US3698490A

US3698490A - Bulldozer mounting and controls

Info

Publication number: US3698490A
Application number: US868786A
Authority: US
Inventors: James F King
Original assignee: Clark Equipment Co
Current assignee: CLARK MICHIGAN COMPANY CIRCLE DRIVE BUCHMANAN MICHIGAN A CORP OF
Priority date: 1969-10-23
Filing date: 1969-10-23
Publication date: 1972-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-17

Abstract

Bulldozer mounting and controls, including a first rigid push beam assembly mounting the blade at laterally spaced points, and a second push beam assembly connected with the blade at the end of the blade, and a tilt jack working between the blade and the second push beam assembly, eliminating warping of the blade or any mounting parts, and maintaining the same tilted position of the blade in all positions of elevation.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 3,698,490

King 51 Oct. 17, 1972 1 BULLDOZER MOUNTING AND 3,222,804 12/1965 Kuhl ..l72/803 CONTROLS 3.487.884 1/1970 Volberding ..172I803 [72] Inventor: James F. King, Cupertino, Calif. Primary Examiner koben E. Pulfrey I g Clark Equipment p y Assistant Examiner-R. T. Rader 22 Filed: 0 23 19 9 Attorney-Paul H. Gallagher App]. No.: 868,786

[52] 11.8. C1. ..l72/803, 172/801, 172/804 [51] Int. Cl. .1502! 3/76 [58] Field of Search ..l72/8018l0 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,734,292 2/1956 Graves ..172/804 2,839,848 6/1958 Mackey ..l72/803 3,084,461 4/1963 Beckford ..l72/804 [57] ABSTRACT Bulldozer mounting and controls, including a first rigid push beam assembly mounting the blade at laterally spaced points, and a second push beam assembly connected with the blade at the end of the blade, and a tilt jack working between the blade and the second push beam assembly, eliminating warping of the blade or any mounting parts, and maintaining the same tilted position of the blade in all positions of elevation.

14 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED B 1 7 I97? 3, 698, 490

sum 1 or 4 FIG. I

L\ INVENTOR JAMES F'. KING Z ATT RNEY PATENTED 3.698.490

saw 2 or 4 I N VEN TOR JAM ES F. KING ab/W ATTORNEY PATENTEDum I 1 m2 3.698.490

sum 3 nr 4 FIG. 3

INVENTOR JAMES F. KING ATTORNEY PATENTEDom 11 1912 3.698.490

SHEET u or 4 FIG. 4

, INVENTOR JAMES r F. KING ATTORNEY BULLDOZER MOUNTING AND CONTROLS OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A broad object of the invention is to provide a bulldozer mounting and control arrangement including means for tilting the bulldozer blade without warping or distorting the blade or any of its mounting parts, and maintaining any given tilted position of the blade in all positions of elevation thereof.

Another object is to provide a bulldozer mounting and control arrangement'of the character just referred to having a novel structure which includes a pair of push beam assemblies, one of them being rigid and mounting the blade at laterally spaced points, one of the points being at one end of the blade, and the other push beam assembly being connected with the blade at the other end of the blade, and including tilting means working between the blade and the second push beam assembly and tilting the blade and the first push beam assembly together, whereby to eliminate warping of the blade or mounting therefor.

Another object is to provide a construction of the character just referred to wherein means is provided for lifting the blade and the two push beam assemblies together in a common movement whereby the means for tilting the blade is carried with the blade and the corresponding push beam assembly in the vertical movements, and any given tilted position of the blade is maintained throughout all positions of elevation of the blade.

A further object is to provide a novel bulldozer blade and mounting of the character referred to above, of extremely simple construction, utilizing single lifting, tilting and pitching means, and further such that provides unusually good tilting power.

A still further object is to provide a construction of the foregoing character wherein both push beam assemblies are mounted on common axes, i.e., on both the blade and the frame of the vehicle on which the blade is mounted.

