Title: Bulldozer blade pitch adjuster
Abstract: A bulldozer blade pitch adjuster is disclosed having an adjustable length member with a body and two threaded members threaded into opposing ends of the body, and a cover that can be attached to the body to cover the body and the two threaded members, that can be removed from the body and engaged with the body in a second adjusting position where the cover acts as a wrench to rotate the body, thereby changing the length of the adjustable length member. Once the member is adjusted, the cover can be secured to the body in its first covering position.
Patent Number: 6,863,461 Issued on 03/08/2005 to Werner
| Inventors:
|
Werner; Ronald H. (Burlington, IA)
|
| Assignee:
|
CNH America LLC (New Holland, PA)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
462940 |
| Filed:
|
June 17, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
403/43; 403/46 |
| Intern'l Class: |
F16G 011//12 |
| Field of Search: |
403/43,46,78,60
172/824,818
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4828045 | May., 1989 | Horsch et al. | 172/821.
|
| 5507352 | Apr., 1996 | Frisbee et al. | 172/818.
|
| 5702196 | Dec., 1997 | Petercsak | 403/46.
|
| 5924496 | Jul., 1999 | Buchanan et al. | 172/824.
|
| 6247540 | Jun., 2001 | Clemen et al.
| |
Primary Examiner: Cottingham; John R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Webb; Collin A., Stader; John William
Claims
I claim:
1. A bulldozer blade pitch adjuster, comprising:
a turnbuckle having first and second turnbuckle eyes and a turnbuckle body
joining the turnbuckle eyes; and
an elongated cover member configured to be removeably fixed to the
turnbuckle in a first stowed position and to engage the turnbuckle for
adjustment in a second adjusting position,
wherein the elongated cover member covers substantially all of the
turnbuckle body in the first stowed position and is configured to cover
the two turnbuckle eyes when it is in the first stowed position.
2. The bulldozer blade pitch adjuster of claim 1, wherein the elongated
cover member covers the top surface and two opposing sides of the
turnbuckle body and the turnbuckle eyes in the stowed position.
3. The bulldozer blade pitch adjuster of claim 2, wherein the turnbuckle
body defines a first pair of opposed wrenching flats spaced a first
distance apart, and the elongated cover member has a pair of
longitudinally extending portions spaced the first distance apart to
engage the first pair of wrenching flats when the elongated cover member
is in the second adjusting position.
4. The bulldozer blade pitch adjuster of claim 3 wherein the turnbuckle
body defines a second pair of wrenching flats spaced the first distance
apart, the second pair being spaced angularly away from the first pair to
provide another pair of surfaces engageable by the elongated cover member.
5. The bulldozer blade adjuster of claim 4 wherein the elongated member is
configured as an elongated U-channel including two elongate and parallel
sidewalls and an elongated central bridging region extending between and
coupling the two sidewalls, and further wherein the central region is cut
away at one end to form the pair of longitudinally extending portions.
6. The adjuster of claim 5, further comprising securing means for securing
the cover member to the turnbuckle body.
7. A bulldozer blade pitch adjuster, comprising:
an adjustable length member having a body and first and second members
engaged to the body, the first and second members extending from the body
an adjustable length; and
a cover configured to be removeably fixed to the adjustable length member
in a first covering position and to engage the adjustable length member
for adjustment in a second adjusting position,
wherein the cover covers, in the first covering position, (i) the first and
second members and (ii) a top surface and two opposing sides of the body,
the body defining first wrenching flats spaced a first distance apart, and
the cover having a pair of longitudinally extending portions spaced the
first distance apart to engage the first wrenching flats when the cover is
in the second adjusting position,
the body defining second wrenching flats spaced the first distance apart,
the second flats being spaced angularly away from the first flats, and
the cover being configured as an elongated U-channel including two elongate
and parallel sidewalls and an elongated central bridging region extending
between and coupling the two sidewalls, and further wherein the central
region is cut away at one end to form the pair of longitudinally extending
portions.
8. The adjuster of claim 7 further comprising securing means for securing
the cover to the adjustable length member.
9. The adjuster of claim 8, wherein the securing means includes an
elongated pin.
10. The adjuster of claim 9, wherein the securing means includes a key that
is insertable into the elongated pin to secure the pin to the body.
