AU2016219556A1 - Front loader and loader vehicle with such - Google Patents

Abstract

- 16 Abstract Front loader and loader vehicle with such A front loader (10) and a loader vehicle (12) with such are proposed. The front loader (10) comprises a loader arm carrier (20), a loader arm (14) arranged pivotably on the loader arm carrier (20) and a lifting cylinder 10 (28) which is arranged pivotably on the loader arm carrier (20) below the loader arm (14) and is intended for lifting and lowering the loader arm (14), furthermore a tool carrier (25) arranged pivotably on the loader arm (14) and a guide linkage (29) for 15 guiding the tool carrier (25) are provided, wherein the guide linkage (29) at least partially runs below the loader arm (14), characterized in that a pivotable supporting strut (48) is arranged below the loader arm (14), which supporting strut (48) can be brought out of 20 a storage position into a supporting position by pivoting, in which the supporting strut (48) comes to lie against the lifting cylinder (28) and blocks the latter, wherein the supporting strut (48) is arranged pivotably on the guide linkage (29) and is integrated 25 in the latter. Figure 4 00 (D C| (D (Do (D P22832 Fig. 4

Description

Australian Patents Act 1990 2016219556 22 Aug 2016

ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT

Invention Title

Front loader and loader vehicle with such

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:-- 1 -la 2016219556 22 Aug 2016

The invention relates to a front loader with a loader arm carrier, a loader arm arranged pivotably on the 5 loader arm carrier and a lifting cylinder which is arranged pivotably on the loader arm carrier below the loader arm and is intended for lifting and lowering the loader arm. Furthermore a tool carrier arranged pivotably on the loader arm and a guide linkage for 10 guiding the tool carrier are provided, wherein the guide linkage at least partially runs below the loader arm.

Front loaders and loader vehicles with a front loader 15 or wheel loader are known. They serve for moving and loading loads and/or goods and are also used inter alia in agriculture, in particular for moving crops, for example bales or silage. Front loaders generally comprise a pivotable loader arm which is coupled 20 pivotably to a loader arm carrier. In this connection, the loader arm carrier can be formed directly on the loader vehicle as a part of a vehicle frame or as a loader mast, which is customary in agriculture, wherein the loader mast in the form of a mounting intersection 25 is mountable onto a mounting bracket on the loader vehicle. In order to pivot the loader arm, that is to say in order to raise and lower the loader arm, use is made of lifting cylinders which extend adjustably, generally operated hydraulically, between loader arm 30 carrier and loader arm. It is frequently necessary also to hold the front loader in a raised position for a prolonged period, whether for logistical reasons, for maintenance reasons or for other reasons which require a person to stop under the loader arm. It has to be 35 ensured in this case for safety reasons that even small hydraulic losses at the lifting cylinder or else a pipe fracture of the lifting cylinder line can be contained in order preventively to avoid an unintentional or unplanned falling of the loader arm. In some countries, 2 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 it may even be prescribed to install pipe fracture safety devices which prevent an accident-induced falling of the loader arm. Furthermore, however, circumstances other than pipe fractures may also lead 5 to a loss of pressure, which circumstances are not contained by a pipe fracture safety device. For this purpose, in some countries, securing of the lifting cylinders by supporting struts is additionally prescribed, wherein said supporting struts are fitted 10 directly onto the lifting cylinder and mechanically block the latter. For example, for this purpose, steel struts designed as a U-profile are stretched between lifting cylinder housing and rod-side coupling point of the lifting cylinder to the piston rod of the lifting 15 cylinder, and therefore the piston rod of the lifting cylinder is mechanically blocked and retraction of the lifting cylinder is prevented. It is customary to store such supporting struts on the front loader, for example in or on the crosspiece of the loader arm or in the cab 20 of a loader vehicle, and, only upon use, to fetch the supporting strut out of the storage position in order to mount same onto the lifting cylinder or to fit the latter therewith. This proves to be an awkward, inconvenient and time-consuming measure and, in 25 addition, the supporting strut could also be lost or not stored correctly and be missing when required. A simpler solution, which can be integrated in the front loader design, for providing such a supporting 30 strut is therefore desirable.

