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US 2003/0150663 A1Published application
Skid steer loader and like off-road vehicles with engine mounts having internally snubbed shocks and vibrations isolators particularly for mounting three and four cylinder engines and for minimizing shocks from the chassis to the engine and vibrations from the engine to the chassis
AssigneeTrelleborg AB
InventorsDon Farbotnik, Derek Roworth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is now provided a skid steer loader and like off-road vehicles with engine mounts having internally snubbed shocks and vibrations isolators, particularly for mounting three and four cylinder engines. The engine mount provides for minimized damage due to shocks from the chassis to the engine and due to vibrations from the engine to the chassis.
Claims20
A skid steer loader, comprising a utility vehicle configured to maneuver in confined spaces, said skid steer loader comprising:
- a body comprising a chassis having a forward portion and a rearward portion, a first side and a second side;
- a first upright tower portion on said first side near said rearward portion;
- a second upright tower portion on said second side near said rearward portion;
- an operator's cab mounted to said chassis;
- a first set of wheels at said first side, said first set comprising a forward wheel and a rearward wheel;
- a second set of wheels at said second side, said second set comprising a forward wheel and a rearward wheel;
- said first and second tower portions being disposed rearward of the centers of said rear wheels;
- an engine, such as, a three-cylinder engine or a four-cylinder engine, mounted to said chassis between said upright tower portions and rearward of the centers of said rear wheels;
- a first transmission configured and disposed to drive said first set of wheels on said first side in forward and backward direction;
- a second transmission configured and disposed to drive said second set of wheels on said second side in forward and backward direction;
- said first transmission and said second transmission together being configured to turn said first set of wheels driving in one direction and to turn said second set of wheels driving in the opposite direction;
- left and right interconnected lift arm assemblies each comprising:
- a lift arm pivotally connected with the corresponding tower portion of said body at a lift arm pivot point located a first horizontal distance rearward of the centers of said front wheels;
- and
- a lift actuator connected between said body and said lift arm, said lift actuator being connected with said lift arm at a fixed second distance-from said lift arm pivot point and connected with the tower portion of said body elevationally higher than said rear wheel at a lift actuator pivot point;
- a material-moving implement pivotally connected with said lift arm assemblies about an implement pivot axis located at a distance from said lift arm pivot points;
- and
- at least one implement tilt actuator connected between at least one of said lift arm assemblies and said implement;
- said implement and said chassis being configured to dispose the center of-gravity to the rear of said loader upon said loader being unladened to thereby dispose a first center of steering between said rear wheels and thus to permit said front wheels to skid around said first center of steering;
- said implement and said chassis being further configured to dispose the center of gravity to the front of said loader upon said loader being laden to thereby dispose a second center of steering between said forward wheels and thus to permit said rear wheels to skid around said second center of steering;
- at least one engine mount comprising:
- a first securement arrangement being configured and disposed to operably secure each said at least one engine mount to said chassis;
- a second securement arrangement being configured and disposed to operably secure each said at least one engine mount to said engine;
- a first elastomeric body assembly and a second elastomeric body assembly;
- said first elastomeric body assembly comprising a first elastomeric material comprising a first Shore A durometer value within a first predetermined range;
- said second elastomeric body assembly comprising a second elastomeric material comprising a second Shore A durometer value within a second predetermined range;
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly both being configured together as a unit to minimize vibrations from said engine to said chassis;
- and
- at least one rigid element operably connected to one of:
- said first securement arrangement and said second securement arrangement;
- said at least one rigid element being configured to contact at least one of:
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly;
- said at least one rigid element with at least one of:
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly, being configured together as a unit to minimize shocks from said chassis to said engine to thereby minimize damage to said engine due to shocks from said chassis to said engine;
- and being further configured to limit the excursion of said engine with respect to said chassis upon said engine exceeding a predetermined excursion with respect to said chassis to thus minimize damage to said engine due to shocks from said chassis.