11. A bulldozer blade pitch adjuster, comprising:
a turnbuckle having first and second turnbuckle eyes and a turnbuckle body
joining the turnbuckle eyes; and
an elongated cover member configured to be removeably fixed to the
turnbuckle in a first stowed position and to engage the turnbuckle for
adjustment in a second adjusting position,
wherein the elongated cover is configured to cover the two turnbuckle eyes
when it is in the first stowed position.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to bulldozer adjusting devices. More
particularly, it relates to bulldozer blades and pitch adjusting devices
for adjusting blade pitch having integral covers or shields.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bulldozers and other bladed vehicles have many adjustments that are
necessary to maintain the blade in the proper orientation for grading or
digging the ground. Some of these adjustments may be easily carried out
using readily available hand tools that are kept with the operator or on
the vehicle. Some of them use specialized tools that are often misplaced
or forgotten after the adjustments are performed.
One of the common features to adjust on a bladed vehicle is the pitch of
the blade. The pitch of a dozer blade controls the angle the blade is at
with respect to the ground when viewing the blade from the side. If the
pitch is changed by tilting the top of the blade-away from the cab of the
vehicle, the blade engages the ground at a sharper angle and cuts more
deeply into the ground. If the pitch is changed to tilt the top of the
blade toward the cab of the vehicle, the blade engages the ground at a
shallower angle and tends to scrape the ground more than dig down into it.
When pitched back, this position is known as the carry position, which
allows the blade to carry a larger load.
The blade pitch is changed relatively frequently when using a bulldozer or
other bladed vehicle. The pitch controls the aggressiveness of cut, and
the ability to control the aggressiveness of cut often changes as the
vehicle moves from one portion of a work site to another portion.
Furthermore, the pitch of the blade may be preferably changed when the
texture, composition or moisture content of the soil changes. It should be
clear that any of a variety of factors can make it desirable to change the
pitch of the blade to better grade or scrape the soil.
Most bulldozers and bladed vehicles are provided with adjustment devices to
adjust the pitch of their blades. These adjustment devices typically
include a link whose length is adjustable to change the blade pitch. These
links, however are typically not adjustable by hand, but are configured to
require an external tool to change their length or otherwise adjust them.
These tools may be misplaced, left on the vehicle, fall off and disappear
when the pitch is adjusted.
What is needed therefore is a system for adjusting the pitch of a blade
that reduces the possibility that the adjusting tool will be lost. What is
also needed is a blade adjustment tool that can be quickly and easily used
to reduce the downtime necessary to adjust the blade. What is further
needed is a way of storing the adjusting tool that reduces the need for
additional storage on the vehicle. What is also needed is an adjusting
tool that will serve to reduce the costs of the vehicle by combining the
functions of a pitch cover guard and an adjusting tool. It is an object of
this invention to provide one or more of these benefits and advantages in
one or more of the embodiments described below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, a bulldozer blade
pitch adjuster is provided including a turnbuckle having first and second
turnbuckle eyes, a turnbuckle body joining the turnbuckle eyes, and an
elongate member configured to be removably fixed to the turnbuckle in a
first stowed position and to engage the turnbuckle for adjustment in a
second adjusting position. The elongate member may be configured to cover
substantially all the turnbuckle body in the first stowed position. It may
also be configured to cover exposed threads of the two turnbuckle eyes
when it is in the stowed position. The elongate member may cover a top
surface and two opposing sides of the turnbuckle body and the turnbuckle
eyes to protect the turnbuckle from side injury as well. The turnbuckle
body may have a first pair of opposed wrenching flats spaced a first
distance apart and formed on the turnbuckle body's outer surface to engage
the elongate member. There may be two or more pairs of these opposed
wrenching flats that are spaced angularly around the longitudinal axis of
the turnbuckle to provide multiple sets of engagement surfaces for the
elongated member. The elongated member may be formed as an elongated
U-channel channel formed of two elongate and parallel sidewalls and an
elongated central bridging region extending between and coupling the two
sidewalls. The central region may be cut away at one end to leave two
parallel and facing longitudinal portions of the two sidewalls. The facing
longitudinal portions may be spaced to define a gap therebetween equal to
the first distance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bulldozer having a blade pitch adjuster
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the blade pitch adjuster of FIG.
