US2835397A

US2835397A - Loader

Info

Publication number: US2835397A
Application number: US517998A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eddie B Wagner
Original assignee: MIXERMOBILE MANUFACTURERS Inc
Current assignee: MIXERMOBILE MANUFACTURERS Inc
Priority date: 1955-06-27
Filing date: 1955-06-27
Publication date: 1958-05-20
Anticipated expiration: 1975-05-20

Description

E. B. WAGNER May 20, 1958 LQADEB 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1955 INVENTOR. EDDIE B. WAGNER ,NHH a May 20, 1958 E. B. WAGNER LOADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 27, 1955 INVENTOR. EDDlE B. WAGNE R Mm. m. Q\ N mm E. @www d RQ ww ww Q @m u @M Nm. mb\ Q NQ VN QQ MN mv NN Q NQGQS wm S n .N am me m Q a 1 1 am @n W M A TTOR NE V5 May 20, 1958 E. B. WAGNER LOADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 27, 1955 INVENTOR.

EDDIE B. WAGNER A T TORNEKS` United States Patent LOADER Eddie B. Wagner, Portland, Greg., assignor to Mixermobile Manufacturers, Inc., Portland, Oreg., a corporation of Oregon Application June 27, 1955, Serial No. 517,998 s Claims. (c1. 214-140) This invention relates to a loader, and more particularly to a machine of the front loader type having a bucket or scoop which may be moved along the ground or other surface or otherwise manipulated to fill the bucket and then the bucket elevated and dumped, for example, into railroad cars, trucks, bins and the like.

The loader of the present invention has particular utility for rapidly handling large quantities of relatively lightweight material, for example, loading sugar beets from piles thereof into railroad cars, but lmay be adapted for handling nearly any type of material either heavy or light including gravel or other earth by substituting various v'size buckets. An important characteristic of the machine is its ability to elevate and dump a lled bucket at a position which is relatively high compared to the -height of the machine and the length of the boom employed. As an example, a machine has been built that elevates a tencubic-yard bucket tilled with 4sugar beets and dumps it over the side of railroad cars of the gondola type having upper edges fourteen feet above the ground. The'machine -just referred to has a total height of about 9 feet when the boom carrying the bucket is lowered and a boom approximately 8 feet long. The ability to dump over partitions or into containers at the height referred to while employing a relatively short boom is secured by an improved arrangement of the boom and the mounting "of the bucket or scoop thereon. In such arrangement the boom is pivoted to the frame of the machine at an elevated position and the bucket is carried by a supporting `structure pivotally connected to the end of the boom, the bucket in turn being pivotally connectedto the supporting structure intermediate the vertical height of the front portion of the bucket when the bucket is in uprightorload carrying position. The result is to provide a device which eciently `ele'vates a vbucket to a height which iis great relative to the length of the boom and also to provide a device for eiciently transmitting force to the scoop port-ion of the bucket during a loading operation.

It is therefore an object ofthe present invention to .provide an improved loader of the front `loading type.

VAnother object of the invention is lto provide a loader ofthe front loading type in which a relatively short boom `is employed but the bucket may bedumpedat a relatively high elevation.

Another object of the yinvention is to provide an lirnproved loader of the Ifront loading 'type in which 'the bucket is mounted in a-supporting structure which enables the bucket to be carried at the extreme end of a rela- -tively short boom and dumped while in position at 'the end of said boom.

A further object of the invention is to vprovide an improved loader structure in which the forces applied to the bucket during loading of the bucket are transmitted to the bucket in substantial alignment with the front wall of the bucket which forms the scoopportion thereof.

still further object of the invention is to provide an improved loader in which'the bucket-or scoop ispivotally Patented Mayv 20, 19,58

ICC

mounted in a supplemental supporting structure in turn pivotally mounted on a boom, and movement 4of the boom and supporting structure, as well as movement of the bucket relative to the supporting structure, is hydraulically controlled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given in connection with the attached drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the loader of the present invention showing the bucket in loading position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the loader showing the bucket in elevated position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the machine and generally through its center and `showing the bucket in carrying position;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l3;

