Patent Application
20250067019
The present disclosure relates to box blade grading attachments for construction machines including but not limited to skid steer loaders.
Construction machines perform a variety of operations. In some instances, the machines are provided with a work tool to perform a desired function.
One exemplary work tool, namely a box blade grading attachment 22, is generally known in the prior art. However, conventional box blade grading attachments 22 have several issues, including suffering from tilt errors. The box blade grading attachment 22 may include a grading box 24 supported by an attachment frame 30 and operable to engage the ground surface 21. The grading box 24 may include a front edge 26 and a rear edge 28. The box blade grading attachment 22 may include a coupler bracket 32 operable to attach the box blade grading attachment 22 to the work tool actuator 16 of the construction machine. The box blade grading attachment 22 may be actuated to tilt (roll left or right) the attachment frame 30 relative to the coupler bracket 32 about a tilt axis 34. The tilt axis 34 is oriented at a downward angle 35 of approximately 20 degrees to horizontal. When the attachment frame 30 is tilted about the tilt axis 34 relative to the coupler bracket 32, a tilt error occurs. Namely, when the attachment frame 30 is tilted about the tilt axis 34 relative to the coupler bracket 32, the front edges 26 of the grading box 24 fall out of alignment, with one of the front edges 26 experiencing more forward movement in a longitudinal direction 36 than the other front edge 26. Thus, one of the front edges 26 extends further forward than the other front edge 26 a distance 38. This tilt error may cause the front and rear cutting blades of the grading box 24 to perform poorly.
There is a need for an improved box blade grading attachment that does not suffer from tilt errors.
This Brief Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Brief Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
One aspect in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein is a box blade grading attachment for a construction machine. In one embodiment, the box blade grading attachment includes an attachment frame, a coupler bracket, a tilt connection, a pivot beam, left and right caster wheels, a grading box, a parallelogram linkage, a lifting actuator, and a tilting actuator. The attachment frame includes an upper attachment frame portion and a rear attachment frame portion. The upper attachment frame portion may have a frame length extending forward from the rear attachment frame portion. The upper attachment frame portion may have an upward facing reference surface extending along a majority of the frame length. The coupler bracket includes an attachment interface for coupling of the box blade grading attachment to the construction machine. The tilt connection may be positioned between the coupler bracket and the rear attachment frame portion. The tilt connection may define a tilt axis about which the attachment frame may tilt relative to the coupler bracket. The tilt axis may be substantially parallel to the upward facing reference surface. The pivot beam may extend transversely to the frame length and may be pivotally connected to the upper attachment frame portion such that the pivot beam pivot axis is pivotable about a pivot axis relative to the upper attachment frame portion. The left and right caster wheels may be pivotally connected to the pivot beam on opposite sides of the pivot beam pivot axis. Each of the caster wheels may be pivotable about an upwardly extending caster axis relative to the pivot beam. The grading box may extend transversely to the frame length. The parallelogram linkage may be connected between the grading box and the attachment frame. The lifting actuator may be arranged to raise and lower the parallelogram linkage and the grading box relative to the attachment frame. The tilting actuator may be connected between the attachment frame and the coupler bracket for tilting the attachment frame and the grading box about the tilt axis relative to the coupler bracket.
In other aspects of the disclosure, a method of setting up a box blade grading attachment for grading a ground surface comprises providing a box blade grading attachment including an attachment frame tiltably mounted on a coupler bracket such that a tilt axis is substantially parallel to a visually detectible upward facing reference surface of the attachment frame; engaging a coupler of a construction machine with the coupler bracket so that the construction machine may lift and lower the box blade grading attachment by lifting and lowering the coupler; resting a pair of front caster wheels of the box blade grading attachment on the ground surface; visually evaluating whether the upward facing surface of the attachment frame is parallel to the ground surface; and adjusting a height of each of the front caster wheels relative to the attachment frame to make the upward facing reference surface of the attachment frame closer to parallel to the ground surface.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the embodiments set forth herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more drawings of which are set forth herein. Each drawing is provided by way of explanation of the present disclosure and is not a limitation. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment.
Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Other objects, features, and aspects of the present disclosure are disclosed in, or are obvious from, the following detailed description. It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present disclosure.
