GB2161784A

GB2161784A - Handling or working vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2161784A
Application number: GB08517811A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Robert Lovatt; Leonard William Eyles
Original assignee: MCCONNEL F W Ltd; FW McConnel Ltd
Current assignee: MCCONNEL F W Ltd; FW McConnel Ltd
Priority date: 1984-07-20
Filing date: 1985-07-15
Publication date: 1986-01-22
Also published as: GB2161784B; GB8517811D0; GB8418624D0

Abstract

A load handling or working vehicle has a drivable wheeled chassis including a longitudinal spine (6) supporting front and rear axes (2, 3) and a pair of transverse outriggers (7) towards one end of the chassis which carry an engine (8). A slewable boom (not shown) is mounted on the chassis towards the other end thereof and a fixed driving station (A) is arranged at a position remote from the boom mounting position in a direction towards said one end of the chassis and transversely offset from the engine (8). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handling or working vehicle This invention relates to a load handling or working vehicle of the general kind having a drivable wheeled chassis mounting a boom which carries a handling device, such as a pallet fork or a bucket, or a working implement, such as a digger.

In some conventional vehicles of this general kind, the boom provided is telescopic but rotationally fixed on the chassis. This arrangement lacks flexibility of operation since the chassis itself must be turned to enable the location of operation of the boom to be changed. In another known arrangement, useful mainly for handling and loading operations, an arm or boom is swingable through 360 but carries the driver's seating position and controls which swing with the boom. This is not only inconvenient and often disorienting for the driver, but it leads to various complications in the design and installation of the controls to accommodate their movement relative to the chassis.

According to the invention, a load handling or working vehicle comprises a drivable wheeled chassis which includes a longitudinal spine supporting front and rear axles and at least one transverse outrigger, an engine mounted on said outrigger towards one end of the chassis for powering a hydrostatic or mechanical drive system, a slewable boom mounted on the chassis at a position remote from the engine in a direction towards the other end of the chassis, and a fixed driving station arranged at a position remote from the boom mounting position in a direction towards said one end of the chassis and transversely offset from the engine.

In one convenient practical arrangement, the spine and outriggers may typically be secured to the undersurface of a stressed deck upon which the driving station and boom are conveniently mounted.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the vehicle of the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the vehicle of Figure 1 with some parts removed for clarity; Figures 3 and 4 are plan views of the vehicle shown in Figure 1, illustrated respectively two different operational modes; Figure 5 is an enlarged side view of part of the vehicle of Figures 1 to 4; Figure 6 is a scrap plan view illustrating part of the vehicle equipment in a first operational mode, and Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing said equipment in a second operational mode.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, these illustrate a load handling or working vehicle which includes a unitary chassis indicated generally on 1, the chassis having mounted thereon a front axle 2 and rear axle 3, each of the axles carrying a pair of steerable wheels 4 pivotally mounted on the axles at locations 5. The front axle 2 is fixed directly and rigidly to the chassis but the rear axle 3 is supported from the chassis by way of a central pivot (not shown) permitting the axle to rock transversely of the chassis to enable all of the wheels 4 to be maintained in contact with the ground, even when the terrain is uneven.

The chassis includes a central longitudinally extending spine 6, to which the axles 2 and 3 are secured, as aforesaid, the spine having laterally projecting outriggers 7 which carry a prime mover which, in this case, is in the form of an internal combustion engine 8. A hydraulic pump 9 is driven from the engine 8 via a shaft 10, the pump 9 being connected hydraulically to a hydraulic motor 11 which drives the front axle 2 via a gear box 12 and the rear axle 3 via a drive shaft 13.

The spine 1 supports a stressed deck 14, the extent of which is indicated by a peripheral broken line 15. The generally rectangular area designated A is downwardly stepped and forms a base for a fixed driving station, which includes a seat and all the appropriate controls, such station being covered by a cab 16. A portion of the deck located above the rear axle 3 supports a slewable turntable 17 which carries a telescopic boom 18 which can be raised and lowered by means of a ram 19 about a pivotal mounting 20. An inner longitudinally movable part 21 of the boom 18 terminates at its outer end in an arm 22 which may carry a handling device such as a grab or other lifting arrangement, or a working implement such as a digger or hedge cutter head for example.Figures 3 and 4 show the boom respectively in its normal travelling rest position and in its extreme slewed position, from which it will be seen that it is capable of slewing through approximately 300 , as indicated by the arc C, the extent of slew being largely dictated by the intrusion of the cab 16 into the slewing arc.

