DESC:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:
A RIPPER INTEGRATED DRAWBAR

Applicant:
BEML Limited
A company Incorporated in India under the Companies Act, 1956
Having address:
BEML Soudha, 23/1, 4th Main,
Sampangirama Nagar, Bengaluru - 560 027,
Karnataka, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY
[001] The present invention claims priority from Indian patent application numbered IN 202241061860 filed on 31st October, 2022.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[002] The present subject matter described herein generally relates to a ripper integrated drawbar assembly, and more specifically to a ripper integrated drawbar assembly for a bull dozer.
BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION
[003] Land clearing is a process of uprooting the trees for making it usable for agriculture, research program, construction of roads and dams etc. The use of cleared land will subsequently have its own restriction according to the method of land clearing.
[004] Crawler bull dozers with a ripper are the best in class having high horse power to work with high efficiency. Blade attachment on front is used to push the bushes and piling up, whereas the rear ripper is used for digging the root of big tress so that it can be easily removed by blade pushing. The above two methods are used for bigger trees having trunk diameter more than 40 cm. To increase the productivity, trees with trunk diameter less than 40 cm can be cleared by land clearing chain which is mounted on the bull dozer. The deforestation using the massive land clearing chain is called chain method.
[005] Generally, ripper mounted crawler bull dozer doesn't have a separate drawbar for pulling the heavy loads. In such cases pulling of any loads can be done by connecting the land clearing chain with ripper shank/beam which may damage the ripper structure. In some cases, the ripper structure is removed and drawbar will be mounted. Removal of ripper structure leads to higher idle time in the field leading to high productivity loss.
[006] Hence there is need of a draw bar assembly with ripper for land clearing using clearing chains.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[007] Main object of the present disclosure is to provide a draw bar assembly integrated with ripper of a bull dozer.
[008] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a draw bar assembly for easy mounting on a ripper structure of a bull dozer with reduced assembly time.
[009] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a draw bar assembly for mounting on a ripper structure for simultaneous use of ripper and clearing chain.
[0010] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a draw bar assembly for mounting on a ripper structure to carry out land clearing application without damaging or disturbing ripper structure.
[0011] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a draw bar assembly for mounting on a ripper structure for protecting the ripper structure.

SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION
[0012] Before the present system is described, it is to be understood that this application is not limited to the particular machine, device or system, as there can be multiple possible embodiments that are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosures. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. This summary is provided to introduce aspects related to a ripper integrated drawbar assembly,and the aspects are further elaborated below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the proposed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the proposed subject matter.
[0013] The present subject matter discloses a draw bar assembly comprising a main body having a central section and two side sections forming a U-shape in a single plate. Two parallel flanges spaced apart at a predetermined distance are welded to the central section of the main plate. Concentric holes are provided on the flanges for mounting a land clearing chain with the help of a chain pin. The side sections of the main body are provided with plurality of mounting holes for mounting the draw bar assembly on a ripper structure or on mounting brackets provided on the rear side of the bull dozer. Plurality of mounting pins having a locking projection are configured to be inserted in the mounting holes and the holes provided on ripper structure or mounting brackets. A locking arrangement is provided to lock the mounting pins in the inserted position. The locking arrangement comprises of a locking plate configured to lock the locking projection of the mounting pin. The locking plate is bolted to the side sections of the main body in such a way that the locking projection of the mounting pin is sandwiched between the locking plate and inner surface of side section thus restricting the linear movement of the mounting pins. Further, protrusions are provided on the side sections to restrict the rotation of the mounting pin.
STATEMENT OF INVENTION
[0014] The present invention discloses a drawbar assembly for a bull dozer. The assembly comprises of a main body configured with a central section and side sections forming a U-shape, two parallel flanges welded to the central section are spaced apart at a predetermined distance, concentric holes provided on the flanges for mounting a chain pin to attach a land clearing chain to the drawbar assembly provided on the side sections configured to be inserted in the mounting holes for rigidly mounting the drawbar assembly on the ripper structure or the mounting brackets. Each mounting pin comprises a cylindrical shank fixedly connected near one end of the cylindrical shank configured to be inserted in the mounting holes forming a clearance fit, and puller holes provided on the locking projection for removal of the mounting pin using a puller bolt. The assembly further comprises of a locking arrangement configured to lock the mounting pins in the inserted position, wherein the locking arrangement comprises a locking plate configured with holes for mounting the locking plate on the side sections and the mounting pins configured to be positioned between the side sections and the locking plate of each mounting pin is sandwiched between the side sections and the locking plate and the chain pin are configured to be heat treated to withstand forces experienced during land clearing operation. Bushes are configured to be provided in the holes to prevent wear and maintain the integrity of the assembly. The ripper structure is configured with left-hand and right-hand brackets for mounting the ripper structure on the bull dozer and a high strength steel plate integrated with each ripper bracket for mounting the drawbar assembly by inserting the mounting pins is configured to provide increased contact area for the drawbar mounting pins is configured to accommodate both the drawbar assembly and a regular ripper beam of the main body is configured to be mounted on the corresponding ripper brackets and a land clearing chain is configured to be attached to the drawbar assembly using the chain pin is inserted through the upper flange and the lower flange of the drawbar assembly is configured to provide simultaneous working of ripper shanks mounted on the ripper structure and the land clearing chain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the disclosure, there is shown in the present document example constructions of the disclosure, however, the disclosure is not limited to the specific methods and device disclosed in the document and the drawing. The detailed description is described with reference to the following accompanying figures.
[0016] Figures 1A and 1B illustrate isometric views of a draw bar assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0017] Figures1C and 1D illustrate a front view and a left side view of a draw bar assembly respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0018] Figures2A, 2B and 2C illustrate a two dimensional front view, a top view and a side view of a main body of a draw bar assembly respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0019] Figures3A, 3B and 3C illustrate an isometric view, a front view and a side view of a draw bar mounting pin respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0020] Figures3D and 3E illustrate two dimensional front view and side view of a draw bar mounting pin respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0021] Figure 4A illustrates an isometric view, a front view and a side view of a locking plate, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0022] Figure 4B illustrates two dimensional front view and a side view of a locking plate, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0023] Figure 5 illustrates mounting pin locking arrangement, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0024] Figure 6 illustrates perspective view of a draw bar assembly with land clearing chain attachment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0025] Figures7A and 7B illustrate perspective views of a modified ripper bracket, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter; and
[0026] Figure 8 illustrates perspective view of a draw bar assembly mounted on a modified ripper structure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0027] The figures depict various embodiments of the present disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0028] Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words "comprising", “having”, and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any devices and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the exemplary, devices and methods are now described. The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure, which may be embodied in various forms.
[0029] Various modifications to the embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.
[0030] The present subject matter discloses a drawbar assembly for a bull dozer. Figures 1A-1D show the drawbar assembly (100). The drawbar assembly (100) comprises of a main body (102) having a central section (104) and two side sections (106) forming a U-shape in a single plate. Two parallel flanges (108, 110) spaced apart at a predetermined distance are welded to the central section (104) of the main body (102). As shown in figures 2A-2C,concentric holes (112, 114) are provided on the flanges (108, 110) for mounting of a chain pin (116) for attaching a land clearing chain to the draw bar assembly (100).
[0031] The side sections (106) of the draw bar assembly (100) are provided with plurality of mounting holes (118) for mounting the draw bar assembly (100) to a ripper structure or to mounting brackets provided on the bull dozer, as per the requirement. A plurality of mounting pins (200) are inserted in the mounting holes (118) and further received in the holes provided on the ripper structure or mounting brackets, for rigidly mounting the draw bar assembly (100) on the ripper structure or the mounting brackets.
[0032] The mounting pin (200) is now described in view of figures 3A-3E. The mounting pin (200) comprises of a cylindrical shank (202) and a locking projection (204) fixedly connected near one end of the cylindrical shank (202). Moreover, the free end of the cylindrical shank (202) is configured to be inserted in the mounting holes (118) and the corresponding holes on the ripper structure or mounting brackets forming a clearance fit for easy insertion and removal. Further, the locking projection (204) is provided with puller holes (206) for pulling the mounting pin (200) out of the mounting holes (118) by using a puller bolt.
