Excavator with Expanded Work Implement Compatibility

Abstract

An excavator has an undercarriage assembly and a turret assembly rotatable relative to the undercarriage assembly. The undercarriage assembly has an undercarriage implement support that may pivot about a lift axis. An undercarriage coupler is coupled to the undercarriage support and includes an undercarriage coupler interface that is configure to operably engage an undercarriage implement interface provide on an undercarriage implement. The turret assembly also carries a turret implement, and therefore the excavator may simultaneously employ both the undercarriage implement and the turret implement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An excavator for use with an undercarriage implement having an undercarriage implement interface and a turret implement, the excavator comprising:
 an undercarriage assembly having:
 an undercarriage frame; 
   a ground-engaging member coupled to the undercarriage frame;
 an undercarriage implement support pivotably coupled to the undercarriage frame; 
 a lift actuator operably coupled between the undercarriage frame and the undercarriage implement support and configured to pivot the undercarriage implement support about a lift axis; and 
 an undercarriage coupler operably coupled to the undercarriage implement support and including an undercarriage coupler interface configured to operably engage the undercarriage implement interface; 
   a turret assembly coupled to the undercarriage assembly and rotatable relative to the undercarriage assembly about a turret axis, the turret assembly including:
 a turret frame; 
 a boom pivotably coupled to the turret frame; and 
 a stick pivotably coupled to the boom and configured to operably engage the turret implement. 
   
     
     
         2 . The excavator of  claim 1 , in which the undercarriage implement interface comprises a skid steer loader implement interface. 
     
     
         3 . The excavator of  claim 1 , further comprising a tilt actuator operably coupled between the undercarriage implement support and the undercarriage coupler and configured to pivot the undercarriage coupler about an implement tilt axis extending substantially perpendicular to the turret axis. 
     
     
         4 . The excavator of  claim 1 , in which the undercarriage implement comprises a continuously powered undercarriage implement, and in which the excavator further comprises an undercarriage implement power source including an undercarriage implement power interface positioned adjacent the undercarriage coupler. 
     
     
         5 . The excavator of  claim 4 , in which the continuously powered undercarriage implement comprises a continuous hydraulic flow undercarriage implement, in which the undercarriage implement power source comprises a hydraulic power source, and in which the turret implement comprises a continuously powered turret implement operably coupled to a turret implement power source. 
     
     
         6 . The excavator of  claim 1 , in which:
 the undercarriage implement interface includes a recess including a recess upper edge and an engagement surface defining a portion of the recess; and   the undercarriage coupler interface includes:   a front plate defining a front plate surface that is complementary to the engagement surface of the undercarriage implement interface, the front plate surface having a height and width sized for insertion into the recess of the undercarriage implement interface; and   a wedge piece coupled to an upper edge of the front plate and oriented to be complementary to the recess upper edge.   
     
     
         7 . The excavator of  claim 1 , in which the turret implement and the undercarriage implement are cooperatively related. 
     
     
         8 . An excavator for use with a continuously powered undercarriage implement having an undercarriage implement interface and a turret implement, the excavator comprising:
 an undercarriage assembly having:
 an undercarriage frame; 
 a ground-engaging member coupled to the undercarriage frame; 
 an undercarriage implement support pivotably coupled to the undercarriage frame; 
 a lift actuator operably coupled between the undercarriage frame and the undercarriage implement support and configured to pivot the undercarriage implement support about a lift axis; 
 an undercarriage coupler operably coupled to the undercarriage implement support and including an undercarriage coupler interface configured to operably engage the undercarriage implement interface; and 
 an undercarriage implement power source including an undercarriage implement power interface positioned adjacent the undercarriage coupler; and 
   a turret assembly coupled to the undercarriage assembly and rotatable relative to the undercarriage assembly about a turret axis, the turret assembly including:
 a turret frame; 
 a boom pivotably coupled to the turret frame; and 
 a stick pivotably coupled to the boom and configured to operably engage the turret implement. 
   