The words “connected,” “attached,” “joined,” “mounted,” “fastened,” and the like should be interpreted to mean any manner of joining two objects including, but not limited to, the use of any fasteners such as screws, nuts and bolts, bolts, pin and clevis, and the like allowing for a stationary, translatable, or pivotable relationship; welding of any kind such as traditional MIG welding, TIG welding, friction welding, brazing, soldering, ultrasonic welding, torch welding, inductive welding, and the like; using any resin, glue, epoxy, and the like; being integrally formed as a single part together; any mechanical fit such as a friction fit, interference fit, slidable fit, rotatable fit, pivotable fit, and the like; any combination thereof; and the like.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, any part of the apparatus of the present disclosure may be made of any appropriate or suitable material including, but not limited to, metal, alloy, polymer, polymer mixture, wood, composite, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, any part of the apparatus of the present disclosure may be made using any applicable manufacturing method, such as, but not limited to 3D printing, injection molding, or the like.
To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “or” is employed (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A or B or both.” When the applicants intend to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the term “only A or B but not both” will be employed. Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (2d. Ed. 1995). Also, to the extent that the terms “in” or “into” are used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to additionally mean “on” or “onto.” Furthermore, to the extent the term “connect” is used in the specification or claims, it is intended to mean not only “directly connected to,” but also “indirectly connected to” such as connected through another component or multiple components.
The words “vertical” and “horizontal” are used for clarity of language to aid in understanding the disclosure. These words are in reference to orientations of the components when being viewed in an upright position and do not limit any of the claims to only the upright position. Vertical may, in some embodiments, be associated with an axis along the direction of gravity. Horizontal, then, may be associated with an axis that is perpendicular thereto. The terms substantially vertical and substantially horizontal may refer to a range that is about true vertical and true horizontal.
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to
The box blade grading attachment 100 may be operable to engage the ground and grade, cut, and/or move material to achieve simple or complex features on the ground. When attached to and operating with a construction machine 10, the box blade grading attachment 100 may experience movement in three directions and rotation in three directions. A direction of the box blade grading attachment 100 may also be referred to with regard to a longitudinal direction 102, a latitudinal or lateral direction 104, and a vertical direction 106. Rotation for the box blade grading attachment 100 may be referred to as roll 108 or the roll direction, pitch 110 or the pitch direction, and yaw 112 or the yaw direction or heading. The box blade grading attachment 100 may be hydraulically actuated to move vertically up and down (“lift”), roll left or right (“tilt”), and yaw left and right (“angle”).
The terms “distal” and “proximal” may be used herein to describe certain features of the box blade grading attachment 100. The terms “distal” and “proximal” are used in relation to the point of view of an operator located on or within the construction machine 10. Thus, a proximal end of the box blade grading attachment 100 may be the end closest to the operator and the construction machine 10. A distal end of the box blade grading attachment 100 may be the end furthest from the operator and the construction machine 10.
As shown in
The box blade grading attachment 100 may include an attachment frame 120. The attachment frame 120 may include an upper attachment frame portion 122 and a rear attachment frame portion 124. As shown in
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring now to
The box blade grading attachment 100 may include a coupler bracket 150 attached to the rear attachment frame portion 124. The coupler bracket 150 may include an attachment interface 152 for coupling the box blade grading attachment 100 to the construction machine 10. Specifically, the attachment interface 152 may be operable to be engaged by the work tool coupler 116 of the construction machine 10. The coupler bracket 150 may include a tilt plate 154 extending transversely to the frame length 126 and positioned adjacent to and against the attachment interface 152. Left and right attachment end plates 156 may be fixed to opposite sides of the tilt plate 154. The left and right attachment end plates 156 may be operable to resist movement of the work tool coupler 14 of the construction machine 10 relative to the attachment interface 152. Specifically, the left and right attachment end plates 156 may be operable to resist lateral movement of the work tool coupler 116 of the construction machine 10 relative to the attachment interface 152.
