Coupler for excavating machines and the like

Abstract

A coupler mountable on the dipper stick and tilt assembly of a machine including a body provided with a fixed jaw and a pivotal jaw connectable to the mounting pins of an implement; a stop latch pivotally connected to the body, biased in a first position obstructing the removal of a mounting pin disposed in the fixed jaw; a latch cain pivotally connected to the body engageable with the stop latch for pivoting the stop latch upon pivoting the latch cam; a fluid actuated cylinder assembly operative interconnecting the latch cam and the pivotal jaw; and means of cooperable with the cylinder assembly and the latch cam, functional to preclude pivotal movement of the latch cam when the body is disposed in a first orientation, and to permit pivotal movement of the latch cam when the body is disposed in a second orientation.

1 . A coupler mountable on a dipper stick and tilt assembly of a machine, and detachably connectable to an implement having a pair of spaced, substantially parallel mounting pins, comprising:
 a body having means for pivotally connecting said body to said dipper stick, means for pivotally connecting said body to said tilt assembly wherein upon operation of said tilt assembly said body will be caused to pivot about said dipper stick, a fixed jaw portion having an opening for receiving one mounting pin of said implement and a pivotally connected jaw member having an opening for receiving the other of said mounting pins;   a stop latch pivotally connected to said body, having a first arm section biased in a first position obstructing said opening in said fixed jaw;   a latch cam pivotally connected to said body having a first arm section engageable with an arm section of said stop latch for pivoting said stop latch upon pivoting said latch cam;   a fluid actuated cylinder assembly having one of the cylinder and rod members thereof pivotally connected to a second arm section of said latch cam and the other of said cylinder and rod members pivotally connected to said pivotal jaw for pivotal movement of said pivotal jaw upon displacements of said cylinder assembly; and   means cooperable with said cylinder assembly and said latch cam, functional to preclude pivotal movement of said latch cam when said body is disposed in a first orientation, and to permit pivotal movement of said latch cam when said body is disposed in a second orientation.   
   
   
       2 . A coupler according to  claim 1  wherein said first orientation of said body is upright and said second orientation of said body is inverted. 
   
   
       3 . A coupler according to  claim 2  wherein said cooperable means is actuated by the force of gravity when said body is in at least one of said positions. 
   
   
       4 . A coupler according to  claim 1  wherein said cooperable means is pivotally mounted on said one of said cylinder and rod members. 
   
   
       5 . A coupler according to  claim 4  wherein said first orientation of said body is upright and said second orientation of said body is inverted. 
   
   
       6 . A coupler according to  claim 5  wherein said cooperable means is pivoted by the force of gravity when said body is in at least one of said positions. 
   
   
       7 . A coupler according to  claim 1  wherein said cooperable means comprises a lock latch pivotally mounted on said cylinder member. 
   
   
       8 . A coupler according to  claim 7  wherein said lock latch includes an arm section disposable in obstructing relation to an arm section of said latch cam when said body is disposed in said first orientation and in nonobstructing relation to said last mentioned arm section of said latch cam when said body is disposed in said second orientation. 
   
   
       9 . A coupler according to  claim 8  wherein said first orientation of said body is upright and said second orientation of said body is inverted. 
   
   
       10 . A coupler according to  claim 9  wherein said lock latch is pivoted by the force of gravity when said body is pivoted between said first and second positions. 
   
   
       11 . A coupler according to  claim 10  wherein the pivotal movement of said lock latch is restricted to a selected angle. 
   
   
       12 . A coupler according to  claim 11  wherein the degree and orientation of said angle relative to a line passing through the pivotal connection of said lock latch to said cylinder member is such that under the force of gravity said lock latch will pivot under the force of gravity out of obstructing relation with said latch cam when said body is moved between said first and second positions and into obstructing relation when said body is moved between said second and first positions. 
   
   
       13 . A coupler according to  claim 1  wherein said coupler is movable between said first and second positions when connected to said dipper stick and tilt assembly and said tilt assembly is operated to curl and uncurl said coupler. 
   
   
       14 . A coupler according to  claim 1  wherein said stop latch is provided with an L-shaped configuration. 
   
   
       15 . A coupler according to  claim 7  wherein said latch cam includes a second arm member pivotally connected to said cylinder member and wherein said lock latch is disposable in a first position when said body is in said first orientation, obstructing the pivotal movement of said latch cam about the pivotal connection thereof with said body, and in a second position when said body is in said second orientation not obstructing the pivotal movement of said latch cam about the pivotal connection thereof with said body. 
   
   
       16 . A coupler according to  claim 15  wherein said latch cam is pivotally connected to said cylinder member by means of a shaft extending through registered opening therein. 
   
   
       17 . A coupler according to  claim 16  wherein the last mentioned opening in said latch cam is elongated. 
   
   
       18 . A coupler according to  claim 17  wherein said elongated opening is open at one end providing said second arm section of said latch cam with a fork-shaped configuration.