Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-28
2004-04-27
Lerner, Avraham (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C248S188800, C248S632000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726246
ABSTRACT:
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to stabilizer pads for vehicles, and more particularly to pivotally mounted stabilizer pads. In the majority of the constructions disclosed herein the stabilizer pads are reversible having a generally flanged first surface for engagement with a soft irregular ground surface such as gravel, and having a resilient second surface for engagement with a smooth hard ground surface such as concrete or asphalt.
2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
is a fragmentary view of a typical loader/backhoe
10
having a shovel mechanism
12
, stabilizer arms
14
and
16
, and associated stabilizer pads
18
and
20
, respectfully. Hydraulic pistons
15
are used to operate each of the stabilizer arms
14
and
16
independently. In
FIG. 1
, the stabilizer arms are in an operational, extended position with the stabilizer pads
18
and
20
in engagement with the ground surface to prevent movement of the backhoe during operation of the shovel mechanism
12
. When the backhoe
10
is to be moved, the pistons associated with each cylinder are withdrawn so that the stabilizer arms
14
and
16
pivot and raise the stabilizer pads above ground level.
The stabilizer pad
18
of
FIG. 1
is shown in greater detail in
FIGS. 2 and 3
. Stabilizer pad
20
is substantially identical to stabilizer pad
18
. The stabilizer pad
18
and similar stabilizer pads are further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,889,362, 5,054,812, 5,466,004, 5,547,220 and 5,667,245, each of which is issued to the inventor of the present application and incorporated herein by reference. The stabilizer pad
18
includes a flat plate
22
having flanges
24
and
26
, both extending from one surface of plate
22
. The stabilizer pad
18
is also provided with supporting webs or ribs
25
, one associated with each flange. The ribs
25
provide additional support for the flanges
24
and
26
. The plate
22
is notched at
30
between flanges
24
and
26
as illustrated in FIG.
1
. The plate is notched to accommodate the arm
14
and to enable reversible rotation of the stabilizer pad.
The stabilizer arm
14
includes a journal end for accommodating pin
34
. Pin
34
also fits within holes of flanges
24
and
26
. The pin is used to secure the stabilizer pad to the arm using, for example, a cotter pin as illustrated in FIG.
3
.
On the side of the flat plate
22
opposite that containing the flanges
24
and
26
are disposed three laminated rubber pads
40
. Each of the rubber pads
40
includes laminated rubber sections supported between angle irons
44
and
48
. The angle irons
44
and
48
have a base leg and an upright leg. Each of the upright legs has holes therein for receiving elongated securing pins
50
for containing the laminated rubber sections between the angle irons. The laminated pads
40
are secured to the plate
22
using bolts
53
and nuts
55
.
The stabilizer pads
18
and
20
are rotatable about pin
34
when the stabilizer arms are in the raised position to place either the rubber pads
40
downward for engagement with the ground or to place the flanges
24
and
26
downward for engagement with the ground.
In typical operation, the rubber pad side of the stabilizer pad
18
is positioned to engage the ground, as shown in
FIG. 1
, when the ground surface is a relatively flat hard surface such as concrete or pavement. The flange side of the stabilizer pad
18
, as shown in
FIG. 2
, is positioned to engage the ground when the ground surface is an unfinished ground surface, such as gravel or dirt. The flanges are designed to dig into the unfinished ground surface to anchor and stabilize the backhoe.
Although the prior art, reversible stabilizer pads described above provide reliable operation, it is desirable to provide a simplified stabilizer pad with improved operational performance over the stabilizer pads described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one general aspect, the invention features a stabilizer pad for use with a stabilizer arm. The stabilizer pad includes a frame having a base plate and first and second flanges extending from a first surface of the base plate. Each of the first flange and the second flange has at least one grouser point to engage a ground surface. The frame, including the base plate, the first flange and the second flange, is formed using a continuous, substantially U-shaped piece of material. The stabilizer pad further includes a resilient pad mounted to a second surface of the base plate, opposite the first surface of the base plate.
The resilient pad can be constructed and arranged such that it covers substantially all of the second surface of the base plate, and the resilient pad can include a plurality of rubber strips. The stabilizer arm can include a pin for rotatably mounting the stabilizer pad to the stabilizer arm, and each of the first and second flanges can include a mounting hole to receive the pin. The resilient pad can be a reversible resilient pad having a first substantially smooth surface to engage a ground surface, and a second substantially smooth surface to engage a ground surface, the first surface being substantially parallel to the second surface. The stabilizer pad can further include a mounting bracket that is constructed and arranged to mount the resilient pad to the frame such that either the first surface of the resilient pad or the second surface of the resilient pad is in contact with the second surface of the base plate. Each of the flanges can have a pair of grouser points to engage a ground surface, and for each pair of grouser points, a first grouser point of the pair can extend a greater distance from the base plate than a second grouser point of the pair. The stabilizer pad can further include means for preventing inadvertent rotation of the stabilizer pad about the pin.
In another general aspect, the invention features a stabilizer pad for pivotally coupling to a stabilizer arm of a vehicle such that the stabilizer pad can rotate about a rotation axis to allow either a first ground contact face of the stabilizer pad or a second ground contact face of the stabilizer pad to engage a ground surface. The stabilizer pad includes a frame having a base plate, a first flange and a second flange, the base plate having a first surface and a second surface, the first and second flanges being coupled to the base plate and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the base plate. The stabilizer pad further includes a resilient pad mounted to the base plate, the resilient pad extending over substantially all of the second surface of the base plate.
The resilient pad can include a plurality of rubber strips. The stabilizer arm can include a pin for mounting the stabilizer pad to the stabilizer arm, and each of the first and second flanges can include a mounting hole to receive the pin. The resilient pad can be reversible and have a first substantially smooth surface to engage a ground surface, and a second substantially smooth surface to engage the ground surface, the first surface being substantially parallel to the second surface. The stabilizer pad can further include a mounting bracket that is constructed and arranged to mount the resilient pad to the frame such that either the first surface of the resilient pad or the second surface of the resilient pad is in contact with the second surface of the base plate. Each of the flanges of the stabilizer pad can have a pair of grouser points to engage a ground surface, and for each pair of grouser points, a first grouser point of the pair can extend a greater distance from the base plate than a second grouser point of the pair. The stabilizer pad can further include means for preventing inadvertent rotation of the stabilizer pad about the pin. The resilient pad can be formed using at least one rubber strip having a slot formed therein, and the base plate can extend through the slot in the rubber strip.
In yet another general aspect, the present invention features a rotatable stabilizer pad for use with a s
Driscoll David M
Lerner Avraham
LandOfFree
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