FR2930267A1 - TERRAINING ENGINE AND LOADING BUCKET FOR SUCH A TERRACE ENGINE - Google Patents

Abstract

This earthmoving machine comprises a frame (102) carried by a roller assembly (103), and an articulated arm (106) for supporting and operating a tool such as a loading bucket (116). It also comprises a support device (150, 151, 153) through which the frame (102) can exert a thrust on a loading bucket (116) in a direction (A) of movement of the machine of earth moving, when the articulated arm (106) holds this bucket (116) in a low pickup position.

Description

TERRAINING ENGINE AND LOADING BUCKET FOR SUCH A TERRACED ENGINE TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of public works. More specifically, it relates to an earthmoving machine such as a loader-excavator, as well as a loading bucket for such an earthmoving machine. PRIOR TECHNIQUES

There are several types of construction machinery, among which there are conventional loaders and excavators. The loaders have the function of picking up materials at ground level, so that they can then be dumped at a different place, for example in a bucket or on a pile. A conventional loader comprises a self-propelled frame and a front loading bucket, supported by one or more rigid arms and articulated to this self-propelled frame.

An excavator is used to dig into the ground. It conventionally comprises an articulated arm for maneuvering a toothed tool designed to be driven into the ground and dismember it.

An excavator can be designed so that it can also be used as a loader. It is then a loader-excavator whose articulated arm can be equipped, with the choice, of a digging tool or a bucket of loading. Such a bucket is loaded by being pushed on the ground, forwards, in the material to be picked up. The thrust then exerted on this load bucket to advance it results from a displacement of the loader-excavator itself and is transmitted by the articulated arm which, in this case, can then be subjected to multiple forces. In particular, this articulated arm can be biased when the pushed bucket encounters a resistance near only one of its two lateral ends. While it can therefore be subjected to very high value twists, the articulated arm must have a reasonable mass, especially in order to be able to easily maneuver a digging tool. The problem resulting from the fact that the articulated arm can be subjected to high torsion is even more acute when the articulated arm is offset laterally, insofar as this results in an increase in the lever arm of the left or right side of the bucket. loading, relative to the hinge area of this bucket on the articulated arm.

SUMMARY THE INVENTION

The invention aims at least to improve the ability of an earthmoving machine 10 to exert a thrust on a loading bucket fitted to this machine.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of an earthmover, comprising a chassis carried by a rolling assembly, as well as an articulated arm for supporting and operating a tool such as a loading bucket. This earthmoving machine also comprises at least one support device through which the chassis is able to exert a thrust on a loading bucket in a direction of movement of the earthmoving machine, when the articulated arm holds this bucket in a low pickup position.

When the bucket is on the support device, it is able to carry out a force recovery so as to relieve the articulated arm.

Advantageously, this machine comprises a second support device through which the chassis can exert a thrust on a loading bucket, in said direction of movement, when the articulated arm holds this bucket in the low position of pickup, one and the other support device being offset horizontally from one another.

Advantageously, the one and the other support device are positioned in such a way that, when it holds the bucket in the lower pickup position, the articulated arm is located between these two support devices so as to be little or no stress in torsion when loading the bucket by moving the bucket on the ground. Advantageously, the earth-moving machine is more precisely a loader-excavator which comprises a reversible coupling tool holder of a tool at a distal end of said articulated arm, that is to say at the end the furthest away from the chassis, and of which this articulated arm comprises a succession of several tilting segments in substantially vertical planes.

Advantageously, the tilting segments of the articulated arm comprise a distal segment and several other tilting segments, each of which is movable between first and second end-of-travel positions such that, when each of these several other tilting segments is immobilized in its first end position stroke, the low bucket loading position is reached by only tilting the distal segment around a proximal end of this distal segment. Advantageously, the machine comprises a joint between a distal end of the articulated arm and the bucket carried by this articulated arm, the support device defining a substantially horizontal alignment axis with which the axis of said articulation substantially coincides, when the articulated arm holds the bucket in said lower pickup position, and around which the bucket tilts while resting on the support device when the axis of the joint and the alignment axis coincide.

Advantageously, the support device comprises a bearing surface of the bucket in its low collector position, this bearing surface having a concavity which has a constant radius of curvature and centered on said alignment axis.