An additional object is to provide a bulldozer mounting of the foregoing character in which the tilting means acts in a longitudinal vertical plane inall positions of its actuation, and in all vertical positions of the blade.

A still further object is to provide a bulldozer mounting of the foregoing character in conjunction with a tractor or prime mover of the type having a frame and tired wheels spaced laterally therefrom, and in which the mounting for the bulldozer blade is secured to the frame inside the wheels, whereby to enable different sized wheels, and particularly wider wheels, to be utilized in conjunction with a single type construction blade mounting.

DESCRlPTlON OF A PREFERRED EM BODIMENT In the drawings:

FlG. l is a side elevational view of the forward portion of a bulldozer embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the bulldozer, with the blade shown in normal horizontal position in full lines, and in each of extreme opposite tilted positions in dot-dash lines;

FIG. 4 is a side view with the near vehicle wheel omitted, showing the blade in normal horizontal position in full lines, and in tilted position in dotdash lines; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

A list of the reference numerals applied to the drawings and identification of the corresponding elements, appears at the end of the specification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the bulldozer as a whole. It includes a tractor unit or vehicle or prime mover 10 having a frame 12 and wheels 14, the wheels being rubbertired and set out from the frame, a feature which is of significance in the present invention and as will be referred to again hereinbelow. It further includes a blade unit 16 including a blade proper l8 and mounting and control assembly identified generically at 20.

The blade proper 18 may be of any conventional construction and need not be described in detail. The mounting and control assembly 20 includes mounting means 22 and control means 24. The mounting means includes a first or left hand push beam assembly 26 and a second or right hand push beam assembly 28. The first push beam assembly 26 (FIG. 2) includes a push beam 30, a cross beam 32 and a diagonal beam or strut 34, all rigidly interconnected as by welding. The push beam 30 extends generally forwardly although at a small angle thereto; its rear end is mounted by means of a ball and socket joint 36 on the frame 12 of the tractor unit and its forward end is connected in a spherical bearing unit 38 as by welding it to a sleeve 40 of that unit, the sleeve being mounted on an inner element 42 and the bearing unit including transversely spaced brackets 44 secured directly to the blade as by welding. The cross beam 32 is disposed preferably parallel with the blade while the diagonal beam or strut 34 is connected with the push beam 30 closely adjacent the rear end of the latter and extends sharply diagonally to the extended end of the cross beam, these three elements forming a triangular frame having a substantial transverse component of extension at its forward end as will be referred to again hereinbelow.

The other push beam assembly 28 includes a push beam 46 extending generally forwardly and at an angle similar to but opposite that of the pushbeam 30, and

having its rear end mounted by means of a ball and socket joint 48 on the frame 12, on a common transverse axis 49 with the bearing 36. Its forward end is mounted in a spherical bearing unit 50 as by welding it to a sleeve 52 mounted on an inner element 54, the bearing unit being mounted on the blade by means of transversely spaced brackets 56 secured as by welding to the blade.

The push beam 46 is provided, adjacent its rear end, (FIGS. 2 and 5) with a lug 58 extending upwardly therefrom and displaced laterally from the diagonal center line of the push beam to an effect referred to hereinbelow. The lug 58 is utilized for mounting a tilting jack 60 preferably of hydraulic nature, having a cylinder 62 and an extensible piston 64. The cylinder is pivotally mounted on the lug 58 by suitable bearing means such as b means of a forked member 66 and the piston 64 is pivotally mounted in a spherical bearing means 68 which includes a collar 70 on the piston receiving an inner bearing element 72.Suitable spacers 74 may be provided for convenience. The bearing unit 68, in conjunction with the piston 64 is mounted in a pair of transversely spaced plates 76 of generally triangular form (FIGS. 1 and 4) of bell crank character, having their lower extremities rigidly secured, as by welding, to the cross beam 32 and having forward extremities included in a spherical bearing unit 78 and directly mounted on an inner element 80 which is mounted in a central lug 82 rigidly secured to the blade as by welding. The bearing unit includes a sleeve 84 in which the inner unit 80 is disposed.

