Claims
- 1. A coupling device adapted for securing a work implement having at least one mounting plate to a linkage arrangement comprising:
- at least one connecting link defined by the linkage arrangement and being engageable with the mounting plate in linear alignment therewith along a substantially vertical plane;
- a housing having a stepped bore that defines a radially directed end face and a thrust plate mounted in axially spaced relationship to the end face, said housing being mounted in linear alignment to the respective connecting link along the vertical plane;
- a locking member mounted within the housing along the vertical plane, said locking member being moveable between a first position wherein the locking member is engaged with the respective mounting plate to secure the connecting link thereto and a second position wherein the locking member is disengaged from the mounting plate to allow movement of the connecting link with respect thereto;
- an actuator having an enlarged flange and being threadably engaged with the respective locking member for moving said locking member between its first and second positions upon rotation of said actuator, said actuator being axially aligned with the locking member and positioned along the vertical plane with the enlarged flange located within the housing between the radially directed endface and the thrust plate;
- means for biasing the enlarged flange of the actuator for movement between the radially directed end face and the thrust plate toward the first position of the locking member as a result of wear incurred by the locking member, said biasing means being positioned between the housing and the locking member and concentrically about the actuator; and
- an abutment means provided between the locking member and the housing to indicate the need for service of the locking member.
- 2. A coupling device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the actuator further includes a bolt member having a first end portion that is secured to the housing for rotation relative thereto and a threaded end portion that is engaged with a first end portion of the locking member whereupon rotation of the rod member with respect to the locking member causes reciprocation of the locking member within the housing.
- 3. A coupling device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the first end portion of the actuator defines a hexagonal portion that is sufficient for engagement with a wrench.
- 4. A coupling device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the actuator further includes:
- a rod member having a first end portion secured to the housing for rotation with respect thereto and a second end portion that is threadably engaged with a first end portion of the locking member; and
- a hydraulic motor secured to the housing and engaged with the first end portion of the rod member to provide rotation of the rod member and reciprocation of the locking member within said housing.
- 5. A coupling device adapted for securing a work implement having a pair of mounting plates defined thereon, to a linkage arrangement, comprising:
- a pair of connecting links defined by the linkage arrangement, each of said connecting links being engageable with the respective mounting plates of the work implement along a generally vertically oriented plane in overlying linear alignment therewith;
- a pair of housings, each having a stepped bore that defines a radially directed end face and a thrust plate mounted in axially spaced relationship to the end face, each housing being mounted in linear alignment to one of the respective connecting links along the respective vertical planes;
- a pair of locking members mounted within the respective housings and being moveable between a first position wherein the locking members are engaged with the mounting plates to secure the connecting links thereto and a second position wherein the locking members are disengaged with the mounting plates to permit relative movement between the connecting links and the mounting plates;
- a pair of actuators defining a threaded portion and an enlarged flange, said threaded portion being engaged with respective locking members, said actuators being rotatable with respect to the locking members to cause the locking members to move along said threaded portions to reposition the locking members between their first and second positions, said actuators being positioned with the enlarged flange within the stepped bore for movement between the endface and thrust bearing and being positioned in axial alignment with the respective locking members along the respective vertical planes;
- means for biasing the enlarged flanges of the respective actuators for movement between the endface and the thrust bearing of the respective housings as a result of wear incurred by the locking member, said biasing means being positioned between the housing and the locking member and concentrically about each of the respective actuator; and
- an abutment means provided between the locking member and the housing to indicate the need for service of the locking member.
- 6. A coupling device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the actuators are each further defined by a rod member having a first end portion having a hexagonally shaped portion that is engageable with a wrench to provide rotation of said rod member.
- 7. A coupling device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the actuators are each further defined by a rod member having a first end portion engaged with a hydraulic motor and a second end portion threadably engaged with the locking member, said hydraulic motor being sufficient to rotate the rod member.
- 8. A coupling device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the biasing means urges the enlarged flange toward engagement with the thrust plate to maintain contact between the locking member and the mounting plate in absence of rotation of the actuator.
- 9. A coupling device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the abutment means includes:
- an inwardly directed shoulder defined by the housing in close proximity to the locking member;
- an outwardly directed flange defined on the locking member along a portion thereof that is positioned within the housing, said flange being of a diameter sufficient to engage the inwardly directed shoulder defined by the housing to provide a maximum position of travel of the locking arrangement toward its first position.
- 10. A coupling device, comprising:
- a work implement having at least one mounting plate having a first end portion defining a receptacle and a second end portion defining an upstanding flange, said upstanding flange having first and second engagement surfaces defined thereon;
- a linkage arrangement having at least one connecting link having first and second end portions, said connecting link being positioned for engagement with the mounting plate of the work implement with the first end portion thereof engaged with the first end portion of the mounting plate and the second end portion thereof engaged with the second engagement surface of the mounting plate, said connecting link and mounting plate being positioned in linear alignment with one another along a substantially vertically extending plane;
- a housing having a stepped bore that defines a radially directed end face and a thrust plate mounted within the housing in axially spaced relationship to the end face, said housing being mounted in linear alignment to one of the respective connecting links along the respective vertical planes;
- a locking member mounted within said housing, said locking member being moveable between a first position wherein the locking member is engaged with the first engagement surface of the mounting plate to secure the connecting link thereto and a second position wherein the locking member is disengaged from the first engagement surface to allow movement of the connecting link with respect thereto;
- an actuator defining a threaded portion and an enlarged flange, said threaded portion being engageable with the locking member and being rotatable with respect to the locking member to cause the locking member to move along said threaded portion to reposition the locking member between its first and second positions, said actuator being positioned with the enlarged flange within the stepped bore for movement between the endface and thrust bearing and being positioned in axial alignment with the locking member along the vertical plane;
- means for biasing the enlarged flange of the actuator for movement between the endface and the thrust plate, said movement occurring with the locking member as it moves toward its first position as a result of wear incurred by the locking member and in absence of rotation of the actuator, said biasing means being positioned along the vertical plane between the housing and the locking member; and
- an abutment means provided between the locking member and the housing to indicate the need for service of the locking member.
- 11. A coupling device as set forth in claim 10 wherein the first engagement surface defined by the mounting plate is an angled surface that engages an angled surface defined by the locking member to form a wedging force therebetween.
- 12. A coupling device as set forth in claim 11 wherein the second engagement surface is an angled surface that engages the second end portion of the connecting link in a manner to transmit the wedging force created by the engagement between the angled surface of the locking member and the first engagement surface of the mounting plate, toward the first end portion of the connecting link to increase the engagement force applied between the first end portion of the connecting link and the mounting plate.
Parent Case Info
This is a file wrapper continuation of application Ser. No. 08/077,986, filed Jun. 15, 1993, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
WO9118716 |
Dec 1991 |
WOX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
77986 |
Jun 1993 |
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