Fig. 5 is the plan view of the boom and bucket supporting structure of the loader in the position they occupy in Fig. 3 with the bucket and hydraulic actuators removed;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic system for actuating various parts of the loader; and

Fig. 7 is a partial side elevation illustrating how a smaller bucket is supported in the bucket supporting structure.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the loader of the present invention includes a front frame portion 1l) and a rear frame portionll. The front and rear frame portions 10 and 11, respectively, are connected together by an intermediate frame member 12 for relativepivotal movement about a vertical axis through the pivot pins 13 and 14, and for relative pivotal motion about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the front frame portion 10 and intermediate frame member 12, i. e., about the axis of the sleeve 16 carried by the intermediate frame member 12.

The front frame member includes side frame mem- -bers 17 connected together by cross members 18 and 19 and bythe axle housing 21 in which are positioned front axle shafts 22 driving wheels 23 journaled on opposite ends of the axle housing 21. The side frame members of the front frame portion also include upwardly and rearwardly extending standards 24 and also fender portions 25 extending between the crosspiece 18 and the standards 24, the fender portions 25 being of heavy metal and forming part ofthe stress-resisting structure of the front frame portion l0. The front frame portion 10 also has spaced, downwardly extending standards 26 attached to the side frame members 17 and to cross members '1S and 19, all of the various members making up the front frame portion 10 being welded together to form a single integral structure.

The front frame portion 10 carries a boom 27 having a tubular crosspiece 28 at one end positioned between the standards 24 and pivotally attached thereto by a cross shaft 29 journaled in the cross Vmember 28 and secured in the standards 24. The other end of the boom is provided with anothertubular -crosspiece 32 in winch is journaled the cross shaft 33 which carries the bucket-supporting structure described below. The boom 27 may be raised or lowered so as to pivot about the shaft 29 by means of hydraulic cylinders 34, one on each side of the boom 27. The cylinders 34 have their lower ends .pivotally connected at 36 to the lower ends of the downwardly extending standards 26 and have piston rods 37 (Fig. 2) connected at 38 to the boom -27 intermediate its end.

At its free end the boom 27 carries a bucket supporting structure 39 which includes U-shaped side plates 41 connected together at their rear ends by a `flat crosspiece 3 42and at intermediate points by

tubular cross members

43, 44 and 45 and at their front ends by a tubular cross member 46. The cross shaft 33 journaled in the tubular member 32 at the free end of the boom 27 is secured in the side members 41 of the bucket supporting structure ,so that such structure may pivot about such cross shaft. Thebucket supporting structure may be pivoted about the cross shaft 33 by hydraulic cylinders 4'7, one of which is positioned at each side of the machine and pivotally connected at 48 to one of the upstanding standards 24.

The cylinders 47 each have a piston rod 49 connected to a clevis member 50 pivotally connected at 51 to one of the U-shaped side members 41 of the bucket supporting srtucture 39. Vhen the piston rods 49 are fully retracted into the cylinders 47, the boom 27 on the one hand, and the hydraulic cylinders 47, piston rods 49 and clevis member 50 on the other hand, form a parallel mo tion mechanism. That is to say, the

cross shafts

29 and 33 and pivotal connections 48 and 51 are positioned at the corners of a parallelogram such that the bucket supporting structure remains in upright position when the boom 27 is raised and lowered yby the cylinders 34. When the bucket supporting structure is pivoted about the cross shaft 33 vinto a tilted position by the hydraulic cylinder 47, the bucket supporting structure remains in tilted position during' raising and lowering of the boom.

