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US 5,971,434 AGranted
Latch mechanism for a protective structure of a skid steer loader
AssigneeCase Corporation
InventorsSidney B. Neufeld, Gary D. Stromberg
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCase Corporation
InventorsSidney B. Neufeld, Gary D. Stromberg
Estimating the term…
A latch mechanism for releasably locking a cab enclosure or rollover protective structure to a frame of a skid steer loader. The protective structure is mounted to the frame of the skid steer loader for pivotal movement between operational and nonoperational positions. The latch mechanism of the present invention is a multipiece assembly including first and second subassemblies. The first subassembly is arranged on either the frame or the protective structure in spaced relation from that end about which the protective structure pivots. The second subassembly is mounted before cooperating and releasable engagement with the first subassembly and is mounted on either the frame or the protective structure on which the first subassembly is not mounted. In a first operating condition, the first and second subassemblies are operably engagable with each other to inhibit pivotal movement of the protective structure relative to the frame. In a second operating condition, the first and second subassemblies are operably disengaged from each other without the use of tools to permit the protective structure to be pivotally moved relative to the frame of the loader.
A latch mechanism for a skid steer loader including a mobile frame, a cab enclosure mounted adjacent a first front end to said frame to allow pivotal movement of said cab enclosure about a generally horizontal axis extending across said frame between a first position, wherein said cab enclosure is disposed adjacent the frame, and a second position, wherein said cab enclosure is disposed to enhance access to portions of the frame substantially inaccessible when said cab enclosure is in said first position, said latch mechanism including a latch structure secured to said frame in spaced relation from said first end of said cab enclosure and a manually operated lock assembly disposed toward a rear end of said cab enclosure for movement therewith, said lock assembly including a locking element movable between a first position, wherein said locking element is operably coupled to said latch structure thereby inhibiting pivotal movement of said cab enclosure, and a second position, wherein said locking element is disengaged from said latch structure to permit pivotal movement of said cab enclosure.
A latch mechanism for a skid steer loader including a mobile frame, a cab enclosure mounted adjacent a first end to said frame to allow pivotal movement of said cab enclosure between a first position, wherein said cab enclosure is disposed adjacent the frame, and a second position, wherein said cab enclosure is disposed to enhance access to portions of the frame substantially inaccessible when said cab enclosure is in said first position, said latch mechanism including a latch structure secured to said frame in spaced relation from said first end of said cab enclosure and a manually operated lock assembly carried on said cab enclosure for movement therewith, said lock assembly including a locking element movable between a first position, wherein said locking element is operably coupled to said latch structure thereby inhibiting pivotal movement of said cab enclosure, and a second position, wherein said locking element is disengaged from said latch structure to permit pivotal movement of said cab enclosure.
A latch mechanism for releasably locking a roll over protective structure to a fore-and-aft extending frame of a skid steer loader without the use of tools, said protective structure being pivotally mounted adjacent a first end to said frame to allow for pivotal movement of said protective structure between an operating position, wherein said protective structure is adjacent the frame and defines an operator enclosure, and a nonoperative position, wherein said protective structure is disposed to enhance access to portions of the frame substantially inaccessible when said protective structure is in said operating position, said latch mechanism comprising a multipiece assembly including a first subassembly arranged on one end of said frame and said protective structure in spaced relation from the first end of said protective structure and a second subassembly mounted on the other of said frame and said protective structure for cooperative and releasable engagement with said first subassembly, and wherein in a first operating condition said first and second subassemblies are operably engageable with each other to inhibit pivotal movement of said protective structure relative to said frame, and wherein in a second operating condition said first and second subassemblies are operably disengaged from each other without the use of tools to permit said protective structure to be pivotally moved relative to the frame of the loader wherein a front end of said protective structure is mounted for movement about a generally horizontal axis extending across the frame, and wherein said latch mechanism is disposed toward a rear end of said protective structure.
