PACKER

Abstract

Quick couplers release one attachment and quickly attach another attachment to the end of the arm. Different attachments are available with differing widths. The attachments comprise of a front and a back pin that are able to engage with the quick coupler. The front pin and/or the back pin are preferably presented mounted to side plates that are secured to the bucket of the attachment. The spacing between the side plates may vary from attachment to attachment. The present invention is a packer that is able to engage with a quick coupler so as to prevent slop when attachments narrower than the quick coupler are used.

Description

The present invention relates to a packer for a quick coupler. More particularly but not exclusively it relates to a packer for a quick coupler of or attached to an excavator or digger arm.

BACKGROUND

Quick couplers for securing an attachment such as a bucket to the arm of an earth working machine such as an excavator or digger are known. Australian patent AU 2007201982 describes a quick coupler that is secured to an end of a digger arm and that can releasably secure, in a rapid manner, an attachment. In many situations different attachments may be attached to the end of a digger arm from time to time. In some instances larger buckets or narrower buckets are desired and an operator of a digger arm is able to release one attachment and quickly attach another attachment to the end of the arm using the quick coupler. The attachments comprise of a front and a back pin that are able to engage with the quick coupler. The front pin and/or the back pin are preferably presented mounted to side plates that are secured to the bucket of the attachment. The spacing between the side plates may vary from attachment to attachment. The side plates secure the front pin and/or back pin to the bucket and also each provide a stop surface to prevent the quick coupler from longitudinally sliding off the pin when engaged. In some instances, the side plates supporting the pin or pins are spaced a significantly larger distance apart than the surfaces of the quick coupler that bear against the side plates. In such cases a bucket, whilst secured to the quick coupler, is still able to move within a limited range in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the pins. This movement can be undesirable. It may cause noise. It may be distracting to the operator when such movement occurs and may cause the bucket to suddenly move and any load in the bucket may become dislodged or unstable and fall from the bucket.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the abovementioned problem so to provide a packer that addresses the abovementioned disadvantages and/or will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

In this specification, where reference has been made to external sources of information, including patent specifications and other documents, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the present invention. Unless stated otherwise, reference to such sources of information is not to be construed, in any jurisdiction, as an admission that such sources of information are prior art or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

For the purposes of this specification, the term “plastic” shall be construed to mean a general term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products, and generally consisting of a hydrocarbon-based polymer.

For the purpose of this specification, where method steps are described in sequence, the sequence does not necessarily mean that the steps are to be chronologically ordered in that sequence, unless there is no other logical manner of interpreting the sequence.

STATEMENTS OF INVENTION

In a first aspect the present invention may be said to broadly consist in a packer for engagement to a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the packer comprising at least one body able to secure to the coupler and having at least one packing region to locate in use between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the play in the elongate direction of the pin between the attachment and the coupler.

In a second aspect the present invention may be broadly said to consist in a packer for engagement to a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the packer comprising at least one body able to secure to the coupler and having at least one packing region to locate in use between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the gap in the elongate direction of the pin between the pin mount and side member.

In a further aspect the present invention may be broadly said to consist packer for engagement to a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the packer comprising at least one body able to secure to the coupler and having at least one packing region to locate in use in the gap between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member.

Preferably the coupler can releasably engage to the attachment.

Preferably the coupler is a quick coupler.

Preferably there are of two parallel spaced apart elongate pins of the attachment each mounted at its end by a pin mount, each pin to releasably lock at a respective mounting portion of the coupler.

Preferably the packer is able to be located at one or each said mounting portions.

Preferably the packer is able to be located at only one or said mounting portions.

Preferably the body comprises a mount region of a shape that is complimentary to the shape of the coupler at where it is to be secured.

Preferably the body comprises a mount region that includes at least one dowel pin that is able to project into a hole of the coupler to register the packer to the coupler.

Preferably the body comprises a mount region that includes a hole via which a threaded fastener secure the packer to the coupler.

Preferably the body comprises of two packing regions each to locate in use between a respective pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the play in the elongate direction of the pin between the attachment and the coupler.

Preferably the body comprises of two packing regions each to locate in use between a respective pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the gap in the elongate direction of the pin between the pin mount and side member.

Preferably the body comprises of two packing regions each to locate in use between a respective pin mount and an adjacent side member to locate in use in the gap between a respective said pin mount and adjacent side member.

Preferably the body is a unitary body.

Preferably the body is a unitary cast or moulded body.

Preferably the body is an assembly or a fabrication of parts.

