Bumper and counterweight arrangement and method for assembling the same
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorDonald R. Muellner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A construction vehicle has a rear bumper assembly mounted on a frame thereof. The bumper assembly comprises a horizontally disposed bottom plate and a plurality of upstanding plates which define a closed compartment having a counterweight disposed therein. The counterweight is attached to the bottom plate by a spacer which extends through the center of gravity of the counterweight and by a pair of bolts attached to opposite ends of the spacer. The counterweight is assembled by attaching a lifting eye to the spacer, lowering and simultaneously centering the counterweight in the compartment, replacing the lifting eye with one of the above-mentioned bolts and attaching the other bolt to the spacer.
Claims20
A combined bumper and counterweight arrangement mounted on one end of a frame of a vehicle having a work implement mounted on the other end thereof comprising
- a bumper assembly including a horizontally disposed bottom plate and a plurality of upstanding plates secured to said bottom plate to define a compartment therein,
- a counterweight disposed within said compartment and resting on said bottom plate,
- bracket means comprising at least one horizontally disposed bracket mounting said bumper assembly on said frame
- a vertically disposed pin further disposed in vertically aligned bores formed through said bracket and said frame whereby said bumper assembly can be mounted expeditiously on said frame and
- vertically disposed attachment means releasably attaching said counterweight to said bottom plate.
A method for mounting a counterweight in a compartment defined in a bumper assembly for a vehicle comprising the steps of
- threadably attaching lifting means to an upper side of said counterweight,
- lifting said counterweight by said lifting means over said compartment,
- lowering and simultaneously self-centering said counterweight in said compartment,
- securing said counterweight to said bumper assembly by replacing said lifting means with a bolt threadably attached to the upper side of said counterweight and
- duplicating said attaching, lifting, lowering and securing steps to mount a second counterweight in a second compartment defined in said bumper assembly in laterally spaced relationship relative to said first-mentioned counterweight.
A combined bumper and counterweight arrangement adapted for mounting on a frame of a vehicle comprising
- a bumper assembly including a horizontally disposed bottom plate and a plurality of upstanding plates secured to said bottom plate to define a compartment therein,
- a counterweight disposed within said compartment and resting on said bottom plate and
- attachment means releasably attaching said counterweight to said bottom plate comprising self-centering means for guiding and centering said counterweight on the bottom plate of said bumper assembly, a spacer disposed in an aperture formed in said weight, a pair of bolts threadably attached to opposite ends of said spacer and an annular centering member secured on a lower end of said spacer and disposed on the bottom wall of said bumper assembly.
A combined bumper and counterweight arrangement mounted on one end of a frame of a vehicle having a work implement mounted on the other end thereof comprising
- a bumper assembly including a horizontally disposed bottom plate and a plurality of upstanding plates secured to said bottom plate to define a pair of laterally spaced compartments on a rearward end of said bumper assembly,
- a counterweight disposed within each of said compartments and resting on said bottom plate,
- bracket means comprising at least one horizontally disposed bracket mounting said bumper assembly on said frame, and
- a vertically disposed pin further disposed in vertically aligned bores formed through said bracket and said frame whereby said bumper assembly can be mounted expeditiously on said frame.
A method for mounting a counterweight in a compartment defined in a bumper assembly for a vehicle comprising the steps of
- threadably attaching lifting means to an upper said of said counterweight,
- lifting said counterweight by said lifting means over said compartment,
- lowering and simultaneously self-centering said counterweight in said compartment,
- securing said counterweight to said bumper assembly by replacing and lifting means with a bolt threadably attached to the upper side of said counterweight, and
- mounting said bumper assembly on a frame of a vehicle by first attaching a pair of brackets of said bumper assembly on said frame and then bolting said bumper assembly to said frame at a location remote from said brackets from beneath said vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.