The U-shaped bucket supporting structure provides a front portion 52 extending upwardly from the bottom portion thereof when in the positionshown in Fig. 3, and a bucket or scoop 53 is pivotally secured to Such front portion of the bucket supporting structure by a cross shaft 54. The cross shaft 54 extends through and is journaled in the tubular crosspiece 46, the ends of the cross shaft 54 being secured in side plates 56 forming part of an inwardly extending portion 57 in the front wall S3 of the bucket 53. The inwardly'extending portions 57 receive the front portion 52 of the bucket supporting structure 39. The bucket 53 also has a central, inwardly extending portion 61 which extends upwardly from the bottom of the bucket and from front to rear thereof. A hydraulic cylinder 62 for tipping the bucket about the cross shaft 54 is positioned in the inwardly extending portion 61 of the bucket and has one end pivotally connected at 63 to the upper rear portion of the bucket supporting structure 39. A piston rod 64 extending from the cylinder 62 is pivotally connected to the bucket by a pin 66 extending through the side walls of the inwardly extending portion 61. The inwardly extending portions 57 and 61 of the bucket not only receive the front portion 52 of the U-shaped bucket supporting structure 39 and the hydraulic cylinder 62, respectively, but also function as bracing structure for the bucket itself. f

n the upright or carrying position of the bucket shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bottom 67 of the bucket rests on the lower portion of the bucket supporting structure 39. In this position the rear wall of the bucket is adjacent the boom 27. The bucket supporting structure may be pivoted about the cross shaft 33 by the hydraulic cylin ders 47 to move the bucket into the loading position shown in Fig. 1. The

hydraulic cylinders

47 and 62, as well as the cylinders 34, may then be employed to force the front wall or scoop portion of the bucket into contact with the ground or other surface or to cause the bucket to assume various positions relative to such surfaces. T he bucket may then be loaded by forward mo tion of the entire machine, which motion may be combined with upward and forward motion of the bucket, etc. When the bucket or scoop has been loaded it may be returned to the carrying position shown in Fig. 3 and may4 thereafter at any time and while remaining in its upright position be raised to the dumping position shown in Fig. 2 by the cylinders 34. With most materials the bucket may be dumped-by merely employing cylinder 62 4 totip the bucket forward but, if desired, the bucket may be further tipped by also employing the cylinders 47 to tip the bucket supporting structure 39.

The rear frame portion 11 of the machine has side frame members 71 suitably secured together by cross members such as the

cross members

72, 73 at the rear end of the rear frame portion 11, and cross members 74, 76,77, 78 and 79 adjacent the front end of the rear frame portion 11, the side members 71. also being secured together by the rear axle housing 80. A cab 81 also extends between the side frame members 71, and fender portions 82 cover the rear wheels 83 which are journaled on the ends of the axle housing 80. The fender portions 82 are of heavy metal and form a part of the stressresisting structure of the rear frame portion 11, the fender portions 82 being connected to the side frame members 71 by bracing plates 84. The front cross members 76 and 77 of the rear frame portion 11 are spaced vertically from each other and receive therebetween a rearwardly extending member 85 forming part of the intermediate frame portion 12, the member 85 being journaled on the pivot pin 13 secured in the cross members 76 and 77. Similarly, the lower front cross members 78, 79 are spaced vertically from each other 'and receive therebetween a lower, rearwardly extending member 86 also forming part of the intermediate frame portion 12. The rearwardly extending member 86 is journaled on the pivot pin 14 secured in the cross members 78 and 79 so that the intermediate frame portion 12 may pivot relative to the rear frame portion 11 about a vertical axis through the pivot pins 13 and 14. The front frame portion 10 also carries a sleeve 87 secured to cross members 18 and 19, the sleeve 87 being journaled upon the sleeve 16 forming part of the intermediate frame portion 12. The front frame portion 10 may thus pivot about a horizontal axis extending horizontally and longitudinally of the machine.

Hydraulic cylinders 88 (Pig. 4) for steering the machine have their rear ends pivotally secured at 89 to a cross member 90 extending between the side frame members 71 and have their piston rods 91 connected to steering arms 92 rigidly secured to the intermediate frame portion 12. The cylinders 88 may be employed to pivot the intermediate frame portion 12 and the front frame portion 10 relative to the rear frame portion 11 about the vertical axis through the pivot pins 13 and 14 for steering of the machine. Pivoting of the front frame portion 10 about the axis of the sleeve 16 on the intermediate frame portion 12 allows all four wheels of the machine to remain in contact with the ground or other surface at I all times.

