Load arm assembly for a skid steer loader

In a mobile loading machine having a frame and an operator's cab mounted thereon, a load arm assembly adapted to be pivotably mounted at a rear end to the frame, and to support a tool between a lowered position and a raised position at a forward end thereof, the load arm assembly comprising:

• an outer load arm section for supporting the tool;
• an inner load arm section pivotably mounted to the frame, wherein the inner load arm section has an upper wall, a lower wall and a pair of connecting side segments,
• an intermediate load arm section connected between the outer and inner load arm sections, wherein the intermediate load arm section has a top wall, a bottom wall and a pair of connecting sidewalls extending downwardly beyond the bottom wall, wherein the upper wall and the side segments of the inner load arm section are slidably received within the top wall and the sidewalls of the intermediate load arm section;
• and
• a brace connecting the bottom wall of the intermediate load arm section with the lower wall of the inner load arm section;
• wherein the upper wall and connecting sidewalls of the intermediate load arm section overlap the upper wall and side segments of the inner load arm section and are fixed thereto in a joint, wherein the intermediate load arm section is positioned alongside a lowermost portion of the cab and the inner load arm section projects upwardly and rearwardly of the cab from the intermediate load arm section, when the load arm assembly is in the lowered position, to maximize the lateral visibility of the operator from the cab.

In a mobile loading machine, a movable load arm assembly for supporting a power tool connected with a supply line arrangement, the load arm assembly comprising:

• an inverted, generally U-shaped channel defining a top wall and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls depending therefrom;
• a bottom wall connected across the sidewalls and closing the U-shaped channel to form a tubular support member;
• and
• a clamping device secured to the bottom wall for retaining the supply line arrangement adjacent thereto;
• wherein the bottom wall and the depending sidewalls are constructed and arranged to define a recess within which the supply line arrangement and the clamping device are located to conceal, protect and allow accessibility to the supply line arrangement.

In a mobile loading machine, a movable load arm assembly for supporting a power tool connected with a supply line arrangement, the load arm assembly comprising:

• an inverted, generally U-shaped channel defining a top wall and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls depending therefrom;
• a bottom wall connected across the sidewalls and closing the U-shaped channel to form a tubular support member, wherein the bottom wall comprises an upright, U-shaped channel having a transverse portion and a pair of upright side portions, each of which is secured to an inside surface of a respective sidewall;
• and
• a clamping device secured to the bottom wall for retaining the supply line arrangement adjacent thereto, wherein the bottom wall and the depending sidewalls are constructed and arranged to conceal, protect and allow accessibility to the supply line arrangement.

A loading machine, comprising:

• a frame;
• a load arm assembly pivotably mounted to the frame;
• a power device connected to the load arm assembly and movable between an extended position and a retracted position for respectively obtaining a raised condition and a lowered condition of the load arm assembly;
• wherein the load arm assembly in the vicinity of the power device defines a closed interior and includes an external supply line arrangement for supplying fluid power to a tool adapted for mounting to the load arm assembly;
• and
• an anti-lowering arrangement located on the load arm assembly for selectively holding the power device in the extended position and preventing lowering of the load arm assembly, wherein the anti-lowering arrangement comprises a retainer bar pivotably mounted to a pair of walls associated with the load arm member and located exteriorly of the closed interior defined by the load arm member, wherein the retainer bar is pivotable between an inoperative position wherein the retainer bar is protectively retained between the walls and disengaged from the power device, and an operative position wherein the retainer bar is released from between the walls to pivot downwardly by gravity from between the walls into obstructing contact with the power device so as to prevent retraction of the power device and maintain the raised condition of the load arm assembly, and wherein the supply line arrangement is located between the retainer bar and a transverse wall forming a part of the load arm assembly and which extends between the pair of walls between which the retainer bar is located when in its inoperative position.

An anti-lowering arrangement for a loading machine having a frame, at least one load arm assembly pivotably connected to the frame and adapted to carry a tool and a power device associated with the load arm assembly and movable between a retracted position and an extended position for lowering and raising the load arm assembly, the anti-lowering arrangement comprising:

• a retainer bar having a first end pivotably mounted to the load arm assembly and a second end movable between an inoperative position wherein the retainer bar is connected to the load arm assembly and spaced from the power device, and an operative position wherein, with the power device in the extended position, the retainer bar is released and pivots away from the load arm assembly into obstructing contact with the power device to hold the power device in the extended position and prevent lowering of the load arm assembly;
• wherein the load arm assembly includes a load arm member defining a closed interior, a transverse wall, and a pair of external depending sidewalls between which the retainer bar is located when in its inoperative position, and wherein movement of the retainer bar to its operative position is operable to move the second end of the retainer bar outwardly from between the depending sidewalls;
• wherein the load arm assembly carries one or more external supply lines for supplying power to the tool, and wherein the one or more supply lines are located between the retainer bar and the transverse wall.