This desire is met by the teaching of Patent Claim 1. Further advantageous refinements and developments emerge from the dependent claims. 35

In this regard, a front loader of the type mentioned at the beginning is proposed, wherein a pivotable supporting strut is arranged below the loader arm, 3 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 which can be brought out of a storage position into a supporting position by pivoting, in which the supporting strut comes to lie against the lifting cylinder and blocks the latter, wherein the supporting 5 strut is arranged pivotably on the guide linkage and is integrated in the latter. As a result, the supporting strut is expediently arranged in the vicinity of the lifting cylinder and secured against being lost. An operationally friendly and uncomplicated handling for 10 positioning the supporting strut is ensured by simple and rapid pivoting. The front loader comprises a tool carrier arranged pivotably on the loader arm and a guide linkage for guiding the tool carrier, wherein the guide linkage runs on the loader vehicle side or 15 lifting cylinder side below the loader arm and the supporting strut is arranged pivotably on the guide linkage. The guide linkage serves in particular for the parallel guidance of the tool carrier, as a result of which a constant position of the tool carrier is 20 ensured independently of the position of the loader arm. The guide linkage is preferably guided on the loader vehicle side or lifting cylinder side between the loader arm and the lifting cylinder and can thereby represent a suitable storage space for the supporting 25 strut or serve as a suitable holder or coupling for the supporting strut. A compact arrangement is supported by the fact that the supporting strut and the guide linkage can adopt the same coupling point on the loader arm carrier. However, two different coupling points may 30 also be selected here, and therefore the supporting strut can also be coupled pivotably directly to the guide linkage. In addition, the supporting strut can be integrated pivotably in the guide linkage, and therefore said supporting strut is positioned in its 35 storage position within or at least directly on the guide linkage, which constitutes a particularly advantageous refinement in respect of compactness. 4 2016219556 22 Aug 2016

The supporting strut can be arranged here pivotably on the loader arm or on the loader arm carrier. Other arrangements which permit the supporting strut to be pivoted out of a folded storage position into the 5 supporting position are also conceivable.

In the supporting position, the supporting strut preferably extends between the loader arm and the lifting cylinder. In a supporting position, the 10 supporting strut can extend here between a coupling point positioned between lifting cylinder and loader arm, at one end, and an attachment point on the lifting cylinder, at the other end, and block a movement of the lifting cylinder mechanically, wherein the supporting 15 position of the supporting strut can be adopted by pivoting out of the storage position in a downwards direction.

The supporting strut can furthermore also be arranged 20 pivotably on the loader arm carrier and can extend below the lifting cylinder, wherein the supporting position of the supporting strut can then be adopted by pivoting same out of the storage position in the upwards direction. 25

Furthermore, a locking device is provided with which the supporting strut is held in the storage position. The locking device can be formed by a simple locking bar or by a locking pin or locking bolt or else by a 30 latching or pawl device. Furthermore, this can also take place by means of a simple screw connection or by a different type of locking.

The guide linkage is furthermore also suitable for the 35 installation of a locking device. A supporting strut which is integrated in the guide linkage or is placed on the latter can thereby be pivoted out of the guide linkage in the direction of the lifting cylinder and, 5 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 after use, can be pivoted again in the direction of the guide linkage for storage purposes, wherein it can be locked in a parallel position to the guide linkage and is therefore optimally stored. 5

In a further refinement, the locking device can be formed on the loader arm, in particular if the supporting strut is also coupled to the loader arm and, for example, also no guide linkage is arranged. The 10 same advantages can be achieved here as already described in the previous paragraph.

