Claims
- 1. A loader apparatus having a frame, a lift arm assembly pivotally mounted on the frame and movable between a raised and a lowered position, the lift arm assembly comprising spaced apart lift arms, and a cross member holding the lift arms together to form the assembly, a hydraulic cylinder having an extendible or retractable rod connected between the frame and the lift arm assembly, a mechanical support for supporting compression loads mountable on the rod of the cylinder when extended to support the lift arm assembly, the mechanical support being positioned between an end of the cylinder and the lift arm assembly to prevent the lift arm assembly from lowering when the mechanical support is in place, the cross member being tubular and having an interior opening open on at least one side of the lift arm assembly, said cross member being of size to receive the mechanical support to store the support.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, and a releasable latch for holding the mechanical support in position within the opening of the cross member.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cross member is rectangular in cross section.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said support has a length less than a length of the cross member.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mechanical support has a base end for engaging an end of the cylinder, the base end having finger projections for fitting over a side of the cylinder when the base end is resting on the end of the cylinder.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said mechanical support has a flange at an opposite end from the base end for engaging a portion of the lift arm assembly.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the portion of the lift arm assembly includes spaced walls defining a recess and the flange having a tab extending outwardly and fitting into the recess when the support is in a working position between the end of the cylinder and the portion of the lift arm and the tab engaging a retainer bracket when stored in the cross member.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said mechanical support is channel shaped in cross section.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said flange has a tab extending laterally from the mechanical support, the tab fitting into a space defined by portions on the lift arm assembly with the mechanical support in position on the cylinder and cylinder rod to prevent rotation of the mechanical support.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cross member supports an upright strut, a bucket mounted at an outer end of said lift arm assembly, and said upright strut supporting an actuator for controlling movement of the bucket about a horizontal axis, the upright strut having an upward extension forming a deflector extending above the upper edge of a bucket when the lift arms are in a fully raised position.
- 11. A lift arm assembly for a loader including a pair of lift arms, a tubular cross member at forward ends of the lift arms, and a compression carrying support strut for supporting the lift arm assembly relative to an end of a lift cylinder, the support strut being slidably removably mounted in said tubular cross member, and a retainer to hold the support strut in the tubular cross member during use of the lift arm assembly.
- 12. The lift arm assembly of claim 11, and an upright on said cross member substantially centered on the lift arm assembly, said upright extending sufficiently upwardly to project above a rear portion of a work tool held at the outer end of the lift arm assembly when the lift arm assembly is in a raised position.
- 13. The lift arm assembly of claim 12, wherein said lift arm assembly has a hydraulic tilt cylinder for controlling movement of the work tool about a horizontal axis, said hydraulic tilt cylinder having a base end mounted on said upright.
- 14. A lift arm assembly of comprising a pair of spaced apart lift arms, a cross member at forward ends of the lift arms, pivots at the rear portions of the lift arms for pivotally mounting the lift arms to a prime mover, a bucket mounted to the forward end of the lift arms for movement about a horizontal axis, an upright strut on said cross member, and a hydraulic cylinder extending between the upright strut and the bucket for controlling tilting of the bucket about the horizontal axis, said bucket having a rear wall with a top edge, and the lift arms being pivotal about the pivot at the rear portion to a raised position wherein the lift arms extend upwardly at an angle, and a deflector extension on the upright strut that extends above the mounting of the hydraulic cylinder to provide for deflecting objects rolling over the top edge of the rear wall of the bucket when the bucket is in a raised position.
- 15. The lift arm assembly of claim 14, wherein said cross member is tubular, and has an open end opening through one lift arm and accessible from an outer side of the one lift arm.
- 16. The lift arm assembly of claim 14, wherein said deflector extension has a forward leading edge and comprises two spaced plates to provide a lateral width.
- 17. The lift arm assembly of claim 15 and a mechanical support member for supporting the lift arms in a raised position, said mechanical support member being insertable into the opening of the cross member for storage.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application refers to and claims priority from Provisional Application Serial No. 60/335,311 filed Nov. 1, 2001, the content of which is incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60335311 |
Nov 2001 |
US |