Referring now to
The tilt plate 154 of the coupler bracket 150 may include a tilt plane surface 166 lying on the tilt plate 154 and oriented perpendicular to the tilt axis 160. The tilt plane surface 166 may also be oriented perpendicular to the upward facing reference surface 130 of the attachment frame 120. As shown in
The box blade grading attachment 100 may include left and right capture plates 174. The left and right capture plates 174 may be attached to opposite ends of the tilt plate 154. Each of the left and right capture plates 174 may overlap the at least one tilt plane follower plate 168 so that the at least one tilt plane follower plate 168 is held against the tilt plane surface 166 of the tilt plate 154. The left and right capture plates 174 slidably engage the at least one tilt plane follower plate 168 so that the at least one tilt plane follower plate 168 may rotate about the tilt hub 164. The left and right capture plates 174 may prevent the at least one tilt plane follower plate 168 from separating from the tilt plate 154.
The box blade grading attachment 100 further includes a grading box 176 extending transversely to the frame length 126. A parallelogram linkage 178 may connect the grading box 176 to the attachment frame 120. The grading box 176 may be supported by the attachment frame 120 via the parallelogram linkage 178. The parallelogram linkage 178 may include a plurality of linkage members 180. Each linkage member 180 may be pivotally connected at one end to the attachment frame 120 and pivotally connected at an opposite end to the grading box 176. A lifting bar 182 may extend between a pair of the plurality of linkage members 180. A lifting actuator 184 may be arranged to raise and lower the parallelogram linkage 178, and thus the grading box 176, relative to the attachment frame 120. Specifically, the lifting actuator 184 may be pivotally connected at one end to the attachment frame 120 and pivotally connected at an opposite end to the lifting bar 182.
The grading box 176 may include a box frame 186 providing structural support to the grading box 176. The grading box 176 may include a front cutting blade 188 and a rear cutting blade 190 received in the box frame 186. The front and rear cutting blades 188, 190 may also be referred to herein as front and rear blades 188, 190. The front cutting blade 188 may be angled so that a bottom portion of the front cutting blade 188 is angled towards the distal end of the box blade grading attachment 100. The rear cutting blade 190 may be angled so that a bottom portion of the rear cutting blade 190 is angled towards the proximal end of the box blade grading attachment 100. Each of the front and rear cutting blades 188, 190 may be operable to engage and grade, cut, or move material. The front cutting blade 188 may be operable to engage the ground surface 119 when the construction machine 10 is pushing the box blade grading attachment 100 in a forward direction. The rear cutting blade 190 may be operable to engage the ground surface 119 when the construction machine 10 is pulling the box blade grading attachment 100 in a backwards direction.
The box blade grading attachment 100 may include at least one tilting actuator 192 for tilting the attachment frame 120 and the grading box 176 about the tilt axis 160 relative to the coupler bracket 150. The at least one tilting actuator 192 may be connected between the attachment frame 120 and the coupler bracket 150. The tilt plate 154 includes an actuator attachment bracket 194 extending from the tilt plane surface 166 in the distal direction. An end of the at least one tilting actuator 192 may be pivotally connected to the actuator attachment bracket 194 and an opposite end of the at least one tilting actuator 192 may be pivotally connected to the attachment frame 120, specifically the rear attachment frame portion 124. In the illustrated embodiment, the box blade grading attachment 100 includes two tilting actuators 192. A first of the at least one tilting actuator 192A and a second of the at least one tilting actuator 192B are pivotally connected to opposite sides of the attachment frame 120. A pin assembly 196 may pivotally connect the first and second of the at least one tilting actuators 192A, 192B to the actuator attachment bracket 194.
The upward facing reference surface 130 extends along a majority of the frame length 126 and may serve as a visual reference to operators. The tilt axis 160 may be substantially parallel to the upward facing reference surface 130. An operator may wish to place the tilt axis 160 parallel to the ground, but may find it difficult to visually see the tilt connection 158 and picture the tilt axis 160. Instead, the operator may position the upward facing reference surface 130, which is easily seen by the operator, parallel to the ground surface 119. Thereby, the operator may position the tilt axis 160 parallel to the ground surface. The substantially parallel orientation of the tilt axis 160 relative to the upward facing reference surface 130 allows the tilt axis 160 to be substantially parallel to the ground surface 119 when the upward facing reference surface 130 of the attachment frame 120 is substantially parallel to the ground surface 119.