A latch mechanism for releasably locking a roll over protective structure to a mobile fore-and-aft extending frame of a skid steer loader without the use of tools, with a first front end of said protective structure being mounted to said frame to allow said protective structure to be pivotally moved about a generally horizontal axis extending across the frame from an operational position, wherein said protective structure is adjacent to said frame, and a non operational position, wherein said protective structure is disposed to enhance access to portions of the frame substantially inaccessible with said protective structure in said operational position, and wherein said protective structure includes rigid vertical roll bars for providing strength and rigidity to the protective structure, said latch mechanism comprising a latch structure extending upwardly from and secured to said frame at a second end of said protective structure and a lock structure disposed toward a rear end of said protective structure for sliding endwise movement toward and away from said latch structure between a first position, wherein said lock structure is disposed for operable engagement with said latch structure to operably couple said protective structure to said frame thereby preventing pivotal movement of said protective structure from its operational position, and a second position, wherein said lock structure is releasably disengaged from said latch structure to allow for pivotal movement of said protective structure to said non operational position.
In combination with a skid steer loader including a mobile frame, a roll over protective structure mounted to the frame in surrounding relation relative to a cab area defined by an operator seat from which various functions of the loader are controlled, said protective structure being mounted at a first end to the frame to allow pivotal movement of the protective structure between a first position, wherein said protective structure is adjacent the frame, and a second position, wherein said protective structure is pivotally moved to permit access to areas of the loader substantially inaccessible when the protective structure is in said first position, said loader further includes a seat bar movable between an operational position, wherein various functions of the loader are enabled, and a non operational position, wherein the various functions of the loader are disabled, and a latch mechanism for releasably locking said protective structure to said frame without the use of tools and is responsive to movement of said seat bar.
A latch mechanism for releasably locking a roll over protective structure to a frame of a skid steer loader without the use of tools, said protective structure being pivotally mounted adjacent a first front end to said frame to allow for pivotal movement of said protective structure about a generally horizontal axis extending across the frame between a first position, wherein said protective structure is adjacent the frame, and a second position, wherein said protective structure is disposed to enhanced access to portions of the frame substantially inaccessible when said protective structure is in said first position, wherein said latch mechanism is disposed toward a rear end of said protective structure and comprises a multipiece assembly including said latch structure arranged on and extending upwardly from the frame in spaced relation from the first end of said protective structure and lock structure mounted on the protective structure, said lock structure including a slidable pin movable into and out of engagement with said latch structure for releasably locking said protective structure to said frame, said pin being movable into and out of engagement with said latch structure through manipulation of a manually operated mechanism carried on the protective structure.
A skid steer loader including a mobile fore-and-aft extending frame, a roll over protective structure mounted to the frame in surrounding relation relative to an operator station, said protective structure being mounted at a forward end thereof for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis extending across the frame between an operational position, wherein said protective structure is adjacent to the frame of the skid steer loader, and a non operational position, and wherein said protective structure is positioned to enhance access to areas of the frame inaccessible when said protective structure is in said operational position, and a latch mechanism is disposed toward a rear end of said protective structure including two assemblies that coact with each other to releasably hold the protective structure in said operative position relative to said frame, and a mechanism for effecting alignment of the cab enclosure relative to said frame thereby promoting operation of said latch mechanism.
A skid steer loader including a mobile frame, a cab enclosure, a roll over protective structure mounted to the frame in surrounding relation relative to an operator station and including vertical roll bars at opposite corners thereof, said protective structure being mounted at a forward end thereof for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis extending across the frame between an operational position, wherein said protective structure is adjacent to the frame of the skid steer loader, and a non operational position, wherein said protective structure is positioned to enhance access to areas of the frame inaccessible when said protective structure is in said operational position and a cam mechanism is disposed toward a rear end of said protective structure for effecting alignment of the cab enclosure relative to said frame as said roll over protective structure moves from said non operational position to said operation position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.