The rear frame portion 11 carries an internal combustion engine 94 which ordinarily will be of the heavyduty diesel type, and such engine may be supported in any suitable manner, for example, upon the

crosspieces

72 and 73. All four wheels of the machine are driven from the engine and the drive may be traced through a torque converter 96, a reversing mechanism 97, universal joints 98, a change gear mechanism 99 and a chain drive mechanism 100 to a shaft 101, the shaft 101 extending both front and rear from the housing of the chain drive mechanism 100. The rear wheels 83 may be driven from the shaft 101 through universal joints 102 and a differential 103 from which the rear axle shafts 104 extend. The front wheels 23 may be driven from the shaft 101 through universal joint 106, shaft 107, universal joint 108 and differential 109 from which the front axle shafts 22 extend. All of the wheels are provided with large, low-pressure pneumatic tires 111 preferably having heavy treads (not shown).

The cab 81 may contain a seat 112 and the usual steering wheel on a steering column 113 and may also contain other conventional truck controls such as brake and throttle pedals (not shown). The cab may also con'- tain control levers 116, 117 and 118 for controlling the operationtof the

hydraulic cylinders

34, 62 and 47, respectively. The hydraulic system is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6 and contains the hydraulic cylinders just referred to as well as a control valve assembly 119, a storage tank121 for hydraulic fluid, and a pump'122 which may be driven by the engine 94 for withdrawing hydraulic iluid from the tank 121 and supplying it to the valve assembly 119. The details of the valve assembly 119 are not shown, but such assembly may contain separate control valves of any known or suitable type actuated by levers 116, 117 and 118. For example, movement of the lever 116 in one direction from a neutral position causes hydraulic uid to be introduced under pressure into one end of the cylinders 34 and to be exhausted from the opposite ends of such cylinders, as is conventional in such systems, to cause the pistons rods 37 to be moved. Movement of the lever in the opposite direction from such neutral position reverses the flow of fluid to move the piston rod in the opposite direction, and in the neutral position of the lever both ends of the hydraulic cylinders are closed so that the piston rods are held in a desired position. The levers 117 and 118 control the operations of the

cylinders

62 and 47, respectively, and in an entirely similar manner. It will therefore be apparent that the boom 27 may be raised and lowered by the hydraulic cylinders 34 under control of the control lever 116, that the bucket tipping cylinder 62 may be actuated to tip the bucket about the cross shaft 54 under control of the lever 117, and that the cylinders 47 may be actuated to tip the bucket supporting structure 39 about the cross shaft 33 under control of the lever 118. The steering apparatus of the machine of the present invention is also operated hydraulically and includes the steering hydraulic cylinders 38 and a separate pump 123 which may also be driven by the engine 94 for withdrawing hydraulic fluid from the tank 121 and delivering it to a steering control valve assembly 124. The steering control valve assembly 124 is actuated by a steering wheel shaft 126 positioned in the steering column 113, and may be of any known or suitable type containing follow-up valves which will admit hydraulic fluid under pressure into opposite ends of the two steering hydraulic cylinders 36 when the steering wheel is turned, hydraulic fluid being exhausted from the other ends of such cylinders.

The bucket 53 shown in Figs. l to 4 is of a large size and, for example, may be a ten-cubic-yard bucket. Such bucket has particular utility in handling materials having relatively low weight with respect to their volume, for example, sugar beets. A bucket of smaller size may, however, be easily substituted for the bucket 53, for example, the bucket 128 shown in Fig. 7. The bucket 128 may be of the same general structure as bucket 53 Vexcept that it may be smaller in some or all of its overall dimensions. lt may be pivotally supported by the cross shaft -54 in the bucket'supporting structure 39, which` may be identical with the similar structure in Figs. l, 2 and 4 and may be tipped by the hydraulic cylinder 62.

