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(11) | EP 1 426 496 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Earth-moving vehicle |
| (57) An earth-moving vehicle (1) is provided with a chassis (2) and with an operating
arm (3) that is mobile with respect to the chassis (2) under the action of a plurality
of actuators (10); for coupling the operating arm (3) and/or the actuators (10) there
is provided at least one hinge (13), the hinge-pin (14) of which is axially delimited
by two side faces (20, 21) set opposite to one another, which form part of an external
surface (22) of the vehicle (1), and has a hole (23), which gives out through the
side faces (20, 21) to enable passage of a lifting member (24); according to a variation,
the hole (23a) is made through a fixing plate (17a) fixedly connected to one end of
the pin (14a). |
[0001] The present innovation relates to an earth-moving vehicle, in particular an excavating vehicle, which comprises a chassis and an operating arm. The arm carries at its end an excavating member and is hinged to the chassis for carrying out earth-moving operations under the action of a plurality of hydraulic actuators.
[0002] The operating arm is provided in general with some attachment appendages or plates, which are connected on the outside of the arm by means of welding and enable constraint of chains, ropes or other lifting members to enable lifting and transportation of the vehicle without using the motive power of the vehicle itself, for example when embarkation thereof on a cargo ship is required.
[0003] The aforesaid attachment appendages or plates are far from altogether satisfactory in as far as they tend to have an adverse affect on the appearance of the external surface of the vehicle and involve an undesirable increase in the weight of the operating arm, which, as is known, is a factor that penalizes the loading capacity and the efficiency of the arm itself, in particular as regards the so-called small-sized vehicles. In addition, the construction, positioning and connection of the attachment plates or appendages involve relatively long operating times and high costs.
[0004] Furthermore, during the operations of lifting and embarkation, in general, the paint that coats the aforesaid attachment appendages or plates tends to get accidentally chipped or removed by the lifting members, so further impairing the appearance of the vehicle.
[0005] The purpose of the present innovation is therefore to provide an earth-moving vehicle, which will enable the problems outlined above to be solved in a simple and inexpensive way.
[0006] According to the present innovation, an earth-moving vehicle is provided comprising:
- a chassis;
- a member which is mobile with respect to said chassis;
- hinging means for hingeably attaching said mobile member to another member, comprising at least one hinge-pin defining a hinge axis; and
- attachment means for lifting said earth-moving vehicle.
[0007] The vehicle is characterized in that said attachment means are incorporated in said hinging means.
[0008] The present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :
- Figure 1 illustrates, in side elevation, a preferred embodiment of the earth-moving vehicle according to the present innovation;
- Figure 2 is a side view, at an enlarged scale, of a hinge-pin of the earth-moving vehicle of Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a front view, partially in cross section, of the hinge-pin of Figure 2; and
- Figures 4 and 5 are similar to Figures 2 and 3, respectively, and illustrate a variation of the vehicle of Figure 1.
[0009] In Figure 1, the reference number 1 designates an earth-moving vehicle, in particular an excavating vehicle. The vehicle 1 comprises a chassis 2 and an arm 3, which is made up of three portions or stretches 5, 6, 7 hinged to one another. The stretch 5 is hinged to the chassis 2, whilst the stretch 7 carries an earth-moving member 8, in particular a bucket hinged at its end.
[0010] The stretches 5, 6, 7 and the member 8 are mobile with respect to one another and with respect to the chassis 2 under the action of a plurality of double-acting linear hydraulic actuators 10 comprising respective housings 11 and respective rods 12, the ends of which are hinged to the chassis 2, to the stretches 5, 6, 7, or else to the member 8, in such a way as to enable freedom of rotation of the actuators 10 during actuation of the arm 3.
[0011] With reference to Figures 2 and 3, in the points of articulation of the stretches 5, 6 and 7, of the member 8, and of the ends of the actuators 10 there are provided hinging devices 13, which comprise respective cylindrical hinge-pins 14. The pins 14 are each delimited by a corresponding external cylindrical surface 15. In a known manner (not illustrated) the pins 14 couple two members (e.g. the stretches 5 and 6) to each other which are able to turn with respect to one another about a hinging axis 16 coinciding with the axis of the pin 14.
[0012] The device 13 further comprises a fixing plate 17, which is fitted about one axial end of the hinge-pin 14, is welded on the surface 15, and is fixed to one of the aforesaid turnable members by means of a connection bolt of a known type (not illustrated herein), which extends through a hole 18 made in a terminal portion of the plate 17.