In a skid steer loader including a frame, a load arm assembly extending between a forward end and a rearward end and movably interconnected with the frame at the rearward end, a first power device interconnected between the load arm assembly and the frame for effecting movement of the load arm assembly relative to the frame, and a second power device disposed toward the forward end of the load arm assembly and supplied by one or more supply lines, the improvement comprising:

• a support arrangement interconnected between the load arm assembly and the one or more supply lines for securing the one or more supply lines to the load arm assembly;
• and
• wall structure forming a part of the load arm assembly, comprising a pair of spaced apart forwardly-to-rearwardly extending walls formed on the load arm assembly forwardly of the interconnection of the load arm assembly with the frame and rearwardly of the second power device, wherein the walls cooperate to define a forwardly-to-rearwardly extending recess on the exterior of the load arm assembly within which the support arrangement and the one or more supply lines are received, wherein the wall structure is constructed and arranged to protect and conceal the support arrangement and the one or more supply lines throughout at least a portion of the length of the one or more supply lines between the forward and rearward ends of the load arm assembly, wherein the load arm assembly includes a pair of spaced sidewalls and a bottom wall extending therebetween, and wherein at least one of the pair of spaced apart forwardly-to-rearwardly extending walls comprises an extension of one of the pair of spaced sidewalls extending past the bottom wall.

In a skid steer loader including a frame, a load arm assembly movably mounted to the frame and extending between a forward end and a rearward end, a first power device interconnected between the load arm assembly and the frame for effecting movement of the load arm assembly relative to the frame, and a second power device disposed toward the forward end of the load arm assembly and supplied by one or more supply lines, the improvement comprising:

• a support arrangement interconnected between the load arm assembly and the one or more supply lines for securing the one or more supply lines to the load arm assembly;
• and
• wall structure associated with the load arm assembly, comprising a pair of spaced apart axially extending walls which cooperate to define an axially extending recess on the exterior of the load arm assembly within which the one or more supply lines are received, wherein the wall structure is constructed and arranged to protect and conceal the support arrangement and the one or more supply lines throughout at least a portion of the length of the one or more supply lines, wherein the load arm assembly includes a pair of spaced sidewalls and a bottom wall extending therebetween, and wherein at least one of the pair of spaced apart axially extending walls comprises an extension of one of the pair of spaced sidewalls extending past the bottom wall, and wherein the pair of spaced apart axially extending walls comprises an extension of each of the pair of sidewalls, and wherein the first power device is interconnected with the sidewall extensions, wherein the sidewall extensions define a forward portion and a rearward portion and a step therebetween, and wherein the first power device is interconnected with the forward portion of the sidewall extensions adjacent the step.

An anti-lowering arrangement for a loading machine having a frame, at least one load arm assembly pivotably connected to the frame and a power device associated with the load arm assembly and movable between a retracted position and an extended position for lowering and raising the load arm assembly, the anti-lowering arrangement comprising:

• a retainer bar having a first end pivotably mounted to the load arm assembly and a second end movable between an inoperative position wherein the bar is connected to the load arm assembly and spaced from the power device, and an operative position wherein, with the power device in the extended position, the bar is released and pivots away from the load arm assembly into obstructing contact with the power device to hold the power device in the extended position and prevent lowering of the load arm assembly;
• wherein the load arm assembly includes a pair of depending sidewalls between which the retainer bar is located when in its operative position, and wherein movement of the retainer bar to its operative position is operable to move the second end of the retainer bar outwardly from between the depending sidewalls;
• wherein the at least one load arm assembly carries a power tool and a supply line arrangement for supplying fluid power to the power tool, and wherein the supply line arrangement is interposed between the retainer bar and a transverse wall of the load arm assembly which extends between the pair of depending side walls between which the retainer bar is located when in its inoperative position.

In a skid steer loader including a frame, a load arm assembly extending between a forward end and a rearward end movably interconnected with the frame at the rearward end, a first power device interconnected between the load arm assembly and the frame for effecting movement of the load arm assembly relative to the frame, and a second power device disposed toward the forward end of the load arm assembly and supplied by one or more supply lines, the improvement comprising:

• a support arrangement interconnected between the load arm assembly and the one or more supply lines for securing the one or more supply lines to the load arm assembly;
• and
• wall structure forming a part of the load arm assembly and defining a forwardly-to-rearwardly recess on the exterior of the load arm assembly within which the support arrangement and the one or more supply lines are received, wherein the wall structure is constructed and arranged to protect and conceal the support arrangement and the one or more supply lines throughout at least a portion of the length of the one or more supply lines forwardly of the interconnection of the load arm assembly with the frame and rearwardly of the second power device, wherein the load arm assembly includes a pair of spaced sidewalls and a bottom wall extending therebetween, and wherein the wall structure defining the recess comprises an extension of at least one of the pair of spaced sidewalls extending past the bottom wall and cooperating with the bottom wall to form the recess.