In operation of the loader, the boom 27 may be raised or lowered by the hydraulic cylinders 34 and, for example, may be brought to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The bucket supporting structure 39 may be rotated about the cross shaft 33 by the cylinders 47 to bring the bucket into the position shown in Fig. l. It is obvious that lowering of the boom 27 or movement of the bucket supporting structure 39 about the cross shaft 33 may be performed in any desired order, or simultaneously, by proper manipulation of the levers 1416 and 118. The bucket 53 is thereby placed in loading position. The bucket tipping cylinder 62 may also be employed during loading operation to vary the height of the front edge or scoop portion of the bucket, and by ernploying all of the

cylinders

34, 47 and 62 either separately or in any combination, the bucket may be made to assume a wide variety ofpositions relative tothe ground. l`he1entire' machine may be driven forward to `motion of the machine while raising the boom.

neutral f.- position. shown `it is obvious that the machine may be modified ,portion of the machine so as to move the bucket from side to side during the loading operation. Loading of the bucket While it is at an intermediate position between the positions shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. l can be accom- .plished when the material being loaded is in a pile lor ,presents a surface sloping upwardly and away from the machine. Such loading may be accomplished by forward lt will, therefore, be apparent that all of the

cylinders

34, 47 and 62, as Well as forward motion of the machine by its drivingvwheels, may be employed in loading the bucket 53.

When-the loaded bucket has been returned to the carrying position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the entire machine may be driven to a desired unloading location and the bucket dumped. The pivotal connections between the front frame portion 10 and the rear frame portion 11, in conjunction with the large tires and four-wheel drive, permit the machine to be driven over extremely rough surfaces. Upon reaching the unloading location, the

bucket may befelevated to any desired height within the limits of the machine by merely employing the hydraulic cylinders 34 to elevate the boom 27. The parallel motion mechanism afforded by the boom 2S and thehydraulic cylinders 47 with their connecting clevises 51 maintains the bucket in upright position during the elevating operation. The bucketmay be dumped at any elevation by employing the bucket tilting cylinder 62 to rotate the bucket about the cross shaft 54. That `is to say, the cylinder 62 may be employed to move the bucket from theposition Ashown in full lines in Fig. 2 to the position B shown in dotted lines in said ligure. If such positionis not sufficient to cause the load to discharge from the bucket, for example, because the load adheres -to-the walls of the bucket, the cylinder 47 may be ernployed to tip the bucket supporting mechanism 41 so as to carry the bucket into the position B indicated by dashdot lines in Fig. 2. Any of the hydraulic cylinders may be employed to shake the bucket in any position by rapid oscillation f of an appropriate control lever through its While a pair of cylinders 34 has lbeen to employ one preferably centrally positioned cylinder of larger sizeand the-same is true of the pair of cylinders "47.

One major advantage of the lstructure shown for elevating and -supporting the bucket is the relatively great heightat which the bucket may be dumped. That isl to say, tnebucket is at the extreme end of the boom and -canbetipped over a partition or an edge of a bin or,

Vis no substantial force couple acting and the relatively heavy bucket supporting structure 31 is brought close to the point at which the scoop portion of the bucket engages the material being loaded. It is to be noted that the motor 94 is positioned at the end of the machine which is remote from the bucket and on the other side of th'e rear wheels 83 so that the weight of the motor and associated apparatus is effective to counterbalance the loadved bucket. f

I claim as my invention:

l. A loader comprising a Vehicle having a frame, a boom pivotally connected to said frame to provide for raising and lowering said boom, a bucket supporting structure pivotally connected to the end of said boom remote from said vehicle for movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom, a bucket supported by said structure, said bucket having a load carrying position and having a rear wall, side walls and a front wall, said front wall and side walls forming a scoop portion of said bucket, said structure having a bottom portion extending forwardly from said axis under said bucket :and a front portion extending upwardly from said bottom portion adjacent the front wall of said bucket when said bucket is in said position, said bucket being pivotally connected to said front portion adjacent said front wall and intermediate the height of said front wall for movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom and spaced from the first mentioned axis, and power means to raise and lower said boom and move said supporting structure and said bucket relative to each other and said boom about said axes, said supporting structure also having a rear portion extending upwardly, the power means for moving said supporting structure relative to said boom being connected between the upper portion of said rear portion and to said frame above the pivotal connection of said boom to said frame so as to form a parallelogram linkage with said boom when said bucket is in said load carrying position.

