Land vehicles – Body elevation or tilt – Establishing riding or trim height
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-25
2004-06-22
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Body elevation or tilt
Establishing riding or trim height
C180S089120, C280S124100, C280S124110, C280S124109, C280S124158
Reexamination Certificate
active
06752403
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to working apparatus of the kind which is movable under its own power over the ground and has a working arm such as a loader arm, or arms, which carries a working implement.
Such apparatus are popularly used for examples only on building sites to load and unload building materials etc., and in the agricultural industry for loading and unloading agricultural materials.
Loader arms are known which are telescopic to allow greater reach. To enable an operator to have a sufficiently clear view for safe working when the arm is telescoped outwardly for example and a load is being handled at height, it is essential that the operator is as high up as possible. However this restricts the ability of the apparatus to be used in environments where height is restricted, such as within a freight container.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Proposals have been put forward to allow an operator's cab to be raised and lowered on a chassis of the apparatus to improve operator visibility when the cab is raised, and to achieve maximum stability when the cab is lowered.
Such apparatus may have a pair of axles carrying ground engaging means such as wheels. Typically at least one of the axles is affixed relative to a body of the apparatus by a pivot which permits the axle to pivot relative to the body in response to ground irregularities. Whereas such an arrangement may provide stability during working, such apparatus are generally transported between work sites on roads, for example on a trailer or other transporter because such apparatus are only capable of slow speed road travel because of the non-suspended body-axle connection.
To overcome this problem it has been proposed to provide a working apparatus with a suspension.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention we provide a working apparatus including a body, a power operated motive means, a front axle and a rear axle, the axles each carrying ground engaging means on which the apparatus may move over the ground, the apparatus further including an operator's cab mounted on the body, and there being at least one working arm supported at or adjacent one end on the body at a position for movement relative to the body, the arm being adapted to carry a working implement at or adjacent a second end thereof, and wherein one of the front and rear axles is suspended from the body by suspension means which is adjustable independently of the other of the axles to raise the body relative to the one of the front and rear axles only to a fully raised position in which a plane in which an uppermost part of the body lies, is at a maximum height above the ground and a fully lowered position in which the plane is at a minimum height above the ground.
Thus a working apparatus is provided which is capable of working in an environment where height is restricted by lowering the body towards the lowermost position. The working apparatus is also capable of working in situations where the operator's cab advantageously needs to be at an elevated height, and thus the body may be raised to such an elevated position for safer working. Usually the top of the cab will be the uppermost part of the body and this will be the restricting factor on the height of the apparatus at least when the body is in the raised position. Because the front and rear suspension means or only one of the suspension means of the vehicle is adjustable to raise and lower the body between the fully raised and fully lowered positions, the apparatus may mechanically be simpler than an arrangement which may have for example, a fully adjustable suspension, and more efficient. Also there is no need to provide any means for raising/lowering the cab on the body.
The provision of a suspension means on an apparatus of the invention facilitates higher speed travel e.g. on-road but during working operations, preferably the adjustable suspension means is lockable with the body in at least one of the fully raised and fully lowered positions, so that there is no or substantially no movement of the body permitted relative to the locked axle, by the suspension means. Thus load stability is achieved during working, which is particularly important on rough terrain.
Thus with the suspension thus locked, the machine may closely resemble a conventional machine with no suspended axle. Preferably, the suspension may be locked in a range of positions to provide for different working heights. For example the adjustable suspension means may be lockable at least when the body is in a fully raised position, a fully lowered position, and in a position between the fully raised and fully lowered positions.
The suspension means may include hydraulic suspension struts each having a cylinder and a piston movable in the cylinder when the suspended axle moves relative to the body in response to irregularities in the ground as the apparatus moves over the ground, piston movements resulting in hydraulic fluid flowing into or out of the cylinder from or to a gas spring which damps piston movements. The suspension preferably is lockable for a working operation by means which prevent the flow of fluid into or out of the cylinder, although in another arrangement, the adjustable suspension may be locked out by mechanical means or otherwise.
In conjunction with such hydraulic suspension struts, if desired a level sensing arrangement may be provided, the level sensing means sensing the distance between the suspended front or rear axle and the body, with there being a height regulating means which is responsive to the respective level sensing means to adjust the distance between the axle and the body to enable the axle to be set in a reference or datum position relative to the body.
In one example the adjustable suspension includes a pair of links at either side of the body, one link of each pair being above the other relative to the ground, the upper link of each pair being pivotally connected at a first end relative to the body and at a second end to the axle at a first position and the lower link of each pair being pivotally connected at a first end relative to the body and at a second end to the axle at a second position, the second positions each being below their respective first positions.
Thus where the independently adjustable suspended front or rear axle in use transmits driving torque to the ground via the ground engaging means thereof, the suspension may be a non-reactive suspension in which there is no significant change in the vertical loading on the ground engaging means in response to changes in the driving torque applied thereto.
If desired the other of the front and rear axles may also be suspended from the body but the adjustable suspension is adjustable independently of the suspension of the other axle.
The suspension means suspending the other of the front and rear axles may include a pair of links at either side of the body, one link of each pair being above the other relative to the ground, the upper link of each pair being pivotally connected at a first end relative to the body and at a second end to the axle at a first position and the lower link of each pair being pivotally connected at a first end relative to the body and at a second end to the axle at a second position, the second positions each being below their respective first positions.
Where the apparatus is of the kind in which the ground engaging means of each of the front and rear axles are adapted to transmit driving torque to the ground, each of the front and rear axles may be suspended from the body by non-reactive suspension means.
To adapt the apparatus particularly for working operations, where the other axle is suspended, the suspension means suspending the other of the front and rear axles is preferably so as to restrict movement of a mid point of the axle towards and away from the body, whilst permitting oscillation of the axle about an axis generally perpendicular to the axle and positioned at the mid point.
As with the axle having the adjustable suspension, the suspen
Allen Walter Roy
Boothroyd Timothy
Carswell Ian Harrold
Jackson Phillip
Jowett Peter
Culbreth Eric
J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd.
Marshall & Gerstein & Borun LLP
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