Pivoting panel for mechanical control disengagement
AssigneeClark Equipment Company
InventorsMark F. Bares, James H. Page
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A small or mini loader is operated by a platform standing on the ground or other surface supporting the loader, and at the rear of the machine. Hydraulic control levers operate drives on opposite sides of the machine, and the control levers are pulled rearwardly from a stopped position to effect the rearward drive. A pivoting panel is mounted on the rear of the frame and has a wall portion that protrudes outwardly from the rear of the machine. When the lower end of the pivoting panel engages an obstruction or other item that provides a force tending to move the lower end of the panel forwardly relative to the frame, an actuator arm will move to cause control levers that are in a rearward drive position to be moved to the stopped position.
Claims15
An actuator panel for a control system on a powered machine having a frame having a pivoting control lever, said control lever having a shaft portion extending outwardly from a pivot axis of the control lever, the control system and the control lever being mounted on the frame for controlling a ground drive for the frame, the actuator panel being pivotally mounted on said frame, said actuator panel being urged in a first direction extending outwardly from the frame, and having an actuator bracket mounted thereon adjacent to the shaft portion, the actuator bracket moving to engage the control lever and to move the control lever to a selected position from a first position when the actuator panel pivots toward the frame.
A powered machine having a frame, drive members on opposite sides of said frame controllable by hydraulic motors, the powered machine being operable by an operator standing on the surface supporting the machine, and at the rear of the machine, a hydraulic control valve at the rear of the machine and having valves with actuator levers for controlling the respective motors for driving the drive members to move the machine in forward and selectively reverse directions as well as having a neutral position, the actuator levers extending above the frame for manual operation by an operator standing at the rear of the machine, and a pivoting actuator mounted to the frame and having a portion that extends outwardly from the rear of the frame, said actuator having a bracket mounted thereon, said actuator being urged to extend outwardly from the machine under a bias force, and being pivotable to move inwardly when a force is provided on the actuator tending to move the actuator toward the rear of the frame, said bracket engaging a portion of the respective lever when the respective lever is in a position to drive the respective drive member in reverse and moveable to a position under such force to move the respective levers to their stopped position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.