Grappling arm assembly with latching means
An assembly mountable on a dipper stick of a machine having an implement pivotally connected to the dipper stick and means operatively interconnecting the dipper stick and implement for pivoting the implement relative to the dipper stick, generally consisting of an arm member mountable on an underside of the dipper stick for pivotal movement relative to the dipper stick, means for pivoting the arm member between and inoperative position and an operative position cooperable with the implement when the implement is pivoted relative to the dipper stick toward the arm member to grapple objects between the implement and the arm member, and means for detachably latching the arm member in the inoperative position including a first member mountable on one of the dipper sticks and the arm member having at least one recess and a second member mountable on the other of the dipper stick and the arm member having a yieldably biased protuberance receivable in the recess when the arm member is in the inoperative position.
This invention relates to an assembly mountable on a machine for grappling various objects such as tree trunks, branches, rocks and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the use of excavating machines typically equipped with a bucket which may be curled and uncurled to perform excavating operations, it often is desirable to grapple and move various articles such as tree trunks, branches, large rocks and the like without materially interrupting the excavating operation. For this purpose, there has been developed and widely used in the construction, mining, land clearing and other industries, an arm member, commonly referred to as a “thumb,” which is mounted on the underside of the dipper stick of the machine and cooperable with the bucket to grapple objects. Such arm members are either permanently positioned on the underside of the dipper stick in an extended, operative position or displaceable between an operative position cooperative with the bucket or an inoperative position disposed adjacent and detachably secured to the underside of the dipper stick.
In the use of the type of arm member which is displaceable between operative and inoperative positions, it has been found that the construction and displacement of such arm members in the prior art requires an undo interruption of the excavating operation of the machine which results in a diminution of productivity. Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide an arm member mountable on the underside of the dipper stick of a machine which may be easily and quickly displaced between an extended, operative position cooperable with the bucket of the machine for grappling objects, and a retracted, inoperable position along the underside of the dipper stick, so as not to unduly interrupt the excavating operation of the machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an assembly mountable on the dipper stick of a machine having an implement pivotally connected to the dipper stick and means operatively interconnecting the dipper stick and the implement for pivoting the implement relative to the dipper stick, generally consisting of an arm member mountable on the underside of the stick for pivotal movement relative to the dipper stick, means for pivoting the arm member between a retracted, inoperable position and an extended, operative position cooperable with the implement when the implement is pivoted relative to the dipper stick toward the implement to grapple objects between the implement and the arm member, and means for detachably latching the arm member in the inoperative position. Such latching means includes a first member mountable on one of the dipper stick and the arm member having at least one recess and a second member mountable on the other of the dipper stick and the arm member having a yieldably biased protuberance receivable in the recess when the arm member is in the inoperative position. Preferably, the pivoting means for the arm member comprises a fluid actuated cylinder assembly which is adapted to be received within the envelope of the arm member when the arm member is in the inoperative position, and the latching means includes a bracket mounted on the underside of the dipper stick having a pair of outwardly, yieldably biased protuberances, and surfaces on the arm member provided with recesses registrable with such protuberances when the arm member is in the inoperative position, whereby the protrusions snap-fit into the recesses to displaceably retain the arm member in the inoperative position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
Arm assembly 11 includes an arm member 30, a fluid actuated cylinder 31 and a latching mechanism 32. The arm member consists of a pair of transversely spaced, elongated plate members 33 and 34 joined together adjacent one set of ends by means of a cross plate member 35 and at another end thereof by a cross plate member 36, and pivotally connected at the first mention end thereof to a bracket 37 mounted on the underside of the dipper stick adjacent the free end thereof, by means of a pivot pin 38. Cross plate member 36 is adapted to engage the cutting edge 39 of bucket 15 when the bucket is curled to the position as shown in
Actuating assembly 31 includes a cylinder member 40 pivotally connected at the base end thereof to a bracket 41 mounted on the underside of the dipper stick by means of a pin 42, and a rod member 43 connected to a set of brackets 44 mounted on crosspiece member 35, between plate members 33 and 34, by means of a connecting pin 45. Upon extension and retraction of rod member 43 in the conventional manner, arm member 30 may be extended to its operable position as shown in
Latching mechanism 32 is illustrated in detail in
Referring to
Under normal excavating operations, the arm member will be retained in the retracted, inoperative position along the underside of the dipper stick as shown in
Because the arm assembly of the present invention may be displaced between inoperative and operative positions easily and quickly without having to interrupt the operation of the machine and manually or otherwise manipulate such assembly, the productivity of the machine is not materially adversely affected. Furthermore, the simplicity of the construction and operation of the latching mechanism minimizes the cost of manufacturing, assembling and operating the assembly.
