US2820558A - Tractor-mounted loader - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 21,1958 E. L. MILLER TRACTOR-MOUNTED LOADER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 15, 1954 722 'IZZLET 5/1226! L. Mi/fr United This-invention relates .to a tractor-mounted loader and moreparticularly to a loader that .inrelation .tosits size and weight can carry a load of maximum size and weight to a; maximum height andwhich is rugged, easily operated and readily constructed from. a minimum number. ofiparts.

In an exemplary application of this invention, a loader c mprises .arm :means arranged for connection to a tractor for raising ,and lowering movements, preferably. about, av pivotalaxis above the axis. of the rear tractor wheels. A sweep. arranged to underlie and. supporta load, such asa load of hay, is pivotallyconnected, to the arm means and push-oif means are mounted formovement over the. sweep for discharging. the load. therefrom.

fIn operation, the armtmeans may be lowered .to-.posi-, tion thesweep close to the ground and the tractormay b e driven forwardlytoward a pile of material such as hay so that the sweep is in underlying supporting relation thereto. The sweep may .then' be tilted upwardly .to, retain a maximum amount of material thereon and thereafter the arrnmeans may be elevated. The tractor may then be driven to a place where it isjdesired to deposit the load on the sweep and after the arm means are elevated .to the required height, thepush-ofi means may be actuated to discharge thematerial therefrom.

Through the combination of the pivotal support of the sweep from the arm means with the push-oil means on the sweep, a maximum .load,,may be retained on the sweep by tilting the same and the load can be carried to a maximum height relative to the size of the arm means since the push-oil means can elevate the load to 'discharge the same from the sweep and'the load is not discharged downwardly as would be the'case if the pivotal connection of the sweep to the arm means were relied on for discharging the load. Also, the pivotal movement of the sweep required to retain a maximum load thereon is limited and because of the push-off means, thesweep need not be pivoted through a widearc as would be required if pivotal movement of the sweep were relied. on for discharging the load therefrom.

According to an important feature of the invention, the same means are used to both retract the push-oil means and control pivotal tilting movement. :of the. sweep. In particular, actuating meansniay be connected between the push-E means and the arm meansandstop: means may be provided for limiting rearward or return movement'. ofthe push-otf'means. After the pushroff ,means retracted to a.;positio,n where-further movement thereof is' limited'by-the; stop means, further movement of the actuating means will tilt the sweep. Accordingly, it isnot necessary toprovide separate actuating meansrfor tilting the sweep, and retracting the push-ofi, means. At the same time, optimum control is achieved because in all cases wherein itis desired to tilt the sweep, .thepushoff meanswill be in a fully retracted position.

The actuating means. may take the form- 0f cablescor the like but preferably :fluid actuated are-employed and most preferably double-actingfluid actuating ,means are employed which mayactuate thepush-ofi means 111 a Patent discharging direction as well as in a retracting direction. Hence the actuatingmeans performs three different functions which might otherwise require three separate actuating means. For positive, control of the push-off means and the sweep, the fluid actuated means should be hydraulic and may, for example, comprise a piston and cylinder assembly.

The push-ofif means could be actuated'directly from the actuating means. For example, the push-ofi? .means might be connected to a piston movable in a cylinder connected to the arm means supporting the sweep from the tractor. However, a motion-multiplying means is preferably employed between the actuating means and pushofi means to limitthe required movement of the actuating means. i

In particular, a pivotal arm maybe pivotally. connected to the push-.ofi means and the actuating means may act at apoint muchcloser to the pivotal axis of the arm than'the axis connection of the arm to the push-off means. Preferably, a pair of arms may be employed and'such may be pivoted to"t he1upper. end of an upright frame structure. With this arrangement, the arm or arms may eachpivotbetween a position extending downwardly and rearwardly from the upper end of the upright frame and a position extending idownwardly and forwardly from such upper. end of the" frame and the lower end portion Oftheload-engagingsurface of the push-off means is maintained at least-'as fa-r forward as the upperend portion Of "Sl1Ch;Slll faC6 as the push-off means is moved betweenfiheretracted and discharged positions thereof.

