Deere & Company

David Arthur Doering

Gordon Edward Miller

Donald Rodney Flatau

A latching device is provided for coupling a vehicle tool carrier with a variety of tools such as a bucket. The device serves to releasably secure the tool with the carrier once the carrier has been positioned with the tool. The latch includes a handle-actuated pawl and an over center linkage to retain the latching device in either its latched or unlatched position. A spring serves to hold the link in its over-center position. The pawl swings laterally to minimize interference with the carrier and tool structures and simplify activation by the operator from his seat.

Rotating pawl tool latch

A rearwardly swinging operator enclosure is provided for a skid-steer loader having vertical lift arms. The enclosure, as well as the links coupling the lift arms to the loader are both pivotally mounted high on laterally spaced apart support posts carried at the rear of the enclosure. The raised pivotal mountings permit the enclosure to swing rearwardly and high above the loader components housed beneath the enclosure to allow maintenance activities to be conveniently carried out from the front of the loader. The raised pivotal mountings further permit the use of a cross member to reinforce both the support posts and lift arm links and yet avoid interference with swinging movement of the enclosure or lift links. With the cross member positioned near the top of the support posts, rear visibility is enhanced.

Operator enclosure

A latching device is provided for coupling a vehicle tool carrier with a variety of tools such as a bucket. The device serves to releasably secure the tool with the carrier once the carrier has been positioned with the tool. A detent mechanism is provided on the device to retain it in either its latched or unlatched position. A lost-motion connection is provided between the latching handle and latch pin to permit the link interconnecting the handle and pin to move to an over-center position when the device is in the latching configuration. A spring serves to hold the link in its over-center position. The latch handle swings through an angle of approximately 70 degrees as it moves between its latched and unlatched positions to minimize interference with the carrier and tool structures and simplify activation by the operator from his seat.

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

David Arthur Doering