Loader coupler or other attachment with adjustable stops

• US 7,337,564 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paladin Brands Group Inc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: JRB Attachments, LLC (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kimble, Allen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad; Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US10/958,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20050045348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 16/86.B, 16/21, 163/75, 163/74, 374/68, 379/03, 172/272, 172/905, 414/723, 403/24
• US Class Current: 37/468
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3631 with a hook and a transversal locking element
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3636 using two or four movable transversal pins
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3663 hydraulically-operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 37/903 Scoop or scraper attachments

Abstract

A loader coupler or other attachment includes first and second roll-back stops located on opposite lateral sides. The stops include a mounting location such as a boss, a bumper or stop member releasably secured to the mounting location, and optionally one or more shims disposed between the mounting location and the stop member. The number and thickness of the shims may be used to control the spacing of the first and second stop members from their respective mounting locations to thus control the angular position of the coupler when the stop members contact the respective arms of the machine carrying the coupler.

Claims

1. A loader coupler for selective releasable coupling of an attachment to an associated loader machine, said loader coupler comprising:

first and second arm pin-on locations adapted for pivotable connection to respective first and second arms of the associated loader machine;

at least one tilt-link pin-on location adapted for pivotable connection to an actuator of the associated loader machine that controls an angular position of the coupler;

first and second attachment pick-up locations adapted to be selectively engaged with respective first and second ribs of the associated attachment to be coupled to the associated loader machine;

a lock assembly for selectively capturing the first and second ribs of the associated attachment to the coupler;

first and second adjustable roll-back stop assemblies located on opposite lateral sides of the coupler, each of said roll-back stop assemblies comprising;

a metallic mounting location;

a polymeric bumper releasably connected to said metallic mounting location; and

at least one shim located between said mounting location and said polymeric bumper, said at least one shim releasably captured between said mounting location and said polymeric bumper so as to be selectively removable from said loader coupler.

2. The loader coupler of claim 1, wherein said polymeric bumper defines a through-bore and counterbore, said polymeric bumper being releasably secured to said mounting location by a fastener that extends through said through-bore and counterbore, and through said at least one shim, wherein a head of said fastener is located in said counterbore and recessed relative to an outer surface of said polymeric bumper.

3. The loader coupler of claim 1, wherein at least one of said roll-back stop assemblies comprises multiple shims located between said polymeric bumper and said mounting location.

4. The loader coupler of claim 3, wherein at least one of said multiple shims exhibits a thickness that varies relative to a thickness of at least one of another of said multiple shims.

5. The loader coupler of claim 1, wherein said polymeric bumper comprises polyurethane.

6. The loader coupler of claim 1, wherein said polymeric bumper comprises polyurethane having a durometer hardness of about 60 shore D.

7. The loader coupler of claim 6, wherein said polymeric bumper defines a through-bore and a counterbore and wherein said polymeric bumper is releasably connected to said mounting location by a fastener that extends through said through-bore and counterbore, and through said at least one shim, wherein a head of said fastener is located in said counterbore and recessed relative to an outer face of said polymeric bumper.

8. The loader coupler of claim 7, wherein said polymeric bumper defines a rounded outer surface.

9. The loader coupler of claim 7, wherein said polymeric bumper defines a sloped outer surface.