2, A loader comprising a vehicle having a frame provided with upstanding standards at each side thereof, a boom having an end positioned between said standards and pivotally connected to said standards to provide for raising and lowering said boom, a bucket supporting structure pivotally connected to the end of said boom remote from said vehicle for movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom, a bucket supported by said structure and having a rear wall and a front Wall, said structure having a bottom portion extending forwardly from said axis under said bucket when said bucket is in upright load carrying position and a front portion extending upwardly from said bottom portion adjacent the front wall of said bucket, said bucket being pivotally connected to said front portion adjacent said front wall and intermediate the height of said front wall for movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom and positioned forwardly of and above the first mentioned axis, said supporting structure having an upwardly extending rear portion, power means to raise and lower said boom, second power means for pivotally moving said supporting structure relative to said boom, said second power means being connected between the upper portion of said rear portion and the upper portions of said standards above said boom so as to form a parallelogram linkage with said boom when said bucket is in said upright position, and third power means connected between said rear portion and said bucket for pivotally moving said bucket relative to said supporting structure.

3. A loader comprising a vehicle having a frame provided with upstanding standards at each side thereof, a boom having an end positioned between said standards and pivotally connected to said standards to provide for raising and lowering said boom, a bucket supporting structure pivotally connected to the end of said boom remote from said vehicle for movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom, a bucket supported by said structure and having a rear wall and a front Wall, said structure having a bottom portion extending forwardly from said axis under said bucket when said bucket is in upright load carrying position and a front portion extending upwardly from said bottom portion adjacent the -front wall of said bucket, said bucket being pivotally connected to said front portion adjacent said front wall and intermediate the height of said front wall for movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom `and spaced from the tirst mentioned axis, said supporting structure having an upwardly extending rear portion, power means to raise and lower said boom, second power means for pivotally moving said supporting structure relative to said boom, said second power means being connected between the upper portion of said rear portion and the upper portions of said standards above said boom so as to form a parallelogram linkage with said boom when said bucket is in said upright position, and third power means connected between said rear portion and said bucket for pivotally moving said bucket relative to said supporting structure, said boom and said second power means providing a parallelogram linkage when said bucket is in upright load carrying position to maintain said bucket in upright position during raising of said boom.

4. A loader comprising a self-propelled vehicle having a frame and a boom having an end extending forwardly of said vehicle, pivot means extending transversely of said boom and connecting said boom to said vehicle to provide for raising and lowering said end of said boom, a U-shaped bucket supporting structure having a bottom and front and rear upstanding arms when said structure is in load carrying position, a pivot extending laterally of said boom and connecting said structure to said end of said boom adjacent the intersection of said bottom portion and said rear arm for movement of said structure about said pivot, said structure having its bottom portion extending outwardly of said boom from said pivot, a bucket positioned between the arms of said structure when in load carrying position and having a front wall and a rear wall, a pivot extending transversely of said structure and connecting said bucket to the upper end of said front arm of said structure adjacent said front wall and intermediate the height of said front wall when said bucket is in said carrying position, power means connected between said trame and said boom lfor lowering and raising said boom, power means for pivoting said structure relative to said boom, the last mentioned power means being connected between the upper portion of said rear arm and to said frame above the pivot means connecting said boom to said frame so as to form a parallelogram linkage with said boom when said bucket is in said load carrying position, and power means connected between said rear arm and said bucket for pivoting said bucket relative to said supporting structure.