' ln' accordance'with" a-specific feature of the invention, the-upright -frame-may bepivoted'at its lower end to the sweep" to allow' the upper end of the frame to be moved asfar forwardly as 'is necessary for the required movement'of thvpiish-Offmeans. '-Means are provided --for' limiting such" forward'movement of the frame'relative to the-arm-meanssupporting the sweep from the tractor -so that upon actuation of the actuating means in a discharging direction, theactuating means will act to move the push-oif-means forwardly after the-frameis moved forwardly to a predetermined position. Preferably,=spring biasing means may act between the arm'means supporting the sweep from the tractor =andthe upright frame' to urge the frame toits forward position. This serves to keep the push-olf-as-sembly in position regardless'of the angle of the sweep as," for example, when pivotal movement'of the-'sweepis-limitedby engagement'of the sweep with a stack .of-hay.

*For" both urgingthe upright frame forwardly relative to the-arm means'and limiting such-forwardwmovement, the upright'frame aha point intermediate its lower and upper eridsmay have'means receiving'a bar connectedato the arm means that support the sweep from .ther'tractor. Such a' bar may have a pin or the like atitsouterend to limit :forwardmovement 0f the .upright frame and'may also have -a ooiledcompression spring thereon'between theframe and the-arm meansto urge. the frame outwardly. The bar may be *pivotally: connected to the. arm means and by a-pin also'serving as a pivotal connection forahydrauliccylinder used-to: actuate the assembly.

A feature: of the: loader is in the .configurationz;and-.actuation of the arm means. supporting 'ithe.= .sweepfrom: the tractor. Heretofore, .it hasbeen .the' practice tozcouple the sweep to the tractor through apair of armsconnected to the sweep .and .pivotally COBHfiCtECl'IO the .tractorand actuate the arms through hydraulic rams coupled. to the armsat or adjacent the connection of the arms'to the sweep and coupled to the tractor atpoints-b'elow the axis of pivotal connection of the arms to the tractor. This, of course, provides a maximum leverage for thehydraulic rams-and hencedecreases "the force to be applied by the rams. However, such long rams areexpensive' to manufacture'and further, in order that the rams may have the required strength against bending in their extended position, the cross-section thereof, must behgreater than dictated by the force to be applied thereby. In the loader of this invention, fluid-actuated rams are employed which act on the arm means at a point intermediate the end thereof connected to the sweep and the access of pivotal connection of the arm means to the tractor. Thus the rams can have a much shorter overall length and can have much greater rigidity with greatly reduced cost. The force required to be exerted by the rams is not increased in proportion to the decrease in length but is increased by only a small percentage and the required force can be readily obtained with the cross-section necessitated by rigidity requirements- The arm means preferably has an outer end portion projecting angularly downwardly with the sweep being pivotally connected thereto at the end of such outer portion. The hydraulic ram means are connected to the inner portion of the arm means at a point which is spaced a substantial distance above a line from the access of pivotal connection of a sweep to the arm means and through the access of pivotal connection of the arm means to the tractor. With this arrangement, the extended length of ram means required to achieve a given height of a sweep is substantially reduced and it is possible to obtain greater rigidity with reduced expense.

The fact thatthe outer end portion of the arm means slopes downwardly is also an advantage in that the actuating means for the sweep and push-off assembly may be connected to the arm means at a point adjacent the inner or upper end of the downwardly projecting outer portion thereof, this point being opposite the optimum connection point of the actuating means to the push-ofl" assembly. The fact that the outer end portion of the arm means slopes downwardly is also an advantage in that great rigidity may be achieved merely through the use of struts connecting such outer end portion of the arm means to the inner end portion to provide a truss-like structure.

An object of this invention, accordingly, is to proasaopas A loader constructed according to the principles of this invention is adapted to be mounted on the tractor 10 and may comprise a sweep 16 in the form of a scoop pivotally connected to arm means 17 which may be pivotally connected to the tractor for raising and lowering movements. The arm means 17 may have an outer downwardly projecting portion 18 and may preferably comprise a pair of arms on opposite sides of the tractor each having an outer downwardly projecting portion 19 and an inner portion 20. Each arm may preferably be of tubular metal having a generally square cross-section. To rigidify the outer portions of the arms, a plate 7 7 23 receiving the terminal ends of the downwardly. projecting arm portions 19 with pins 23 extending through such plates and such terminal ends to provide the pivotal connection between the scoop 16 and the arm means 17. To control pivotal movement of the scoop 16, a pair of plates 24 may project rearwardly therefrom to receive and to be connected to a piston rod 25 through a pin 26. The piston rod 25 may carry a piston movable in a cylinder 27 pivotal on a pin 28 extending between upstanding plates 29 secured to the arm means 17. Fluid under pressure, preferably liquid, may be supplied through lines 30 to the cylinder 27 on opposite sides of the piston therein to control pivotal movement of the scoop in either direction. To pivotally support the arm means 17 from the tractor 10, the inner end of each inner arm portion 20 may be journaled on pins 31 carried at the upper ends of upjecting plates 33 bolted to a plate 34 which is secured to vide an improved loader which relative to its size can carry a load of maximum size and discharge such load at a maximum height.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved loader having a sweep tiltable to a limited ex tent and having push-01f means thereon.

Another object .of this invention is to provide an improved loader having a tiltable sweep with push-off means thereon and with a single actuating means for both tilting the sweep and actuating the push-ofi means.-

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved loader which is very strong, rugged and durable and yet. readily manufacturable from a minimum number of parts.

This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages which will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a tractor having mounted thereon a loader incorporating certain features of the present invention and having a sweep in the form of a scoop;

Figure 2-is a side elevational view illustrating axsweep assembly constructed according to the principles of this invention and mounted on the loader of Figure 1 in place of the sweep illustrated in Figure 1;- and Figure. 3 is a cross-sectional view takensubstantially along lines I1IIII of Figure 2.

, Reference numeral 10 generally designates a tractor which may be of conventional construction and may comprise -a frame 11 supported by a front wheel or wheels 12 and rear wheels 13 at opposite ends-of a rear axial housing 14.

a plate 35. The plate 35 together with a plate 36 may be clamped by bolts on the rear axial housing 14. It

may be noted that the plate 33 may have a plurality of openings therein so that the vertical position of the upright supports 32 may be adjusted.

To provide additional support for the upright support members 32, bars 37 may extend between the upper end portions of the supports 32 and forward end portions of the tractor frame 11.

To control raising and lowering movements of the arm meanspl7, fluid-actuated means generally designated by reference numeral 38 may be provided which may comprise a pair of cylinders 39 each having an end portion journaled on a bolt 40 between plates 41 on the underside of each inner arm portion 20 of the arm means between plates 44 extending forwardly from the lower end portion of the upright supports 32. Both the plates 41 andthe plates 44 may have a plurality of holes for receiving the bolts 40 and 43 so as to permit adjustment of the connections. By proper adjustment, the scoop 16 may be positioned at a desired levelrelative to ground level whenthe fluid-actuated means 38 are in retracted positions.

To control operation of .the fluid-actuated means 38, fluid under pressure, preferably liquid, may be supplied to the cylinders 39 on opposite sides of the piston therein through lines 45.

The lines 30 connected to the cylinder 27 and the lines 45 connected to the cylinders 39 may extend through the arm means 17 and may be connected through lines 46 to a controller 47 supported in a position convenient for the tractor operator and connected to a pump through a line 48. The controller 47 may be of any desired construction adapted to supply fluid under pressure select- S illustrated and the tractor may be driven forwardly to drive the scoop into a pilejof material, such as manure, to be carried. The scoop 16 may then be tilted upwardly to retain a maximum amount of the material by supplying fluid under pressure to an appropriate one of the lines 30. Thereafter the arm means 17 maybe raised by supplying 'fluid under pressure to appropriate ones of the lines 45 and the tractor may be then driven to. a point where it is desired torunload the material. The scoop 16 may then be tilteddownwardly by supplying fluid under pressure to an appropriate one of the lines 30 to discharge the material therefrom.