Slewing of the boom is effected by a pair of oppositely acting rams 23, 24, the stroke of which is finite and determined so as to ensure that the slewing movement of the beam stops short of collision with the cab. The chassis 1 is provided, at appropriate locations around its periphery, with a number of hydraulically operated support legs 25, three of which are shown and one being illustrated in its extended ground engaging position. These legs are used to support the weight of the chassis and impart stability when the vehicle is in a position of use and slewing of the boom is required.

Conventionally, for the supply of motive, e.g. hydraulic fluid to control the hydraulic equipment of a slewable or rotatable mechanism such as the turntable 17 and boom 18, it is necessary to provide one, and in some cases several, rotary fluidtight joints between the relatively rotating parts of the mechanisms. Such arrangements are inevitably expensive since the components thereof must be very accurately formed and assembled, and numerous seals are incorporated in order to ensure fluid tightness between the aforesaid rotary components. A feature of the present invention enables fluid supply to the slewing turntable and its ancilliary rams to be accomplished in a relatively simple and inexpensive manner.In the arrangement described, various rams are associated with the turntable 17 and boom 18 for performing a number of rotating and lifting functions and hydraulic supplies for such rams are provided via a corresponding number of pairs of hoses 26, each connected to the turntable via a respective fluid connection, the other ends of the hoses being connected to the hydraulic supply, in conventional manner. As will be seen more clearly from Figure 6, the hoses are wound around the outer surface of the turntable 17, or a drum associated therewith, in a direction such that, as the boom 18 is slewed from its Figure 6 position to that shown in Figure 7, the hoses are unwound and rest in a space provided, usually within a suitable cavity or a container such as a drum (not shown). When the boom slews back to its rest position (Figure 6) the hoses are once again wound around the turntable.It will be seen that this arrangement enables the fluid connections to be the relatively rotating parts to be made by simple non-rotary connections, which leads to an arrangement which is not only simpler and less expensive, but less susceptible to leakage than the prior art arrangement referred to above. It will be understood that any convenient number of hoses may be connected and arranged in accordance with the aforesaid feature of the invention.

It will be understood that the boom 18 may carry any suitable working head, such as a digger or hedge trimmer, or any suitable load handling device according to the particular requirements of use.

By incorporating the engine 8 forwardly of the vehicle, it has been possible to mount the turntable 7 at a position thereon such as to provide a significant and useful degree of slew for the boom 18.

Moreover, the engine 8 is disposed in a position laterally opposed to that of the driving position on the part A of the deck 15 and this has been found to contribute significantly to the excellent balance characteristics of the vehicle. The use of the chassis 1 in conjunction with the stressed deck 15 provides a very robust arrangement, the provision of the spine 6 and outrigger 7 providing a particularly convenient means of mounting the axles and engine in terms of manufacturing simplicity and strength.

Claims

1. A load handling or working vehicle comprising a drivable wheeled chassis which includes a longitudinal spine supporting front and rear axles and at least one transverse outrigger, an engine mounted on said outrigger towards one end of the chassis for powering a hydrostatic or mechanical drive system, a slewable boom mounted on the chassis at a position remote from the engine in a direction towards the other end of the chassis, and a fixed driving station arranged at a position remote from the boom mounting position in a direction towards said one end of the chassis and transversely offset from the engine.

2. A vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein the chassis has a pair of parallel adjacent outriggers on which the engine is mounted, the engine being housed in an enclosure defined partially by the outriggers.

3. A vehicle according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the or each outrigger extends laterally outwardly from one side of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle according to any one the preceding claims wherein the spine and outriggers are secured to the undersurface of a stressed deck.

5. A vehicle according to Claim 4 wherein the driving station and boom are mounted on the stressed deck.

6. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each axle carries a pair of steerable wheels.

7. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rear axle is pivotally mounted on the chassis in such a manner as to be rockable transversely of the chassis.

8. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the boom is mounted above the rear axle.

9. A vehicle according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein a portion of the stressed deck is downwardly stepped to form a base for said driving station.

10. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one motive fluid supply hose is connected to the slewable boom which provides or carries means providing a surface around which the hose may be wound during slewing movement of the boom in one direction.

11. A vehicle according to Claim 10 wherein the boom is mounted on a turntable which provides or carries means providing said surface.

12. A vehicle according to Claim 10 or Claim 11 wherein a cavity or container is provided and arranged to receive the hose when not wound onto said surface.

13. A load handling or working vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.