The

bearing units

38, 50, 78 are mounted on a common transverse axis 88. The ball and

socket mountings

36, 48, of course have universal moving relation, as do the

spherical bearing units

38, 50, 78, allowing relative movement between the home elements and the axis 88, to an effect to be referred to again hereinbelow.

The tilt jack 60 extends on a center line or axis 90 disposed fore-and-aft and preferably closely adjacent the center of the ball and socket joint 48 (FIG. 2) whereas to minimize any sidewise forces on the various elements as reflected in the ball and socket joint. The jack remains in a vertical plane containing this axis, and therefore force is constantly exerted in fore-and-aft direction, substantially without lateral forces.

The blade is pitched by another jack 92, also preferably of hydraulic nature, having a cylinder 94 pivotally mounted in lugs or mounting brackets 96 on the vehicle frame and having its piston 98 pivotally mounted on an axis 99 in a bearing unit 100 itself mounted in lugs or brackets 102 secured directly and rigidly t the blade.

The blade is lifted by means of another jack 104 also preferably of hydraulic nature having a cylinder [06 pivotally mounted on an axis 107 (HO. 2) in lugs or brackets 108 secured to the frame and having a piston 110 pivotally mounted in lugs or brackets 112 secured directly to the cross beam 32.

The lift jack 104 is disposed on a longitudinal center line H4 (H0. 2) which is preferably the center line of the tractor and the blade is preferably symmetrical with the tractor about that line, whereby the blade is lifted evenly by the single lift cylinder with no tendency to cocking from that source. Thus a single lift cylinder is utilized as distinguished from a pair or'plurality of such in other bulldozers heretofore known.

The single pitch jack 92 is transversely closely adjacent the center line 114 and thus serves to pitch the blade with a minimum of cocking, but as will be appreciated any forces tending to cook the blade in pitching it are relatively minor. The blade in its pitching movements is rocked about the transverse axis 88.

An important feature of the invention is that it can be tilted about longitudinal axes without warping the blade or any of the mounting therefor. in the present instance, the blade is tilted i.e., both above and below its normal position, by extending or contracting the jack 60; upon extending the jack, the plates 76 are rocked with their upper ends. moved forwardly,

clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, and upon contracting it, they are rocked in the opposite direction. This results in lifting the extended end of the cross beam 32 (lower end, HO. 2, left end, FIG. 3), and the reaction of that force is directed to the push beam 46, but at a point closely adjacent the rear end thereof or near the ball and socket joint 48, whereby the total effect is raising of the corresponding end of the blade (left end, FIG. 3). The blade thus rocks about the line of least resistance, or the axis 114 or an axis closely adjacent thereto and in the same vertical plane. The lift jack 104 being a single such lift jack or poser means for lifting, and it being centrally located, provides an easy rocking fulcrum about which the blade rocks in response to the tilting power exerted by the tilt jack 60.

The blade is connected with the rigid push beam assembly 22, and more specifically adjacent the extreme ends of the long cross beam 32, and this cross beam being rigid, forces the blade in corresponding tilting directions, although with minor variations, avoiding warping. There is a certain modification of the movement as between the extended end of the cross beam relative to the blade, due to the movement of the plates 76 as between the bearing

units

68, 78, but this variation is minor and the spherical shape of the two bearing

units

38, 78 accommodates this slight variation as between the push beam assembly and the blade. Similarly there is also a slight variation as between the push beam 46 and the blade but the spherical shape of the bearing unit 50 accommodates this variation.

The arrangement enables the utilization of a single lift jack (104) and upon actuation thereof the blade is raised or lowered in true position, i.e., in whatever position of tilt it had assumed, this position will persist throughout the vertical movements thereof, since the tilt jack 60 is carried by the blade and the push beam 46, and since the blade and push beam assemblies all move together about the transverse axis 49 in the raising and lowering movements, the tilt position of the blade remains the same.

