Patent Application
20250223777
The present disclosure relates to a motor grader, an implement assembly for the motor grader, and a circle assembly for an implement of the motor grader.
Grading machines may be used in construction and maintenance of various surfaces, such as, roads. The grading machine may be used to cut, spread, and level materials, such as, soil, gravel, snow, and the like. To perform such earth sculpting tasks, grading machines include a blade, also referred to as a moldboard or an implement. The blade is supported and positioned on the grading machine by various components, including, a drawbar and a circle.
Further, a cylinder is disposed between the circle and the blade. The cylinder is coupled with the circle via a cantilevered cylinder mount assembly. The cylinder mount assembly on conventional grading machines may cause a bending of the circle. More particularly when immovable objects contact with the blade, the circle may undergo bending due to poor load distribution. The bending of the circle may increase downtime of the grading machine as well as replacement/servicing costs associated with the grading machine, which is not desirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 11,447,927 describes a grading machine that includes a machine body, a blade assembly, a circle supporting the blade assembly and including a plurality of teeth, a drawbar assembly connecting the circle to the machine body, and a cover plate coupled to a bottom portion of the drawbar assembly. The drawbar assembly includes a plurality of blocks, and the cover plate is configured to be coupled to the drawbar assembly via the plurality of blocks.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, a circle assembly for an implement of a motor grader is provided. The circle assembly includes a base plate defining a first slot and a second slot disposed adjacent to the first slot. The circle assembly also includes a circle fixedly coupled with the base plate. The circle assembly further includes a first mounting bracket fixedly coupled to the base plate and the circle. The first mounting bracket defines a third slot. The circle assembly includes a first plate member fixedly coupled with the base plate and the first mounting bracket. The circle assembly also includes a second mounting bracket disposed adjacent to the first mounting bracket. The second mounting bracket is fixedly coupled to the base plate and the circle The second mounting bracket defines a fourth slot. The circle assembly further includes a second plate member fixedly coupled with the base plate and the second mounting bracket.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, an implement assembly for a motor grader is provided. The implement assembly includes a circle assembly. The circle assembly includes a base plate defining a first slot and a second slot disposed adjacent to the first slot. The circle assembly also includes a circle fixedly coupled with the base plate. The circle assembly further includes a first mounting bracket fixedly coupled to the base plate and the circle. The first mounting bracket defines a third slot. The circle assembly includes a first plate member fixedly coupled with the base plate and the first mounting bracket. The circle assembly also includes a second mounting bracket disposed adjacent to the first mounting bracket. The second mounting bracket is fixedly coupled to the base plate and the circle. The second mounting bracket defines a fourth slot. The circle assembly further includes second plate member fixedly coupled with the base plate and the second mounting bracket. The implement assembly also includes a blade removably coupled with the circle assembly. The implement assembly further includes a blade pitch cylinder coupled, at a first end, with the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket and coupled, at a second end, with the blade.
In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a motor grader is provided. The motor grader includes a frame. The motor grader also includes a drawbar coupled to the frame. The motor grader further includes an implement assembly coupled with the drawbar. The implement assembly includes a circle assembly. The circle assembly includes a base plate defining a first slot and a second slot disposed adjacent to the first slot. The circle assembly also includes a circle fixedly coupled with the base plate. The circle assembly further includes a first mounting bracket fixedly coupled to the base plate and the circle. The first mounting bracket defines a third slot. The circle assembly includes a first plate member fixedly coupled with the base plate and the first mounting bracket. The circle assembly also includes a second mounting bracket disposed adjacent to the first mounting bracket. The second mounting bracket is fixedly coupled to the base plate and the circle. The second mounting bracket defines a fourth slot. The circle assembly further includes second plate member fixedly coupled with the base plate and the second mounting bracket. The implement assembly also includes a blade removably coupled with the circle assembly.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Referring to
The motor grader 100 includes a frame 102. The frame 102 defines a front end 104 and a rear end 106. Further, the motor grader 100 includes two pairs of rear wheels 108 disposed proximate to the rear end 106 and one pair of front wheels 110 disposed proximate to the front end 104. The front wheels 110 and the rear wheels 108 allow movement of the motor grader 100 on the ground surface. The frame 102 supports various components of the motor grader 100, such as, a power source (not shown) disposed within an enclosure 112, an operator cabin 114, the front wheels 110, the rear wheels 108, and so on. The power source may be an engine, such as an internal combustion engine, a battery system, a fuel cell, and the like. The power source may supply output power to various components of the motor grader 100 for operation thereof.
Further, the motor grader 100 includes the operator cabin 114. An operator of the motor grader 100 may sit or stand in the operator cabin 114 for performing one or more operations. The motor grader 100 also includes a drawbar 116 coupled to the frame 102. The drawbar 116 is coupled to the frame 102 at an end 118 of the drawbar 116 by a ball and socket joint (not shown), such that the drawbar 116 can pivot relative to the frame 102.
