Counterweight attachment and removal device and combination of same with counterweight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189684-B2
Application number	US-201515506067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A counterweight attachment and removal device which can connect lifting assemblies and a counterweight without precisely adjusting the construction machine position and the counterweight position, and which can attach the counterweight to adjust lateral direction. The device (18) includes a link (28) which is connected pivotally to the rear end of the construction machine, and a pair of coupling units (32, 32) which are connected to the leading end of the link (28). Each coupling unit (32) has a pair of coupling pieces (38, 40), a connecting pin (42) and a position adjustment member (44, 45). The coupling pieces (38, 40) extend from the link (28) and are able to tilt and move pivotally around the central axis (O). The connecting pin (42) is detachably connected to the extension ends between the connecting pieces (38, 40). Each adjustment member (44, 45) is disposed on the inner surface of the connecting piece (38, 40).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A counterweight attachment and removal device to and from which a counterweight is attached and removed, the counterweight attachment and removal device comprising:
a bracket fixed to a rear end of a construction machine;
a link with a base end thereof connected to the bracket;
a link cylinder configured to elevate and lower the link; and
a pair of coupling units disposed at a leading end of the link, wherein each of the pair of coupling units comprises:
a pair of coupling pieces extending from the link and configured to slew around a center axis of the link extending in a width direction and to tilt relative to the center axis, the coupling pieces being disposed at a distance from each other in the width direction; and
a coupling pin removably connected between extension ends of the pair of coupling pieces.

2. The counterweight attachment and removal device according to claim 1 , wherein at the extension ends of the pair of coupling pieces of each of the pair of coupling units, position adjustment members are disposed which protrude from an inner surface positioned further toward the extension ends than the coupling pin, so that the width between the pair of coupling pieces on a side further toward the extension ends thereof than the coupling pin is formed more narrowly.

3. The counterweight attachment and removal device according to claim 2 , wherein the position adjustment members are disposed at extension ends of both of the pair of coupling pieces.

4. The counterweight attachment and removal device according to claim 2 , wherein the position adjustment members are each disposed at the extension ends of only one of the pair of coupling pieces.

5. The counterweight attachment and removal device according to claim 4 , wherein the position adjustment member is disposed on an inside one the coupling piece of each of the pair of coupling units that is positioned nearer to link pieces connected to the bracket.

6. The counterweight attachment and removal device according to claim 1 , wherein a slot extending in an extension direction of the pair of coupling pieces is formed in each of the extension ends of the pair of coupling pieces, and the coupling pin is inserted through each of the slots and removably connected to the pair of coupling pieces.

7. The counterweight attachment and removal device according to claim 1 , wherein
a support shaft extending in the width direction is fixed to a pair of link pieces at the leading end of the link, and
each of the pair of coupling units is connected to the support shaft via a spherical plain bearing so as to be able to slew around a center axis of the support shaft and to tilt relative to the center axis of the support shaft.

8. A combination of the counterweight attachment and removal device according to claim 1 with a counterweight, wherein
the counterweight comprises at least one tapered protrusion disposed on a front surface of the counterweight and protruding forward,
the counterweight attachment and removal device includes an abutting contact member with at least one receiving hole having a width gradually decreasing in an upward direction, and
a width of a lower end of the receiving hole is larger than an outer diameter of a leading end of the tapered protrusion.

9. The combination according to claim 8 , wherein a pair of tapered protrusions and a pair of receiving holes are disposed such that both the tapered protrusions and the receiving holes are arranged at an interval from each other in the width direction.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Sarl

Inventors

• Iguchi Ryo
• Mori Kenichi
• Hashimoto Hirokazu

Classifications

• B66C23/74 Primary

  separate from jib · CPC title

• E02F9/18

  Counterweights {(for cranes B66C23/72, for tractors B62D49/085)} · CPC title

• B66C23/76 Primary

  and movable to take account of variations of load or of variations of length of jib · CPC title