Clark Equipment Compnay

Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Carman P Lynnes

Larry E Albright

Joseph M Mather

Orlan J Loraas

William R Worrell

Thomas M Sagaser

Oryn B Wagner

Lonnie D Hoechst

Robert J Huebner

Leslie H Schult

Ralph Anthony Matzelle

Eugene James Kielb

Richard L Sears

A skid steer loader has a main frame and a pair of lift arms pivotally mounted to the main frame. The lift arms extend forwardly from their pivots and are joined by a cross member which is positioned ahead of a front wall of the main frame and which serves as an operator's access step. The cross member is constructed to be reduced in size to increase visibility, and when reduced in size, it remains spaced from the front wall of the main frame to form a gap when the lift arms are lowered. A flexible, self-cleaning spacer member is mounted onto the front wall of the main frame and extends at least partially across the gap to serve as an additional support if an operator's foot is placed in the gap. The spacer member is flexible when loaded in fore and aft direction and is rigid in vertical loading direction to support loads which may be applied to its upper edge.

Spacer for lift arm cross member on skid steer loader

Skid steer loader

The assembly of a skid steer loader includes the fabrication of a lower frame assembly which has a transmission case with side walls and front and back end walls, and an engine mount platform which is welded to and extends from the back end wall. A hydraulic motor is mounted to each side wall of the transmission case. An engine and hydraulic pump are fastened to an engine/pump mounting bracket and coupled by a belt linkage to form an engine and hydraulic pump assembly. The engine and hydraulic pump assembly is then mounted to the engine mount platform at the back end of the lower frame assembly. Hydraulic fluid hoses which couple the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motors can then be added. A main frame assembly having a pair of laterally spaced side members adapted to be mounted to the lower frame assembly and form side walls of an engine compartment is also fabricated. A hydraulic control valve and its associated hydraulic fluid hoses can be mounted to the main frame assembly. The main frame assembly is bolted to the lower frame assembly after the engine and hydraulic pump assembly have been fastened to the engine mount platform.

Method for assembling a skid steer loader

A skid steer loader includes an engine compartment and a heat exchanger compartment located behind the operator's compartment. A fan shroud mounted between the heat exchanger compartment and the engine compartment has a first air intake aperture opening into the heat exchanger compartment, a second air intake aperture opening into the engine compartment, and an exhaust port. A double-bladed radial fan is mounted for rotation within the fan shroud between the first and second air intake apertures. A fan drive mechanism coupled to the engine rotates the fan. The fan simultaneously induces a heat exchanger airflow of ambient air through the heat exchanger compartment and into the fan shroud through the first air intake aperture, and an engine compartment evacuation airflow from within the engine compartment into the fan shroud through the second air intake aperture. The heat exchanger airflow and engine compartment evacuation airflows are mixed and jointly discharged from the loader through the exhaust port.

Engine cooling system for skid steer loaders

A mechanism for mounting a backhoe on a vehicle including a backhoe mounting subframe having a downwardly extending work position and a transport position in which it is pivoted upwardly and outwardly from the work position. The backhoe mounting subframe is pivotally mounted about an axis transverse to the frame of the vehicle. The backhoe mounting subframe is movable at the operator's option between the work position and the transport position, and means are provided for positively latching the backhoe mounting subframe to the vehicle frame either at the work position or at the transport position.

Backhoe mounting

A front end loader in the form of a skid-steer loader which includes a power operated working implement and control apparatus that has a plurality of operative positions for supplying power to the working implement and at least one neutral position where power cannot be supplied to the working implement. The control apparatus is capable of being manipulated by the operator of the loader to place the control apparatus in any one of the selected operative positions or the neutral position. An operator restraint member is mounted on the skid-steer loader and has an engaged position for securing the operator to the operator position during operation of the loader and a disengaged position to permit the operator to enter or leave the loader. A locking member is engaged with the control apparatus when the restraint member is in its disengaged position and is disengaged from the control apparatus when the restraint member is in its engaged position.

Loader operator restraint system

A hydraulic fluid pressure energy translating machine is provided with hydrostatic pressure-balancing means which communicate with the primary port to balance hydrostatic forces acting on the barrel during operation of the machine to maintain an optimum bearing clearance between the head and barrel, thereby controlling fluid leakage and maintaining adequate lubrication and support at this interface.

Growing community of inventors

Leonard, ND, United States of America

Carman P Lynnes