[0013] Once again with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the pin 14 has a cylindrical surface 19, which is coaxial to the surface 15, and two plane side faces 20, 21, which delimit axially, on opposite sides, the pin 14 and form part of an external surface 22 of the vehicle.
[0014] As will be appreciated, the surface 19 defines an empty, axial, through hole 23, which gives out through the faces 20, 21 and enables insertion and/or passage through the pin 14 of a lifting member, for example of a chain 24 or cable for lifting and transporting the vehicle 1 by means of a winch or crane.
[0015] As an alternative to the chain 24, through the hole 23 there could be inserted a cylindrical bar or tube (not illustrated), preferably having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole 23 and designed to enable coupling of a hook or other lifting member.
[0016] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the device 13, the constituent parts of which are designated, wherever possible, by the same reference numbers as those used in Figures 2 and 3.
[0017] According to this alternative embodiment, the device 13 comprises a hinge-pin 14a with a solid shaft, i.e., without the hole 23, whilst the plate 17 is replaced by a plate 17a having a different shape and comprising a terminal lobe 25, in which an additional hole 23a is made.
[0018] Like the hole 23, also the hole 23a is made to enable coupling, insertion and/or passage of a lifting member, for example a chain or hook, for lifting and transporting the vehicle 1 by means of a winch or crane.
[0019] From the foregoing it will be appreciated how the holes 23, 23a enable a point of attachment for lifting the vehicle 1 associated to the device 13 to be obtained, without having to weld additional attachment appendages or plates to the arm 3 for connection of the chain 24 or other lifting members of the vehicle 1 and thus without adversely affecting the appearance of the arm 3 and of the vehicle 1.
[0020] At the same time, as compared to known solutions, the use of the device 13 enables reduction of the number of components and thus of the costs for production of the arm 3, once again on account of the fact that the arm 3 is without the aforesaid additional attachment appendages or plates.
[0021] At least for the solution of Figures 2 and 3, the arm 3 is lighter, and thus has a loading capacity greater than known solutions, in which there are provided the aforesaid additional attachment appendages or plates and in which the hinge-pins are of a "full" type, i.e., without any hole.
[0022] It is possible to obtain the pins 14 starting from tubes of a type commonly available on the market, so that there is no need for any machining to obtain the hole 23. The cylindrical axial hole 23 not only enables passage of the chain 24, but also coupling of an ordinary cylindrical bar and prevents the lifting members from possibly damaging the paint coating the surface 22 during transportation of the vehicle 1.
[0023] Finally, from the foregoing it emerges clearly that modifications and variations can be made to the vehicle 1 described herein with reference to the attached figures, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present innovation. In particular, the shape, the dimensions and/or the position of the holes 23, 23a could be different from the ones described and illustrated herein, the plate 17 could be absent, and/or the holes 23, 23a could be closed at the ends by means of removable plugs.
1. An earth-moving vehicle (1) comprising:
- a chassis (2);
- a member (3, 10, 8) which is mobile with respect to said chassis (2);
- hinging means (13) for hingeably attaching said mobile member (3, 10, 8) to another member, comprising at least one hinge-pin (14; 14a) defining a hinge axis (16); and
- attachment means (23; 23a) for lifting said earth-moving vehicle (1); and
characterized in that said attachment means (23; 25) are incorporated in said hinging means (13).2. A vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said hinge-pin (14) is delimited axially by two side faces (20, 21), which are set
opposite to one another and form part of an external surface (22) of said vehicle
(1); said attachment means (23) comprising a hole (23) at least partially empty, which
is made through said hinge-pin (14) and comes out through at least one of said side
faces (20, 21).
3. A vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that said hole (23) is a through hole made between said side faces (20, 21).
4. A vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said hole (23) is cylindrical and made along said hinge axis (16).
5. A vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said hinging means (13) further comprise a fixing plate (17a), transverse to said
hinge axis (16) and fixedly connected to one end of said hinge-pin (14a); said attachment
means (25) being carried by said connecting plate (17a).
6. A vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that said attachment means (25) comprise a through hole (23a) made in said connecting
plate (17a).
7. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mobile member is defined by an operating arm (3) hinged to said chassis (2)
for carrying out earth-moving operations; said hinge-pin (14; 14a) defining part of
an articulated joint for said operating arm (3).
8. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said mobile member is defined by a linear actuator (10); said hinge-pin (14) defining
part of an articulated joint for one end of said linear actuator (10).