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US 12,630,996 B2Granted
Adapter bracket for coupling a work tool and a work machine
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorMark W. Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adapter bracket can releasably couple a work tool having a connection interface with first and second linkage pins to an implement arm on a work machine. The adapter bracket can include an upper arm interface and a lower tool interface. The tool interface can include a first or forward pin opening to receive the first linkage pin and a second or rearward pin opening to receive the second linkage pin. The first pin opening can be a multi-radii pin opening for linkage pins of different pin diameters and the second pin opening can be a span channel for different pin spans.
Claims20
An adapter bracket for coupling an implement arm of a work machine and a work tool, the adapter bracket comprising:
- an adapter body having an arm interface and a tool interface, the tool interface including a first lower sidewall and a second lower sidewall each with a first non-circular pin opening and a second pin opening for receiving linkage pins of a connection interface on the work tool, wherein each of the first non-circular pin openings of the first and second lower sidewalls is configured to receive linkage pins having different diameters at different positions within the first non-circular pin opening;
- wherein the first and second lower sidewalls each include a first surface portion defining at least a portion of the first non-circular pin opening;
- at least one pin clamp configured to secure the linkage pins having different diameters at the different positions within each first non-circular pin opening, the pin clamp including a clamping member and a clamp actuator;
- and
- wherein the clamp actuator is configured to shift the clamping member relative to the first non-circular pin openings to engage the clamping member with a linkage pin extending in the first non-circular pin openings and clamp the linkage pin between the clamping member and the first surface portions of the first and second lower sidewalls to secure the linkage pin at one of the positions within the first non-circular pin openings.
2 more elements
A coupler system for coupling an implement arm of a work machine and a work tool, the coupler system comprising:
- a work tool having a connection interface including a first linkage pin and a second linkage pin in a parallel, spaced apart arrangement,
- an adapter bracket having an adapter body including a tool interface for releasable connection to the connection interface on the work tool and an arm interface for connection to the implement arm, the tool interface including:
- a first lower sidewall and a second lower sidewall each with a first non-circular pin opening to securely receive the first linkage pin at different positions within the first non-circular pin opening and a second pin opening to securely receive the second linkage pin, wherein each of the first non-circular pin openings of the first and second lower sidewalls is configured to receive linkage pins having different diameters at different positions within the first non-circular pin opening-;
- wherein the first and second lower sidewalls each include a first surface portion defining at least a portion of the first non-circular pin opening;
- at least one pin clamp configured to secure the first linkage pin at one of the different positions within each first non-circular pin opening, the pin clamp including a clamping member and a clamp actuator;
- wherein the clamp actuator is configured to shift the clamping member relative to the first non-circular pin openings to engage the clamping member with the first linkage pin extending in the first non-circular pin openings and clamp the first linkage pin between the clamping member and the first surface portions of the first and second lower sidewalls to secure the first linkage pin at one of the positions within the first non-circular pin openings.
3 more elements
An adapter bracket for coupling an implement arm of a work machine and a work tool, the adapter bracket comprising:
- an upper arm interface including a first upper sidewall and a second upper sidewall in a spaced apart relation, the upper arm interface including arm hooks for connection to the implement arm;
- a lower tool interface for releasable connection to a connection interface on the work tool having a first linkage pin and a second linkage pin in a parallel, spaced apart relation, the lower tool interface including a first non-circular pin opening configured as a multi-radii pin opening and a second pin opening configured as a span channel having a channel length dimensionally greater than a channel height, wherein each of the first non-circular pin openings is configured to receive linkage pins having different diameters at different positions within the first non-circular pin opening;
- a pin clamp configured to secure the first linkage pin at one of the different positions within the first non-circular pin opening, the pin clamp including a clamping member and a clamp actuator,
- wherein the clamp actuator is configured to shift the clamping member relative to the first non-circular pin opening to engage the clamping member with the first linkage pin extending in the first non-circular pin opening and secure the first linkage pin at the one position within the first non-circular pin openings.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.