The supporting strut can have a U-profile-shaped connecting part which, in the supporting position, at 15 least partially surrounds a lifting cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder and ensures a secure seat on the lifting cylinder rod. The supporting strut and the U-profile-shaped connecting part can be brought into engagement here with a rod-side end of a lifting 20 cylinder housing. The supporting strut itself can in this case be formed from a flat profile which is connected at a free end to the U-prof ile-shaped connecting part. The supporting strut can also be formed from two flat profiles which are guided in 25 parallel and are connected to the U-profile-shaped part at its free ends. The supporting strut itself can be designed as a U-profile. The supporting strut can be manufactured, for example, from steel or another material having sufficiently high deformation 30 resistance. Use may also be made of other profile shapes, wherein the U-profile is also not absolutely necessary. For example, blocking of the lifting cylinder may be already brought about here with a simple flat profile, a round profile or an L-profile of 35 the supporting strut.

The loader arm carrier can be designed as a loader mast which is mountable onto a mounting bracket of a loader 6 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 vehicle. The loader mast can serve here as a type of intersection between a loader vehicle and the front loader. This embodiment is particularly suitable if a loader vehicle is also intended to be used without 5 operation of a front loader since rapid and uncomplicated mounting of the front loader onto the loader vehicle and removal therefrom is possible by the loader mast. 10 A mounting bracket which is directed in particular to a certain combination of loader vehicle and front loader and is adapted both to the vehicle geometry and to the loader mast geometry can be provided on a loader vehicle. Convenient and simple mounting with optimum 15 functionality can therefore be ensured in the case of a front loader equipped with a loading mast.

Alternatively, a loader vehicle can also be formed without mounting bracket and a front loader without a 20 loader mast, in such a manner that part of the vehicle frame is designed as the loader arm carrier. This is of advantage if, for example, the loader vehicle is predominantly used as a wheel loader and use without the front loader is more unlikely and rare. In this 25 case, loader arm, lifting cylinder, guide linkage and optionally also the supporting strut can be coupled directly to that part or region of the vehicle frame which forms the loader arm carrier. As a further alternative, part of the vehicle frame can be 30 understood here as meaning the mounting bracket or can be designed as such, wherein, in this case, loader arm, lifting cylinder, guide linkage and optionally also the supporting strut are fitted or coupled directly to the mounting bracket. 35

The invention and further advantages and advantageous developments and refinements of the invention are described and explained in more detail below with 7 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 reference to the drawing which shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing: 5 Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a front loader with a loader arm which can be pivoted by a lifting cylinder, 10 Fig. 2 shows an enlarged side view of the front loader from figure 1 in the region of the lifting cylinder with the loader arm lowered and with a supporting strut in the storage position, 15 Fig. 3 shows an enlarged side view of the front loader from figure 1 in the region of the lifting cylinder with the loader arm raised and with a supporting strut in the storage position, 20 Fig. 4 shows an enlarged perspective side view of the front loader from figure 1 in the region of the lifting cylinder with the loader arm raised and with a supporting strut in a pivoting position shown between a storage position and a 25 supporting position, Fig. 5 shows an enlarged side view of the front loader from figure 1 in the region of the lifting cylinder with the loader arm raised and with a 30 supporting strut in the supporting position, Fig. 6 shows a perspective side view of the supporting strut from figures 2 to 5, 35 Fig. 7 shows a schematic side view of a loader vehicle with mounting bracket, and a loader arm carrier of a front loader, which loader arm carrier is designed as a loader mast, and - 8 - 2016219556 22 Aug 2016

Fig. 8 5 shows a schematic side view of a loader vehicle with a loader arm carrier of a front loader, which loader arm carrier is integrated in the vehicle frame.