[0033] Further, a locking arrangement (300) is provided to lock the mounting pins (200) in the inserted position for restricting the mounting pins from coming out of the holes (118).The locking arrangement (300) comprises of a locking plate (302) and locking bolts (304). The locking plate (302), as shown in figures 4A and 4B comprises of holes (306) for mounting the locking plate (302) on the protrusion (502) provided in the side sections (106) by locking bolts (304). As shown in figure 5&6, the mounting pin (200) is inserted in the mounting hole (118) such that the locking projection (204) of the mounting pin (200) is positioned between protrusions (502). The protrusions (502) are provided with threaded holes (504) for mounting the locking plate (302) by locking bolts (304). Therefore, the locking projection (204) of the mounting pin (200) is sandwiched between the protrusion(502) of the side section (106) of the main body (102) and the locking plate (302) and locks the mounting pin (200) in inserted position. Moreover, the protrusions (502) restrict the rotation of the mounting pin (200).
[0034] In an embodiment, the mounting pins (200) does not require any special tools like torque wrench for tightening purpose, thereby drastically reducing the time required for assembly and disassembly of the draw bar assembly (100). Moreover, the locking plate (302) is bolted to the main body (102) of the drawbar assembly (100) using M10 bolts.
[0035] A land clearing chain (602) can be attached to the draw bar assembly (100) as shown in figure 6. One end of the land clearing chain (602) is positioned between the flanges (108, 110) and the chain pin (116) is inserted from the hole (112) of the upper flange (108) such that the head of the chain pin (116) abuts the upper surface of the upper flange (108) and the cylindrical portion of the chain pin (116) passes through a loop of the chain into the hole (114) of the lower flange (110), thus attaching the chain (602) to the draw bar assembly (100).
[0036] A modified ripper structure (700) is now discussed in view of figures 7A and 7B. The ripper structure (700) comprises of at left-hand and right-hand brackets (702) for mounting the ripper structure (700) on the bull dozer. A high strength steel plate (706) is integrated with the ripper bracket (702). Plurality of holes (704) are provided on the high strength structure plate (706) for mounting the draw bar assembly (100) by inserting the mounting pins (200) in the holes (704).The high strength steel plate (706) is designed in such a way that the thicker portion of the plate allows more contact area for draw bar mounting pins (200).
[0037] In an embodiment, the modified ripper structure (700) accommodates both drawbar assembly (100) and regular ripper beam.
[0038] The draw bar assembly (100) along with the land clearing chain (602) is mounted on the left hand and right hand brackets (702) of the ripper structure (700) as shown in figure 8. Each of the side sections (106) of the main body (102) of the draw bar assembly (100) is mounted on the corresponding inner surfaces of the left-hand and right-hand ripper brackets (702) such that the central section (104) of the main body (102) is facing towards a ripper beam (802). The land clearing chain (602) is attached to the draw bar assembly (100) with the help of the chain pin (116). As can be clearly seen in figure 8, the draw bar assembly (100) does not affect the operation of the ripper beam (802) and plurality of ripper shanks (804) mounted on the ripper beam (802) can be used without any hindrance. Therefore, the land clearing chain (602) and the ripper shanks (804) can be used simultaneously for their intended purposes. When the use of land clearing chain (602) is not desired, it can simply be detached from the draw bar assembly (100) by releasing the chain pin (116) without removing the draw bar assembly (100).
[0039] In an embodiment, the mounting pins (200) and chain pin (116) are heat treated to with stand the forces experienced by the draw bar assembly (100), during land clearing operation. Further, bushes are provided in the holes (112, 114, 118) to prevent the holes from becoming oversize due to wear making it usable for longer period.
[0040] Accordingly, present invention relates to a drawbar assembly (100) for a bull dozer. The assembly comprises of a main body (102) configured with a central section (104) and side sections (106) forming a U-shape, two parallel flanges (108, 110) welded to the central section (104), wherein the flanges (108, 110) are spaced apart at a predetermined distance, concentric holes (112, 114) provided on the flanges (108, 110) for mounting a chain pin (116) to attach a land clearing chain (602) to the drawbar assembly (100), plurality of mounting holes (118) provided on the side sections (106), and plurality of mounting pins (200) configured to be inserted in the mounting holes (118) for rigidly mounting the drawbar assembly (100) on the ripper structure or the mounting brackets. Each mounting pin (200) comprises a cylindrical shank (202), a locking projection (204) fixedly connected near one end of the cylindrical shank (202), a free end of the cylindrical shank (202) configured to be inserted in the mounting holes (118) forming a clearance fit, and puller holes (206) provided on the locking projection (204) for removal of the mounting pin (200) using a puller bolt. The assembly further comprises of a locking arrangement (300) configured to lock the mounting pins (200) in the inserted position, wherein the locking arrangement (300) comprises a locking plate (302) configured with holes (306) for mounting the locking plate (302) on the side sections (106), by locking bolts (304) and the mounting pins (200) configured to be positioned between the protrusion(502) of the side sections (106) and the locking plate (302), wherein the locking projection (204) of each mounting pin (200) is sandwiched between the side sections (106) and the locking plate (302). The mounting pins (200) and the chain pin (116) are configured to be heat treated to withstand forces experienced during land clearing operation. Bushes are configured to be provided in the holes (112, 114, 118) to prevent wear and maintain the integrity of the assembly. The ripper structure (700) is configured with left-hand and right-hand brackets (702) for mounting the ripper structure (700) on the bull dozer and a high strength steel plate (706) integrated with each ripper bracket (702), having holes (704) for mounting the drawbar assembly (100) by inserting the mounting pins (200). The high strength steel plate (706) is configured to provide increased contact area for the drawbar mounting pins (200). The ripper structure (700) is configured to accommodate both the drawbar assembly (100) and a regular ripper beam (802). Each side section (106) of the main body (102) is configured to be mounted on the corresponding ripper brackets (702) and a land clearing chain (602) is configured to be attached to the drawbar assembly (100) using the chain pin (116), wherein the chain pin (116) is inserted through the upper flange (108) and the lower flange (110) of the drawbar assembly (100). The drawbar assembly (100) is configured to provide simultaneous working of ripper shanks (804) mounted on the ripper structure (700) and the land clearing chain (602).
[0041] In another embodiment, any type of wire rope can be attached to the draw bar assembly with the help of pulling hooks for toeing purpose.
[0042] Exemplary embodiments discussed above may provide certain advantages. Though not required to practice aspects of the disclosure, these advantages may include the following.
[0043] Some embodiments of the subject matter provide a draw bar assembly for a bull dozer integrated with ripper.
[0044] Some embodiments of the subject matter provide a draw bar assembly for easy mounting on a ripper structure of a bull dozer with reduced assembly time.
[0045] Some embodiments of the subject matter provide a draw bar assembly for mounting on a ripper structure for simultaneous use of ripper and clearing chain.
[0046] Some embodiments of the subject matter provide a draw bar assembly for mounting on a ripper structure to carry out land clearing application without damaging or disturbing ripper structure.
[0047] Some embodiments of the subject matter provide a draw bar assembly for mounting on a ripper structure with reduced assembly and disassembly time.
[0048] Following is a list of elements and reference numerals used to explain various embodiments of the present subject matter.
Reference Numeral Element Description
100 Draw bar assembly
102 Main body
104 Central section
106 Side sections
108, 110 Flanges
112, 114 Holes
116 Chain pin
118 Mounting holes
200 Mounting pins
202 Cylindrical shank
204 Locking projection
206 Puller hole
300 Locking arrangement
302 Locking plate
304 Locking bolt
306 Holes
502 Protrusions
504 Threaded holes
602 Land clearing chain
700 Ripper structure
702 Left hand and Right hand Ripper bracket
704 Holes
706 High strength steel plate
802 Ripper beam
804 Ripper shank

