Tool Attachment

Abstract

A tool attachment 10 comprising a plurality of pick-up pins 32, 34 or excavator bucket pins, each for threading through a pair of spaced apart holes 26 in a mounting part 22 of the tool, a bush 40 for each hole 26, fasteners 44 for fastening each bush to a surround of the respective hole and retainers 46 for each end of each pick-up pin 32, 34, wherein each of the bushes 40 has an eccentric hole 58 there through for receiving a portion of one of the pick-up pins 32, 34 so that the spacing between the pick-up pins 32, 34 can be selected according to the axial orientation of the bushes 40 in relation to the surround 22.

Claims

1. A tool attachment comprising a plurality of pick-up pins or excavator bucket pins, each for threading through a pair of spaced apart holes in a mounting part of the tool, a bush for each hole, fasteners for fastening each bush to a surround of the respective hole and retainers for each end of each pick-up pin, wherein each of the bushes has an eccentric hole there through for receiving a portion of one of the pick-up pins so that the spacing between the pick-up pins can be selected according to the axial orientation of the bushes in relation to the surround.

2. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein the centre of the eccentric hole is orbitally movable about an axis with axial rotation of the bush with respect to the surround.

3. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein the pick-up pins are narrower than the hole in the mounting part of the tool.

4. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein the pick-up pin is able to pass through the hole in the mounting part of the tool irrespective of the orientation of the bush in the hole.

5. The tool attachment according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer for each hole, wherein the spacers are dimensioned in thickness according to the required spacing between the bushes on the same pick-up pin.

6. The tool attachment according to claim 5, wherein each spacer is in the form of a disc.

7. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein the fasteners are a set of bolts and nuts.

8. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein each retainer is a bolt and a respective nut.

9. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein the bushes each comprise a radially extending flange with a plurality of holes there through for receiving the fasteners.

10. The tool attachment according to claim 9, wherein the mounting part has a set of holes for alignment with the holes of each of the bushes and for receiving the fasteners.

11. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein the pick-up pin is a tube with transverses holes adjacent each end for receiving the retainers.

12. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein each spacer has thickness selected according to the dimension of the surrounds of the mounting part of the tool.

13. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein the spacers each comprise a plurality of holes for receiving the fasteners.

14. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein the rotational orientation of the bushes is selected according to the required spacing of the pick-up pins for a given type of arm coupling.

15. An excavator comprising an arm, a tool, and a tool attachment according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to provide a better understanding of the present invention embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool attachment attached to a tool according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tool attachment of FIG. 1;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bush of the tool attachment of FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spacer of the tool attachment of FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pick-up pin of the tool attachment of FIG. 1; and

[0028] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another bush of the tool attachment of FIG. 1, which is different to that shown in FIG. 3 and shown from the opposite side of side seen in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a tool attachment 10 attached to a tool 12. In this embodiment the tool 12 is in the form of a grapple. In other embodiment the tool may be a different type of tool, such as for example a bucket. The grapple comprises a ripper or finger part 14 and an opposable, pivotable jaw 16, comprising two fingers. The jaw 16 is pivotable about pivot axis 18. The jaw 16 is actuated by a ram pivotally attached at pivot 20.

[0030] The part 14 has a mounting part comprising two spaced apart plates 24 extending orthogonal to the plane of operation of the fingers of the part 14. These plates each have two spaced apart holes 26 and 28, where the holes 26 of one plate 22 are aligned with the holes 28 of the other plate 24 to receive pick-up pins 32 and 34. Commonly a standard bush will be used to couple the pick-up pins to the plates. In the present invention the standard bushes are removed.

[0031] The tool attachment 10 comprises a plurality of pick-up pins, in this case two pick up pins 32 and 34, and an eccentric bush 40 for each hole 26/28. In one form the tool attachment 10 also comprises a spacer 42 for each hole 26/28, fasteners 44 for fastening each bush to the surround of the respective hole 26/28 and retainers 46 for each end of each pick-up pin.

[0032] As seen in FIG. 2, the bushes 40 have an eccentric hole 58 therethrough for receiving a portion of one of the pick-up pins 32/34 so that the spacing between the pick-up pins 32 and 34 can be selected according to the axial orientation of the bushes in relation to the plate 22/24.

[0033] The spacers 42 are dimensioned in thickness according to the required spacing between the bushes 40 on the same pick-up pin 32/34.

[0034] In an embodiment the fasteners 44 are a set of bolts and nuts. In an embodiment each retainer 46 is a bolt and a respective nut. In an embodiment the respective nut is self tightening.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 3, the bush 40 is shown in isolation. The bush comprises a radially extending flange 50 with holes 52 therethrough for receiving the fasteners 44. An external collar portion 56 has the axial hole 58 therethrough, where the hole centre is axially off-set from the centre of the circular flange 50, thereby making the bush eccentric. The collar portion 56 has a transverse set of holes 60 for receiving one of the retainers 46. The bush also comprise an insert collar 54.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 6, the insert collar 54 is inserted in a respective one of the holes 26/28. This will result in two bushes facing one direction from plate 22 (orientation of FIG. 3) and two bushes facing in the opposite direction from the other plate 24 (with an orientation of FIG. 6). The eccentric nature of the hole 58 is more readily appreciated in FIG. 6.

[0037] As seen in FIG. 5, the pick-up pin 32/34 is a tube 80 with transverse holes 82 adjacent each end for receiving the retainers 46.

[0038] In an embodiment the centre of the eccentric hole is orbitally movable about an axis with axial rotation of the bush 40 with respect to the plates 22 and 24. In an embodiment the spacing of the pick-up pins 32 and 34 can be selected. Where the linkage requires narrower spacing between the pick-up pins 32/34 this can be adjusted by rotation of the bushes 40.

[0039] Also the pick-up pin 32/34 is able to pass through the respective hole 26/28 in the mounting part of the tool irrespective of the orientation of the bush 40 in the hole 26/28.

[0040] In an embodiment the rotational orientation of the bushes 40 is selected according to the required spacing of the pick-up pins 32/34 for a given type of arm linkage.

[0041] The spacer 42 is shown in more detail in FIG. 4. The spacer 42 is in the form of a disc with a hole 72 through its centre. The spacer 42 has a set of holes in a circular pattern for receiving the fasteners 44. In an embodiment the thickness 70 of the spacer 42 is selected according to the spacing between the plates 22 and 24. Where the tool has wider apart plates 22 and 24, the spacers 42 can be thicker. Thus tools of different spacing between mounting plates 22 and 24 can be used for a given type of arm linkage that attaches to the pick-up pins.

[0042] The present invention allows for coupling of a tool with spaced apart mounting parts to be able to be used with a given arm with different spacing of the mounting parts. The present invention allows for coupling of a tool with spaced apart holes for receiving the pick-up pins of one size to the used with a given arm would a coupling for a different spacing of the holes.

[0043] Modifications may be made to the present invention within the context of that described and shown in the drawings. Such modifications are intended to form part of the invention described in this specification.