Excavating apparatus

Claim 2

An excavating apparatus comprising, a lift assembly mounted on said chassis, a load moving member mounted on said lift assembly, a coupling assembly between the lift assembly and the loading moving member for mounting said load moving member on said lift assembly, said coupling assembly includes a locating coupling and a locking coupling for detachably mounting said load moving member in interlocked relation on said lift assembly, said locating coupling includes interfitting locating elements engageable with one another to enable alignment of said locking coupling in its locking position, said locking coupling includes interfitting locking elements engageable with one another in the locked position to maintain said locating elements in their interfitted engaged position for maintaining said load moving member in the interlocked mounted position on said lift assembly and disengageable from one another to enable said locating elements to bE released from their interlocked relation and to enable detachment of said load moving member from said lift assembly, said load moving member is an excavating bucket, said locating elements include a locating bar on said lift assembly and locating hooks mounted in laterally spaced relation on said bucket and including downwardly opening slots therein for receiving said locating bar therein, said locking elements include a pair of yokes on said bucket and locking projections on said lift assembly, and said locking yokes are disposed downwardly from said locating hooks and in laterially spaced relation on said bucket each having a rearwardly opening recess for receiving a respective one of said locking projections therein, and a pair of locking pins each supported on a respective one of said locking yokes and extending across said recesses for interlockingly retaining said projections in said recesses and retain said locating bar within the slots in said locating hooks to prevent disengagement of said load moving member from said lift assembly.

Claim 3

An excavating apparatus comprising, a chassis, a lift assembly mounted on said chassis, a set of load moving members for detachable mounting on said lift assembly including an excavating bucket and a lift fork, one coupling assembly between said lift assembly and said bucket for mounting said bucket on said lift assembly when said fork is not mounted thereon, another coupling assembly between said lift assembly and said fork for mounting said fork on said lift assembly when said bucket is not mounted thereon, said one coupling assembly includes a first locating coupling and a first locking coupling for detachably mounting said bucket in disengageable interlocked relation on said lift assembly, said first locating coupling includes a first set of interfitting locating elements engageable with one another to enable alignment of said first locking coupling in its locking position, said first locked coupling includes a first set of interfitting locking elements engageable with one another in the locked position to maintain said first set of locating elements in their interfitting engaged position for maintaining said bucket in the interlocked mounted position on said lift assembly and disengageable from one another to enable said first set of locating elements to be released from interlocked relation and to enable detachment of said bucket from said lift assembly, said first set of locating elements includes a locating bar on said lift assembly and a first set of locating hooks mounted in laterally spaced relation on said bucket with each including a downwardly opening slot therein for receiving said locating bar therein, said first set of interfitting locking elements includes a pair of yokes on said bucket and locking projections on said lift assembly, said locking yokes are disposed downwardly from said first set of locating elements and in laterally spaced relation on said bucket with each having an outwardly opening recess for receiving a respective one of said locking projections therein, and a first pair of locking pins each supported on a respective one of said locking yokes and extending across a respective one of said recesses for interlockingly retaining each projection in a recess and retaining said locating bar within said slots in said first set of locating hooks to prevent disengagement of said bucket from said lift assembly.