Referring now to
The motor grader 100 further includes a circle bearing 124. The circle bearing 124 may be replaced by any suitable bearing assembly. The circle bearing 124 includes an inner ring 126, an outer ring 128, and one or more rolling members (not shown) therebetween, such that the inner ring 126 and the outer ring 128 are rotatable relative to each other. The rolling members may be, ball bearings, roller bearings, magnets, any other suitable internal element for reducing friction, etc. Further, the outer ring 128 may be coupled to the circle mounting portion 122 by one or more fasteners (not shown herein). Furthermore, the inner ring 126 includes a number of teeth 130 that are engaged by drive members (not shown). The drive members are provided to rotate the circle assembly 200. The drive members may include a hydraulic motor and a gear arrangement, cylinders, cranks, gears, electric motors, fixed pin positions, or any other suitable mechanism.
The motor grader 100 further includes an implement assembly 132 coupled with the drawbar 116. The implement assembly 132 includes a circle assembly 200 for an implement 136 (shown in
Referring to
The circle assembly 200 also includes the circle 216 fixedly coupled with the base plate 202. The circle 216 may be continuous or the circle may be made from a number of arcuate portions that may be connected to each other by a joining process, such as, welding. The circle 216 is fixedly coupled to the first surface 218 of the base plate 202. In the illustrated example of
It should be noted that the term “fixedly coupled” as used in this disclosure relates to direct coupling between two components. Further, the components of the circle assembly 200 are fixedly coupled to each other by welding. However, any other joining technique apart from welding may be used to fixedly couple the components of the circle assembly 200. It should be further noted that all welds have been marked by a separate hatching/gradient in the figures to differentiate them from components of the circle assembly 200. Moreover, the welds may be continuous welds, spot welds, and the like, without limiting the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring again to
Further, the circle assembly 200 includes a first side bracket 226 fixedly coupled to the base plate 202 at the first end 222 of the base plate 202 and a second side bracket 228 fixedly coupled to the base plate 202 at the second end 224 of the base plate 202. Each of the first side bracket 226 and the second side bracket 228 are removably coupled to the blade 136 (see
Referring now to
The circle assembly 200 further includes a second mounting bracket 236 disposed adjacent to the first mounting bracket 230. The first and second mounting brackets 230, 236 are identical in design and dimensions. The second mounting bracket 236 is fixedly coupled to the base plate 202 and the circle 216. The second mounting bracket 236 defines a fourth slot 238. Further, the second slot 206 (see
As shown in
As shown in
Referring now to
The circle assembly 200 also includes a second plate member 268 fixedly coupled with the base plate 202 and the second mounting bracket 236. The second plate member 268 has a number of angled portions 270. Specifically, the second plate member 268 has three angled portions 270 that are angularly disposed relative to each other. The second plate member 268 defines a third side 272 and a fourth side 274. The second plate member 268 is fixedly coupled with the second mounting bracket 236 by welding at the fourth side 274. The second plate member 268 defines a second cut-out 276 proximal to the second side bracket 228. Specifically, the second cut-out 276 is proximal to the third side 272. The second cut-out 276 is arcuate in shape. Moreover, the second plate member 268 includes an arcuate surface 278 extending from the third side 272 to the fourth side 274.
Referring to
As shown in
Referring to
It is to be understood that individual features shown or described for one embodiment may be combined with individual features shown or described for another embodiment. The above described implementation does not in any way limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood although some features are shown or described to illustrate the use of the present disclosure in the context of functional segments, such features may be omitted from the scope of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.
The present disclosure relates to the circle assembly 200 for the motor grader 100. The circle assembly 200 includes the first and second mounting brackets 230, 236 that facilitate coupling of the blade pitch cylinder 134 with the circle 216. The first and second mounting brackets 230, 236 include the third and fourth slots 232, 238, respectively that allow connection of the first and second mounting brackets 230, 236 with the base plate 202. The third and fourth slots 232, 238 interlock with the first and second slots 204, 206 in the base plate 202. Moreover, a portion of the first and second mounting brackets 230, 236 is retained within the first and second slots 204, 206, respectively of the base plate 202. The third and fourth slots 232, 238 may also aid in assembly of the first and second mounting brackets 230, 236 with the base plate 202.
Further, the first and second mounting brackets 230, 236 may facilitate distribution of cylinder loads across the circle assembly 200, thereby preventing bending of the circle assembly 200, and more particularly, the bending of the circle 216. Furthermore, the first and second mounting brackets 230, 236 are welded to the base plate 202 and the circle 216 to transfer and distribute cylinder loads optimally across the circle assembly 200.
The circle assembly 200 also includes the first plate member 256, the second plate member 268, and the central plate 280. Moreover, the first and second cut-outs 264, 276 in the respective first and second plate members 256, 268 may allow uniform distribution of cylinder loads across the respective first and second plate members 256, 268. Thus, the circle assembly 200 described herein may prevent bending of the circle 216, which may in turn reduce any downtime associated with the motor grader 100 and may also reduce servicing/maintenance costs of the motor grader 100.
While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
