AU727916B2

AU727916B2 - An assembly for connecting a shackle and pin together

Info

Publication number: AU727916B2
Application number: AU15024/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Carol Thelma Matthews; Neville Eugene Matthews
Original assignee: Austcast Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Austcast Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1993-04-07
Filing date: 1997-03-03
Publication date: 2001-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2013-04-07
Also published as: AU1502497A

Description

-1- P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: AN ASSEMBLY FOR CONNECTING A SHACKLE AND PIN TOGETHER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: GH REF: P50056D:CLC:SB 2 AN ASSEMBLY FOR CONNECTING A SHACKLE AND PIN TOGETHER This invention relates to an adaptation of improvements relating to excavator tooth retaining assemblies.

The invention is particularly concerned with components used in drag line operations.

Typically drag lines incorporate components which must be regularly replaced due to wear and tear. Thus a shackle assembly can be formed by inserting a pin through holes in the end of a shackle element. The pin is provided -with a recess in its surface which is designed to align with a small hole in one end of the shackle element whereby a wedging assembly can be inserted through this small hole to be received in the recess of the pin and thus retain the pin within the hole of the shackle element.

The problem with the above arrangement is that the wedge assembly must be hammered in position and once in position is very difficult to remove. Thus when it is 20 necessary to replace the pin or shackle element due to .i :wear and tear this procedure becomes time consuming and Slabour intensive, especially considering that the components involved are large and heavy, often requiring many men to perform a connection and disconnection procedure.

The present invention is based on the realisation that the invention disclosed in Australian patent number 659305 can be adapted so that it is applicable to other components such as shackles and pins. Accordingly the 30 present invention provides an assembly for connecting a shackle and pin together and comprises a first member having a first and second hole therein, a second member adapted to be received in the first hole, a holding member having a length and width and adapted to be received in the second hole when the first and second member are assembled with the second member received in the first hole and comprising a coupling portion adapted to engage a coupling portion of the assembled first and S:50056D/703 3 second member to prevent the second member from being withdrawn from the first hole and to prevent the holding member from lengthwise withdrawal and a pin member for maintaining the holding member in position when its coupling portion is in engagement with the assembled first and second members.

It is preferred that the pin member loosely maintains the holding member in a position where its coupling portion engages the coupling portion of the assembled first and second members.

Preferably the pin member is substantially loosely located adjacent the holding member.

It is preferred that pin member is held in position by .an engagement means which engages part of the second hole and/or the holding member.

According to one embodiment the pin member is prevented from substantial lengthwise movement by its S• engagement means being retained by a complimentary engagement means of either the holding member or part of *20 the second hole.

The engagement means may be at least one protrusion ooo located on a surface of the pin member.

rooo S" The holding member of part of the second hole may have a recess of complimentary shape to the engagement means.

25 The first member may include an annular portion with the first hole through the centre thereof.

The second hole may extend substantially perpendicular to the first hole.

The second member may comprise an'elongate element.

The second member may include a recess which is adapted to engage at least a part of the coupling portion of the holding member.

3a The first member may comprise an elongate element with the first hole located axially therethrough.

The second hole may extend through the elongate element perpendicular to the first hole.

The recess may be located in a side wall of the second member.

S

*o Ir 4 second member.

The second hole may include two shoulder portions.

The holding member coupling portion may have a matching shape to that of the coupling portion of the assembled first and second members.

It is preferred that the holding member coupling portion comprises opposite facing first and second surfaces.

The second hole may comprise first and second walls of a matching configuration to the first and second surfaces.

The holding member may comprise an elongate element with the coupling portions comprising projections extending from one side of the elongate element at each end thereof.

The 'holding member may comprise at least one projection adapted to fit into a matching recess of the assembled first and second members.

The first hole may extend through one side wall of the first member.

The second hole may extend into another side wall of the first member and substantially perpendicular to the first hole.

The second hole may include shoulder portions at each end thereof.

The first member preferably comprises a shackle and the second memberpreferably comprises a pin.

The first hole may be connected to the second hole.

The first member may comprise a pair of axially 30 aligned annular portions with a first hole therethrough.

The first member may be a lug with the first hole located through the centre.

The first member may comprise a link.

According to one embodiment the first member is part of a shackle.

According to one embodiment of the invention the assembly includes a reducing element which fits between the first member and the second member.

S:50056D/703 The reducing member is preferably annular and fits inside the first hole.

The first member may be a plate.

The plate may have greater than- one hole therethrough.

Preferably the first member comprises a body section with at least one lug having the first hole therethrough.

According to one embodiment the hole is cylindrical.

According to another embodiment the hole is slotted or of irregular shape.

Preferably the pin is rectangular.

According to other variations of the invention the first and second members could be components forming a hitch assembly, a trunnion assembly, a hitch yoke, an anchor assembly or a spreader bar.

