Boom assembly of machine

#The present disclosure relates to a boom assembly of a machine and more particularly to a load carrying member of the boom assembly.

#Machines, such as hydraulic excavators and hydraulic shovels, perform work at a work site. Among the work performed, the machines are employed to raise a load from a loading location and dump the load at a dumping location. For the purpose of handling such a load, the machines employ a work tool, such as a bucket, coupled to a boom assembly via a stick of the machine. The boom assembly includes a boom coupled to the stick and multiple hydraulic actuators to enable pivotal movement of the stick. Further, the boom is pivotally coupled to a frame of the machine to allow travel of the work tool to a desired height or depth. Typically, the boom is formed from steel. Although steel provides structural stability to the boom, steel renders the boom heavy. In cases where the machine includes a long boom, the weight of the boom may be higher than desired. In addition, such a long boom may often be subjected to dipping, where the frame of the machine tends to lift from ground surface when the boom lifts heavy loads. As such, the weight of the boom becomes detrimental to operation of the machine, thereby restricting optimization of boom design. Further, when different operations of the machine create different loads, it would be desirable to modify the ability of the boom to accommodate to the different loads.

#Chinese Patent Application Number 103332610 describes a connection structure of an end part of a cantilever, which is made of carbon-fiber composite materials. The connection structure is formed by successive adhesion of metal and carbon-fiber, where a metal internal layer is the inner part, a metal outside plate is the outer part, and a carbon-fiber enhanced layer is arranged between the inner part and the outer part. The metal internal layer and the metal outside plate are connected by welding, and form a sandwich structure. The metal inner layer includes a long metal tube, two short metal tubes, and a frame. One end of the frame is provided with a square component, and the other end of the frame is provided with a U-shaped connector.

#FIG. 1 is a side view of a machine equipped with a boom assembly having a load carrying member, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

#FIG. 2 is a side view of the machine of FIG. 1 showing a partial cross-section view of the load carrying member having an inner shell disposed in an outer shell of the load carrying member, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

#FIG. 3 is a side view of the machine of FIG. 1 including a fixed pin disposed in contact with the inner shell;

#Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts. Moreover, references to various elements described herein, are made collectively or individually when there may be more than one element of the same type. However, such references are merely exemplary in nature. It may be noted that any reference to elements in the singular may also be construed to relate to the plural and vice-versa without limiting the scope of the disclosure to the exact number or type of such elements unless set forth explicitly in the appended claims.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a machine 100 equipped with a boom assembly 102, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the machine 100 is a hydraulic excavator. However, in some embodiments, the machine 100 may be embodied as a hydraulic mining shovel, a material handler, or a crane, for example.

#The boom assembly 102 includes a load carrying member 104 and a work tool 108. The load carrying member 104 is pivotally connected to a frame 110 of the machine 100 and the work tool 108 is pivotally connected to the load carrying member 104. A boom 103 and a stick 106 constitute the load carrying member 104 of the machine 100. Load carried by the work tool 108 is distributed between the boom 103 and the stick 106.