Advantageously, the support device comprises a guide slot pierced in the bearing surface. Advantageously, the support device comprises a scraping transverse blade movable between a low scraping position and a high position in which the bucket can come into abutment against the support device by placing itself in its low collection position, said surface bearing at a front face of the transverse scraping blade. -4- Advantageously, the support device comprises a support shoe and a hinge whose axis of rotation forms said alignment axis and through which the shoe is hinged so as to be able to tilt around this axis of rotation.

Advantageously, said shoe is constituted by the foot of a stabilizer and is movable between a low support position of a portion of the earthmover and a high position in which the bucket can come into abutment against this shoe by placing itself in its low pickup position.

Advantageously, the earthmoving machine comprises a loading bucket that carries said articulated arm, this articulated arm being able to bring the bucket into a position where the bucket is resting on the support device and which is said low position pickup.

The invention also relates to a loading bucket for a earthmoving machine. This bucket comprises at least one pusher for receiving a thrust from the rear and transmission of this thrust generally in a direction of movement corresponding to the advance of the bucket forward for a pickup.

Advantageously, the pusher comprises a rear rolling device on a bearing surface of the earthmoving machine.

Advantageously, the rear rolling device comprises two rollers which have respective substantially horizontal axes of rotation and which are angularly offset from one another about a substantially horizontal axis of tilting of the bucket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a loader- excavator according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figures 2 and 3 are similar side and diagrammatic elevations, which show the same loader-excavator as Figure 1 and illustrate an operation in showing two possible positions of a load bucket of this loader-excavator; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the front portion of a loader-excavator according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the excavator-loader partially shown in Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a side elevation which partially represents the same loader-excavator as Figure 4, but in a configuration different from that of Figure 5. and which shows how a bucket of this loader-excavator.

POSSIBLE WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a self-propelled loader-excavator 1 according to the invention. This excavator-loader 1 comprises a chassis 2 supported by four driving wheels 3. This chassis 2 is equipped with a mobile turret 4, which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a vertical axis and which carries a driving cabin 5 and an articulated arm 6 for supporting and operating a tool.

In a manner known per se, the articulated arm 6 comprises three tilting segments in substantially vertical planes, that is to say around substantially horizontal axes. These three segments are mounted following each other by being articulated between them. The first of these is referenced 7 and is classically called the arrow. It is connected to the turret 4 by a hinge 8, so as to tilt about a substantially horizontal axis XI-X'1.

The other two segments of the articulated arm 6 are the counter-arrow, referenced 9, and the arm, referenced 10. The counter-arrow 9 is connected to the boom 7 by a hinge 11, so as to be able to tilt relative to the arrow 7, about a substantially horizontal axis X2-X'2. In contrast to the articulation 11, the counter-arrow 9 carries the arm 10, which is connected to it by a hinge 12 so as to be able to tilt about a substantially horizontal axis X3-X'3 and which is the distal segment of the articulated arm 6.

The maneuvers of the boom 7 with respect to the turret 4, against the boom 9 with respect to this boom 7 and the arm 10 with respect to this against-boom 9 are the fact of hydraulic cylinders, which are arranged in a known manner and only one is visible and referenced 6A in Figure 1.

The distal end of the arm 10 is provided with a tool holder 14, which is articulated to it by means of a hinge 15 and on which can be mounted reversibly several removable tools of different types. The arm 10 carries a jack 13 for operating the tool holder 14 around the substantially horizontal axis X4-X'4 of the articulation 15.

In Figure 1, the tool held by the tool holder 14 is a loading bucket 16 horizontally elongated. Its back, facing back, carries two left and right rear pushers 17, which are laterally offset from one another and which project in a direction inclined towards the rear. The pushers 17 protrude towards the rear of the back of the bucket 16.

The excavator-loader 1 further comprises two left and right stabilizers 18, each of which is articulated to the frame 2 so that it can be operated by a jack 19 between two positions. One of these two positions is that of Figures 1 to 3, in which each stabilizer 18 forms a support device for the bucket 16. In their other position, these stabilizers 18 are directed towards the ground, in a known manner in itself, so as to be able to rest on this soil. Each stabilizer 18 comprises a leg 20 and a pivoting shoe 21, which is articulated at the distal end of this leg by means of a hinge 22 and which more precisely forms a foot of the stabilizer 18.

A tool other than the loading bucket 16 may be mounted on the tool holder 14. For example, it may be a digging bucket, narrower than the bucket 16 and mounted so that its back is generally rotated to the top. When such a not shown digging bucket equips the loader-excavator 1, the articulated arm 6 -7- performs complex movements in which each of its segments 7, 9 and 10 tilts around its proximal end.

