Material or article handling – Vertically swinging load support – Shovel or fork type
Patent
1995-12-06
1998-01-13
Underwood, Donald W.
Material or article handling
Vertically swinging load support
Shovel or fork type
180292, E02F 902
Patent
active
057072027
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to machines for handling materials, and more particularly to machines which can be used for loading or digging.
BACKGROUND ART
In material handling machines in which both the front and rear wheels are driven, an engine mounted at an arbitrary position on the chassis usually drives a hydraulic pump which supplies a hydraulic circuit feeding hydraulic motor associated with the wheels. Such a hydraulic transmission is very inefficient compared with a mechanical transmission. Some of these prior art machines have a telescopic lifting arm pivotally mounted between an operator's cab and a longitudinally extending engine (i.e. the rotary axis of the engine shaft is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine).
Still other prior art material handling machines include a drive arrangement mounted on a chassis, at one side of a longitudinal chassis frame, between front and rear axles, with the drive arrangement including a longitudinally extending engine and a mechanically driven transmission, kinematically connected to the engine shaft and having a power output substantially mid-way along the drive arrangement. Drive shafts kinematically connect the power output to final drive units on the front and rear axles.
It would be desirable to be able to provide a drive arrangement which could improve the accessibility and layout of components and accessories while maintaining a constant velocity drive line.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a machine in which the engine is inclined with respect to the fore-and-aft direction. In particular, the rotary axis of the engine shaft lies in a vertical plane which is inclined relative to the vertical longitudinal median plane of the longitudinal frame so that the end of the engine shaft which is connected to the transmission is nearer to the longitudinal frame than is the other end.
The power output can be arranged to be directly below the longitudinal frame and substantially mid-way between the front and rear axles. These features optimize the arrangement of the shafts connecting the power output to the final drive units.
The longitudinal frame may have a width which is less than 25% (preferably at most 22.5%, possibly as little as 20% or less) of the overall width of the machine excluding the wheels. The narrow longitudinal frame maximizes the lateral space available for the engine. It also minimizes the distance between the center of gravity of the engine and the center-line of the machine.
The invention will be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation view of a material handling machine.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the layout of the engine/transmission arrangement in relation to the chassis of the machine; and
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2, showing the engine compartment.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to the drawings, the machine illustrated can be used as a telescopic material handler (for pallet lifting), a loader (for loading), and a backhoe (for digging). It has a chassis comprising a rigid longitudinal frame 1 extending along the whole of the length of the body of the machine. The frame 1 is of substantially constant width and its vertical longitudinal median plane 2 is the same as that of the machine. A rigid transverse frame 6, extending across the whole width of the machine body, is mounted underneath the longitudinal frame 1 and supports a drive (engine/transmission) arrangement 7 on one side and an operator's cab 8 on the other side. An alternative cab position is shown in chain-dotted line in FIG. 1. The width of the longitudinal frame 1 is about 22.5% of the overall transverse width of the transverse frame 6.
Front and rear axles are mounted on the frame 1 and carry wheels 13, 14 of eq
REFERENCES:
patent: 3235021 (1966-02-01), Hill
patent: 3821997 (1974-07-01), Sieren
patent: 5478192 (1995-12-01), Bentivoglio
Caterpillar Inc.
Charlton Diana L.
Underwood Donald W.
White Claude F.
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