PALLET FORK IMPLEMENT FOR WORK MACHINE
A pallet fork implement is configured to be mounted on a blade of a power machine. The pallet fork implement includes an engagement portion for engaging the blade of the power machine, and a tine portion for performing a work function. The tine portion is configured to extend generally forward of the blade when the engagement portion is engaged with the blade. The engagement portion of the pallet fork implement is a unitary assembly.
Latest CLARK EQUIPMENT COMPANY Patents:
The present discussion relates to a work implement for a power machine such as an excavator. In particular, the present discussion relates to pallet fork implements or attachments which can be mounted or engaged on a blade of a power machine and which can be stowed in a carrier system attached to or proximate an undercarriage of the power machine.
BACKGROUNDForklifts are commonly used to lift pallets and other loads. Forklifts include pallet forks that engage a pallet or other load to be lifted, allowing a lift mechanism of the fork lift to lift the load in a stabilized manner. It is frequently too costly and otherwise inconvenient to have a forklift available at a worksite, particularly since the need for the forklift may be temporary, short term, and/or otherwise infrequent.
To reduce the need for a separate forklift vehicle at a worksite, pallet forks have been fixedly attached to other implements or attachments of power machines. For example, pallet forks have been attached to buckets for this purpose. To accomplish the attachment of pallet forks to a bucket or other type of attachments, some sort of mounting structure on the host attachment is used to engage with the pallet forks to fixedly attach the forks to the host attachment. This type of mounting structure adds cost and complexity to the power machine, to the host attachment, and/or to the pallet fork implement.
In at least some instances, pallet fork assemblies that are designed to engage attachments of a power machine have required adjustability to work with a variety of host attachments. They have also required fastening mechanisms that are used to secure the pallet fork assemblies to the implement. The need for adjustable pallet fork implements and/or the need for the pallet fork implements to include fastening mechanisms can increase manufacturing costs, manufacturing complexity, installation time, etc.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
SUMMARYA pallet fork implement is configured to be mounted on a blade of a power machine. The pallet fork attachment includes an engagement portion for engaging the blade of the power machine, and a tine portion for performing a work function. The tine portion is configured to extend generally forward of the blade when the engagement portion is engaged with the blade. The engagement portion of the pallet fork implement is a unitary assembly.
This Summary and the Abstract are provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary and the Abstract are not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The power machine 100 illustrated in
The mounting portion 232 includes an engagement structure 248 for engaging the blade 216 illustrated in
Because the blade 216 has a lip 220 and a cutting edge 226 that extend from one side 222 to the other side 224 and have, in one embodiment, a similar cross sectional profile over all or part of the width W of the blade 216, the pallet forks 230 can advantageously be positioned along any location of the width W (or alternatively along substantial portions of the width W) of the blade 216, which provides flexibility in terms of what the pallet forks can engage. While
The pallet forks 230 are mounted onto the blade 216 by positioning the pallet fork 230 so that it extends forward from the blade 216 and rotating the pallet fork 230 so that the lip engagement member 238 is capable of engaging the lip 220. Then, the fork is pulled forward and rotated down until the protrusion 242 engages and rests against the cutting edge 226. In some embodiments, the engagement portion is a rigid, unitary assembly when manufactured, although it may be assembled from a plurality of components such as by welding metal parts together. It should be appreciated that by unitary assembly, it is meant that the assembly is not capable of disassembly, adjustment, and does not include a portion that is pivotable with respect to another portion of the assembly. That is, the engagement portion is manufactured so that the unitary assembly is configured to engage and be accepted by the implement carrier. Furthermore, the engagement and work portions are, in some embodiments, a unitary assembly when manufactured.
