Anybody figured out indexing?

[Phils]

On my old Case 580, there was a thing that indexed the angle of the bucket.

That would be a very useful feature I'd like to have on my PT, but I haven't mentally come up with a useful design yet.

It would be ESPECIALLY good to have it while using the pallet forks. (don't ask about the large gun safe I was moving, at least it was still protected by the carton)

Anybody given this any thoughts?

Phil

 

[MuncyBob]

I would love to be able to angle the bucket(even if it's a manual operation)!!!! Hoping the PT minds out there know the cheap and easy answer!!

 

[MossRoad]

Are you talking about automatically or manually keeping the bucket at the same angle to the ground as you raise and lower it?

 

[Phils]

"Are you talking about automatically or manually keeping the bucket at the same angle to the ground as you raise and lower it?"

Yes, exactly. It's been over 15 years since I had the Case, so I don't really remember how it worked but there was an indicator out on the linkages for the FEL that gave degrees each side of 0 on one side, and a pointer on the other that'd tell you the bucket angle. All you tractorheads must know what I'm talking about better than me.

An indicator is an important part but my thoughts so far don't include one: the hydraulic restrictors I installed in the tilt lines could be installed in the lift lines and if all the restrictors were adjusted properly you could put the joystick at any 45 degree combination position (4:30 and 10:30?) and the tilt would move at the correct speed with lift so that the forks (or whatever) would remain level (or at whatever angle you started with).

Kinda like a REAL forklift works.

Actually, the physical indicator wouldn't be as important for the operation of the forks because you can see the angle your load is sitting. The physical indicator would be more important on the box blade and the buckets.

But in moving my friend's new gun safe, it was difficult to raise and lower without the angle of the forks changing. So difficult that setting it just inside the door of his house, it tipped forward enough to fall. Took out a little of the door frame (repaired in 15 minutes). He claims there was no damage but he removed the box and packing after we left and I know he'd say "no damage" whether there was or not.

The pallet forks were something I'd not have ordered but for this forum and I use them a lot! Keeping the angle of the forks level I am still finding a challenge. Slow usually works but didn't in that case.

Other than restricting hydraulics so that lift can't work faster than tilt, and applying force to both at the same time, I haven't been able to think of an answer.

Phil the "safe cracker"

 

[MossRoad]

Someone explained it to me here a couple years ago. I beleive they were talking about changing the linkage of the dump/curl linkage. It has to be a parrallelagram??? That way, as you raise and lower the FEL arms, the attachment stays at the same angle.

There are also hydraulic valves that will do this for you, but as I recall, they are very expensive compared to the total cost of the PT tractor itself.

 

[Phils]

Thanks, MR. I guess I'll just have to polish my skills. I couldn't think of a way to do it either other than the restrictors which I'm not sure would be worth the trouble.

SATURDAY!!! Gettin ready to fire up the chainsaw! Hook up the grapple bucket. Get some work done.

Don't care about indexing when it comes to clearing brush.

But would've kicked myself (a daily occurance anyway) if I hadn't have asked and someone here had a simple solution.

90 degrees today but doesn't look that way in the Great Lakes area from what I see on TV. Can't burn, but CAN cut. Hope you are having a great weekend!

Phil

 

[Willl]

Bingo Moss, it's a parallelogram linkage or in tractor lingo, a Z bar linkage.

Like so...

 

[J_J]

Indexing to me is simply a reference point that you want to return to at any time. It could be a mark on a rod that slides in or out of a hollow tube, which is what I have on my PT-1445. It is connected to the tilt arm, and moves when I move the tilt. If I set a reference on the shaft, I can always return to that mark , which might indicate bucket level, fork level. or whatever. You could make an electronic indexer by using a light or buzzer that comes on when you are at the set mark. A simple devise could be a reed switch which is used in conjunction with a magnet placed on the shaft to operate the reed switch. There are many ways to index, flags, lights, buzzers, and the good old mark 8 eyeball. The tilt arm itself would make a good indexer. You would have to reset your reference for different attachments.

 

[Beechwood]

Having the three spool valve with separate control handles on my 180 makes it fairly easy to maintain a level bucket, forks etc. while raising the lift arms. Having a joystick like you guys have on the 422's and up makes it nearly impossible I would think. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks, MR. I guess I'll just have to polish my skills. I couldn't think of a way to do it either other than the restrictors which I'm not sure would be worth the trouble.

SATURDAY!!! Gettin ready to fire up the chainsaw! Hook up the grapple bucket. Get some work done.

Don't care about indexing when it comes to clearing brush.

But would've kicked myself (a daily occurance anyway) if I hadn't have asked and someone here had a simple solution.

90 degrees today but doesn't look that way in the Great Lakes area from what I see on TV. Can't burn, but CAN cut. Hope you are having a great weekend!

Phil

It was a beautiful, sunny day here in northern Indiana. Got up in the high 50's, low 60's on the blacktop. I got a couple hours in on the backhoe, sanding and priming. Looking good.

 

[MossRoad]

Bingo Moss, it's a parallelogram linkage or in tractor lingo, a Z bar linkage.

See, looking at that, our PT bucket linkage is opposite. Our dump curl cylinder is connected to the lower half of the link and the tie rod goes from the top of the link to the top of the quick attach plate. Just the opposite of everything you see that has the Z bar linkage....... why is that???

 

[MossRoad]

Having the three spool valve with separate control handles on my 180 makes it fairly easy to maintain a level bucket, forks etc. while raising the lift arms. Having a joystick like you guys have on the 422's and up makes it nearly impossible I would think. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

The joystick opperates two spools at a time. The joystick does not move just left/right and up down. It can move around in a CIRCLE pattern, not just a PLUS pattern. You can lift/lower and adjust dump/curl at the same time by moving the joystick inbetween the areas of 12 o'clock, 3, 6 and 9. However, you have to be careful and move slowly. One of the problems I have is the thing moves too fast. Just a push too far in one direction and those powerful hydraulics just make the thing jump! And it is exagerated at the ends of the travel on the dump/curl circuit. I can flip railroad ties about 8' with the forks like pinball flippers. If I curl them down and watch the tie slide to the ends of the forks and then give the joystick a hard yank to the side it will fly 8' out in front of the forks about 4' in the air! However, the forks have little power at the ends of the strokes. Most of the power is in the middle of the motion range while most of the speed is at the ends. It is just something you get use to with time operating.

 

[Phils]

MR:

Dang I wish we lived closer to each other!

Widened our driveway today at the section I'd planned. Was a beautiful day for it too. I've spent enough time in Ft. Wayne during snowstorms that I sometimes think I had a residence in INDIANA.

Guess there's no easy way to index, but at least I asked.

....startin' to plan tomorrow....

Phil

 

[MossRoad]

As J_J said, there are some easy ways to do it manually. You just have to develop some sort of indicator and then watch the indicator and adjust as you go up and down.