Caterpillar Inc.

Michael J Murphy

Kent D Smith

Mounting arrangements are required to mount and stabilize a bulldozer blade on a vehicle when it is desirable to both angle and tilt the bulldozer blade relative to the vehicle. During the angling and tilting of the bulldozer blade, it is desirable to control the pitch of the blade without inducing unnecessary stresses in the mounting arrangement or high cylinder pressures in the angle cylinders. The present mounting arrangement includes a bracket apparatus which is utilized to allow normal pitching of the bulldozer blade but limit any abnormal pitching thereof during tilting and/or angling thereof. The bracket apparatus utilizes a first bracket assembly secured to a mounting frame and having a transverse slot defined therein. The bracket apparatus further includes a second bracket assembly secured to a rear central portion of the bulldozer blade and has a pin assembly secured thereto and disposed in the transverse slot. The pin assembly being disposed in the slot merely follows the slot during normal tilting and angling of the bulldozer blade but limits the degree of pitch whenever the bulldozer blade tries to abnormally pitch. This arrangement is simple in construction and is readily retrofitted to current mounting arrangements. Furthermore, it provides a positive pitch control of the bulldozer blade relative to the mounting frame without inducing any high stresses in the mounting frame and/or high pressures in the angling cylinders.

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Peoria, IL, United States of America

Michael J Murphy