Load carrying structure and method of manufacture therefor
First Claim
1. A load carrying structure (10), comprising:
- top and bottom plates (22,24) each having first and second edge portions (50,52;
54,56) and first and second end portions (38,46,40,48);
first and second side plates (30,32) connected to said first and second edge portions (50,54;
52,56), respectively, of both of said top and bottom plates (22,24) and each extending outwardly from and adjacent said first end portions (38,40) of said top and bottom plates (22,24), said outwardly extending portions (78,80) of said first and second side plates (30,32) being spaced one from the other;
first and second support members (26,28) each having first and second side portions (58,60;
62,64) and first and second end portions (34,36;
42,44), said first support member (26) being connected at its first and second end portions (34,36) to said first end portions (50,52) of said top and bottom plates, respectively, and at its first and second side portions (58,60) to said first and second side plates (30,32), respectively, said second support member (28) being connected at its first and second end portions (42,44) to said second end portions (46,48) of said top and bottom plates (22,24), respectively, and at its first and second side portions (62,64) to said first and second side plates (30,32) respectively; and
at least first, second and third preselected load input locations (70,72,74), said first and second load input locations (70,72) each being defined on said first and second side plates (30,32) and with said first and second support members (26,28), respectively, said third load input location (74) being defined on said outwardly extending portions (78,80) of said first and second side plates (30,32).
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A load carrying structure (10) is, for example, the stick (12) of an excavator or another work element having at least three load input locations (70,72,74). In operating the excavator, for example, failure of the stick can occur owing to side, torsional, bending and columnar loading through bucket (16), boom (14), and control element connections (18,20,76) at associated load input locations. A method for making the structure (10) includes connecting top and bottom plates (22,24) and side plates (30,32) which extend outwardly to define respective load input locations (70,74). Other load input locations (72,74,144) are on a box structure (82) formed with the side and top and bottom plates (30,32; 22,24). The structure (10) has a more uniform construction, particularly without weld discontinuities, and resists input forces more effectively owing to the relationship of the load input locations to substantially overcome failures associated with such structures.
33 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A load carrying structure (10), comprising:
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top and bottom plates (22,24) each having first and second edge portions (50,52;
54,56) and first and second end portions (38,46,40,48);first and second side plates (30,32) connected to said first and second edge portions (50,54;
52,56), respectively, of both of said top and bottom plates (22,24) and each extending outwardly from and adjacent said first end portions (38,40) of said top and bottom plates (22,24), said outwardly extending portions (78,80) of said first and second side plates (30,32) being spaced one from the other;first and second support members (26,28) each having first and second side portions (58,60;
62,64) and first and second end portions (34,36;
42,44), said first support member (26) being connected at its first and second end portions (34,36) to said first end portions (50,52) of said top and bottom plates, respectively, and at its first and second side portions (58,60) to said first and second side plates (30,32), respectively, said second support member (28) being connected at its first and second end portions (42,44) to said second end portions (46,48) of said top and bottom plates (22,24), respectively, and at its first and second side portions (62,64) to said first and second side plates (30,32) respectively; andat least first, second and third preselected load input locations (70,72,74), said first and second load input locations (70,72) each being defined on said first and second side plates (30,32) and with said first and second support members (26,28), respectively, said third load input location (74) being defined on said outwardly extending portions (78,80) of said first and second side plates (30,32). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A load carrying structure (10), comprising:
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a skeleton assembly (89) having top and bottom plates (22,24) and first and second support members (26,28), said top and bottom plates (22,24) each having first and second end portions (38,46;
40,48) and first and second edge portions (50,52;
54,56), said first support member (26) having first and second end portions (34,36) and first and second side portions (58,60) and being connected at said first end portion (34) to said first end portion (38) of said top plate (22) and at said second end portion (36) to said first end portion (40) of said bottom plate (24), said second support member (28) having first and second end portions (42,44) and first and second side portions (62,64) and being connected at said first end portion (42) to said second end portion (42) of said top plate (22) and at said second end portion (44) to said second end portion (48) of said bottom plate (24);first and second side plates (30,32) connected to said first and second edge portions (50,54;
52,
56), respectively, of both said top and bottom plates (22,24) and to said first and second side portions (58,62;
60,64), respectively, of both of said first and second support members, and each extending outwardly from and adjacent the first support member (26), said outwardly extending portions (78,80) of said first and second side plates (30,32) being spaced one from the other; andat least first, second and third preselected load input locations (70,72,74), said first and second load input locations (70,72) being defined by said first and second support members (26,28), respectively, said third load input location (74) being defined by said outwardly extending portions (78,80) of said first and second side plates (30,32).
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13. A method for making a load carrying structure (10) having first and second support members (26,28), top and bottom plates (22,24) and first and second side plates (30,32), comprising:
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connecting first and second end portions (38,46) of said top plate (22) to a first end portion (34) of said first support member (26) and to a first end portion (42) of the second support member (28), respectively, and first and second end portions (40,48) of said bottom plate (24) to a second end portion (36) of said first support member (26) and to a second end portion (44) of said second support member (28), respectively, and forming a skeleton assembly (89); positioning said first and second side plates (30,32) at a preselected location relative to skeleton assembly (89) at a location generally along said skeleton assembly (89) and extending outwardly from said skeleton assembly (89) generally adjacent said first support member (26); and connecting said first and second side plates (30,32) to first edge portions (50,54) and second edge portions (52,56), respectively, of both the top and bottom plates (22,24) and to first side portions (58,62) and second side portions (60,64), respectively, of both the first and second support members (26,28) at said preselected location. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification