Patent Application
20160244945
The present disclosure relates to a machine, and more particularly to a tread plate assembly for the machine.
Machines, such as off-highway vehicles employed in industries, such as agriculture, mining, construction, and transportation are provided with fender assemblies to prevent mud, dirt, or other types of debris from being thrown from tracks or wheels of the machines towards a door of the machine during an operation thereof. The fender assemblies include a number of plate assemblies located around an operator cabin to provide access to an operator ingress and egress the operator cabin of the machine. During operation of the machine in various work conditions, the mud and the debris may get accumulated on the plate assemblies and may prevent smooth opening and closing of door of the operator cabin, and thereby may cause discomfort during the ingress and egress of the operator cabin. Further, accumulation of the mud and the debris on the plate assemblies may cause lack of traction during ingress or egress the operator cabin of the machine by the operator.
European Patent Number 2,975,253 hereinafter referred to as the '253 patent describes a work vehicle. The work vehicle includes an air cleaner provided with a vacuator, a planar portion located below the air cleaner, and an emission receiver provided to the planar portion at a position under the vacuator. The emission receiver is recessed downward while having an upper opening. The emission receiver includes a bottom surface, a discharge channel having a base end that is in communication with the emission receiver through a communication opening, and a distal end that is opened to an outside of the work vehicle through a discharge port. The discharge channel has a surface inclined downward from the communication opening towards the discharge port. However, the '253 patent does not disclose an effective way to remove the debris through a fender assembly of the work vehicle.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a tread plate assembly for a machine is provided. The tread plate assembly includes a support plate having a first end and a second end distal to the first end. The first end of the support plate is adapted to couple with a frame of the machine. The support plate includes a first surface. The support plate also includes a second surface opposite to the first surface. The support plate further includes at least one cutout extending between the first surface and the second surface of the support plate. The tread plate assembly also includes a tread plate. The tread plate is coupled to the first surface of the support plate. The tread plate includes a first contact surface and a second contact surface opposite to the first contact surface. The tread plate further includes a plurality of treads. Each of the plurality of the treads includes an annular portion extending from the first contact surface. The tread plate includes a plurality of holes extending between the first contact surface and the second contact surface. The plurality of holes is adapted to align with the area of the at least one cutout of the support plate. Each of the plurality of holes is surrounded by at least one pair of diametrically opposite treads of the plurality of treads.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
The machine 10 includes a frame 12 and an engine enclosure 14. The engine enclosure 14 may house a power source, such as an engine to propel the machine 10. The machine 10 further includes ground engaging members 16, such as tracks for moving the machine 10 over a work surface 17. The machine 10 includes an operator cabin 18 that may accommodate a number of input devices (not shown) for controlling and monitoring operations of the machine 10. The input devices may include, but are not limited to, a push-button, a control lever, and a steering wheel. The machine 10 includes a fender assembly 20 disposed above the ground engaging members 16 of the machine 10. The fender assembly 20 acts as a support aiding ingress or egress of an operator 19 from the operator cabin 18. The fender assembly 20 is connected to the frame 12 of the machine 10. The fender assembly 20 serves as a guard member above the ground engaging members 16 to restrain mud, debris or any other material from the work surface 17 to entrance of or in front of a door 21 of the operator cabin 18.
The fender assembly 20 includes a pair of tread plate assemblies, individually referred to as a first tread plate assembly 22 and a second tread plate assembly (not shown). Each of the pair of tread plate assemblies is disposed on either sides of the operator cabin 18. The first tread plate assembly 22, hereinafter referred to as ‘the tread plate assembly 22’, is described in detail below for illustration purpose of the present disclosure. The tread plate assembly 22 includes a tread plate 26. The tread plate 26 removes the mud, the debris or any other material present on feet of the operator 19 before entering the operator cabin 18. The tread plate 26 includes a number of treads 27 to provide desired grip to the feet of the operator 19, when the operator 19 steps on to the tread plate 26.
