Linkage assembly

• US 7,736,117 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Hagen, Paul D., Schambach, Darren M., Harshberger, Wayne, Hagedorn, Jason J.
• Primary Examiner(s): UNDERWOOD, DONALD W
• Application Number:
  US11/931,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20090110530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 414/680, 414/686, 414/697, 414/700, 414/701, 384/901, 384/276, 384/295, 384/700, 384/701, 403/288
• US Class Current: 414/686
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3411 of the Z-type
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/006 Pivot joint assemblies in general F16C11/04
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/60 Coupler sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 384/901 Floating bushing

Abstract

A linkage assembly that includes a pivot pin cartridge disposed to connect pivotably a lift arm and a lever of the linkage assembly along an axis including the cartridge. The pivot pin cartridge includes a pin, at least one bushing pivotably disposed about at least a portion of the pin, and a pair of sleeve bearing inserts free-floatingly positioned about the pin and within at least a portion of the bushing. The rear tilt lever is coupled to the bushing for rotation about the pin, while at least one of a pair of side plates of the lift arm is coupled to the pivot pin.

Claims

1. A linkage assembly for connecting an implement to a frame of a machine, the linkage assembly comprising:

a lift arm including a machine end adapted to be pivotably coupled to the frame and an implement end adapted to be pivotably coupled to the implement, the lift arm including a pair of side plates, the side plates being separate and generally spaced apart in a parallel relationship, the side plates each having a bore therethrough,

a lever disposed intermediate the side plates, the lever having opposite ends adapted to be pivotably coupled to the frame and to the implement, the lever further having a bore therethrough, the bore being disposed intermediate the opposite ends of the lever,

a pivot pin cartridge defining an axis, the pivot pin cartridge including a pin disposed along said axis and having opposite ends,

at least one bushing pivotably disposed about at least a portion of said pin, and

at least two sleeve bearings disposed about said pin and within at least a portion of said bushing,

first and second collars disposed about opposite ends of the pin,

the pivot pin cartridge extending through the bore of the lever and through the bores of said plates, said lift arm and said lever being relatively pivotable about said axis, the lever being coupled to the bushing for rotation therewith about the pin.

2. The linkage assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least two sleeve bearings are free floatingly positioned between the pin and the bushing.

3. The linkage assembly of claim 2 wherein the bearing includes a crown-shaped surface disposed to contact the bushing.

4. The linkage assembly of claim 1 further comprising

a rear tilt link having a lever end and a machine end, the machine end adapted to be pivotably coupled to the frame,

a tilt actuator having a lever end and an implement end, the implement end adapted to be pivotably coupled to the implement, and

the opposite ends of the lever including a link end pivotably coupled to the lever end of the rear tilt link, and an actuator end pivotably coupled to the lever end of the tilt actuator.

5. The linkage assembly of claim 4 further comprising a front tilt lever, and a front tilt link, the front tilt lever being pivotably coupled to the implement end of the tilt actuator and to the implement, the front tilt link being pivotably coupled to the front tilt lever and the side plates.

6. The linkage assembly of claim 5 further comprising a front cross-member, the cross-member being coupled to each of the side plates, the front tilt link being pivotably coupled to the cross-member to couple the front tilt link to the side plates.

7. The linkage assembly of claim 1 wherein the bushing comprises at least one insert.

8. The linkage assembly of claim 1 wherein the lift arms are separated a distance, and the bushing extends substantially the entire distance.

9. The linkage assembly of claim 1 wherein the lever is nonrotatably coupled to the bushing, and at least one of the side plates is nonrotatably coupled to at least one of the first and second collars—

, respectively.

10. A method of coupling an implement to a frame of a machine, the method comprising the steps of:

pivotably coupling machine ends of respective side plates of a lift arm to the frame, the side plates being separate and spaced apart in a substantially parallel relationship,

pivotably coupling implement ends of the respective side plates of the lift arm to the implement,

disposing a rear tilt lever intermediate the side plates,

pivotably coupling a tilt actuator end of a rear tilt lever to the implement,

pivotably coupling a link end of the rear tilt lever to the frame,

coupling the rear tilt lever to the side plates for relative pivotable movement along an axis, the rear tilt lever being relatively pivotably coupled at a bore located intermediate said tilt actuator and lever ends, and the side plates being relatively pivotably coupled at bores intermediate said machine and implement ends, the step of pivotably coupling the rear tilt lever to the side plates including the steps of

providing a pivot pin,

rotatably disposing a bushing on said pivot pin,

disposing at least two sleeve bearings about said pivot pin and within at least a portion of said bushing to form a pivot pin cartridge,

securing the bores of the side plates to opposite ends of the pivot pin,

securing the bores of the rear tilt lever to said at least one bushing.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of coupling the rear tilt lever to the side plates further comprises the step of securing the bores of the side plates to respective collars, securing the ends of the pivot pin to respective pin collars, and securing at least one of the collars of the side plates to at least one of the respective pin collars.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of pivotably coupling a pair of lift actuators to the frame and to the side plates, respectively, and the step of pivotably coupling the link end of the rear tilt lever to the frame comprises the step of coupling opposite ends of a rear tilt link to the frame and to the link end of the rear tilt lever, and the step of coupling the tilt actuator end of the rear tilt lever to the implement comprises the steps of coupling the actuator end of the rear tilt lever to a lever end of a tilt actuator, coupling an implement end of the tilt actuator to a machine end of a front tilt lever, and coupling an implement end of the front tilt lever to the implement.

13. A machine to which an implement may be connected comprising:

a frame,

a linkage assembly including

a lift arm including a machine end pivotably coupled to the frame and an implement end adapted to be pivotably coupled to the implement, the lift arm including a pair of side plates, said side plates being separate and spaced apart in a substantially parallel relationship, the side plates each having a bore therethrough,

a rear tilt lever having opposite ends adapted to be pivotably coupled to the frame and the implement, respectively, the rear tilt lever further including a bore therethrough intermediate the opposite ends,

a pivot pin cartridge defining an axis, the pivot pin cartridge including a pin disposed along said axis and having opposite ends,

at least one bushing pivotably disposed about at least a portion of said pin, and

at least two sleeve bearings disposed about said pin and within at least a portion of said bushing,

first and second collars disposed about opposite ends of the pin,

the pivot pin cartridge extending through the bore of the lever and through the bores of said plates, said lift arm and said rear tilt lever being relatively pivotable about said axis, the rear tilt lever assembly being coupled to the bushing for rotation therewith about the pin.

14. The machine of claim 13 wherein the at least two sleeve bearings are free floatingly positioned between the pin and the bushing.

15. The machine of claim 13 wherein at least one of the bearings includes a crown-shaped surface disposed to contact the bushing.

16. The machine of claim 14 wherein the bearing includes a crown-shaped surface disposed to contact the bushing.

17. The machine of claim 13 wherein at least one of said side plates is coupled to at least one of the first and second collars.

18. The machine of claim 13 further comprising

a rear tilt link having a lever end and a machine end, the machine end being pivotably coupled to the frame,

a tilt actuator having a lever end and an implement end, the implement end being pivotably coupled to the implement, and

the rear tilt lever including a link end pivotably coupled to the lever end of the rear tilt link, and an actuator end pivotably coupled to the lever end of the tilt actuator.

19. The machine of claim 13 further comprising at least one lift actuator having a machine end pivotably coupled to the frame and an arm end being pivotably coupled to the lift arm.

20. The machine of claim 13 the side plates each including a collar, at least one of the side plate collars being coupled to at least one of the cartridge collars.