According to different embodiments of the present invention the holding member may have male or female coupling portions.

Patent 659305 discloses other variations of the holding member and pin member. All of these versions are S.I :incorporated into this application by way of reference.

The present invention also includes embodiments in which the holding member includes a protrusion adapted to engage a recess in the assembled first and second members. Likewise the pin member engagement means could include recesses adapted to receive projections or spigots of the holding member or second hole surrounds.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to 30 the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a shackle and pin assembly according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of a holding member of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a front view of a pin member of the present invention; Figure 4 shows a side view of the assembly shown in Figure 1 with the holding member and pin member about to S:50056D/703 6 be inserted; and Figure 5 shows a side view of the assembly of Figure 1 when assembled with the holding member and pin member inserted; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 shows an assembly according to a third embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 shows an assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; Figure 9 shows an assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; Figure 10 shows an assembly according to a sixth embodiment of the invention; Figure 11 shows an assembly according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 shows an assembly according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 13 shows an assembly according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figure 1, a shackle and pin oooo assembly consists of a shackle 10 with an annular end portion 11 having a hole 12 therethrough. In an upper face of the annular portion 11ii a rectangular shaft 13 is provided which extends in this embodiment all the way through to the other side of the annular portion 11.

For convenience the hole 12 will be described as having a horizontal access and the shaft -13 will be 30 described as having a vertical axis.

A pin element 14 having a cylindrical cross-section complimentary to that of the hole 12 is provided with a rectangular recess 15 in one of its side walls. As shown this recess is oriented vertically.

A holding member 16 is effectively in the form of a rectangular element with short rectangular protrusions 17, 18 at each end. The protrusions 17, 18 extend in parallel in the same direction.

S:50056D/703 7 A pin member 19 is provided in the form of a rectangular plate with an elliptical hole through its centre and a small rounded protrusion 21, 22 on opposite edges of the plate 19 approximately in the central region thereof.

As shown most clearly in Figure 4, theshaft 13 has a shape similar to that of the holding member, thus it is provided with recessed portions 23, 24 at each end which recessed portions are directed horizontally towards the end of the shackle member 10. Figure 4 also shows how the shaft 13 effectively cuts an arc out of a side wall of hole 12 so that shaft 13 is in direct communication with hole 12.

To assemble the components the pin element 14 is inserted into hole 12 so that recess 15 is aligned with shaft 13. Desirably recess 15 has a matching shape to cutaway section 25 of hole 12. Thus with the pin element 14 located in hole 12 shaft 13 has a continuous rectangular cross-section between its recessed portions 20 23, 24. Holding member 16 is then inserted into shaft 13 vertically so that its protrusions 17, 18 are aligned Swith recesses 23, 24. The holding member 16 is then moved laterally towards the end of shackle ten so that lateral portions 17, 18 fit into recesses 23 and 24 respectively. Pin member 19 is then inserted in the shaft 13 behind holding member 16 until its protrusions 21, 22 locate in recesses in opposite side walls of the shaft 13. One of the recesses 26 is shown in Figure 4 and is located approximately aligned with a central see. 30 longitudinal axis of the shackle.

99.* With the protrusions 21, 22 located in the recesses of shaft 13 it is firmly held in place but can easily be removed by hitting one endthereof. At the same time the holding member 16 is maintained in position so that it is coupled with the left side of shaft 13 and its central area is located in recess 15 of pin element 14.

Accordingly, pin element 14 cannot be removed from hole 12 because its vertical walls 27 contact the surrounding S:50056D/703 -8wall of holding member 16. At the same time holding member 16 cannot be moved vertically because inner walls 27, 28 of the lateral portions 17, 18 are prevented from doing so because of their contact with the shoulder portions 30, 31 of recesses 23, 24.

Although there is only loose contact between front face 32 of pin member 19 and back face 33 of the holding member 16, the two pieces stay in position regardless of how the combined shackle 10 and pin element 14 are used.

Primarily this is because all vertical forces transmitted while the shackle and pin element are in use are transferred to engaging surfaces 27, 28 and 30, 31 of the holding member and shaft 13 respectively. Very little if any vertical (lengthwise) forces are applied to the pin member 19 and any that are are sufficiently counted by the engaging protrusions 21, 22 within recesses 26 (not shown) of the shaft 13.

The first embodiment of the invention described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 can be adapted to a number of alternative embodiments shown in the other figures. Thus as shown in Figure 6 a shackle element 40 is provided with axially aligned annular portions 41, 42. One of these annular portions 42 in this case is provided with a shaft 43 in a similar fashion to shaft 13 of the first 25 embodiment. Likewise a pin element 44 having a recess is adapted to be inserted through both annular portions Sso as to be fixed in place in the same fashion as described in relation to embodiment 1.