Returning to
The pallet fork 602 includes a tine or work portion 624, a portion of which is shown in
In pallet fork 602, a lip engagement member 616 includes material that is formed to include two adjacent contact areas 630 and 631, which engage adjacent portions of the blade 608, including the lip 614 of blade 608 and upper surface 615 of the moldboard 636. To aid in the engagement of pallet fork 602 without separate attachment mechanisms, contact areas 630 and 631 are not collinear or parallel with one another in an exemplary embodiment. Further, in some exemplary contact areas 630 and 631 are orthogonal or substantially orthogonal with one another, although the intersection of contact areas 630 and 631 may include a radius. An angle between contact areas 630 and 631 of less than 90° can also be used. The lip engagement member also includes a tab 632, which provides some retention force when the pallet fork 602 is engaged with the blade 608 as is shown in
The pallet fork 602 includes a face 618 and a protrusion 620. The face 618 is positioned such that when the pallet fork 602 is engaged with the blade 608, the face 618 is not in contact with moldboard 636. The pallet fork 602 also includes a cutting edge contact area 628, which is configured to be in contact with the cutting edge 612 when the pallet fork 602 is engaged with the blade 608. As is shown in
While the embodiments above discuss pallet forks, it should be understood that other implements that can be positioned on the host implement of a power machine such as an excavator have been contemplated. The embodiments disclosed above are illustrative in nature and one skilled in the art would appreciate that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present discussion.
Claims
1. A pallet fork implement configured to be mounted on a blade of a power machine, comprising:
- an engagement portion for engaging the blade of the power machine;
- a tine portion for performing a work function, the tine portion configured to extend generally forward of the blade when the engagement portion is engaged with the blade; and
- wherein the engagement portion is a unitary assembly.
2. The pallet fork implement of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion has a first contact area configured to contact a lip of the blade when the engagement portion is engaged with the blade, and a second contact area configured to contact an upper surface of the blade adjacent to the lip of the blade when the engagement portion is engaged with the blade.
3. The pallet fork implement of claim 2, wherein the first and second contact areas are substantially orthogonal to one another.
4. The pallet fork implement of claim 2, wherein the upper surface of the blade with which the second contact area is configured to contact is an upper surface of a moldboard of the blade.
5. The pallet fork implement of claim 2, wherein the engagement portion has a third contact area configured to contact a cutting edge of the blade when the engagement portion is engaged with the blade.
6. The pallet fork implement of claim 5, wherein the engagement portion includes a face surface extending between the second engagement surface and the third engagement surface, and wherein the engagement portion is configured such that the face surface is not in contact with the blade when the engagement portion is engaged with the blade.
7. The pallet fork implement of claim 6, wherein the engagement portion includes a protrusion below the face surface, wherein the protrusion provides the third contact area.
8. The pallet fork implement of claim 5, wherein the engagement portion has a retention member adjacent the first engagement surface and positioned opposing the second engagement surface, and wherein when the first, second and third contact area are in contact with the blade, the retention member is substantially not in contact with the implement carrier.
9. A power machine having a frame and a blade operably coupled to the frame, the blade configured to carry the pallet fork implement of claim 1.
10. The power machine of claim 9, wherein the blade is configured to carry a plurality of pallet fork implements concurrently.
11. The power machine of claim 9 and further comprising a lift arm coupled to the blade and pivotally coupled to the frame and wherein the lift arm is further coupled to a power source capable of moving the lift arm relative to the frame.
12. The power machine of claim 10 and further comprising a storage structure attached to the frame configured to retain the pallet fork implements in a storage position.
13. The power machine of claim 12, wherein the storage structure includes a plurality of pairs of brackets attached to the frame, and wherein each pair of brackets is configured to retain a separate pallet fork implement in the storage position.
14. The power machine of claim 12, wherein the storage structure is configured to accept the work portion of each of the plurality of pallet fork implements when the plurality of implements are retained in the storage position.
15. The power machine of claim 14, wherein when the plurality of pallet fork implements are retained in the storage position, the engagement portions of each of the plurality of implements are coupled together.
16. An implement, comprising:
- an engagement portion for engaging a portion of a host implement that is attached to a power machine by hanging over a portion of the host implement and abutting generally planar portions of the host implement, wherein the host implement is free from actuable mechanisms for locking the host implement to the engagement portion;
- a work portion for performing a work function; and
- wherein the engagement portion is a unitary assembly.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 21, 2010
Publication Date: Aug 16, 2012
Applicant: CLARK EQUIPMENT COMPANY (West Fargo, ND)
Inventors: Troy D. Kraft (Bismarck, ND), Jaroslav Fiser (Pribram)
Application Number: 13/503,566
International Classification: E02F 3/96 (20060101);