When its articulated arm 6 is provided with the loading bucket 7, the loader-excavator 1 is intended to operate as a loader. In this case, the joints 8 and 11 are fixed, since only the arm 10 is maneuvered. In other words, the arrow 7 and the counter-arrow 9 form a fixed subset. The arrow 7 is then immobilized in one of its two extreme positions or end positions, in which it is in abutment. It is the same with the counter-arrow 9. As a result, the configuration of the fixed subassembly of the articulated arm 6 is easily reached by placing the arrow 7 and the counter-arrow 9 in abutment.

By tilting about the axis X3-X'3, the arm 10 can move the loading bucket 16 between a high discharge position and a low pickup position, which is that of Figures 1 to 3 and in which the pushers 17 are supported on the lower faces of the shoes 21 as long as the latter are in their upper position.

When the shoes 21 are in their high position, that is to say in their position of Figures 1 to 3, their respective pivot axes are aligned, that is to say coincide. They then form together an alignment axis X5-X'5 with which coincides the axis X4-X'4, that is to say the axis of tilting of the bucket 16, when the latter is placed in its low pickup position. Thanks to this, the bucket 16 in its low collector position can tilt around the axis X4-X'4 while remaining in support against the shoes 21, which is illustrated by a comparison of Figures 2 and 3.

When the loader-excavator 1 is in its configuration of Figures 1 to 3, its bucket 16 can be filled by scraping on the ground. To do this, the loader-excavator 1 is moved forward in the direction of advance symbolized by the arrow A, so that the bucket 6 is driven forwards, on the ground, in the material to load. In this, the frame 2 transmits its movement to the bucket 16 not only via the articulated arm 6. In fact, it also exerts a thrust via the stabilizers 18, which then form the support devices -8 - For the bucket 16. The pushers 17 receive this thrust and transmit it to the back of the bucket 16.

It follows from the foregoing that the articulated arm 6 is little stressed during the pickup phase. In particular, it is not stressed in torsion, even if the cup 16 encounters resistance in the vicinity of one of its two lateral ends.

When its filling is completed, the bucket 16 is lifted by the arm 10 which, to do this, tilts up in the direction indicated by the arrow B1, while the arrow 7 and 10 against the arrow 9 remain immobile relative at the turret 4.

To return the bucket 16 to its low pickup position, it is sufficient to tilt the arm 10 in the opposite direction B2, until the pushers 17 abut against the stabilizers 18. The action of bringing the bucket 6 back into position low pickup position 15 is extremely easy to control.

In Figure 4 is shown a loader-excavator 101 according to a second embodiment of the invention. In the following, this excavator-loader 101 is only described as distinguishing it from the excavator-loader 1. In addition, a reference used hereinafter to refer to a similar or similar portion of the loader-excavator equivalent to a referenced part of the loader-excavator 1 is built by increasing by 100 the reference designating this part in the loader-excavator 1. Thus are obtained in particular the references of the articulated arm 106, the arrow 107, the articulation 108 , the counter-boom 109, the arm 110, the joints 111, 112 and 115 of the excavator-loader 101.

The frame 102 of the excavator-loader 101 is supported by a roller assembly which includes two side tracks 103 instead of the four wheels 3. This frame 102 is not provided with a stabilizer. On the other hand, it is equipped with a scraping assembly which comprises a front blade 150 carried by a tilting support 151. This support 151 is articulated to the frame 102 so that the blade 150 can be operated by a jack 119 between a position low scraping and a high position which is that of Figures 4 to 6. -9 The front face 152 of the blade 150 forms a transversely elongate concavity. At this concavity, the front face 152 carries two plates 153, each of which is pierced with a generally vertical guide slot 154.

The rear end of each pusher 117 is provided with a rolling device which consists of two rollers 155 angularly offset from one another about the axis X4-X'4 of tilting of the bucket 116, an angle noted a in Figure 6. The front face of each plate 153 forms a running surface 156 for a pair of rollers 155, each having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation X6-X'6. Like the front face 152, the running surfaces 156 form a concavity facing forward.

When the bucket 116 is in its low collector position, its two pushers 117 rest on the blades 150, via their rollers 155. The rolling surfaces 156 are cylindrical and centered on an alignment axis X5- X'5 with which the axis X4-X'4 coincides substantially when the bucket 116 is in its lower pickup position. Thanks to this, this bucket 116 can tilt around its tilt axis X4-X'4 while remaining in abutment against the plates 153, which is apparent from a comparison of Figures 5 and 6. In this, the rollers 155 roll on the surfaces 156 being guided by the cooperation of the longitudinal edges of the slots 154 with peripheral ribs 157, one team each roller 155.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. Earth moving machine comprising a frame (2; 102) carried by a rolling assembly (3; 103) and an articulated arm (6; 106) for supporting and operating a tool such as a loading bucket (16; 116), characterized in that it comprises at least one support device (18; 150, 151, 153) through which the frame (2; 102) is able to exert a thrust on a loading bucket (16; 116) in a direction (A) of movement of the earth moving machine, when the articulated arm (6; 106) holds this bucket (16; 116) in a low pickup position. 2. Earthmoving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a second support device (18; 150,151,153) through which the frame (2; 102) can exert a thrust on a loading bucket ( 16, 116), in said direction of movement (A), when the articulated arm (6; 106) holds this bucket in said lower pickup position, the one and the other bearing device (18; 150, 151, 153) being horizontally offset from each other. 3. Earthmoving machine according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it is a loader-excavator which comprises a tool holder (14) for reversibly coupling a tool (16). 116) at a distal end of said articulated arm (6; 106) and of which this articulated arm comprises a succession of several segments (7, 9, 10; 107, 109, 110) swinging in substantially vertical planes. Earthmoving machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the tilting segments of the articulated arm (6; 106) comprise a distal segment (10; 110) and several other tilting segments (7, 9; 107, 109) each of which is movable between first and second end positions such that, when each of these several other tilting segments (7, 9; 107, 109) is immobilized in its first end position, the lower position of bucket loading (16; 116) is achieved by only tilting (B2) the distal segment (10; 110) around a proximal end of this distal segment.-11- 5. earthmoving machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a hinge (15; 115) between a distal end of the articulated arm (6; 106) and the bucket (16; 116) carried by this articulated arm, the support device (18; 150, 151, 153) defining a substantially horizontal alignment axis (X5-X'5) with which the axis (X4-X'4) of said articulation (15 115) substantially coincides, when the articulated arm (6; 106) holds the bucket (16; 116) in said lower collection position, and around which the bucket (16; 116) tilts while resting on the device of pressing (18; 150,151,153) when the axis (X4-X'4) of the articulation (15; 115) and the alignment axis (X5-X'5) coincide. 6. earthmoving machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the bearing device (150,151,153) comprises a bearing surface (156) of the bucket (116) in its low collector position, this bearing surface (156 ) having a concavity which has a constant radius of curvature and centered on said alignment axis (X5-X'5). Earthmoving machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the support device (150, 151, 153) comprises a guide slot (153) pierced in the bearing surface (156). Earthmoving machine according to any one of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the support device (150,151,153) comprises a transverse scraping blade (150) movable between a low scraping position and a high position in which the bucket (116) can bear against the support device by placing itself in its low collector position, said bearing surface (156) being at a front face (152) of the transverse blade of scraping (150). Earthmoving machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the support device (18) comprises a support shoe (21) and a hinge (22) whose axis of rotation (X5-X'5) forms said alignment axis and through which the shoe (21) is articulated so as to tilt about this axis of rotation (X5-X'5). -12- Earthmoving machine according to claim 9, characterized in that said shoe is constituted by the foot (21) of a stabilizer (18) and is movable between a low support position of a part of the earthmoving machine. and a high position in which the bucket (16) can bear against this shoe (21) by placing itself in its lower pickup position. 11. Earthmoving machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a loading bucket (16; 116) that carries said articulated arm (6; 106), this articulated arm being able to bring the bucket (16; 116) in a position where the bucket (16; 116) bears on the bearing device (18; 150, 151, 153) and which is said lower pickup position. 12. Loading bucket for an earth-moving machine (1; 101) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one pusher (17; 117) for receiving a thrust from the rear and for transmitting this thrust. generally in a direction of movement (A) corresponding to a bucket advance (16; 116). 13. Loading bucket according to claim 12, characterized in that said pusher (117) comprises a rear device (155) rolling on a bearing surface (156) of the earthmoving machine. 14. Loading bucket according to claim 13, characterized in that the rear rolling device comprises two rollers (155) which have respective axes of rotation (X6-X'6) substantially horizontal and which are angularly offset one of the other around a substantially horizontal axis (X4-X'4) tilting bucket (116).