Pivoting Thumb Stop System and Method

• US 20140101976A1
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Shea, Ryan Patrick, Kovar, Aaron Dean
• Granted Patent: US 9,194,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 37/406
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/404 comprising two parts movable relative to each other, e.g. for gripping
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/006 Pivot joint assemblies in general F16C11/04

Abstract

A stop system may include: a first member; a second member movable with respect to the first member, the first and second members being different parts of a common machine; a body including a boss defining a hole; a base plate at least one of: attached to and part of, the body on the side of the body opposite of the boss, the body and base plate forming a shoe; and a fastener extending through the hole in the boss thereby pivotally attaching the body to one of the first and second member. A method of providing a stop for stopping a thumb against a stick is also described.

Claims

1. A stop system comprising:

a first member;

a second member movable with respect to the first member, the first and second members being different parts of a common machine;

a body including a boss defining a hole;

a base plate at least one of;

attached to and part of, the body on the side of the body opposite of the boss, the body and base plate forming a shoe; and

a fastener extending through the hole in the boss thereby pivotally attaching the body to one of the first and second members.

2. The stop system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second boss located on a second body defining a second hole substantially coaxial with the hole in the boss; and

a base plate connecting the body and the second body and the fastener extends through the hole in the boss and the second hole and a hole in either of the first and second members.

3. The stop system of claim 2, further comprising a second shoe located proximal to the shoe, the second shoe also located and configured to contact a contact surface.

4. The stop system of claim 2, wherein the body and the second body are made of a single piece of folded metal.

5. The stop system of claim 1, wherein the body pivots about the fastener with respect to the member to which the body is attached.

6. The stop system of claim 1, wherein the base plate is a plate that is attached to the body.

7. The stop system of claim 6, wherein the plate defines at least one hole and the body defines at least one protrusion wherein the hole and the protrusion are dimensioned to allow the protrusion to extend at least partially in the hole, wherein the protrusion is spot welded to the plate in the at least one hole in the plate.

8. The stop system of claim 1, further comprising a contact surface located on the other of the first and second members than the body, the contact surface located such that when the first and second members are in proximity with each other, the base plate is contacting the contact surface.

9. The stop system of claim 8, wherein the contact surface is an outer surface of either the first or second member.

10. The stop system of claim 8, wherein the contact surface is on a plate attached to the other member than the member to which the body is attached.

11. The stop system of claim 1, wherein the first member is a thumb and the second member is a stick.

12. The stop system of claim 1, further comprising a hole in one of the members through which the fastener extends along with the hole in the boss and the hole in one of the members and the hole in the boss are slightly differently sized from each other thereby configuring the base plate to both pivot and slide when the base plate contacts the member to which the body is not attached.

13. The stop system of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a shear pin having material and dimensions selected to cause the shear pin to shear before the base plate causes gouges in the member to which the body is not attached to when the base plate and the member to which the body is not attached to, come into hard contact.

14. A method of providing a stop for stopping a thumb against a stick comprising installing a pivotable shoe on one of the thumb and stick.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a contact plate on either the thumb or stick to which the pivotal shoe is not installed.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising attaching the shoe to the thumb or stick with a shear pin.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising both pivoting the shoe and sliding the shoe against either the thumb or stick to which the pivotal shoe is not installed.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising installing a second pivotal shoe proximate to the pivotal shoe.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising contacting the shoe with the contact surface.

20. A stop system comprising:

a first member;

a second member movable with respect to the first member, the first and second members being different parts of a common machine;

a pivoting means for abutting attached to one of the first and second members; and

a contact surface located on the other of the first and second members than the pivoting means for abutting, the contact surface located such that when the first and second members are in contact with each other, the pivoting means for abutting is contacting the contact surface.