,CLAIMS:
1. A drawbar assembly (100) for a bull dozer, comprising:
a main body (102) configured with a central section (104) and side sections (106) forming a U-shape;
two parallel flanges (108, 110) welded to the central section (104), wherein the flanges (108, 110) are spaced apart at a predetermined distance;
concentric holes (112, 114) provided on the flanges (108, 110) for mounting a chain pin (116) to attach a land clearing chain (602) to the drawbar assembly (100);
plurality of mounting holes (118) provided on the side sections (106); and
plurality of mounting pins (200) configured to be inserted in the mounting holes (118) for rigidly mounting the drawbar assembly (100) on the ripper structure or the mounting brackets.

2. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each mounting pin (200) comprises:
a cylindrical shank (202);
a locking projection (204) fixedly connected near one end of the cylindrical shank (202);
a free end of the cylindrical shank (202) configured to be inserted in the mounting holes (118) forming a clearance fit; and
puller holes (206) provided on the locking projection (204) for removal of the mounting pin (200) using a puller bolt.

3. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a locking arrangement (300) configured to lock the mounting pins (200) in the inserted position, wherein the locking arrangement (300) comprises:
a locking plate (302) configured with holes (306) for mounting the locking plate (302) on the side sections (106), by locking bolts (304); and
the mounting pins (200) configured to be positioned between the side sections (106) and the locking plate (302), wherein the locking projection (204) of each mounting pin (200) is sandwiched between the protrusion (502) of the side sections (106) and the locking plate (302).

4. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting pins (200) and the chain pin (116) are configured to be heat treated to withstand forces experienced during land clearing operation.

5. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1,wherein bushes are configured to be provided in the holes(112, 114, 118) to prevent wear and maintain the integrity of the assembly.

6. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1,wherein the ripper structure (700) is configured with left-hand and right-hand brackets (702) for mounting the ripper structure (700) on the bull dozer and a high strength steel plate (706) integrated with each ripper bracket (702), having holes (704) for mounting the drawbar assembly (100) by inserting the mounting pins (200).

7. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6,wherein the high strength steel plate (706) is configured to provide increased contact area for the drawbar mounting pins (200).

8. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6,wherein the ripper structure (700)is configured to accommodate both the drawbar assembly (100) and a regular ripper beam (802).

9. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein each side section (106) of the main body (102) is configured to be mounted on the corresponding ripper brackets (702) and a land clearing chain (602)is configured to be attached to the drawbar assembly (100) using the chain pin (116), wherein the chain pin (116) is inserted through the upper flange (108) and the lower flange (110) of the drawbar assembly (100).

10. The drawbar assembly (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the drawbar assembly (100) is configured to provide simultaneous working of ripper shanks (804) mounted on the ripper structure (700) and the land clearing chain (602).