Referring now to "Figure 2, reference numeral 49 generally designates a sweep assembly which incorporates very important featuresof the present invention and which is mounted on the arm means.17 in place of the scoop 16 illustrated in Figure 1. The sweep assembly 49 as illustrated is particularly designed'for use in loading and stacking hay but it will be appreciated that the principles involved in the construction of, the sweep assembly 49 may be applied as well to structures for loading other materials.

The sweep 49 may comprise. a plurality of tines or teeth 50 arranged to underlie and support a load of material such as bay. The teeth 50 may preferablyabe of wood and may have tips 51 of steel or other strong, hard, durable material. .Tosupport the teeth 50, the rearward end-portions thereof may be secured to the underside of'horizontal legs of a pair of spaced angle iron members 52and 53 extending transverse to the teeth 50. The angle iron members 52 and 53 may be secured rigidly together by rods 54 adjacent the ends of the members 52 and"53 and by angle iron members 55 and 56 intermediate the rods 54, as shown in Figure 3.

To pivotally support the sweep 49 from the arm means 17, pairs of plates 57 may project rearwardly from the rearward angle iron member 53 to receive the terminal end portions of the downwardly projecting portions 19 of the arms defining the arm means 17 and pins 58 may extend through such plates and such terminal ends to thereby provide the pivotal connection.

As will be described more in detail hereinafter, means are provided for tilting the sweep 49 upwardly to retain a maximum load thereon after the sweep has been driven into a pile of material to be carried. According to an important feature of the invention, such tiltable movement of the sweep 49 is not relied on for discharging the material, as is the case with the scoop 16 shown in Figure 1, but push-off means generally designated by reference numeral 59 are provided for moving forwardly over the sweep to discharge the material therefrom, thus greatly increasing the height from which material may be discharged from the sweep. It will be appreciated that this is particularly advantageous in a hay-loading sweep such as illustrated in which the tines or teeth are relatively long and in which the ends of the teeth may be elevated a comparatively great distance above the axis of pivotal connection of the sweep to the arm means.

The push-off means 59 may most preferably comprise a plurality of horizontal vertically spaced bars 60 secured to a plurality of vertical horizontally spaced bars 61. For economy of construction, the bars 60 and 61 may be of wood bolted together.

For actuation of the push-off means 59, a pair of bars 62 and 63 may project rearwardly, upwardly and slightly inwardly from the lower end of the push-otf means 59 with brace rods 64 and 65 projecting rearwardly and downwardly from upper portions of the pushoff means 59 to intermediate points of the bars 62 and 63. The rearward ends of the bars 62 and 63 may be received by the bi-furcated ends of a pair of arms 66 and 67 with pins 68 and 69 extending through such bi-furcated ends of the arms 66 and 67 and through the rearward ends of the bars 62 and 63, to provide a pivotal connection between the arms 66 and 67 and the push-off means-59.

'The.arms'66 and 67 maybe secured tothe ends of-a horizontal shaft 70 which may be-journaledfor rotation infour axially' spaced aligned sleeves 71, 72,73and 74. The 'sleeves"71 7,4 may bejdisposed at the npper'end of an upright frame structure generally designated by reference numeral'75 which may comprise-a pair of rods 76 and77 securedto the sleeves-71 and 74' andextending downwardly to 'bi-furcated lower end 'portions receiving and pinned to the vertical legs of the angle iron members 55 and56. The upright franc structure 75 may also include'bars'78 and79 extending upwardly and inwardly from lowerend portions of the'bars76 and 77 to the sleeves, 72 and 73, respectively.

It will be apparent that with rotation of' the shaft 70 aboutits axis, the'arms' 66 'and'67 may be moved from positions in'which they extend'rearwardly and downwardly from the axis of the shaft 70,'as illustrated in full lines in Figure 2, to positions in which they extend forwardly and downwardly from the axis of the shaft 70, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure'Z, to move the pushoff means 59 forwardly over the sweep 49, from a position as illustrated in full lines inFigure 2 to a position as illustrated in dotted lines therein, to discharge hay from the sweep'49.

To effect this rotation of the shaft 76, a pair of plates 80 and 81 may be secured thereto intermediate the sleeves 72 and 73 to receive the end of the'piston rod 25 with a pin 82 extending through suchplates and such end, to provide a pivotal connection. Fluid under pressure may then be admitted through the lines 30 to the cylinder 27 to control movement of the push-off means 59.

