECTIVELY OF SAID BUCKET FOR ALTERNATIVE COOPERATION WITH SAID FIRST PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS TO ROCKABLY MOUNT SAID BUCKET ON SAID ARM WITH THE FRONT OF SAID BUCKET IN POSITIONS FACING FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS RESPECTIVELY, POWER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ARM, A RIGID LINK, FOURTH MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID LINK TO SAID POWER MEANS, FIFTH MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID LINK TO SAID BUCKET INTERMEDIATE SAID SECOND AND SAID THIRD PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS, WHEREBY SAID LINK CAN TRANSMIT THRUST AND PULL FROM SAID POWER MEANS TO SAID BUCKET TO ROCK SAID BUCKET ON SAID ARM WHEN SAID BUCKET IS MOUNTED IN EITHER OF SAID POSITIONS, AND SWIVEL MEANS IN SAID LINK WHEREBY SAID BUCKET MAY BE SWIVELLED WHILE SUPPORTED BY SAID LINK TO SELECTIVELY BRING SAID SECOND OR SAID THIRD PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS INTO COOPERATION WITH SAID FIRST PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS.