Front end loader

• US 4,547,118 A
• Filed: 02/09/1983
• Issued: 10/15/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Galion Holding Company
• Original Assignee: Peabody International Corp. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pittenger, Francis H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, David A.
• Application Number:
  US06/464,780
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 414/408, 414/685, 414/406, 91/464
• US Class Current: 414/408
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2003/0279 the discharging means mounted at the front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/04 Linkages, pivoted arms, or pivoted carriers for raising and subsequently tipping receptacles

Abstract

A front end loader mechanism for a refuse handling vehicle wherein a pair of swingable lift arms have a pair of pivoted fork arms for engaging a refuse container and lifting it to an unloading position, the fork arms being foldable relative to the lift arms when the latter are in a transport position to minimize the overall length of the vehicle and have a cam abutment arrangement establishing the minimum angle to which the fork arms can be moved relative to the lift arms in the unloading position to prevent interference between various components of the loader mechanism, vehicle and refuse container.

Claims

1. A front end loader mechanism for a motor vehicle comprising:

a pair of lift arms pivotally mounted on the vehicle, means for swinging said lift arms about said pivot from a lower transport position at the front of said vehicle through an intermediate loading position and to an elevated unloading position at the top of said vehicle, a pair of fork arms mounted on said lift arms, means for swinging said fork arms between first and second fork arm positions which are substantially a horizontal and a vertical position relative to said lift arms when the latter are in said lower transport position, and cam means on said lift arms movable relative thereto and relative to said fork arms, and actuator means for moving said cam means from a first cam position when said lift arms in said transport position to permit swinging movement of said fork arms from said first fork arm position to said second vertical transport fork arm position, said actuator means moving said cam means to a second cam position permitting swinging movement of said fork arms relative to said lift arms upon movement of the latter from said transport position toward said unloading position, said cam means being in said second cam position to limit the angular position of said fork arms relative to said lift arms by abutment of a stop surface on said cam means with the means for swinging said fork arms to a dumping position between said first and second positions when the latter are in said elevated unloading position.

2. The front end loader mechanism of claim 1 wherein said cam means are pivoted to said lift arms for movement independently of said fork arms and are spaced from said fork arms when said cam means are in said first cam position, and said stop surface is engageable with said means for swinging said fork arms when said cam means are in said second cam position.

3. The front end loader mechanism of claim 1 and further comprising support means on said vehicle, complementary support means on said loader engageable with the support means on said vehicle to support vertical loads of said lift arms when the latter are in said transport position.

4. The front end loader mechanism of claim 3 wherein said support means on said loader are connected to said cam means movably mounted on said lift arms, said support means on said loader being engageable with said support means on said vehicle to move said cam means to said first cam position upon movement of said lift arms to said transport position.

5. The front end loader mechanism of claim 4 wherein said actuator means resists movement of said cam means to said first cam position upon movement of said lift arms to a transport position and being operative to move said cam means to a second cam position in response to movement of said lift arms from said transport position.

6. A front end loader mechanism for a motor vehicle comprising:

a pair of lift arms pivotally mounted on the vehicle, means for swinging said lift arms about said pivot from a lower transport position at the front of said vehicle through an intermediate loading position and to an elevated unloading position at the top of said vehicle, a pair of fork arms mounted on said lift arms, means for swinging said fork arms between a horizontal and a vertical position relative to said lift arms when the latter are in said lower transport position, cam means on said lift arms movable relative thereto and relative to said fork arms from a first cam position when said lift arms are in said transport position to permit swinging movement of said fork arms to a vertical transport position and movable to a second cam position permitting swinging movement of said fork arms relative to said lift arms upon movement of the latter from said transport position toward said unloading positions, said cam means being in said second cam position to limit the angular position of said fork arms relative to said lift arms when the latter are in said elevated unloading position by abutment of a stop surface on said cam with the means for swinging said fork arms, support means on said vehicle, complementary support means on said loader engageable with the support means on said vehicle to support vertical loads of said lift arms when the latter are in said transport position, said support means on said loader are connected to said cam means movably mounted on said lift arms, said support means on said loader being engageable with said support means on said vehicle to move said cam means to said first cam position upon movement of said lift arms to said transport position, a spring acting between said cam means and said lift arms, resisting movement of said cam means to said first position upon movement of said lift arms to a transport position thereby providing a cushioning effect and being operative to move said cam means to a said second cam position in response to movement of said lift arms from said transport position.