TEFRA Quick Hitches
A quick hitch that goes beyond Australian standard to ensure safety
TEFRA is an award-winning quick hitch that offers a simple comprehensive solution which uses a positive locking system rather than a gravity locking system thus making this crucial safety feature ‘active’ and not ‘passive’.
The Australian Standard AS 4772-2008 outlines that quick hitches must comprise of a Primary Retention System to connect and disconnect attachments and a Safety System to ensure that the attachment does not unintentionally disconnect from the quick hitch in the event of failure of the primary retention system.
TEFRA goes beyond this. TEFRA’s fully automatic dual positive lock hydraulic Quick Hitch eliminates the risk of attachment separating from the quick hitch and should a failure of the primary retention system occur TEFRA also prevents swinging and does not allow for uncontrolled movements. Swinging can be a serious safety risk when the machine is operated near people.
Safety First
TEFRA Quick Hitch eliminates the risk of attachment separating from the quick hitch and prevents uncontrolled movements.
Universal Pick up
TEFRA can pick up attachments from different machine manufacturers within weight range of 3 – 120 tonne.
Reliable and Robust
With only 3 moving parts and uncomplicated design TEFRA is one of the most reliable and robust Quick Hitches on the market.
Innovative Technical Features
TEFRA Quick Hitch has only 3 moving parts and uncomplicated design that has made this quick hitch one the most reliable and robust on the market. The following innovative technical features of TEFRA have raised the safety benchmark for the industry:
- Dual Locking – TEFRA locks both the front and rear attachment pins in the event of a hydraulic failure.
- Simplicity – TEFRA has only three moving parts, the fewest of any double locking quick hitch.
- Smart Valve – Hill Smart Valve ensures the attachment is in a safe position before the release sequence is permitted.
- Single cylinder design – totally enclosed piston rod, no external pipes, eliminating the risk of damage.
- Failure Indicator – a failure condition allows limited movement of the attachment upon the quick hitch indicating a problem.
The innovation behind the TEFRA technology lies in bringing together 5 individually engineered elements that each provides its own unique safety features:
1. The two cast coupler hooks have unique ‘curved’ designs that work together to fully enclose both attachment pins providing positive self-locking in all operating conditions. This patented load bearing design has the inherent strength specifically in cast components to take the weight of the attachment in failure mode or if the operator misconnects the rear hook.
2. A single hydraulic cylinder operates both hooks thus eliminating unnecessary complexity and reducing the number of moving parts. A brand new design to meet Hill’s specific requirements, this cylinder incorporates the patented Hill Smart Valve technology. There is no external pipe work and as such no risk of damage or failure.
3. The hydraulic hose connections feature different thread sizes to eliminate the risk of incorrect installation.
4. The Hill Smart Valve is a unique safety feature which prevents attachment removal in unsafe conditions. It works by recognising the correct/safe quick hitch orientation before permitting the release sequence to commence. The Smart Valve is totally enclosed within the cylinder and as such cannot be affected by contamination and requires no routine maintenance.
5. The Active Protection System is a fully Independent secondary locking system comprising two component parts. A coil spring around the cylinder ensures that the rear hook remains in the correct position in the event of a hydraulic failure. A leaf spring on the front hook acts to maintain it in the correct position in the event of a hydraulic failure. The springs do not take the weight of the attachment, this is done by the quick hitch hooks, they are there solely to keep the hooks correctly located. In addition, the pressure exerted by the springs provides a ‘Return to Safe’ feature ensuring that the hooks always remain in, or return to, the closed position.
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