Referring now to
One advantage of the box blade grading attachment 100 disclosed herein may be that tilt induced errors are reduced. The box frame 186 may include a left side 198 and a right side 200 positioned generally parallel to one another. The left side 198 may include a front edge 202 and rear edge 204, and the right side 200 may include a front edge 206 and a rear edge 208. The left and right sides 198, 200 may extend parallel to the tilt axis 160. When the attachment frame 120 and the grading box 176 are tilted about the tilt axis 160 relative to the coupler bracket 150, neither the front edge 202 of the left side 198 or the front edge 206 of the right side 200 extends any further in the longitudinal direction 102 than the other. In other words, neither the front edge 202 of the left side 198 or the front edge 206 of the right side 200 experiences forward or backward movement when the attachment frame 120 and the grading box 176 are tilted about the tilt axis 160 relative to the coupler bracket 150. Moreover, when the attachment frame 120 and the grading box 176 are tilted about the tilt axis 160 relative to the coupler bracket 150, the left side 198 and the right side 200 of the box frame 186 remain parallel to the ground surface 119. Thus, the height of the front edge 202 of the left side 198 is the same as the height of the rear edge 204 of the left side 198 and the height of the front edge 206 of the right side 200 is the same as the height of the rear edge 208 of the right side 200.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of setting up the box blade grading attachment 100 for grading the ground surface 119. The method comprises providing the box blade grading attachment 100 disclosed herein. The box blade grading attachment 100 includes the attachment frame 120 tiltably mounted on the coupler bracket 150 such that the tilt axis 160 is substantially parallel to the visually detectible upward facing reference surface 130 of the attachment frame 120.
The method further comprises engaging the work tool coupler 116 of the construction machine 10 with the coupler bracket 150 so that the construction machine 10 may lift and lower the box blade grading attachment 100 by lifting and lowering the work tool coupler 116. Specifically, the work tool coupler 116 may engage the attachment interface 152 of the coupler bracket 150.
The method further comprises resting the pair of front caster wheels 140 of the box blade grading attachment 100 on the ground surface 119. As provided previously, the pair of front caster wheels 140 may be pivotally connected to the pivot beam 136 on opposite sides of the pivot beam pivot axis 138. The caster wheels 140 may be connected to the pivot beam 136 with the caster axle 142 received in the caster journal 144. The caster axle 142 may define the caster axis 146. The plurality of adjustment washers 148 may be received about the caster axle 142 adjacent each end of the caster journal 144 so that the height of the caster wheel 140 may be adjusted by rearranging the adjustment washers 148.
The method further comprises visually evaluating whether the upward facing reference surface 130 of the attachment frame 120 is parallel to the ground surface 119. The operator may perform this step from an operator cab of the construction machine 10 or may alternatively perform this step standing apart from the construction machine 10. The tilt axis 160 may be substantially parallel to the upward facing reference surface 130. Thus, by evaluating the orientation of the upward facing reference surface 130 relative to the ground surface 119, the operator may also evaluate the orientation of the tilt axis 160 relative to the ground surface 119.
The method further comprises adjusting the height of each of the front caster wheels 140 relative to the attachment frame 120 to make the upward facing reference surface 130 of the attachment frame 120 closer to parallel to the ground surface 119. The adjust step disclosed herein may further include adjusting a number of adjustment washers 148 between the caster axle 142 and ends of the caster journal 144 of each of the caster wheels 140. For example, to increase the height of the caster wheel 140, a desired number of adjustment washers 148 may be added to the caster axle 142 below the caster journal 144. Increasing the height of the caster wheel 140 may refer to increasing the distance between the caster wheel 140 and the pivot beam 136. To decrease the height of the caster wheel 140, a desired number of adjustment washers 148 may be removed from the caster axle 142 below the caster journal 144. Decreasing the height of the caster wheel 140 may refer to decreasing the distance between the caster wheel 140 and the pivot beam 136.
The adjusting step disclosed herein may result in the tilt axis 160 being closer to parallel to the ground surface 119. Thereby any tilt induced errors that would otherwise result in the front and rear blades 188, 190 of the box blade grading attachment 100 being at different heights relative to the ground surface 119 when the attachment frame 120 is tilted about the tilt axis 160 are reduced.
Thus, it is seen that the apparatus and methods of the present disclosure readily achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While certain preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described for present purposes, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction of parts and steps may be made by those skilled in the art, which changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Each disclosed feature or embodiment may be combined with any of the other disclosed features or embodiments.