1.
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the bulldozer chassis, the
bulldozer blade and the blade pitch adjuster in a first stowed position.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the bulldozer chassis, the
bulldozer blade and the blade pitch adjuster in a second adjusting
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a bladed vehicle 100 has a chassis 102, a blade 104
coupled to the c-frame 108, which is coupled to the chassis, and a blade
pitch adjuster 106 that is coupled to the blade to adjust its pitch.
Vehicle 100 is shown here as a bulldozer. It has a pair of forwardly
extending arms of c-frame 108 disposed on either side of the vehicle to
which blade 104 is coupled. The vehicle is supported on two endless tracks
110 that wrap around wheels 112 that extend laterally outward from
opposite sides of the vehicle. The two arms are coupled together at their
forward ends to provide a blade carrier 114 that has a plurality of mounts
116 (FIG. 2) for supporting and positioning the blade.
An operator's compartment 118 is disposed in the center of the vehicle in
which the operator and operator controls are located. Compartment 118
extends slightly outward on either side of the vehicle to overlap the
tracks that support the vehicle.
In FIG. 2, blade pitch adjuster 106 is disposed between and coupled to the
blade carrier 114 and the blade 104. This adjuster includes a cover 122
that extends over and protects the adjuster's turnbuckle 124. The blade is
pitched by rotating the turnbuckle body 125 either clockwise or
counterclockwise to extend the threaded eyes 126, 127 from the body or
retract the threaded eyes into the body.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a detailed exploded view of the pitch adjuster can
be seen. Cover 122 is comprised of two elongated lateral side walls 128
and 130 that extend generally parallel to one another and are coupled
together by an elongated central bridging portion 132 of the cover 122.
The central bridging portion 132 is coupled to the side walls 128, 130.
Portion 132 together with the two side walls 128, 130 define the generally
U-shaped structure of cover 122.
Each side wall 128, 130 of cover 122 also includes an elongated L-shaped
channel 134, 136, respectively. These channels 134, 136 are fixed
(typically welded) to and between the side walls 128, 130 and the central
bridging portion 132 to define rectangular hollows 138, 140, extending the
length of the cover 122.
There are several apertures in cover 122, including an aperture 142 This is
provided to lock the cover from moving for and aft. That is why the bolt
extends up out of the cover. The long slot is required as the turnbuckle
is adjusted in and out since the hole in the center block is fixed, but
the distance to the front pin is changing which the cover is locked over.
Greasing of these turnbuckles is from the side of items 126 and 127. Items
127 and 180 are purchased as an assembly and slide down over item 176.
A second aperture 144 is also provided in cover 122 to connect the cover
122 to the turnbuckle 124, and more particularly the turnbuckle body 125.
The aperture 144 is elongated to accommodate changes in the length of the
adjuster 106. Aperture 142 surrounds a fitting that extends from the eye
in end 127 of the adjuster 106. Whenever the length of the adjuster
changes, the distance between the eye in ends 127 and the middle of
aperture 147 changes. A retaining pin 145 of turnbuckle 124 is inserted
through second aperture 144 and through a third aperture 147 in turnbuckle
body 125. The pin is secured in turnbuckle body 125 and keeps cover 122
from coming off. Alternative configurations of the retaining pin include a
threaded pin 145 that is retained by a nut, and a pin 145 that has a ball
detent disposed to retain the pin within the aperture that receives it.
At one end of turnbuckle 124 are two parallel and facing longitudinally
extending portions 146, 145 of the cover 122. These portions have inner
surfaces that are generally parallel and define therebetween a slot 150
that is configured to receive the body 125 of turnbuckle 124.
The elongate extending portions 146, 148 include portions of both the
sidewalls 128, 130 and channels 1.34, 136. Each extending portion
therefore describes a boxlike structure formed of the sidewalls and the
channels which are fixed (preferably welded) thereto. These boxlike
structures provide additional strength to cover 122 when it is used to
adjust the turnbuckle.
