The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 02, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 07, 1997
Lee A Horton, Jefferson, MA (US);
WEC Company, Rockford, IL (US);
Abstract
A hydraulic grapple assembly couples to a link pivot and to a dipper pivot of an arm of an equipment. The assembly includes a grapple having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw. The fixed jaw extends in a direction substantially parallel to an imaginary line drawn between the link pivot and the dipper pivot when the grapple assembly is coupled to the arm. A distal end of the fixed jaw is positioned closer to the link pivot than to the dipper pivot when the grapple is coupled to the arm. The movable jaw has a proximal end coupled to a proximal end of the fixed jaw by an articulation. A hydraulic grapple actuator moves a distal end of the movable jaw between open and closed positions relative to a distal end of the fixed jaw. The grapple assembly can include a hydraulic swinger mechanism that rotates the grapple about an axis that is approximately aligned with the imaginary line through the dipper pivot and the link pivot.