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US 2003/0154636 A1Published application
Universal coupler for excavator buckets
AssigneeMiller UK Limited
InventorsGary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Paul Maguire
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMiller UK Limited
InventorsGary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Paul Maguire
Estimating the term…
The coupler has a pair of spaced side frames (25a) in each of which a first hook like aperture (13) is provided for engagement with a first pivot pin provided on an excavator bucket and wherein a locking pin (23) is moveable from and into a locking position in which it prevents the latching hook (17a) from disengage from a second pivot pin (9a), (9b) or (9c) on the bucket there being a plurality of locking positions for the pin to accommodate different buckets. Preferably, a plurality of spaced apertures (27), (29), (31) are formed on each of the side frames (25a), those in one frame being transversely aligned with those in the other frames, and preferably also a plurality of spaced apertures (33, 35) and/or latching surfaces are formed on the latching hook or on an extension thereof, through or against which the locking pin (23) can be passed or can bear to prevent relative movement between the hook (17a) and side frames. Preferably, the piston end cylinder device (19a) for operating the latching hook has a much longer stroke than usual and the side frames (25a) of the coupler are longer than those of known couplers, there being a downwardly opening recess (15a) in the side frames which is much wider than usual to accommodate different pin spacings on the buckets of different manufacturers.
A coupler to enable an excavator operator to couple an excavator bucket to a dipper arm of an excavator while in his cab, the coupler including a pair of spaced side frames and being mountable upon or having means by means of which it can be coupled to the dipper arm of the excavator, a first hook-like aperture in each side frame for engagement with a first pivot pin provided on an excavator bucket, a power operated latching hook located between the side frames and supported for pivoting relative to the frames and operable by the operator from his cab for latching engagement with a second pivot pin provided on the bucket once the first hook-like aperture has been engaged. with the first pivot pin, and a locking pin moveable from and into a locking position in which it prevents the latching hook from being disengaged from the second pivot pin on the bucket, and wherein there are a plurality of locking positions for the pin, to accommodate different buckets.
A coupler, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 3-6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.