Referring to
The first support plate 40 further includes a first surface 46 and a second surface 48 (shown in
The tread plate assembly 22 further includes a second support plate 52. The second support plate 52 is coupled with the second surface 48 (shown in
The second support plate 52 further includes a number of openings 54. Each of the openings 54 defines an area “B”. The area “B” of each of the openings 54 of the second support plate 52 is equal to or greater than the area “A” of each of the plurality of cutouts 50 of the first support plate 40. In the illustrated example, the second support plate 52 includes three openings 54. Two openings 54 are in rectangular shape corresponding to the two rectangular cutouts 50 and one opening 54 is in triangular shape corresponding to the triangular cutout 50. The rectangular shape and the triangular shape of the openings 54 may define an optimum area in the second support plate 52 for the mud, and the debris to pass therethrough thereby to provide desired structural strength to the second support plate 52. Alternatively, the second support plate 52 may include any number of openings 54 in any other geometric shapes including, but not limited to, a circular, a square, a polygon or any other geometric shape known in the art.
The tread plate assembly 22 includes a support member 56 (shown in
The tread plate 26 of the tread plate assembly 22 is coupled to the first surface 46 of the first support plate 40 via a number of fastening members 57. The tread plate 26 acts as a support and facilitates removing and draining of the mud, the debris or any other materials from the feet of the operator 19 and prevents the mud or the debris or any other material entering to the operator cabin 18 through the feet of the operator 19. The fastening members 57 may include, but not limited to, rivets, nuts and bolts, screws, or any other fastening members known in the art.
The tread plate assembly 22 further includes a floor plate 58. The floor plate 58 is coupled to the first surface 46 of the first support plate 40 via a number of fastening members 59. The fastening members 59 may include, but not limited to, rivets, nuts and bolts, screws, or any other fastening members known in the art. The floor plate 58 includes a number of treads 61. The treads 61 may have a star shape profile. Alternatively, the treads 61 may have any profile known in the art to provide anti-skidding properties.
The tread plate 26 further includes a number of holes 72. The holes 72 extend between the first contact surface 60 and the second contact surface 62 of the tread plate 26. The holes 72 are aligned with the area “A” of each of the cutouts 50 of the first support plate 40 (as shown in
The treads 27 and the holes 72 are defined in the tread plate 26 such that the mud and the debris accumulated in front of the door 21 of the operator cabin 18 passes through the holes 72 and then through the cutouts 50. Thereafter, the material passes through the openings 54 of the second support plate 52 and is disposed outside the machine 10.
Although only the tread plate assembly 22 is explained in detail, it is to be understood that construction of the tread plate assembly 22 is merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this disclosure. It is to be understood that the constructional features of a tread plate of the second tread plate assembly is similar to the tread plate 26 of the tread plate assembly 22.
During the operation of the machine 10 in various conditions, material such as the mud, the dirt and other types of debris gets accumulated in front of the door 21 of the operator cabin 18. Accessing the operator cabin 18 becomes troublesome for the operator 19 ingress or egress of the operator cabin 18 of the machine 10. The present disclosure finds applicability to reduce any risk of injury to the operator 19. The present disclosure also facilitates in removal of mud, debris in front of the door 21 of the operator cabin 18.
The present disclosure relates to the tread plate assembly 22 that facilitates in removal/reduction of mud, debris in front of the operator cabin 18. More particularly, material such as mud and debris collected in front of the operator cabin 18 falls off through the holes 72 and the treads 27 present in the tread plate 26 of the tread plate assembly 22. The material then passes through the cutouts 50 of the first support plate 40 and the openings 54 of the second support plate 52 and is then discharged outside. Accordingly, the present configuration of the tread plate assembly 22 facilitates in easy opening and closing of the door 21 of the operator cabin 18.
Further, the tread plate assembly 22 reduces the effort of the operator 19 to clear the mud, the debris or any other material off the fender assembly 20. The tread plate assembly 22 provides improved anti-skid properties and is cost effective. The tread plate 26 of the tread plate assembly 22 may be used in surface or components such as step groups, floor panels of the machine 10, which requires anti-skid properties.
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 what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