According to an important feature of the invention, the actuating means for the push-off means 59 may also serve to control tilting movement of the sweep 49. For this purpose, the lower end of the push-off means 59 in its retracted position may abut the vertical leg of the angle iron member 52 and rearward tilting movement of the upright frame 75 may be limited by blocks 83 secured to the rear sides of the bars 76 and 77 in position to engage the upper edges of the vertical legs of the agle iron members 55 and 56 when the upright frame 75 is at a position approximately normal to the teeth 50 of the sweep 49.

With this arrangement, after the push-01f means 59 have been fully retracted, further actuation of the piston rod 25 in a rearward direction will serve to tilt the sweep 49 upwardly about the axis of the pins 58. Such a position is illustrated in broken lines in Figure 2.

As previously indicated, the upright frame 75 may have its lower end pivotally secured to the sweep 49, which allows full floatation of the sweep head regardless of ground conditions. It is essential, however, that downward tilting movement of the sweep 49 be limited and for this purpose, a bar 84 is provided. The rearward end of this bar 84 may receive the same pin 28 that journals the cylinder 27, so as to provide a pivotal connection between the bar 84 and the arm means 17. The forward end of the bar 84 may be of reduced diameter to define an intermediate shoulder on the bar 84 and this forward end may ride in a sleeve 85 pivotally supported between the legs of an inverted U-shaped bracket 86 carried by a bar 87 secured between the rods 78 and 79 of the upright frame structure 75. A pin 88 in the forward terminal end of the bar 84 may engage the sleeve 85 to limit forward movement of the upright frame 75 relative to the arm means 17 and thus limit downward tilting movement of the sweep 49.

It will be appreciated that the sweep 49 may be tilted upwardly with the sleeve 85 riding rearwardly on the bar 84. Such upward tilting movement of the sweep 49 may also be accomplished without the sleeve 85 riding rearwardly on the bar 84 because of the pivotal connection between the upright frame 75 to the sweep 49. It is desirable that when the push-01f means 59 is to be actuated, the upright frame 75 should be in a forward position with the sleeve 75 engaged with the pin 88 regardless of the'angle of the sweep. For this purpose, a coiled compression spring 89 may be disposed on the reduced diameter forward end portion of the bar 84 between the shoulder thereon and the sleeve 85,,the spring 89 thus urging the frames 75 to a forward position.

To provide for maximum loading capacity of the sweep 49, a pair of bars 90 may be secured along the sides of the sweep 49 by upright supports 91 and 92, such bars 90 serving to limit lateral movement of the hay or other material off of the sweep 49.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a loader adapted for mounting on a tractor or the like, arm means arranged for connection to the tractor for raising and lowering movements, a sweep pivotally connected to said arm means, an upright frame having a lower end portion pivoted to said sweep, an arm pivoted to the upper end of said frame, push-off means connected to said arm, and actuating means between said arm and said arm means for both retracting said push-off means and controlling pivotal movement of said sweep.

2. In a loader adapted for mounting on a tractor or the like, arm means arranged for connection to the tractor for raising and lowering movements, a sweep pivotally connected to said arm means, an upright frame having a lower end portion pivoted to said sweep, an arm pivoted to the upper'end of said frame, to said arm, actuatingmeans between said armand said arm means for. both retracting said push-off means .and

controlling pivotal movement of said sweep, means limiting rearward movement of said frame relative to said sweep, and means limiting forward movement of said' frame relative to said arm means. 7

3. In a loader adapted for mounting on a tractor or the like, arm means arranged for connection to the tractor for raising and lowering movements, a sweep pivotally connected to said arm means, an upright frame having a lower end portion pivoted to said sweep, an arm pivoted to the upper ,end of said frame, push-01f means connected to said arm, actuating means betweensaid arm and said arm means for both retracting said push-ofi means and controlling pivotal movement of said sweep, means limiting rearward movement of 'said frame relative to said sweep, means limiting forward movement of said frame relative to said arm means, and means biasing said frame forwardly relative to said arm means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS push-off means connected

Images