Guard structures for hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic lines, and loader arms

Abstract

The hydraulic cylinder and line guard of the claimed invention substantially surrounds and protects both a hydraulic cylinder and portions of a hydraulic line. The guard also significantly reduces the visual appearance of the hydraulic lines. While maintaining the flexibility of the hydraulic lines at pivot points, the guard inhibits movement of the line near the cylinder thereby reducing wear on the line. The claimed invention also achieves the important objective of providing an aesthetically pleasing and easily replaceable guard for hydraulic cylinders and lines. The improved guard is achieved by utilizing a resilient guard to cover both the cylinder and the line. The guard may be formed from a single stretchable resilient tube that is deformed to enclose both the line and the cylinder, wherein a cross-section of the guard is defined primarily by combined cross sections of the cylinder adjacent to the line. The guard may also be formed from multiple interconnected resilient segments that combine to substantially enclose a hydraulic line and cylinder. The guard may further have a raised wear surface arranged in an ornamental and/or functional pattern.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.