Boom vehicle with vertically and laterally foldable boom assembly

A boom vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle framework;
• a boom/cab framework being rotatably supporting by the vehicle framework;
• a boom cab being supported on the boom/cab framework;
• a combined boom/arm being pivotably supported by the boom/cab framework about a boom/arm pivot axis;
• the combined boom/arm comprising at least a base telescoping section, a first pivoting arm section, a second pivoting section and an implement manipulating section;
• an implement being supportable adjacent a free end of the combined boom/arm;
• the first pivoting arm section, the second pivoting section and the implement manipulating section together being laterally foldable into a folded configuration, with respect to the base telescoping section, about a lateral folding pivot axis which extends normal to the combined boom/arm pivot axis;
• and
• when the combined boom/arm is in the folded configuration, the base telescoping section, the first pivoting arm section and a portion of the second pivoting section all lie in a common horizontal plane, and the first pivoting arm section, the second pivoting section and the implement manipulating section all lie in a common vertical plane.

A method of forming a boom vehicle, the method comprising:

• providing a vehicle framework;
• rotatably supporting a boom/cab framework on the vehicle framework;
• supporting a boom cab on the boom/cab framework;
• pivotably supporting a combined boom/arm on the boom/cab framework so as to rotate about a boom/arm pivot axis;
• forming the combined boom/arm so as to comprise at least a base telescoping section, a first pivoting arm section, a second pivoting section and an implement manipulating section;
• supporting an implement adjacent a free end of the combined boom/arm;
• forming the first pivoting arm section, the second pivoting section and the implement manipulating section so as to be laterally foldable into a folded configuration, with respect to the base telescoping section, about a lateral folding pivot axis which extends normal to the combined boom/arm pivot axis;
• and
• upon folding the combined boom/arm into the folded configuration, the base telescoping section, the first pivoting arm section and a portion of the second pivoting section all lie in a common horizontal plane, and the first pivoting arm section, the second pivoting section and the implement manipulating section all lie in a common vertical plane.