US 4,044,952 AGranted

Folding boom

AssigneeFMC Corporation

InventorsMichael R. Williams, Dean T. McDonald

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Abstract

A foldable two-piece boom is provided with an outer boom wing pivoted about an upright axis and being slidable relative to an inner boom arm which is pivoted to a frame member for both horizontal and vertical motion. A spring and cables in a mounting mechanism are arranged to permit the outer wing to pivot either forwardly or rearwardly when contacted by an abutment and thereafter gently returned to a neutral position parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inner boom arm at a controlled rate which minimizes impact forces. The spring and cables are also arranged to permit pivotal movement of the boom in a vertical plane while maintaining the inner and outer sections in vertical planar alignment. In response to the horizontal swinging of the boom through 90.degree. from its extended to its folded transport position, the spring and cables cause the outer wing to fold in the opposite direction of the arm to firmly clamp against the inner arm.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A two-piece foldable boom comprising frame means, an inner boom arm supported by said frame means for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis, an outer boom wing, mounting means connecting said wing to said inner boom arm for axial sliding movement and pivotal movement about a generally upright axis, resilient means urging said wing outwardly, first flexible torque applying and spring resisting means connected at one end thereof to said wing to urge said wing to pivot about said upright axis in one direction, second flexible torque applying and spring resisting means connected at one end thereof to said wing to urge said wing to pivot about said upright axis in the opposite direction whereby when said wing is caused to pivot about said upright axis one of said flexible means resists the entire force of said resilient means causing inward sliding movement of said wing and slackening of said other flexible means, said resilient means exerting a rotative torque on said wing which tends to return said wing to a position wherein said resilient means is equally resisted by both of said flexible means and said wing is aligned in a generally parallel end-to-end relationship with said arm.

In a spraying unit including a carrier vehicle, a spray boom;

said boom comprising a boom wing, means connected to said carrier vehicle for mounting said wing for rotational movement about a generally vertical axis, said mounting means comprising a rotatable member rigidly secured to said wing, a first cable means having one end thereof affixed to said rotatable member and extending from one side thereof, a second cable means having one end thereof affixed to said rotatable member and extending from the side of said member opposite to said one side thereof, means securing the other ends of said first and second cable means to said carrier vehicle so that said wing is normally aligned in a direction extending laterally of said carrier vehicle, said rotatable member having track means thereon for allowing said first and second cable means to wrap and unwrap thereon respectively during rotation of said rotatable member in a given direction, a slide member, means mounting said rotatable member upon said slide member for rotation about said generally vertical axis, means mounting said slide member for movement in said direction extending laterally of said carrier vehicle, and spring means engaged with one end of said slide member for resisting said movement thereof whereby when said wing is caused to pivot in one direction relative to said carrier vehicle said pivoting movement will be resisted by said spring means and one of said cable means to return said wing to its said normal laterally extending position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.