# US 4,391,563 A · Bucket position indicator assembly

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- Number: US 4,391,563 A
- Document ID: US4391563A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/297,890
- Filed: 1981-08-31
- Granted: 1983-07-05
- Earliest claimed: 1981-08-31
- Assignees: J. I. Case Company
- Inventors: Francis H. Vietor
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391563A

## CPC

- E02F 9/26: Indicating devices {(E02F5/145 takes precedence)}
- F15B 15/2838: {with out using position sensors, e.g. by volume flow measurement or pump speed}
- Y10S 116/07: Fluid actuated
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)
- F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A bucket position indicator assembly for relieving the operator from constantly maintaining visual contact with the bucket and thereby taking his attention away from other operator functions. The bucket position indicator assembly includes a fluid cylinder, a slidable piston actuator, and an indicator panel that is mounted within the operator's compartment. The actuator includes a rod member which is pivotally attached at one end to the bucket movement linkage for reciprocal movement in response to rotational movement by the bucket. The piston end of the actuator is slidably movable within the fluid cylinder in response to the movement of the bucket during its normal duty cycle. A bore through the rod member permits fluid pressure to escape into an annular chamber formed between sealing disks at the piston end of the actuator. A plurality of orifices along the periphery of the fluid cylinder are connected by conduits to corresponding fluid inputs at the indicator panel. The annular fluid chamber formed by the piston end of the actuator becomes aligned with one of the orifices in the fluid cylinder when the bucket is either in a rollout, level, or rollback position. When fluid pressure is applied to any one of the inputs at the indicator panel, a corresponding indicator member appears in a window of the indicator panel so that the operator can determine whether the bucket is level, rolled out, or rolled back.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a front end loader including an elongated main body having an operator's compartment mounted thereon, a pair of lift arms pivotally connected to said main body and a bucket rotatably mounted between said lift arms, said bucket being rotated by a plural element linkage to various positions during its work cycle including rollback, level, and rollout positions, the improvement comprising:
a bucket position indicator assembly including a fluid cylinder, a slidable actuator, and an indicator panel, said indicator panel being mounted within said operator's compartment, said fluid cylinder being attached to one of said lift arms, said actuator comprising a piston which is slidably mounted within said fluid cylinder and a rod member connected to said piston and also pivotally attached to one of said linkage elements for reciprocal movement in response to rotational movement by said bucket, said piston being slidably movable within said fluid cylinder in response to rotational movement of said bucket during its work cycle, said rod member including an interior bore which is open at one end for permitting fluid pressure to escape into a sealed fluid chamber formed partially by a recess in said piston surrounded by sealing means carried by said piston and partially by said cylinder, and means for constantly communicating fluid pressure to the other end of said interior bore;
said fluid cylinder including a plurality of orifices along its length which are connected by conduits to corresponding fluid inputs at said indicator panel, said sealed fluid chamber becoming aligned with one of said orifices when said bucket is in each of the rollback, level, or rollout positions thereby permitting fluid pressure to be applied to only a corresponding one of said indicator panel inputs, indicator members movably mounted within said indicator panel, said indicator members being movable between non-visible and visible positions, each indicator member being in fluid communication with only one of said inputs to said indicator panel, only one of said indicator members becoming visible to an operator when fluid pressure enters a corresponding indicator panel input thereby indicating to the operator that the bucket is in either its rollback, level, or rollout position.