The push beams 30, 46, being mounted directly on the frame 12 are inside the wheels 14. This is an important advantage in that the wheels may be of any width (thickness) independently of the mounting of the bulldozer blade. There is a present tendency to the use of wider wheels, in the case of rubber tired wheels, and this development may be accommodated by the same construction described above. The push beams 30, 46 while directed generally forwardly, do diverge to a degree, whereby to accommodate their mounting directly on the frame while still enabling widely spaced points of connection to the blade. Additionally in the bearing

units

38, 50, 78 the mounting lugs or

brackets

44, 56, 74, may be spaced relatively widely whereby to provide points of securement of each bearing means to the blade at transversely widely spaced points.

Reference Numerals James F. King Bulldozer Mounting and Controls 26 first or left hand push beam assembly inner element of 78 82 central lug of 7B 84 sleeve of 78 88 transverse axis of the bearing

units

38, 50, 78

28 second or right hand push beam assembly 30 first push beam 31 cross beam 34 diagonal beam 54 inner element of 50 mounting cylinder 106 56 brackets [08 lugs or brackets 58 lug on 46 I piston of 104 60 tilting jack 112 brackets 62 cylinder of 60 114 center line of I04 I claim:

1. in a bulldozer having a vehicle frame and wheels including front wheels spaced laterally outwardly from the frame, the construction comprising a blade, a first and a second push beam assembly including push beams diverging forwardly, first and second ball and socket bearing means mounting the rear ends of the push beams on the frame, the first push beam assembly including a cross beam secured to the first push beam adjacent the front end thereof and extending transversely toward and to a position adjacent to the second push beam, and a diagonal strut connected between the extended end of the cross beam and the rear end of the first push beam, the first push beam assembly thereby forming a rigid beam member, third bearing means mounting the front end of the first push beam on the blade, bell crank means rigidly secured on the extended end of the cross beam and having a forward leg and an upper leg, fourth bearing means pivotally mounting the forward leg of the bell crank means on the blade, fifth bearing means pivotally mounting the front end of the second push beam on the blade, the third, fourth and fifth bearing means being of spherical character, lying on a common transverse axis, and each including three points spaced apart laterally of the blade between the blade and the respective members mounted thereon, a tilting jack having its rear end pivotally mounted on the second push beam adjacent the rear end of the latter and its front end pivotally mounted on the upper leg of the bell crank member, the tilting jack being operative in direct fore-and-aft direction and on a line extending at least adjacent the second bearing means, a lift jack having its rear end pivotally mounted on the frame and its forward end pivotally mounted on the cross beam of the first push beam assembly adjacent the center of the cross beam and at the transverse center of the blade, and a pitch jack having its rear end pivotally mounted on the vehicle frame and its forward end pivotally mounted on the blade at a position offset upwardly from the third, fourth and fifth bearings, the blade in its pitching movements rocking about said axis of the third, fourth and fifth bearing means.

2. In a bulldozer having a vehicle frame and transversely spaced ground engaging supporting means,

the construction comprising,

a rigid blade unit including a blade,

push beam means including a first and a second push beam assembly,

a first and a second bearing means pivotally mounting rear ends of the push beam assemblies on the frame at opposite sides of the latter,

the first push beam assembly including a first push beam and a transversely extending cross beam adjacent the front end of that push beam, said cross beam having a free end,

a third bearing means pivotally mounting the front end of the first push beam on the rigid blade unit adjacent one end of the latter,

the second push beam assembly including a second push beam,

a fifth bearing means pivotally mounting the front end of the second push beam on the rigid blade unit adjacent the end of the latter opposite the first push beam,

a fourth bearing means mounted on the rigid blade unit adjacent the free end of the cross beam and adjacent the fifth bearing means, and

tilting means including a tilting member interconnected between the free end of the cross beam and the fourth bearing means, and also includingajack interconnected between the tilting member and the push beam means and operative for applying power in the longitudinal direction and thereby operative for tilting the blade unit about a central longitudinal axis,

all of said bearing means including at least a degree of universal movement.

