FEL bucket attachment

[N80]

It _looks_ like it would be weaker than the regular design, but I'm sure appearances are deceiving.

 

[EquipmentJunkie]

Gig, you are correct. The 4-bar linkage actually reduces breakout force.

I guess my brain became inverted when looking at that photo of the Kubota loader...it seemed to make sense at the time. That's why I am not an engineer.

 

[Gig]

EquipmentJunkie,
I found out to day at work that I was not totally correct, the four bar linkage does increase in force at the dump end of travel. The extra force at the dump end is not much use in an FEL but it is when the 4 bar linkage is on the back side of a backhoe or excavator bucket.

Wish my FEL had the 4 bar linkage.

 

[3RRL]

So Gig,
You are saying breakout force is reduced but dump force (on fel) is increased?
Couldn't the linkage be modified (move linkage points) to produce opposite effect desirable for greater breakout force? Just asking...

 

[Soundguy]

I would imagine, that due to the linkage, if you set it up so that the breakout made less 'movement' than the cyl throw.. then this would be mechanical advantage, and thus stronger.. and if the dump made more movement than the cyl throw.. then this would be a disadvantage, and weaker.. etc.

So yes.. I -think- what you are saying is correct.. that is.. you could adjust the linkage to make it work like that....I'm a CE.. not a ME.. but it sounds correct...

Soundguy

 

[schmism]

is there some mechanical advantage thats gained? or do they get away with useing a smaller curl cylinder this way?

well being the ME i recognized the significance of either desgin of the linkage (which is why i asked)...

ie you could use a shorter cyliner to accompish the same movement of the bucket (at a sacrafice of availibe force) (but decreased cost?)

at the same time (if designed the other way) the linkage could provide a mechanical advanage = less movement but more force.

i suppose the follow up question would be (as some have indicated) can we "handy" types convert to a linkage setup should we choose that design? (without changing entire FEL's)

oh and i see another great right up and mod being done by 3RRL

 

[3RRL]

...i suppose the follow up question would be (as some have indicated) can we "handy" types convert to a linkage setup should we choose that design? (without changing entire FEL's)

oh and i see another great right up and mod being done by 3RRL

LOL...Your turn schmism...

 

[Gig]

So Gig,
You are saying breakout force is reduced but dump force (on fel) is increased?
Couldn't the linkage be modified (move linkage points) to produce opposite effect desirable for greater breakout force? Just asking...

Well dump force is only increased toward the end of the dump travel. During the mid range of the buckets rotation you have less force because of the trade off to more rotation angle.

I am a newbie to the tractor/FEL world so my defn. of breakout force may be off. Breakout force is the max force the bucket can exert at the bucket cutting edge in the curl direction????

SoundGuy is right, all other things being equal, if you increase rotational travel you decrease "breakout force", and decreasing rotational travel increases "breakout force". To get both = bigger cylinder + $$