The other embodiments of the invention will be described briefly without giving details of the specific components. -This is because the components are well known, although the adaptation of these components so that they incorporate the present invention is not known.

As shown in Figure 7 a slotted element 50 replaces the shackle 11 in the first embodiment. A centrally located hole 51 has a slotted shape as opposed to the cylindrical shape of hole 12 of the first embodiment. A pin element 52 having one end provided with a matching S:50056D1703 -9end portion 53 is provided with a recess 54 which is designed to align with shaft 55 or shaft 56 in the slotted element 50. The pin element 52 is held in place using the same principle as disclosed in embodiment 1.

Pin portion 57 of the pin element 52 can be inserted into either of two holes 58, 59 at the back of the slot 51.

The end portion 53 is then oriented so that the recess 54 is aligned with one of the shafts 55, 56.

Figure 8 shows a shackle 60 which has annular end portions which are oriented vertically with their holes axially aligned. One of the annular portions 61, 62 is provided with a shaft (not shown) in a similar fashion to embodiment 1. The shackle is adapted to be placed over a boss element 70 shown in Figure 10 before a pin 71 and reducing element 72 so that the recess 73 in pin 71 can be coupled to the shackle 60 in a manner previously *described.

Figure 9 shows an element 80 having aligned annular portions 81, 82. As described previously one of the annular portions has a shaft 83 and a pin element 84 having a recess 85 and is adapted to be coupled to this element 80 by being inserted through the annular portions 81, 82.

In Figure 10 a spreader bar component 90 is formed with two matching plate portions 91, 92 having axially aligned holes. In a similar manner to that previously described a shaft is provided in portions 91, 92 of the element 90 for each of the aligned holes so that pins 93, 94 can be inserted through the aligned holes so as to be coupled therein by a holder member and pin member assembly.

Figure 12 shows a shackle element formed from two link portions 100 and 101. Each link portion is effectively identical and has an annular portion 102,. 103 with a hole therethrough at one end and a matching protrusion 104, 105 at the opposite end which is adapted to be received in the hole of the opposite element.

Shafts are provided to intersect each hole in the annular S:50056D/703 10 portions 102, 103 so that each link can be coupled together in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 13 shows another embodiment of the invention in which a shackle element 110 is shown having a single annular portion 111 at one end and an aligned pair of annular portions 112 at the other end. Two such shackle portions '110 can be connected together and coupled in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The present invention has been described with the example of a holding member having protrusions at either end .and a pin member having centrally located protrusions. It should be noted however that the present invention contemplates other configurations of both members and encompasses other embodiments in which the holding member has a particular shape which can be coupled to complimentary shaped portions of a combined shackle and pin member or similar members requiring coupling of male and female shaped portions.

e *ee.

S:50056D/703

Claims

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first member includes an annular portion with the first hole through the centre thereof.
3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, oeo 20 wherein the second hole extends substantially perpendicular oooo to the first hole. o o0 oooo An assembly as claimed in any one of the oe o S* preceding claims wherein the second member comprises an elongate element. 25 5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second member includes a recess which is adapted to engage at least a portion of the coupling portion of the holding member.
6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first member comprises an elongate element with the first hole located axially therethrough. 4I,,. lla
7. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 6, wherein the second hole extends through an elongate element perpendicular to the first hole.
8. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the recess is located in a side wall of the second member. 9 o *9* *9 o* o9 *r 12
9. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to or claim 8 wherein the second hole includes two shoulder portions. An assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the holding member coupling portion has a matching shape to that of the coupling portion of the assembled first and second members.
11. An assembly as claimed as claimed in claim wherein the holding member coupling portion comprises opposite facing first and second surfaces.
12. An assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second hole comprises first and second walls of matching configuration to the first and second surfaces.
13. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding member comprises an elongate element with the coupling portions comprising projections extending from one side of the elongate element at each end thereof.
14. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the holding member comprises at least one projection adapted to fit into a matching recess of the assembled first and second members. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first hole extends through *25 one side wall of the first member.
16. An assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second hole extends into another side wall of the first member and substantially perpendicular to the first hole.
17. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second hole includes shoulder portions at each end thereof.
18. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first member comprises a shackle and the second member comprises a pin.
19. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first hole is connected to the second hole. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to S:50056D/703 13 wherein the first member comprises a pair of axially aligned annular portions with the first hole therethrough.
21. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first member comprises a lug with the first hole located through the centre.
22. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pin member comprises engaging means for maintaining it in position within the second hole.
23. An assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the engaging means comprises protrusions which engage with matching recesses of a side wall of the second hole.
24. An assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. o Dated this 3rd day of March 1997 NEVILLE EUGENE MATTHEWS and CAROL THELMA MATTHEWS By their Patent Attorney GRIFFITH HACK *o*O* S:50058D/703