5. A loader comprising a self-propelled vehicle having a frame and a boom having an end extending forwardly of said vehicle, pivot means extending transversely of said boom and connecting said boom to said vehicle to provide for raising and lowering said end of said boom, a U-shaped bucket supporting structure having a bottom portion and front and rear upstanding arms when said structure is in load carrying position, a pivot extending laterally of said boom and connecting said structure to said end of said boom adjacent the intersection of said bottom portion and said rear arm -for movement of said structure about said pivot, said structure having its bottom portion extending outwardly of said boom from said pivot, a bucket positioned between the arms of said structure when in load carrying position and having a front wall and a rear wall, a pivot extending transversely of said structure and connecting said bucket to the upper end of said front arm of said structure adjacent said front wall and intermediate the height of said front wall when said bucket is in said carrying position, power means connected between said frame and said boom for lowering and raising said boom, power means connected between said frame and said rear arm for pivoting said structure relative to said boom, and power means connected between said rear arm and said bucket for pivoting said bucket relative to said supporting structure, said bucket having a centrally positioned, re-entrant, hollow portion extending upwardly into said bucket from the bottom thereof and -from said front and rear walls, the

last-mentioned power means being positioned in said hollow portion.

6. A loading mechanism comprising a frame, a boom having one end pivotally connected to said frame to provide for raising and lowering the other end of said boom, said frame having an upper portion extending above said one end of said boom, a U-shaped bucket .supporting structure having a bottom portion, a rear arm having an upper portion extending above said bottom portion and a front arm, said supporting structure being pivotally connected to said other end of said boom adjacent the intersection of said bottom portion and said rear arm for pivtal movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom, a bucket supported by said structure and having a front wall, said bucket being positioned between said arms when in load carrying position and being pivotally connected to the end of said front arm adjacent said front wall for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversley of said boom, and power means for independently moving said boom, said supporting structure and said bucket about said pivotal connections, the power means for moving said supporting structure about the pivotal connection between said boom and said supporting structure being connected between the upper portion of said frame and the upper portion of said rear arm and positioned above said boom so as to form a parallelogram linkage with said boom and said rear arm when said supporting structure has its arms in an upright position. v

7. A loading mechanism comprising a frame, a boom having an end pivotally connected to said frame to provide for raising and lowering the other end of said boom, a U-shaped bucket supporting structure having a bottom portion, a rear arm and a front arm, said supporting structure being -pivotally connected to said other end of said boom adjacent the intersection of said bottom portion and said rear arm for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom, a bucket supported by said structure and having a front wall, said bucket being positioned between said arms when in load carrying position and being pivotally connected to the end of said front arm adjacent said front wall for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom, and power means for independently moving said boom, said supporting structure and said bucket about said pivotally connections, said bucket having a centrally positioned, hollow portion extending in- Wardly of said bucket, upwardly from the bottom and from front to rear of said bucket, the power means for moving said bucket aboutthe pivotal connection between said supporting structure and said bucket being connected between said rear arm and said bucket and positioned in said hollow portion.

8. A loading mechanism comprising a frame, a boom having an end pivotally connected to said frame to provide for raising and lowering the other end ,of said boom, a U-shaped bucket supporting structure having a bottom portion, a rear arm and a front arm, said supporting structure being pivotally connected to said other end of said boom adjacent the intersection of said bottom portion and said rear arm for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom, a bucket supported by said structure and having a front wall, said bucket being positioned between said arms when in load carrying position and being pivotally connected to the end of said front arm adjacent said front wall for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of said boom, and power means for independently moving said boom, said supporting structure and said bucket about said pivotal connections, said bucket having a centrally positioned, hollow portion extending inwardly of said bucket, upwardly from the bottom and from front to rear of said bucket, the power means for moving said bucket about the pivotal connection between said supporting structure and said bucket being connected between said rear arm and said bucket and positioned in said hollow portion, said bucket also having an inwardly extending, hollow portion in said front wall for receiving said front arm.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,404,619 Coats July 23, 19'46 2,426,544 Wooldridge Aug. 26, 1947 2,672,995 Drott Mar. 23, 1954 2,726,778 Hough Dec. 13, 1955 2,773,613 Burrus Dec. 11, 1956 2,790,256 Beyerstedt Apr. 30, 1957