COUNTERWEIGHT SYSTEM FOR AN INDUSTRIAL MACHINE

• US 20130259626A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Harnischfeger Technologies Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Larson, Christopher T., Colwell, Joseph, Hutsick, James, Schlegel, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,702,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/719
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/18 Counterweights for cranes B66C23/72, for tractors B62D49/085

Abstract

A counterweight system for an industrial machine includes a body having a front end and a back end, the body defining a cavity, and a plurality of walls defining a plurality of discrete sections within the body, each discrete section having an aperture for inserting a counterweight into the cavity.

Claims

1. A counterweight system for an industrial machine, the counterweight system comprising:

a body having a front end and a back end, the body defining a cavity; and

a plurality of walls defining a plurality of discrete sections within the body, each discrete section having an aperture for inserting a counterweight into the cavity.

2. The counterweight system of claim 1, wherein the body includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a front wall forming the front end, a plurality of doors forming the back end, and a plurality of internal walls extending along a direction from the front wall to the doors.

3. The counterweight system of claim 2, wherein the first side wall, one of the internal walls, a portion of the front wall, a portion of the top wall, a portion of the bottom wall, and one of the doors form a first one of the discrete sections.

4. The counterweight system of claim 3, wherein the second side wall, one of the internal walls, a portion of the front wall, a portion of the top wall, a portion of the bottom wall, and one of the doors form a second one of the discrete sections.

5. The counterweight system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete sections includes seven discrete sections.

6. The counterweight system of claim 5, wherein two of the discrete sections are larger than the other discrete sections.

7. The counterweight system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of counterweight units, wherein each counterweight unit fits within one of the plurality of discrete sections.

8. The counterweight system of claim 7, wherein each of the counterweight units has a generally rectangular configuration.

9. The counterweight system of claim 7, wherein the counterweight units are made of steel.

10. The counterweight system of claim 7, wherein the counterweight units include lift points for lifting the units for placement in the body.

11. The counterweight system of claim 1, further comprising a first supporting element coupled to a first side wall of the body, the first supporting element engaged with and supporting a first staircase.

12. The counterweight system of claim 11, wherein the first supporting element includes a first inner portion, the first staircase movably coupled to the first inner portion.

13. The counterweight system of claim 12, further comprising a second supporting element coupled to a second side wall of the body, the second supporting element engaged with and supporting a second staircase.

14. The counterweight system of claim 13, wherein the second supporting element includes a second inner portion, the second staircase movably coupled to the second inner portion.

15. The counterweight system of claim 14, wherein the first and second staircases are retractable to upright positions.

16. The counterweight system of claim 1, further including a plurality of external plates coupled to a top wall of the body.

17. The counterweight system of claim 16, wherein the back end is at least partially formed of doors, portions of the doors extending above the top wall, and wherein the plurality of external plates are located adjacent the portions of the doors that extend above the top wall.

18. A counterweight system for an industrial machine, the counterweight system comprising:

a body defining a cavity, the body including a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a closed end, an open end for providing access to the cavity, and a plurality of internal walls defining discrete sections within the body,

wherein each section extends along a portion of the open end; and

a plurality of counterweight units, each counterweight unit sized to fit within one of the sections.

19. The counterweight system of claim 18, wherein each of the counterweight units has a generally rectangular configuration.

20. The counterweight system of claim 18, wherein each of the counterweight units made of steel.

21. The counterweight system of claim 18, wherein each of the counterweight units includes lift points for lifting the units for placement in the body.

22. The counterweight system of claim 18, further comprising a first supporting element coupled to the first side wall, the first supporting element engaged with and supporting a first staircase.

23. The counterweight system of claim 18, further comprising a door covering the open end of at least one of the sections.

24. The counterweight system of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of doors wherein each door covers the open end of one of the sections.

25. The counterweight system of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of external plates coupled to the top wall.

26. The counterweight system of claim 24, wherein a portion of each door extends above the top wall, and further wherein the plurality of external plates are located proximate the portions of the doors that extend above the top wall.