GB2133379A

GB2133379A - Device for coupling and uncoupling front loader to agricultural tractor

Info

Publication number: GB2133379A
Application number: GB08300674A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Takasi Fujii; Kishio Imai; Kuniyasu Aiga
Original assignee: Sanyo Kiki Co Ltd
Current assignee: Sanyo Kiki Co Ltd
Priority date: 1983-01-11
Filing date: 1983-01-11
Publication date: 1984-07-25
Also published as: GB8300674D0; GB2133379B

Abstract

A device for coupling and uncoupling a front loader (b) to an agricultural tractor (a) wherein a front bracket (2) having a boss (4) and a rear bracket (5) having an engaging recess (6) formed with a shaft lug guiding piece (7) are provided on the tractor (a), a shaft lug (20) is provided on a frame (13) connecting a lift arm (8) and a lift cylinder (16) of the front loader (b), a guide (25) in the form of a channel and a stand (28) are provided at the front end of a side arm (21) extending forward from the frame (13), and fixing means for fixing the side arm (21) with the boss (4) of the front bracket (2) is provided, so that said shaft lug (20) of the front loader (b) is engaged with the engaging recess (6) of the rear bracket (5) on the tractor (a) and the guide (25) of the front loader (b) is engaged with the boss (4) of the front bracket (2) on the tractor (a), respectively so as to couple the front loader (b) with the tractor (a) when the lift cylinder (16) of the front loader (b) is operated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for coupling and uncoupling front loader to agricultural tractor This invention relates to a device for coupling and uncoupling a front loader to agricultural tractors.

Front loaders coupled to agricultural tractors have been mainly used in civil engineering or construction works and conveyance works, which represent just one field of the works capable of being performed by employing the tractors.

Therefore, the front loader has to be constructed such that it can be easily uncoupled from the tractor in the case the tractor is used for those works not requiring the front loader, while it can be easily coupled to the tractor in those works requiring the front loader.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for coupling and uncoupling a front loader to agricultural tractors, comprises a front bracket fixed to the front portion of a front axle bearing stand locating in the front portion of the tractor, a rear bracket fixed to a clutch housing locating at almost the center between the front and rear axles (or the part leading from the side of the clutch housing to the lower portion of the rear axle) of the tractor, a pair of coupling and uncoupling means provided on the front loader at the positions corresponding to the coupling and uncoupling means on the tractor side, and a front means comprising a fixing means and a guide means provided on the front loader.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device for coupling and uncoupling a front loader to agricultural tractors, in which a guide means is provided independently from a front fixing means so as to improve strength and operability of the tractor.

Other objects and features of this invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side view showing the state where a front loader is coupled to a tractor by means of a device according to this invention; Fig. 2 is 6 side view showing the state where the front loader is uncoupled from the tractor; Fig. 3 is a side view showing the state where the front loader is coupled to the tractor by means of a device according to another embodiment of this invention; Fig. 4 is a side view showing an essential part of the front loader; and Fig. 5 is a side view showing an essential part of the tractor.

In the following the device according to this invention will be described with reference to Figs.

1 and 2.

In the present invention, a body 1 of a tractor (a) is equipped with a front bracket 2 having a boss 4 and a rear bracket 5 having an engaging recess 6 formed with a shaft lug guiding piece 7 on each side thereof, while a front loader (b) is equipped with shaft lugs 20 on both sides of a frame 13 connecting a lift arm 8 and a lift cylinder 1 6 and with side arms 21 extending forward from the frame 13. Each of the side arms 21 is provided at its front end with a metal guide 25 in the form of U and a stand 28.With this construction, by operating a piston rod 1 7 of the lift cylinder 16 on the front loader with oil pressure while retracting the tractor, each shaft lug 20 of the front loader is engaged with the engaging recess 6 of the rear bracket 5 on the tractor and each U-shaped metal guide 25 of the front loader is engaged with the boss 4 of the front bracket 2 on the tractor, respectively, so that the front load is coupled to the tractor. Namely 30 denotes a fixing pin for fixing the side arm 21 with the front bracket 2.

With the present device thus constructed, the front loader can be coupled and uncoupled to the tractor as follows.

Firstly, there will now be described how the front loader (b) coupled to the tractor (a) as shown in Fig. 1 is uncoupled therefrom.

(1) Retract the piston rod 1 7 of the lift cylinder 16 for the lift arm 8 and cause the front wheels of the tractor to be raised up from the road surface.

(2) Descend the stand 28 as shown in Fig. 2.

(3) Remove the fixing pin 30 from the side arm 21 and the front bracket 2.

(4) Advance the piston rod 1 7, so that the side frame 1 3 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft lug 20 which has advanced in the recessed portion of the rear bracket 5 and hence the shaft lug 20 is also released from the rear bracket. At this time, the boss 4 on the tractor is separated from the guide 25 on the loader, so that the stand 28 may be rested on the road surface.

(5) Disconnect hydraulic pipings from the front loader and thereafter retreat the tractor.

Coupling of the front loader to the tractor can be performed in contrast with the above mentioned procedures.

