Asymmetric backhoe
AssigneeJ. I. Case Company
InventorJohn F. Shumaker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A backhoe arrangement is described wherein overcenter forward movement of the boom and boom cylinder provides a transport configuration for the backhoe, and the backhoe operator's view of the bucket is enhanced. A swing tower is attached to the rear of the machine and serves as a support that embraces an asymmetrically mounted or offset boom assembly wherein the longitudinal axis of the boom and the longitudinal axis of the hydraulic actuator operating the boom are offset from the vertical axis of rotation of the swing tower. The boom hydraulic actuator flanks the boom in a clearance relationship that permits the boom to assume a substantially vertically directed neutral intermediate position. An offset boom and actuator improves the center of gravity of the backhoe and allows the boom actuator to be protected by the boom.
Claims10
In a backhoe arrangement, comprising:
- a swing tower having a forward wall defining lower rearward extremities mounting a boom pivot shaft, and an upper rearward extremity mounting a boom actuator pivot shaft;
- a boom having its lower end pivotally mounted on said boom pivot shaft asymmetrically relative to said lower rearward extremities and free to swing forwardly and rearwardly of its true vertical position;
- a dipperstick carried at the upper end of said boom;
- and one boom hydraulic actuator means, pivotally mounted at one of its ends on said boom actuator pivot shaft to flank said boom and pivotally connected at its other end to said boom, for pivotally rotating said boom through a vertical plane, whereby the free end of said dipperstick is minimally obscured by said boom.
A backhoe arrangement, comprising:
- a vertically extending swing tower having vertically spaced mounting portions projecting rearwardly therefrom and carrying upper and lower pivot means, rearwardly offset from each other, for pivotally connecting parallel upper and lower horizontal pivot shafts, said upper pivot means being asymmetrically disposed relative to said lower pivot means;
- an asymmetrically mounted boom pivoted on said lower pivot shaft for pivotal movement through a neutral intermediate position where it extends substantially vertically to intersect said upper pivot means;
- and one double-acting boom cylinder mechanism mounted on said upper pivot shaft and pivoted to said boom to extend alongside the same and define a line of action in registry with said boom at the neutral position thereof, said double-acting boom cylinder mechanism being extendable to effect swinging movement of the boom and of the cylinder mechanism to either side of said neutral intermediate position.
In an earth-moving apparatus of the type including a fixed support, a swing tower pivotally connected to said support and free to rotate about a vertical axis, a boom pivotally connected at its lower end to the lower end of said swing tower and free to rotate about a horizontal axis between raised and lowered positions and adapted to carry at its upper end a horizontally pivotally connected implement, and a hydraulic actuator pivoted at one of its ends to said swing tower about a horizontal axis and pivoted at its other end to a horizontal axis on said boom at a position intermediate the ends of said boom, said boom, comprising:
- (a) a generally elongated main frame having an upper end and a lower end;
- (b) bottom mounting means, joined to the lower end of said frame, for asymmetrically and pivotally connecting said frame to the lower end of said swing tower, said frame being joined to said bottom piece in such a manner that the longitudinal axis of the frame is at a spaced distance from a vertical plane passing through the vertical pivot axis of said swing tower and the sides of said frame are in a clearance relationship with respect to the hydraulic actuator, and
- (c) an elongated top piece having one of its ends joined to the upper end of said frame, having at its opposite end top means for pivotally connecting said implement to said top piece, and having middle means for pivotally connecting the other end of said hydraulic actuator to said frame, whereby said actuator flanks said frame and is protected by it.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.