Turnbuckle 124 is comprised of a turnbuckle body 125 that is generally
polygonal in cross section, preferably a square (as shown here) or a
regular hexagon. It has a two pairs 156, 158, and 160, 162 of opposing
parallel planar surfaces. These pairs of surfaces are spaced the same
distance apart--a distance preferably equal to the space between the
parallel facing surfaces of longitudinally extending portions 146, 148 of
cover 122. This permits the cover to engage and adjust the turnbuckle's
length. Each pair of planar surfaces acts as wrenching flats. The pairs
are circumferentially spaced ninety degrees apart, surfaces 156 and 158
being ninety degrees from surfaces 160 and 162 about the longitudinal axis
of turnbuckle 124.
The turnbuckle body 125 has two co-axial holes 164, 166 extending into each
opposing end of body 125. These holes are threaded, one with a right hand
thread and the other with a left hand thread, to engaged similarly
threaded ends 154, 155 of turnbuckle eyes 126, 127.
A key 168 is provided to engage the end 170 of pin 145. This key, is
inserted into hole 172 in pin 145 to prevent the pin from being withdrawn
from the turnbuckle body 125 and cover 122 (see FIG. 2).
FIG. 2 illustrates the blade 104 of the bladed vehicle as it is coupled to
blade carrier 114. Blade 104 and carrier 114 have pins 174, 176 on which
spherical balls 178, 180 are inserted and secured. Eyes 126, 127 have
mating spherical cavities into which the spherical balls are disposed.
This arrangement permits significant positional variation of pins 174, 176
with respect to eyes 126, 127, respectively.
The cover 122 is shown in a first stowed position in FIG. 2, in which the
turnbuckle body 125, eyes 126, 127, and pins 174, 176 are covered by cover
122. Cover 122 is mounted on turnbuckle body 125. Should turnbuckle body
125 rotate, cover 122 rotates with it. Since adjusting blade pitch
requires rotating the turnbuckle body with respect to the turnbuckle eyes,
the turnbuckle body must be prevented from rotating freely when the cover
is attached and the operator is operating the vehicle. If it is not fixed,
turnbuckle body 125 may rotate during vehicle operation and the pitch may
go out of adjustment.
To prevent the turnbuckle body from inadvertently rotating with respect to
the turnbuckle eyes, cover 122 of the adjuster 106 is configured to engage
and be blocked from free rotation by the stationary non-rotatable
structures, the preventing body 125 from rotating, since cover 122 is
fixed to body 125. The structures that block cover 122 from rotating
include pins 174, 176, eyes 126, 127, blade 104 and blade carrier 114.
While all these devices block rotation, the first device to block rotation
is the bolt that extends out of aperture 142. If turnbuckle body 125 were
to rotate with cover 122 attached, cover 122 would interfere with one or
all of these structures before it could freely rotate through an entire
revolution. Thus all of these structures inhibit or prevent free rotation
of the turnbuckle body 125 with respect to the turnbuckle eyes 126, 127.
FIG. 4 illustrates the blade adjuster 106 when cover 122 has been removed
and is in a second adjusting position. In FIG. 4, cover 122 has been
removed by withdrawing key 168 from hole 172 and pulling pin 145 from
apertures 144 and 147 in cover 122 and body 125, respectively. Once
removed, cover 122 is repositioned generally perpendicular to blade
adjuster 106 as shown in FIG. 4.
The two longitudinally extending portions 146, 148 are oriented such that
they extend one on each side of either of the pairs of surfaces 156, 158
and 160, 162 of turnbuckle body 125. In FIG. 4, portion 148 has been
cutaway, to better shown body 125, but the outlines of portion 148, (which
are the same as the outlines of portion 146) can be seen as dashed lines
in FIG. 4. In the preferred embodiment, portions 146, 148 are spaced a
distance apart such that they just surround these pairs 156, 158 and 160,
162 of parallel body surfaces and engage them just as the internal facing
surfaces of a wrench engage the head of a nut or bolt. The body 125 fits
into the slot or cutaway portion 150 defined between the two
longitudinally extending portions.
When the cover is placed in this second, adjusting position, it can be
grasped and rotated in the manner shown in FIG. 4 to rotate the turnbuckle
body 125, thereby changing its length. This change in length causes the
blade to tilt fore-and-aft (i.e. causing its pitch to change) with respect
to pivoting blade mounts 116.
It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps, and
arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain
the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled
in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and
scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the
preferred embodiment of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon
the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing
from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are
intended to protect the invention broadly as well as in the specific form
shown.
*
