Coupler With Improved Jaw Configuration

Abstract

An excavator coupler that is either attached to, or for attachment to, an excavator arm of a digger for connecting an attachment, such as a bucket, to the excavator arm of the digger, the attachment having at least one bucket or coupler pin, wherein the coupler comprises a jaw for engaging that pin, the jaw comprising an interior space for the pin, and lips that partially occlude the interior space so as to provide a profile for the jaw that has a widened interior relative to either the gap between the lips or the opening of the jaw, if narrower, one lip being provided on an upper wall of the jaw and the other lip being provided on a lower wall of the jaw.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to GB 0525379.4, filed Dec. 13, 2005 and GB 0617394.2 filed Sep. 4, 2006 and expressly incorporated by reference. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not applicable. REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING”[0003] Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] 1. Field of the Invention [0005] The present invention relates to a jaw of a coupler for coupling attachments, such as buckets, to the excavator arm of a digger. [0006] 2. Description of Related Art [0007] Attachments used to be, and still sometimes are, attached directly to the excavator arm of diggers by using bucket (or coupler) pins, hereinafter called “pins”. They extend through holes both in the end of the excavator arm and in the attachments. The pins link them together such that they are relatively pivotable by manipulation of the arm. [0008] The insertion of those pins through the holes has always proved to b...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0028] Preferably the front jaw is a solid member that extends across the full width of the coupler, and preferably with a substantially constant cross section. However, it may be a bifurcated jaw, e.g. by being formed by cutting or forming the jaw's profile into two side plates of the coupler. Additionally or alternatively, it might have a taper, usually on its bottom half, e.g. to form (or partially form) a beak or a point. The taper can ease or facilitate the engagement of the jaw with the first pin.

[0040] The lips provide two dams that can resist movement of the first pin out of that jaw (i.e. after it has been located into the jaw by passing it through the opening (i.e. through the gap between the lips).

[0041] Prior art front jaws usually have no lips, or no more than a small ridge. As a result, in prior art front jaws, a pin would normally be free to fall out of the jaw if it was allowed to slide in the jaw (i.e. if it was not secured into the back of the jaw by the engagement of the latching hook (or plate) against the other pin). The dams of the present invention prevent that freedom to fall out of the jaw.

[0059] In conventional attachments, e.g. buckets, the front pin, i.e. the pin for the front jaw of a coupler, is mounted substantially perpendicularly between two plates. Each plate has an upper surface (or is capped by something having an upper surface). In use that upper surface faces the step-face. Preferably, therefore, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a combination comprising a coupler of the present invention (as defined above) having both a front jaw and a step-face and an attachment having both a upper surface and a front pin for engagement in the front jaw, wherein the upper surface, in use, faces the step-face, and wherein the front jaw of the coupler is spaced sufficiently downward from the step-face to allow the upper surface of the attachment, in use, to be spaced from the step-face both when the front jaw and the pin are properly seated together, and when the pin is sitting behind the lip in the upper wall, perhaps in a cut-out that defines that lip. This stops any rubbing occurring between the coupler and the attachment, and will prevent the engagement of the upper surface with the step-face from preventing the pin from falling into the cut-out, or from falling behind the lip.

Problems solved by technology

The insertion of those pins through the holes has always proved to be difficult or inconvenient, especially in view of the heavy weight of some attachments.

This is made worse by the fact that all of the holes need to be carefully aligned in order for the pins to be passed through them.

Despite the provision of safety features, an operator might still use the coupler incorrectly.

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