Preferably the body is substantially U shaped with flanks of the U defining the packing regions.

Preferably the packing region is or are of a combined width to reduce the play by at least 50% and preferably 60% and preferably 70% and preferably 80% and preferably 90%.

Preferably the packing region is or are of a combined width to reduce the gap by at least 50% and preferably 60% and preferably 70% and preferably 80% and preferably 90%.

In a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the coupler having engaged thereto (preferably in a releasable manner) a packer comprising of at least one body having at least one packing region to locate in use between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the play in the elongate direction of the pin between the attachment and the coupler.

In still a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the coupler having engaged thereto (preferably in a releasable manner) a packer comprising at least one body and having at least one packing region to locate in use between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the gap in the elongate direction of the pin between the pin mount and side member.

In still a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the coupler having engaged thereto (preferably in a releasable manner) a packer comprising the packer comprising at least one body able to secure to the coupler and having at least one packing region to locate in use in the gap between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member.

In still a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a packer to reduce sliding movement between a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine and an attachment that comprises of two end mounted elongate pins to pass through the coupler the packer comprising a packing region to locate between the coupler and at least one end of at least one pin.

In still a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a packer to reduce sliding movement between a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine and an attachment that comprises of two elongate pins each mounted at their ends by pin mounts of the attachment and each to pass through the coupler, the packer comprising a packing region to locate between the coupler and at least one of the end mounts of at least one pin.

Preferably the packer may be of a variable effective width.

Preferably the packer comprises of a spring.

Preferably the packer may further comprise of at least one deformable member such as a spring located at the packing region to be positioned intermediate of the coupler and a respective pin mount.

Preferably the packer may further comprise of at least one deformable member such as a spring located at the packing region to be positioned intermediate of the coupler and a respective pin mount to bridge the gap between the coupler and attachment.

Preferably the packing region comprises of at least one deformable member such as a spring located to be positioned intermediate of the coupler and a respective pin mount.

In still further aspect the present invention is a packer to locate between a coupler and an attachment to be mounted for use to the coupler using at least one elongate mounting pin of the attachment the packer comprising a packer able to be secured to one of said coupler and attachment to locate between the coupler and packer to reduce the distance of slip between the coupler and attachment in the elongate direction of the pin between the coupler and attachment compared to the packer not being so located.

Preferably the packer comprises a compressible member such as a spring to locate between the coupler and attachment to so reduce the distance of slip.

Preferably the packer comprises a spacer to locate between the coupler and attachment to so reduce the distance of slip.

Preferably the packer comprises a spring and a spacer to locate between the coupler and attachment to so reduce the distance of slip.

Preferably the spring is a leaf spring.

Other aspects of the invention may become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As used herein the term “and/or” means “and” or “or”, or both.

As used herein “(s)” following a noun means the plural and/or singular forms of the noun.

The term “comprising” as used in this specification [and claims] means “consisting at least in part of”. When interpreting statements in this specification [and claims] which include that term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as “comprise” and “comprised” are to be interpreted in the same manner.

The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and publications, cited above and below, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference.

This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective of part of a digger arm, the quick coupler and part of an attachment with the attachment not secured to the quick coupler,

FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative view of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a quick coupler,

FIG. 4 is a close-up perspective view of a quick coupler,

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a quick coupler and a packer,

FIG. 6 is a front view of the quick coupler and packer,

FIG. 7 is a side view of the quick coupler and packer, and

FIG. 8 is a view of a packer with a spring attached to it located at the spacer and

FIG. 9 show a packer where no spaced if provide but where only a spring is provided at the packing region

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the above drawings, in which similar features are generally indicated by similar numerals, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a quick coupler C of a type that is the subject of Australian Patent AU200701982. The coupler C is in accordance with conventional construction and includes a body 10 with a pair of upwardly projecting flanges 11 with mounting apertures 13 whereby the coupler 10 can be fixed to the earth working machine e.g. the end of the arm E of an excavator. The quick coupler C can be used for releasable securing an attachment A, such as a bucket, to the excavator arm E. The body 10 incorporates a hook portion 14 and a mounting portion 15 at where a front pin and back pin of an attachment A can be secured. A front pin P of an attachment A is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in close proximity of the hook portion at where the front pin P can register.