32 more elements
In a skid steer loader comprising a chassis, an engine mounted to said chassis, and apparatus to advance said loader over terrain:
- at least one engine mount;
- said at least one engine mount comprising:
- a first securement arrangement being configured and disposed to operably secure each said at least one engine mount to said chassis;
- a second securement arrangement being configured and disposed to operably secure each said at least one engine mount to said engine;
- a first elastomeric body assembly and a second elastomeric body assembly;
- said first elastomeric body assembly comprising a first elastomeric material comprising a first Shore A durometer value within a first predetermined range;
- said second elastomeric body assembly comprising a second elastomeric material comprising a second Shore A durometer value within a second predetermined range;
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly both being configured together as a unit to minimize vibrations from said engine to said chassis;
- and
- at least one rigid element operably connected to one of:
- said first securement arrangement and said second securement arrangement;
- said at least one rigid element being configured to contact at least one of:
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly;
- said at least one rigid element with at least one of:
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly, being configured together as a unit to minimize shocks from said chassis to said engine to thereby minimize damage to said engine due to shocks from said chassis to said engine;
- and being further configured to limit the excursion of said engine with respect to said chassis upon said engine exceeding a predetermined excursion with respect to said chassis to thus minimize damage to said engine due to shocks from said chassis.
13 more elements
A method of making an off-road vehicle, such as a skid steer loader, a mini excavator, a front end loader, a forklift, a plow, a telehandler, construction lighting, a portable compressor, a portable pump, a portable generator, a trencher, and the like vehicle comprising a chassis, an engine, and apparatus to advance said vehicle over terrain;
- by using a kit;
- said kit comprising:
- a plurality of elastomeric body assemblies configured to provide an engine mount upon assembly;
- a first securement arrangement configured to operably secure said engine mount to said chassis;
- a second securement arrangement configured to operably secure said engine mount to said engine;
- at least one rigid element configured to be operably connected to said first securement arrangement and said second securement arrangement and configured to contact at least one of said first plurality of elastomeric bodies;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- determining the characteristics of an engine mount to minimize shocks from a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle and vibrations from an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle to a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle and;
- choosing from said plurality of elastomeric body assemblies a pair of elastic body assemblies to minimize vibrations from an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle to a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle;
- wherein a first elastomeric-body assembly is chosen with a first Shore A durometer value within a first predetermined range;
- and
- wherein a second elastomeric body assembly is chosen with a second Shore A durometer value within a second predetermined range;
- said pair of elastomeric body assemblies both upon assembly together with said at least one rigid member being configured together as a unit;
- said unit being configured to minimize damage to an engine of an off-road vehicle from shocks of a chassis of an off-road vehicle to an engine of an off-road vehicle;
- assembling said pair of elastomeric body assemblies to-provide an engine mount;
- said assembling comprising disposing said at least one rigid element with said pair of elastomeric body assemblies to minimize damage to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle from shocks of a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle;
- and
- connecting said engine mount to a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle and to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle.
15 more elements
An off-road vehicle engine mount for an off-road vehicle, such as a skid steer loader, a mini excavator, a front end loader, a forklift, a plow, a telehandler, construction lighting, a portable compressor, a portable pump, a portable generator, a trencher, and the like vehicle, configured to minimize shocks from a chassis to an engine and vibrations from an engine to a chassis;
- said engine mount comprising:
- a first securement arrangement being configured to operably secure said engine mount to a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle;
- a second securement arrangement being configured to operably secure said engine mount to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle;
- a first elastomeric body assembly and a second elastomeric body assembly;
- said first elastomeric body assembly comprising a first elastomeric material comprising a first Shore A durometer value within a first predetermined range;
- said second elastomeric body assembly comprising a second elastomeric material comprising a second Shore A durometer value within a second predetermined range;
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly both being configured together as a unit to minimize vibrations from an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle to a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle;
- and
- at least one rigid element operably connected to one of:
- said first securement arrangement and said second securement arrangement;
- said at least one rigid element being configured to contact at least one of:
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly;
- said at least one rigid element with at least one of:
- said first elastomeric body assembly and said second elastomeric body assembly, being configured together as a unit to limit the excursion of an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle with respect to a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle upon an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle exceeding a predetermined excursion with respect to a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle to thus minimize damage to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle due to shocks from a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle;
- and being configured together as a unit to minimize shocks from a chassis of predetermined off-road vehicle to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle to thereby minimize damage to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle due to shocks from a chassis of a predetermined off-road vehicle to an engine of a predetermined off-road vehicle.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.