3. A bulldozer construction according to claim 2 and including means for lifting the blade unit, and for pitching the blade unit about transverse horizontal axes.

4. A bulldozer construction according to claim 3 wherein the lifting means includes a jack mounted at one end on the vehicle frame and at its other end on the cross beam adjacent the center of the latter.

5. A bulldozer construction according to claim 4 wherein the lifting means operates at a single point at the transverse center of the blade, and the tilting of the blade takes place substantially about a longitudinal axis in vertical alignment with that point.

6. A bulldozer construction according to claim 2 wherein both push beams are secured to the blade unit against relative vertical movement, the tilting member enables limited vertical movement of the cross beam relative to the blade, and the tilting jack acts between the second push beam and the tilting member and the tilting jack, upon actuation thereof, produces such vertical movement of the cross beam relative to the blade and thereby produces tilting of the blade.

7. A bulldozer construction according to claim 6 wherein the tilting member includes a bell crank means secured to the cross beam and having a first leg pivotally mounted on the blade unit and a second leg, and the tilting jack is interconnected between the second push beam and the second leg of the bell crank means.

8. A bulldozer construction according to claim 7 wherein the bell crank means is rigidly secured to the cross beam, and the thrust of the tilting jack produces pivoting action at the second leg between the tilting jack and the bell crank member and at another point between the first leg and the rigid blade unit, thereby producing vertical movement of the extended end of the cross beam relative to the blade and corresponding tilting of the blade.

9. A bulldozer construction according to claim 2 wherein the line of action of the tilting jack is at least closely adjacent the effective center of the second bearing means mounting the rear end of the second push beam assembly on the frame.

10. A bulldozer construction according to claim 9 wherein the tilting jack is pivotally mounted on and carried by the second push beam, and in any given fixed position of the tilting jack, both push beam assemblies become a rigid assemblage swingable vertically under the action of the lifting jack about an axis extending transversely through the first and second bearing means.

1]. A bulldozer construction according to claim 2 wherein the third, fourth and fifth bearing means are arranged on a common horizontal axis.

12. A bulldozer construction according to claim 11 wherein each of the third, fourth and fifth bearing means are of spherical construction, and each of them includes three points of connection between the blade and the push beam assemblies, those three points being spaced along said common axis, whereby to enable universal movement, including transverse cocking movement about fore-and-aft axes, between the blades and the push beam assemblies.

13. A bulldozer construction according to claim 2 wherein the ground engaging members of the vehicle are wheels, including front wheels spaced laterally from the frame, the rear ends of the push beams are positioned inside the wheels and vertically adjacent the lower portion of the frame.

14. A bulldozer construction according to claim 2 in which the push beams diverge forwardly and constitute the members directly connected with the vehicle frame and the blade, and are connected to the blade at wide spaced points.

i l t i

Claims

2. In a bulldozer having a vehicle frame and transversely spaced ground engaging supporting means, the construction comprising, a rigid blade unit including a blade, push beam means including a first and a second push beam assembly, a first and a second bearing means pivotally mounting rear ends of the push beam assemblies on the frame at opposite sides of the latter, the first push beam assembly including a first push beam and a transversely extending cross beam adjacent the front end of that push beam, said cross beam having a free end, a third bearing means pivotally mounting the front end of the first push beam on the rigid blade unit adjacent one end of the latter, the second push beam assembly including a second push beam, a fifth bearing means pivotally mounting the front end of the second push beam on the rigid blade unit adjacent the end of the latter opposite the first push beam, a fourth bearing means mounted on the rigid blade unit adjacent the free end of the cross beam and adjacent the fifth bearing means, and tilting means including a tilting member interconnected between the free end of the cross beam and the fourth bearing means, and also including a jack interconnected between the tilting member and the push beam means and operative for applying power in the longitudinal direction and thereby operative for tilting the blade unit about a central longitudinal axis, all of said bearing means including at least a degree of universal movement.

11. A bulldozer construction according to claim 2 wherein the third, fourth and fifth bearing means are arranged on a common horizontal axis.