Figure 1 illustrates a front loader 10 for a loader vehicle 12. The front loader 10 comprises a loader arm 14 which can be mounted on both sides onto the sides of 10 the loader vehicle 12, wherein the loader arm 14 can be coupled to a vehicle frame 16 directly (see figure 8) or to the loader vehicle 12 via a loader arm carrier 20 designed as a loader mast 18 and a mounting bracket 22 connected to a vehicle frame 16 (see figures 1 and 7) . When a front loader 10 is coupled directly to the vehicle frame 16 , the loader arm carrier 20 is integrated in the vehicle frame 16, or part of the vehicle frame 16 forms the loader arm carrier 20 (figure 8) . Both a loader mast 18 and a loader arm 20 carrier 20 integrated in the vehicle frame are referred to in general as loader arm carrier 20 below. A pivotable front loader tool 24 is connected to a free end of the loader arm 14 of the front loader 10 (to the 25 end not connected to the loader vehicle 12), said front loader tool being connected to the loader arm 14 via a pivotable tool carrier 25. The loader arm 14 extends on both sides of the loader vehicle 12 and comprises carriers 26 which run in parallel on both sides of the 30 loader vehicle 12 and are connected to each other via a crosspiece 27. The front loader tool 24 is designed by way of example in the form of a loading shovel, wherein the front loader tool 24 could also be designed as a loading fork, grippers, etc. The front loader arm 14 is 35 pivotable via hydraulic lifting cylinders 28 which extend between the respective loader arm carriers 20 and the loader arm 14 on both sides of the loader vehicle 12. A respective guide linkage 29 which is 9 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 connected to the loader arm carriers 20 and serves for the parallel guidance of the front loader tool 24 extends between the carriers 26 and the lifting cylinders 28 of the loader arm 14. On the loader arm 5 carrier side, the guide linkage 29 runs below the carriers 26 of the loader arm 14 as far as an elbow region 30 of the loader arm 14, at which elbow region the guide linkage 29 comprises a pivotable step-up link 32, wherein a loader-arm-carrier-side part of the guide 10 linkage 29 is coupled to a lower coupling point 34 of the step-up link 32. An upper coupling point 36 of the step-up link 32 is connected to a front-loader-tool-side part of the guide linkage 29, wherein the front-loader-tool-side part runs above the loader arm 14. The 15 step-up link 32 is connected to the loader arm 14 via an axis of rotation 38 arranged between the upper and the lower coupling points, and thus produces a connection of the loader-arm-carrier-side part to the front-loader-tool-side part of the guide linkage 29. A 20 hydraulically operated pivoting cylinder 40 by means of which the front loader tool 24 can be pivoted is integrated in the front-loader-tool-side part of the guide linkage 29. 25 The lifting cylinder 28 is connected pivotably at a coupling point 42, the loader arm 14 at a coupling point 44 and the guide linkage 29 at a coupling point 46, to the loader arm carrier 20. 30 As described in more detail in figures 2 to 6, a supporting strut 48, which is provided extends between the loader arm 14 and the lifting cylinder 28 and is integrated pivotably in the guide linkage 29. In a storage position (figures 2 and 3), the supporting 35 strut 48 is held parallel to the guide linkage 29. The supporting strut 48 is fastened pivotably likewise at the coupling point 46 of the guide linkage 29 to the loader arm carrier 20. The supporting strut 48 10 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 comprises two flat profiles 50 which run parallel (figure 6) and are connected at their free end to a U-profile-shaped connecting part 52. The connecting part 52 is designed as a bent connecting plate which 5 extends transversely and along the supporting strut 48 at the free end thereof, wherein a connecting web 54 extending from the free end of the supporting strut 48 to the coupling point 4 6 and a connecting web 56 forming a contact surface 55 at the free end of the 10 supporting strut 48 are formed on the connecting part 52. The connecting web 56 is provided with a U-profile-shaped recess 58 which is dimensioned in such a manner that it can at least partially circumferentially surround a lifting cylinder rod 60 of the lifting 15 cylinder 28 in a supporting position of the supporting strut 48 (see figure 5) .