From the foregoing detained description it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations, and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the aforementioned invention pertains. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A grappling assembly for a machine having a boom, comprising:
- a dipper stick pivotally connectable to said boom;
- an implement pivotally connected to said dipper stick;
- means operatively interconnecting said dipper stick and said implement for pivoting said implement relative to said dipper stick;
- an arm member connected to an underside of said dipper stick, pivotal between an operative position cooperable with said implement for grappling objects between said arm member and said implement when said implement is pivoted toward said arm member, and an inoperative position;
- means operatively interconnecting said dipper stick and said arm member for pivoting said arm member between said operative and inoperative positions; and
- means for detachably latching said arm member in said operative position including one of said dipper stick and said arm member having at least one transversely extending recess and the other of said dipper stick and said arm member having a yieldably biased, transversely displaceable protuberance receivable in said recess when said arm member is in said inoperative position.
2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means for pivoting said arm member is receivable within said arm member when said arm member is in said inoperative position.
3. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means for pivoting said arm member comprises a fluid actuated cylinder assembly.
4. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said protuberance comprises a button having a curved outer surface receivable in said recess, and wherein said button is yieldingly biased in a projecting direction by a spring seated in said one of said dipper stick and said arm member.
5. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said latching means includes a bracket mounted on the underside of said dipper stick having a pair of outwardly, yieldingly biased protuberances, and surfaces on said arm member provided with recesses registrable with said protuberances when said arm member is in said inoperative position, whereby said protuberances snap-fit into said recesses to displaceably retain said arm member in said inoperative position.
6. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the biasing force exerted on said protuberance is sufficient to yieldingly bias said protuberance in said recess registered therewith yet insufficient to retain said protuberance therein upon operation of said means for pivoting said arm member from said inoperative position to said operative position.
7. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said arm member is provided with a jagged surface engageable with an object being grappled.
8. An assembly mountable on a dipper stick of a machine having an implement pivotally connected to said dipper stick and means operatively interconnecting said dipper stick and said implement for pivoting said implement relative to said dipper stick, comprising:
- an arm member mountable on an underside of said dipper stick for pivotal movement relative to said dipper stick;
- means for pivoting said arm member between an inoperative position and an operative position cooperable with said implement when said implement is pivoted relative to said dipper stick toward said arm member to grapple objects between said implement and said arm member; and
- means for detachably latching said arm member in said inoperative position including a first member mountable on one of said dipper stick and said arm member having at least one transversely extending recess and a second member mountable on the other of said dipper stick and said arm member having a yieldably biased, transversely displaceable protuberance receivable in said recess when said arm member is in said inoperative position.
9. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said means for pivoting said arm member is receivable within said arm member when said arm member is in said inoperative position.
10. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said means for pivoting said arm member comprises a fluid actuated cylinder assembly.
11. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said protuberance comprises a button having a curved outer surface receivable in said recess, and wherein said button is biased in a projecting direction by a spring seated in said one of said dipper stick and said arm member.
12. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said latching means includes a bracket mountable on the underside of said dipper stick having a pair of outwardly, yieldably biased protuberances, and surfaces on said arm member provided with recesses registrable with said protuberances when said arm member is in said inoperative position, whereby said protuberances snap-fit into said recesses to displaceably retain said arm member in said inoperative position.
13. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein the biasing force exerted on said protuberance is sufficient to yieldingly bias said protuberance into said recess registered therewith yet insufficient to retain said protuberance therein upon operation of said means for pivoting said arm member from said inoperative position to said operative position.
14. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said arm member includes a pair of elongated, transversely spaced, plate members, and wherein said means for pivoting said arm member between an inoperative position and an operative position is received between said plate members when said arm member is in said inoperative position.
15. An assembly according to claim 14 wherein said plate members are provided with jagged surfaces engageable with an object being gripped when said arm member is in said operable position.
16. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said member having said recess includes an element disposed in a plane perpendicular to the pivotal axis of said arm member and including said protuberance biased in an extended position, engageable with said protuberance in camming relation to cause said protuberance to displace and then be inserted into said recess when said arm member is angularly displaced to said inoperative position.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 26, 2004
Publication Date: Sep 1, 2005
Inventor: John Clapper (Bedford, PA)
Application Number: 10/786,295