Backhoe creep lever mechanism for an excavating vehicle

A vehicle, including:

• a support structure;
• a drive train including an engine for driving the vehicle in forward and rearward directions through a first range of forward and reverse speeds;
• an operator compartment having a front and back;
• an operator controlled work device mounted to the back of the support structure;
• an operator seat mounted in the operator compartment for rotation between a drive position facing the front of the operator compartment, and a work device control position facing the back of the operator compartment;
• drive controls mounted in the front of the operator compartment at a location accessible to an operator when the operator seat is in the drive position for allowing the operator to drive the vehicle through the first range of speeds;
• work device controls mounted in the back of the operator compartment at a location accessible to an operator when the operator seat is in the work device control position, for controlling the work device;
• a hand-receiving creep lever mounted in the rear of the operator compartment at a location accessible by an operator's hand when the operator seat is in the work device control position for allowing the operator to drive the vehicle through a second range of forward and reverse speeds which is smaller than the first range;
• and
• a creep linkage coupling the creep lever to the drive train for actuating the drive train and causing the vehicle to be repositioned at speeds in the second range in response to actuation of the creep lever by the operator's hand.

A vehicle having front and back ends, including:

• an engine:
• a hydrostatic drive coupled to the engine and including a hydraulic pump, for driving the vehicle with respect to ground through a first range of forward and reverse speeds;
• an operator compartment having a front and back;
• an operator controlled work device mounted to the back of the vehicle;
• an operator seat mounted in the operator compartment for rotation between a drive position facing the front of the operator compartment and vehicle, and a work device control position facing the back of the operator compartment and vehicle;
• a foot pedal mounted in the front of the operator compartment at a location accessible to an operator when the operator seat is in the drive position;
• a drive linkage coupling the foot pedal to the hydraulic pump to permit an operator to drive the vehicle through the first range of speeds by actuating the foot pedal when the operator seat is in the drive position;
• work device controls mounted in the back of the operator compartment at a location accessible to an operator when the operator seat is in the work device control position, for controlling the work device;
• a hand-receiving creep lever movably mounted in the back of the operator compartment at a location accessible to an operator's hand when the operator seat is in the work device control position;
• and
• a creep linkage coupling the creep lever to the hydraulic pump to permit an operator to drive the vehicle through a second range of forward and reverse speeds which is smaller than the first range to reposition the vehicle by actuating the creep lever with their hand when the operator seat is in the work device control position.