As described above, according to the device of this invention, the front loader can be easily uncoupled from the tractor and coupled to the tractor without fail.

A device of another embodiment according to this invention will be described with reference to Figs 3 to 5.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 5, the reference numeral 36 denotes a boss which has a pin hole 37 through which a fixing pin is inserted and removed, and serves as a front fixing means. The boss 36 is fixed to a side arm 21 via a support plate 38 at a position so as to be supported above a front axle bearing stand of the tractor when the loader is coupled to the tractor (a).

Then, a suport plate 41 is projected from the front end of the tractor and a shaft lug 42 for guiding serving as a guide means on the tractor side is fixed to the support plate 41. The reference numeral 43 denotes a boss which serves as a front fixing means on the tractor side and has a pin hole 44 through which the fixing pin is inserted and removed. The boss 43 is fixed above the front axle bearing stand of the tractor via a mount place 45 and a support plate 46.

Moreover, the reference numerals 49 and 50 denote a reinforcing member and the fixing pin, respectively. In addition, the numeral 51 denotes a metal fitting adapted to align the pin holes in the bosses 36 and 43 and fixed to the support plate 38 on the side frame side.

Firstly, there will now be described how the front loader (b) coupled to the tractor (a) as shown in Fig. 3 is uncoupled therefrom.

(1) Retract the plunger 1 7 of the lift cylinder 1 6 for the lift arm 8 and cause the front wheels of the tractor to be raised up from the road surface.

(2) Descend the stand 28.

(3) Remove the fixing pin 50.

(4) Advance the plunger 1 7 and then disengage the shaft lug 42 for guiding from the metal guide 25, so that the side frame 13 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft lug 20 which has advanced in the recessed portion of the rear bracket 5 and hence the shaft lug 20 is also released from the rear bracket. At this time, the boss 36 on the loader is separated from the boss 43 on the tractor, so that stand 28 may be rested on the road surface.

As described hereinbefore, the embodiment is different from the first mentioned embodiment in that the front fixing means is independent of the guide means. Therefore, the fixing means and the guide means can be constructed to have smaller size, thus making sight in front wider and improving operability.

In particular, in the case where the front fixing means is positioned above the front axle of the tractor as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the bending moment exerting on the front axle bearing stand becomes minimum, whereby there occurs no trouble in coupling the loader even when the bending strength of the tractor is relatively low. As a result, even when it is required to reinforce the tractor, such reinforcement may need just relatively small sized reinforcing members. For instance, the reinforcing member 49 in the illustrated embodiment is not required to extend up to the side of the bonnet. The front fixing means, especially on the side frame side, can be reduced in size thereof and the side frame itself can also be reduced in its dimension in the front portion of the front fixing means because such portion will not be directly subject to an external force. As a consequence of the above reduction in size of those components, opening and closing of the side covers will not be interrupted so as to ensure the facilitation of maintanenace works and further sight in front of the tractor will not be narrowed when the front wheels are steered or the loader is uncoupled.

Besides, the position of the front fixing means is not limited to that in the illustrated embodiment and it may be provided in the rear portion of the side arm of the side frame or each in the front and rear portions thereof.

In addition, this invention can be applied to such modified front loaders that the front portions of left and right side frames are connected to each other by means of a rigid member, that a stand is not provided separately and side frames are directly rested on the road surface, or that the stand is adjustable in its height.

Claims

1. A device for coupling and uncoupling a front loader to an agricultural tractor comprises a front bracket having a boss and a rear bracket having an engaging recess formed with a shaft lug guiding piece, both of which are provided on the tractor, a shaft lug provided on a frame connecting a lift arm and a lift cylinder of the front loader, a side arm extending forward from the frame, a guide in the form of a channel and a stand, both of which are provided at the front end of said arm, and fixing means for fixing the side arm with the front bracket, said shaft lug of the front loader being engaged with the engaging recess of the rear bracket on the tractor and the guide of the front loader being engaged with the boss of the front bracket on the tractor, respectively so as to couple the front loader with the tractor when the lift cylinder of the front loader is operated.

2. A device for coupling and uncoupling a front loader to an agricultural tractor comprises a front bracket having a boss and a rear bracket having an engaging recess formed with a shaft lug guiding piece, both of which are provided on the tractor, a shaft lug provided on a frame connecting a lift arm and a lift cylinder of the front loader, a side arm extending forward from the frame, a guide in the form of a channel and a stand, both of which are provided at the front end of said side arm, and front fixing means provided on said side arm and said tractor correspondingly to each other, said shaft lug of the front loader being engaged with the engaging recess of the rear bracket on the tractor and the guide of the front loader being engaged with the boss of the front bracket on the tractor, respectively so as to couple the front loader with the tractor when the lift cylinder of the front loader is operated.

3. A device for coupling and uncoupling a front loader to an agricultural tractor according to claim 2, wherein said front fixing means are positioned to locate above a front axle bearing stand of said tractor.

4. A device for coupling and uncoupling front loader to agricultural tractor, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.