     
     
         9 . The excavator of  claim 8 , in which the turret implement comprises a continuously powered turret implement, the excavator further comprising a turret implement power source operably coupled to the continuously powered turret implement. 
     
     
         10 . The excavator of  claim 8 , in which the continuously powered undercarriage implement comprises a continuous hydraulic flow undercarriage implement, in which the undercarriage implement power source comprises a hydraulic power source, and in which the turret implement comprises a continuously powered turret implement operably coupled to a turret implement power source. 
     
     
         11 . The excavator of  claim 8 , in which:
 the undercarriage implement interface includes a recess including a recess upper edge and an engagement surface defining a portion of the recess; and   the undercarriage coupler interface includes:
 a front plate defining a front plate surface that is complementary to the engagement surface of the undercarriage implement interface, the front plate surface having a height and width sized for insertion into the recess of the undercarriage implement interface; and 
   a wedge piece coupled to an upper edge of the front plate and oriented to be complementary to the recess upper edge.   
     
     
         12 . The excavator of  claim 8 , in which the undercarriage implement interface comprises the standardized implement interface, and in which undercarriage coupler interface is configured to operably engage the standardized implement interface. 
     
     
         13 . The excavator of  claim 8 , further comprising a tilt actuator operably coupled between the undercarriage implement support and the undercarriage coupler and configured to pivot the undercarriage coupler about an implement tilt axis extending substantially perpendicular to the turret axis. 
     
     
         14 . The excavator of  claim 8 , in which the turret implement and the undercarriage implement are cooperatively related. 
     
     
         15 . An excavator and implement kit, comprising:
 a plurality of undercarriage implements, each undercarriage implement having a standardized implement interface;   an excavator including:
 an undercarriage assembly having an undercarriage frame, a ground-engaging member coupled to the undercarriage frame, an undercarriage implement support pivotably coupled to the undercarriage frame, a lift actuator operably coupled between the undercarriage frame and the undercarriage implement support and configured to pivot the undercarriage implement support about a lift axis, and an undercarriage coupler operably coupled to the undercarriage implement support and including an undercarriage coupler interface configured to operably engage the standardized implement interface; and 
 a turret assembly coupled to the undercarriage assembly and rotatable relative to the undercarriage assembly about a turret axis, the turret assembly including a turret frame, a boom pivotably coupled to the turret frame, a stick pivotably coupled to the boom, and a turret implement operatively coupled to the stick. 
   
     
     
         16 . The excavator and implement kit of  claim 15 , in which the standardized implement interface comprises a skid steer loader implement interface. 
     
     
         17 . The excavator and implement kit of  claim 15 , in which the excavator further comprises a tilt actuator operably coupled between the undercarriage implement support and the undercarriage coupler and configured to pivot the undercarriage coupler about an implement tilt axis extending substantially perpendicular to the turret axis. 
     
     
         18 . The excavator and implement kit of  claim 15 , in which each of the plurality of undercarriage implements comprises a continuously powered undercarriage implement, and in which the excavator further comprises an undercarriage implement power source including an undercarriage implement power interface positioned adjacent the undercarriage coupler. 
     
     
         19 . The excavator and implement kit of  claim 18 , in which each of the continuously powered undercarriage implements comprises a continuous hydraulic flow undercarriage implement, in which the undercarriage implement power source comprises a hydraulic power source, and in which the turret implement comprises a continuously powered turret implement operably coupled to a turret implement power source. 
     
     
         20 . The excavator and implement kit of  claim 15 , in which:
 the standardized implement interface includes a recess including a recess upper edge and an engagement surface defining a portion of the recess; and   the undercarriage coupler interface includes:
 a front plate defining a front plate surface that is complementary to the engagement surface of the standardized implement interface, the front plate surface having a height and width sized for insertion into the recess of the standardized implement interface; and 
   a wedge piece coupled to an upper edge of the front plate and oriented to be complementary to the recess upper edge.