Claim 4

An excavating apparatus comprising, a chassis, a lift assembly mounted on said chassis, a set of load moving members for detachable mounting on said lift assembly including an excavating bucket and a lift fork, one coupling assembly between said lift assembly and said bucket for mounting said bucket on said lift assembly when said fork is not mounted thereon, another coupling assembly between said lift assembly and said fork for mounting said fork on said lift assembly when said bucket is not mounted thereon, said one coupling assembly includes a first locating coupling and a first locking coupling for detachably mounting said bucket in disengageable interlocked relation on said lift assembly, said first locating coupling includes a first set of interfitting locating elements engageable with one another to enable alignment of said first locking coupling in its locking position, said first locked coupling includes a first set of interfitting locking elements engageable with one another in the locked position to maintain said first set of locating elements in their interfitting engaged position for maintaining said bucket in the interlocked mounted position on said lift assembly and disengageable from one another to enable said first set of locating elements to be released from interlocked relation and to enable detachment of said bucket from said lift assembly, said first set of locating elements includes a locating bar on said lift assembly and a first set of locating hooks mounted in laterally spaced relation on said bucket with each including a downwardly opening slot therein for receiving said locating bar therein, said first set of interfitting locking elements includes a pair of yokes on said bucket and locking projections on said lift assembly, said locking yokes are disposed downwardly from said first set of locating elements and in laterally spaced relation on said bucket with each having an outwardly opening recess for receiving a respective one of said locking projections therein, and a first pair of locking pins each supported on a respective one of said locking yokes and extending across a respective one of said recesses for interlockingly retaining each projection in a recess and retaining said locating bar within said slots in said first set of locating hooks to prevent disengagement of said bucket from said lift assembly.

Claim 5

An excavating apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said other coupling assembly includes a second locating coupling and a second locking coupling for detachably mounting said fork in interlocked relation on said lift assembly, said second locating coupling includes a second set of interfitting locating elements engageable with one another to enable alignment of said second locking coupling in its locking position, said second locking coupling includes a second set of interfitting locKing elements engageable with one another in the locked position thereof to maintain said second set of locating elements in their interfitting engaged position for maintaining said fork in the interlocked mounted position on said lift assembly and disengageable from one another to enable said second set of locating elements to be released from their interlocked relation and to enable detachment of said fork from said lift assembly, said second set of locating elements include a locating plate on said lift assembly and a second set of locating hooks mounted in laterally spaced relation on said form with each including a downwardly opening slot therein for receiving said locating plate therein, said second set of locking elements includes a pair of sleeves on said fork and two pairs of axially-aligned apertures on said lift assembly, said lift assembly including a pair of recesses disposed in laterally spaced relation therein for receiving a respective one of said sleeves therein, each of said sleeves includes a bore therein with each of said bores being axially aligned with one another being arranged for alignment with one of said pair of apertures in said lift assembly, and a second pair of locking pins supported on said lift assembly with each of said pins extending across one of said recesses in said lift assembly and insertable through said bores in said sleeves when said sleeves are disposed in said recesses in said lift assembly for interlockingly retaining each sleeve in a recess and retaining said locating plate within said slots in said second set of locating hooks to prevent disengagement of said form from said lift assembly.

Claim 6

An excavating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said locating bar and said locating plate extend in spaced, laterally-extending relation to one another, and said slots in said first set of locating hooks on said bucket open downwardly and rearwardly from said bucket to enable said locating bar to be lifted upwardly thereinto.

Claim 7

An excavating apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said recesses in said yokes open rearwardly in a direction away from said bucket, and the transverse spacing between said locating bar and said projections on said lift assembly is such that when said locating bar is fully inserted into the slots in said first set of locating hooks on said bucket, said projections are aligned with the recesses in said yoke to enable said projections to be moved fowardly into said recesses in said yokes upon forward movement of said lift assembly toward said bucket.

Claim 8

An excavating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said slots in said second set of locating hooks on said fork open downwardly to enable said locating plate to be lifted upwardly thereinto.

Claim 9

An excavating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the transverse spacing between said locating plate and said bores in said sleeves are such that said apertures of said first set of locking elements are axially aligned with said bores in said sleeves when said locking plate is fully inserted into said slots in said second set of locating hooks on said fork.

Claim 10

An excavating machine in accordance with claim 3, wherein said locating bar is disposed above said locating plate on said lift assembly.

Claim 11

An excavating machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein said first set of locating hooks are disposed above said first set of locking elements on said bucket.

Claim 12

An excavating machine in accordance with claim 3, wherein said second set of locating hooks are disposed below said second set of locking elements on said fork.