The supporting strut 48 is held in its storage position (figures 2 and 3) by means of a locking device on the 20 guide linkage 29, wherein the locking device is formed by a locking bore 62 formed on the supporting strut 48 and by a locking pin 64 which is formed on the guide linkage 29 and can be brought into engagement with the locking bore 62. By release of the locking pin 64, the 25 supporting strut 48 can be pivoted out of its storage position (see pivoted position according to figure 4) and brought into the supporting position according to figure 5. The supporting position can be adopted if the lifting cylinder 28 is in an extended position (see 30 figure 4 and figure 5) . The length of the supporting strut 48 is dimensioned here in such a manner that, when the loader arm 14 is raised or the lifting cylinder 28 is in an extended position, the connecting web 56 can be pivoted with its U-prof ile-shaped recess 35 58 onto the lifting cylinder rod 60 and comes to lie thereon, and therefore the contact surface 55 formed on the connecting web 56 can be brought into contact with a rod-side end surface 66 of the lifting cylinder 11 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 housing 68 or into engagement therewith. As soon as the supporting strut 48 has been brought into the supporting position, the lifting cylinder housing 68 is supported on its rod-side end surface 66 and the 5 lifting cylinder 28 is held in its extended position and retraction of the lifting cylinder 28 is blocked. By a slight raising of the loader arm or by a short extension of the lifting cylinder 28, the supporting strut 48 can be freed from its supporting position and 10 pivoted back into the storage position and locked again there.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the supporting strut can equally also be arranged pivotably 15 at a coupling point formed on the loader arm. A corresponding locking device which secures the supporting strut 48 in a storage position on the loader arm 14 can then also be formed on the loader arm 14. In this embodiment, the supporting strut 48 extends 20 laterally or between the guide linkage 29 in a supporting position. Further embodiments are also conceivable, for example that the supporting strut 48 is coupled pivotably below the lifting cylinder 28 to the loader arm carrier 20 and is pivoted upwards out of 25 a storage position into a supporting position, wherein the supporting strut 48 is then guided from below onto the lifting cylinder rod 60 and can be brought into engagement with the end surface 66 of the lifting cylinder 28. 30

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion 35 of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. 2016219556 22 Aug 2016 12

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of 5 suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavor to which this specification relates. 10 The reference numerals in the following claims do not in any way limit the scope of the respective claims.

Claims (11)

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. Front loader (10) with a loader arm carrier (20), a loader arm (14) arranged pivotably on the loader arm carrier (20) and a lifting cylinder (28) which is arranged pivotably on the loader arm carrier (20) below the loader arm (14) and is intended for lifting and lowering the loader arm (14), furthermore a tool carrier (25) arranged pivotably on the loader arm (14) and a guide linkage (29) for guiding the tool carrier (25) are provided, wherein the guide linkage (29) at least partially runs below the loader arm (14), characterized in that a pivotable supporting strut (48) is arranged below the loader arm (14), which supporting strut (48) can be brought out of a storage position into a supporting position by pivoting, in which the supporting strut (48) comes to lie against the lifting cylinder (28) and blocks the latter, wherein the supporting strut (48) is arranged pivotably on the guide linkage (29) and is integrated in the latter.

2. Front loader (10) according to Claim 1, wherein the supporting strut (48) is arranged pivotably on the loader arm (14) or on the loader arm carrier (20) .

3. Front loader (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the supporting position, the supporting strut (48) extends between loader arm (14) and lifting cylinder (28).

4. Front loader (10) according to Claim 1, wherein the supporting strut (48) is arranged pivotably on the loader arm carrier (20) and extends below the lifting cylinder (28).

5. Front loader (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a locking device is provided with which the supporting strut (48) is held in the storage position.

6. Front loader (10) according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the locking device is formed on the guide linkage (29).

7. Front loader (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 3 and 5, characterized in that the locking device is formed on the loader arm (14) .

8. Front loader (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the supporting strut (48) has a U-profile-shaped connecting part (52) which, in the supporting position, at least partially surrounds a lifting cylinder rod (60) of the lifting cylinder (28) and can be brought into engagement with a rod-side end surface (66) of a lifting cylinder housing (68) .

9. Front loader (10) according to one of the preceding Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the loader arm carrier (20) is designed as a loader mast (18) which is mountable onto a mounting bracket (22) of a loader vehicle (12).

10. Loader vehicle (12) with a mounting bracket (22) for a front loader (10) and with a front loader (10) according to Claim 9.

11. Loader vehicle (12) with a vehicle frame (16) and a front loader (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, with a loader arm carrier (20) integrated in the vehicle frame (16), wherein part of the vehicle frame (16) forms the loader arm carrier (20) .