Dipper handle for electric rope shovel

Abstract

In an electric rope shovel, the dipper handle must support significant weight, which presents the potential of fatigue cracking at interfaces between sections of the dipper handle. Accordingly, embodiments of a dipper handle are disclosed that reduce stress at the interface between the tube section and the intermediate section, to which the crowd control is coupled. In particular, spacing is provided between the interface and the crowd bores, to separate the interface from the stiffness of the coupling. In addition, the walls of the dipper handle may be thickened, proximate the interface, with beveled edges at the interface, to provide a stronger, more durable, weld.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An intermediate section for a dipper handle, the intermediate section comprising:
 an open first end;   an interior cavity extending, along a longitudinal axis, into the intermediate section from the first end; and   a pair of crowd bores extending, along a lateral axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, through respective ones of opposing sides of the intermediate section, into the interior cavity, wherein the pair of crowd bores are aligned with each other along the lateral axis;   wherein a first longitudinal distance from the first end to a center of each of the pair of crowd bores is at least 50% of an outer diameter of the intermediate section at the first end.   
     
     
         2 . The intermediate section of  claim 1 , wherein the first longitudinal distance is within 50-80% of the outer diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The intermediate section of  claim 1 , wherein the first longitudinal distance is within 60-70% of the outer diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The intermediate section of  claim 1 , wherein the first longitudinal distance is within 62-64% of the outer diameter. 
     
     
         5 . The intermediate section of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate section further comprises a pair of bosses on respective ones of the opposing sides of the intermediate section, wherein each of the pair of bosses encircles a respective one of the pair of crowd bores. 
     
     
         6 . The intermediate section of  claim 5 , wherein the intermediate section further comprises a fillet around each of the pair of bosses. 
     
     
         7 . The intermediate section of  claim 6 , wherein a second longitudinal distance from the first end to a closest point of each fillet is at least 10% of the outer diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The intermediate section of  claim 6 , wherein a second longitudinal distance from the first end to a closest point of each fillet is within 15-35% of the outer diameter. 
     
     
         9 . The intermediate section of  claim 6 , wherein a second longitudinal distance from the first end to a closest point of each fillet is within 20-30% of the outer diameter. 
     
     
         10 . The intermediate section of  claim 6 , wherein a second longitudinal distance from the first end to a closest point of each fillet is within 25-27% of the outer diameter. 
     
     
         11 . The intermediate section of  claim 6 , wherein a second longitudinal distance from the first end to a closest point of each fillet is at least 10% of the first longitudinal distance. 
     
     
         12 . The intermediate section of  claim 6 , wherein a second longitudinal distance from the first end to a closest point of each fillet is within 30-60% of the first longitudinal distance. 
     
     
         13 . The intermediate section of  claim 6 , wherein a second longitudinal distance from the first end to a closest point of each fillet is within 25-27% of the first longitudinal distance. 
     
     
         14 . The intermediate section of  claim 1 , further comprising a second end, opposite the first end along the longitudinal axis, wherein a thickness of a wall of the intermediate section, defining the interior cavity, decreases from the first end towards the second end. 
     
     
         15 . The intermediate section of  claim 1 , further comprising a second end, opposite the first end along the longitudinal axis, wherein the first end has a circular cross-sectional profile, wherein the second end has a rectangular cross-sectional profile, and wherein the intermediate section transitions from the circular cross-sectional profile to the rectangular cross-sectional profile along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         16 . The intermediate section of  claim 14 , wherein the second end comprises an opening that extends into the interior cavity along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         17 . A dipper handle comprising:
 a tube section that is joined to the first end of the intermediate section;   the intermediate section of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate section further comprises a second end, opposite the first end along the longitudinal axis; and   an engagement section that is joined to the second end of the intermediate section, wherein the engagement section is configured to be joined to a dipper.   
     
     
         18 . An electric rope shovel comprising:
 one or more ground-engaging members;   a turntable connected to the one or more ground-engaging members;   a main body comprising a chassis that is mounted on the turntable;   a boom extending from the main body;   the dipper handle of claim  17 ;   a crowd control, secured to the boom via a saddle block and secured to the dipper handle via the intermediate section, wherein the crowd control is configured to extend and retract the dipper handle, relative to the boom; and   a dipper secured to the engagement section of the dipper handle.   
     
     
         19 . A dipper handle comprising:
 a hollow tube section having a first end and a second end along a longitudinal axis, wherein a wall of the tube section has a uniform first thickness from the first end to a first point that is a first distance from the second end, transitions to a second thickness from the first point to a second point that is a second distance from the second end, and has the second thickness from the second point to an edge of the second end, wherein the edge of the second end is beveled;   an intermediate section that includes
 an open third end that is joined to the second end of the tube section, wherein the third end has a first cross-sectional profile, 
 a fourth end that is opposite the third end along the longitudinal axis, wherein the fourth end has a second cross-sectional profile that is different from the first cross-sectional profile, wherein the intermediate section transitions from the first cross-sectional profile to the second cross-sectional profile along the longitudinal axis, 
 a wall that extends from an edge of the third end to the fourth end, wherein the edge of the third end is beveled, wherein the wall of the intermediate section has the second thickness at the third end, and wherein a thickness of the wall of the intermediate section gradually decreases from the third end towards the fourth end, 
 an interior cavity defined by the wall of the intermediate section, 
 a pair of crowd bores extending, along a lateral axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, through respective ones of opposing sides of the intermediate section, into the interior cavity, wherein the pair of crowd bores are aligned with each other along the lateral axis, 
 wherein a longitudinal distance from the third end to a center of each of the pair of crowd bores is at least 50% of an outer diameter of the intermediate section at the third end, 
 wherein the beveled edge of the second end of the tube section and the beveled edge of the third end of the intermediate section form a groove, and 
 wherein the tube section and the intermediate section are welded together via the groove; and 
   an engagement section that is joined to the fourth end of the intermediate section, wherein the engagement section is configured to be secured to a dipper.   
     
     
         20 . A machine comprising:
 a dipper handle comprising
 a tube section having an open first end and an open second end along a longitudinal axis, wherein the tube section has a hollow interior from the first end to the second end, 
 an intermediate section that includes
 an open third end that is joined to the second end of the tube section, 
 an interior cavity extending, along the longitudinal axis, from the third end to an opposing fourth end of the intermediate section, and 
 a pair of crowd bores extending, along a lateral axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, through respective ones of opposing sides of the intermediate section, into the interior cavity, wherein the pair of crowd bores are aligned with each other along the lateral axis, 
 wherein a longitudinal distance from the third end to a center of each of the pair of crowd bores is at least 50% of an outer diameter of the intermediate section at the third end, and 
 
 an engagement section that is joined to the fourth end of the intermediate section, wherein the engagement section is configured to be secured to a dipper; and 
   a crowd control comprising a cylindrical housing and a piston configured to retract into and extend out from the cylindrical housing,   wherein the cylindrical housing is at least partially housed within the hollow interior of the tube section, such that, when the piston is fully retracted into the cylindrical housing, a terminal portion of the piston extends through an interface between the second end of the tube section and the third end of the intermediate section, and   wherein a terminal end of the piston is secured to the intermediate section via the pair of crowd bores.