Material handling assembly

Abstract

A material handling assembly is described herein. The material handling assembly provides an assembly mountable on the articulated arm of the machine consisting generally of a bucket pivotally connectable to the articulated arm of the machine and the means for pivoting the bucket about the pivotal connection of the bucket to the articulated arm, an arm member pivotally connectable to the articulated arm and cooperable with the bucket when mounted on the articulated arm for clamping material being handled therebetween, a bracket mountable on the articulated arm, a strut having a first end thereof pivotally connected to the arm member and second end thereof received within and displaceable along the bracket, and means for detachably securing the second end of the strut to the bracket at selected points along the length of the bracket in a safe and efficient manner.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The invention relates generally to an improved material handling assembly for use in connection with earth moving equipment such as excavators and backhoes and the like. More specifically, the invention relates to an improved material handling assembly that is attached to, and easily repositioned relative to an articulated arm of the earth moving equipment.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Earth moving equipment such as excavators and backhoes are commonly used by contractors for various construction projects where it is desirable to move large amounts of materials such as soil, rocks, tree trunks and stumps and other debris. Such equipment typically includes a handle or arm-like structure, referred to herein as the articulated arm, extending from the main body of the equipment, a bucket pivotally connected to one end of the articulated arm and a hydraulic cylinder assembly to move or reposition the bucket relative to the articulated arm.[0003]It is also known in...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]The present invention relates to a material handling assembly. The present invention solves the above-described problems of prior art material handling assemblies by providing an assembly mountable on the articulated arm of the machine consisting generally of a bucket pivotally connectable to the articulated arm of the machine and the means for pivoting the bucket about the pivotal connection of the bucket to the articulated arm, an arm member pivotally connectable to the articulated arm and cooperable with the bucket when mounted on the articulated arm for clamping material being handled therebetween, a bracket mountable on the underside of the articulated arm, a strut having a first end thereof pivotally connected to the arm member and second end thereof received within and displaceable along the bracket, and means for detachably securing the second end of the strut to the bracket at selected points along the length of the bracket in a safe and efficient manner. A conversion kit is also foreseen to allow a previously existing machine to be converted to use the material handling assembly described herein.

[0016]It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a material handling assembly of the type described having a thumb component which is simple in construction, comparatively easy to install and readily adjustable. It is a further object of the invention to provide a thumb which may be easily set at a desired angle for operational purposes.

Problems solved by technology

Utilizing a hydraulic cylinder for adjusting the angle of the thumb has a number of advantages but is comparatively costly.

Utilizing a rigid strut and a number of connecting brackets also has a number of disadvantages including increased cost of manufacture and installation and a certain amount manual labor being required in fixing the desired angle of the thumb and securing it into position.

Another problem associated with material handling assemblies of the past, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,267 is that it is difficult and time-consuming for the operator to reposition the strut relative to the openings in the bracket due to the weight of the components involved.

Given the weight of the strut and thumb and the need to hold it steady, it is often necessary to involve two or more workers to reposition the strut which is time consuming, inefficient and dangerous.

Moreover, the lateral forces being applied to the pin by the sidewalls of the openings in the strut often result in the pin becoming jammed and makes it even more difficult for the operator to remove the pin to reposition the thumb assembly relative to the arm.

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