| CPC E02F 3/3663 (2013.01) [E02F 3/3618 (2013.01); E02F 3/3622 (2013.01); E02F 3/3627 (2013.01); E02F 3/365 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
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1. A coupler comprising a housing with a top part for attachment to an excavator arm of an excavator, and a bottom part for attachment to an accessory for the excavator, such as an excavator bucket, the bottom part comprising a front jaw open to a front of the coupler for receiving a first attachment pin of an accessory and a rear pin receiving area open to a bottom of the coupler for receiving a second attachment pin of the accessory, the coupler further comprising a first latching member, the first latching member being for the rear pin receiving area, the first latching member comprising a body, a further jaw extending below the body, a release member extending forward of the body and an attachment point for an end of an actuator, the coupler further comprising a second latching member, the second latching member being for the front jaw, the second latching member comprising a hub that is mounted for axial rotation about its axis, the hub having extending therefrom a front jaw blocking member and a release surface, the release surface angled away from the front jaw blocking member, the release surface being for engagement by, or indirectly by the release member extending from the body of the first latching member, wherein the rotation axis for the hub is located nearer the front of the coupler than the attachment pin seated position of the front jaw and the second latching member is spring biased into a front jaw blocking position in which the front jaw blocking member extends at least partially across an opening or mouth of the front jaw;
wherein
either the hub is provided with a square section along at least a part of its length, which square section is mounted within a larger square tube or formation in a manner in which there is a variable relative angle of rotation therebetween, but with a default relative angle of rotation of about 45°, with elastically deformable members provided in four corners of the larger square to provide that default relative angle, the elastically deformable members bearing against outside faces of the square section of the hub and inside corners of the larger square,
or the hub is provided with a hollow square form along at least a part of its length, which hollow square form is mounted around a smaller square axle pin, in a manner in which there is a variable relative angle of rotation therebetween, but with a default relative angle of rotation of about 45°, with elastically deformable members provided in the four corners of the larger square to provide that default relative angle, the elastically deformable members bearing against the outside faces of the square axle pin and the inside corners of the hollow square form.
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