The coupler includes a locking mechanism. This can include at least one hydraulic ram mounted within the body 10 of the quick coupler C and operable to move a wedge so as to lock the back pin of an attachment at the mounting portion 15. As shown a safety locking device 18 is fitted into the body 10 and, as is evident in FIGS. 1 and 2, it in part forms the hook portion 14. The safety locking device 18 includes a safety knuckle 21. In FIG. 2 this is shown in its normal extended position i.e. locking position. It projects downwardly to engage with the front pin P so as to lock the front pin P into the hook portion 14. The locking knuckle 21 is biased into this projecting position by a spring bias. Therefore, when the front pin P is introduced into the open end of the hook portion 14 it will cause the locking knuckle 21 to move upwardly against the spring bias as the pin P moves into its position fully inserted into the hook portion 14. Once it has reached this position the lock knuckle 21 will, under the spring bias, move back to its projecting position.

The front pin P of the attachment A and preferably also the back pin P2 are mounted to, for example, the bucket 40 of the attachment A using pin mounts such as the side plates 30A and 30B. Each pin spans between the side plates in the elongate direction of the pins. Each pin is supported at its two ends by a respective side plate. The pin, preferably so supported by the side plates at each of its distal ends, presents a securing region 42. The securing region 42 is of a length D1. It preferably extends to the inwardly facing surfaces (spaced distance D1 apart) of the side plates 30A and 30B. The securing region is where the coupler can engage the pin at a coupling region of the coupler. The front pin P1 and the coupling region 14 and the back pin P2 at the coupling region 15.

The pin mounts, at the ends of securing region 42 of the pin, spaced a distance D1 apart, may be spaced further apart than the contact surfaces of, for example, the side members 20A and 20B of the body of the quick coupler that are spaced a distance D2 apart. The contact surfaces of coupler may hence be spaced apart in a manner so that a significant gap may exist between the coupler and the pin mounts at the ends of the coupling region 42 of a pin P.

A packer 50 is able to be secured to the quick coupler. The packer can change the effective contact surfaces of the coupler to match the distance between the pin mounts at the ends of the coupling region 41 of the pin P.

The packer 50 comprises of a packer body 170 is preferably removably secured to the quick coupler 10 at/or approximate to the hook portion 14 and presents at least one packing region to locate between the slide members 20 and the pin mounts. The packing region presents contact surfaces 20A1 and 20B1 that are spaced apart from each other a greater distance than the surfaces 20A and 20B of the side members 20. The contact surfaces of the packing region may be part of the spacer(s) 180 of the packer.

The packer may be secured to the coupler 10 using a fastener such as a threaded fastener 60. This can pass through an aperture 61 of the packer and into a threaded hole 62 of the quick coupler 10. Additional registration formations such as dowel pins 63A and 63B may be provided to help locate the packer with the quick coupler by being slidingly engageable into respective apertures 64A and 64B. This allows the packer to be positioned to the quick coupler where after the threaded fastener 60 can then secure the packer to the quick coupler.

The packing region may have tapered surfaces to help with guided registering of the pin with the coupler.

The contact surfaces 20A1 and 20B1 may be a distance D3 apart from each that is almost the same as the distance D1. This means that little or no play in the longitudinal direction of the pin P will exist between the attachment and the quick coupler when the attachment is engaged to the coupler.

In a preferred form only one packer is required for one of the hook portion 14 or mounting portion 15. In the preferred form the packer is provided at the hook portion 14, but may alternatively be provided at the mounting portion 15. In a preferred form the packer is provided as a single item so that it can be quickly assembled and disassembled from the quick coupler 10. In an alternative form the packer may be provided as at least a two-piece device. The two pieces independently being secured or securable to the quick coupler 10. The packer may be of a cast or moulded metal. It may be fabricated or machined to shape.

An operator of an earth working machine may have a plurality of different width packers in store to allow for a quick coupler's effective width at the front and/or back to be changed to suit the attachment to be used with the earth working machine.

The packer shown provides extra effective width to the quick coupler. This is preferably provided in a symmetrical manner so that the same amount of extra width is provided at each side of the quick coupler. Alternatively the extra width may be provided by the packer in a non-symmetric manner. In some examples the extra width may be provided for at one side only of the quick coupler.

The spacer of the packer may be of a fixed size or may be adjustable so that the effective width increase provided by the packer can be changed. The spacer may be deformable of comprise of a deformable member. The deformable member may be a spring such as a leaf spring 160 as seen in FIG. 8. The leaf spring can compress to help bridge any remaining gap between the coupler and attachment. Even in the leaf spring does not fully bridge remaining gap it can provide some shock absorption of movement between the attachment and the coupler. The spring 160 may be provided at one side of the packer or a spring may be provided on both sides of the packer. The spring may be removeable secured to the body of the packer using a faster 161. In some instanced of use the spring may be desirable and in others it may be desirable to have it not engaged to the body and removed therefrom.

Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to elements or integers having known equivalents, then such equivalents are included as if they were individually set forth.

Although the invention has been described by way of example and with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and/or improvements may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

In addition, where features or aspects of the invention are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognise that the invention is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

Claims

1. A packer for engagement to a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the packer comprising at least one body able to secure to the coupler and having at least one packing region to locate in use between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the play in the elongate direction of the pin between the attachment and the coupler.

2. A packer for engagement to a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the packer comprising at least one body able to secure to the coupler and having at least one packing region to locate in use between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the gap in the elongate direction of the pin between the pin mount and side member.

3. A packer for engagement to a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the packer comprising at least one body able to secure to the coupler and having at least one packing region to locate in use in the gap between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member.

4. A packer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coupler can releasably engage to the attachment.

5. A packer as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the coupler is a quick coupler.

6. A packer as claimed in claim in anyone of claims 1 to 5 wherein there are of two parallel spaced apart elongate pins of the attachment each mounted at its end by a pin mount, each pin to releasably lock at a respective mounting portion of the coupler.

7. A packer as claimed in claim 6 wherein the packer is able to be located at one or each said mounting portions.

8. A packer as claimed in claim 6 wherein the packer is able to be located at only one or said mounting portions.

9. A packer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the body comprises a mount region of a shape that is complimentary to the shape of the coupler at where it is to be secured.

10. A packer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the body comprises a mount region that includes at least one dowel pin that is able to project into a hole of the coupler to register the packer to the coupler.

11. A packer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the body comprises a mount region that includes a hole via which a threaded fastener secure the packer to the coupler.

12. A packer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the body comprises of two packing regions each to locate in use between a respective pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the play in the elongate direction of the pin between the attachment and the coupler.

13. A packer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the body comprises of two packing regions each to locate in use between a respective pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the gap in the elongate direction of the pin between the pin mount and side member.

14. A packer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the body comprises of two packing regions each to locate in use between a respective pin mount and an adjacent side member to locate in use in the gap between a respective said pin mount and adjacent side member.

15. A packer as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 14 wherein the body is a unitary body.

16. A packer as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 14 wherein the body is a unitary cast or moulded body.

17. A packer as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 14 wherein the body is an assembly or a fabrication of parts.

18. A packer as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 17 wherein the body is substantially U shaped with flanks of the U defining the packing regions.

19. A packer as claimed in anyone of claim 1 wherein the packing region is or are of a combined width to reduce the play by at least 50% and preferably 60% and preferably 70% and preferably 80% and preferably 90%.

20. A packer as claimed in anyone of claim 2 or 3 wherein the packing region is or are of a combined width to reduce the gap by at least 50% and preferably 60% and preferably 70% and preferably 80% and preferably 90%.

21. A coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the coupler having engaged thereto (preferably in a releasable manner) a packer comprising of at least one body having at least one packing region to locate in use between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the play in the elongate direction of the pin between the attachment and the coupler.

22. A coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the coupler having engaged thereto (preferably in a releasable manner) a packer comprising at least one body and having at least one packing region to locate in use between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member to reduce the gap in the elongate direction of the pin between the pin mount and side member.

23. A coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine to allow an attachment to be releasably held to the coupler at a mounting portion of the coupler by releasable locking of an elongate pin of the attachment at the mounting portion, said pin supported at its ends by and spanning between pin mounts, the mounting portion comprises of two spaced apart side members that are spaced apart a distance less than the span of the pin to be located at that mounting portion so that the pin can project beyond both side members, the coupler having engaged thereto (preferably in a releasable manner) a packer comprising the packer comprising at least one body able to secure to the coupler and having at least one packing region to locate in use in the gap between a said pin mount and an adjacent side member.

24. A packer to reduce sliding movement between a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine and an attachment that comprises of two end mounted elongate pins to pass through the coupler the packer comprising a packing region to locate between the coupler and at least one end of at least one pin.

25. A packer to reduce sliding movement between a coupler of a kind secured or to be secured to the end of an arm of an earth working machine and an attachment that comprises of two elongate pins each mounted at their ends by pin mounts of the attachment and each to pass through the coupler, the packer comprising a packing region to locate between the coupler and at least one of the end mounts of at least one pin.