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INTEGRATED JCB HITCHES
Designed to exceed current and anticipated legislation, JCB has developed a range of hydraulic and manual hitches to fit its one- to 36-tonne excavator range. Their manual hitches feature a high visibility safety lock pin, which is mechanically operated and the spring-loaded lock released with the use of a tommy bar.
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The stars of the JCB hitch range are their automatic hydraulic couplers. Mechanically, they feature a unique lock shape and double locking mechanism, ensuring the safety of the attachment even in the event of a hydraulic failure. The simple, low maintenance design requires no greasing and few replacement parts.
Where they differ from the rest is that they are fully integrated into the host JCB machine’s electrical and hydraulic systems, with no need for a separate in-cab control box. The in-built system monitors the security of the attachment while it is working and, together with boom position sensors, manages the attachment changeover procedure. The hitch will only operate in a safe zone, not with the working equipment up in the air, and the operator follows a four-step process to release or attach buckets.
Hill Tefra Range
The Terra range of automatic hitches was launched in 2010, suitable for excavators from two to an impressive 120 tonnes. They feature a wide pin pick-up range, offering maximum flexibility when handling many different types of attachments. They also feature a ‘smart valve’, which restricts oil flow to the operating mechanism of the hitch until the coupler is orientated towards the operator – part of a suite of measures to ensure safe connection and disconnection of attachments.
The range was enhanced with the introduction of Tefra-Tilt, offering 180 degrees of movement, available for excavators from three to 25 tonnes. Last year a further variant, Tefra-Connect, was launched. It features a unique method of automatically connecting and disconnecting hydraulic services while also maintaining the benefits of being able to use the full capability of the pin pick-up hitch.
