J. I. Case Company

Donald J Parquet

Carl O Pedersen

Gary L Cochran

Thomas R Brown

Marvin L Brown

Donald R King

Robert M Barton

Eldon R Edwards

A seat belt assembly which requires an operator to buckle the seat belt straps together in front of him when he is seated. The seat belt straps are inserted through flexible shields on opposed sides of an operator's chair with leaf springs extending from the ends of the shields to positions beneath and slightly inwardly of the chair arms. If the operator attempts to leave the straps unbuckled or to buckle the straps behind him, the leaf springs cause sufficient discomfort to prevent this non-use or misuse of the seat belt assembly. Further, the straps may be provided with projections adjacent their secured ends which also cause discomfort to the operator if the straps are not buckled properly. The seat belt assembly also includes a switch which is secured to a mounting bracket on the floor of the operator's compartment. A support member is rotatably secured to the mounting bracket with a leaf spring actuator member being connected to the support member for actuating the switch when the support member is rotated in response to the buckling of the seat belt straps. If the ends of the seat belt straps are buckled properly, the support member is rotated thereby bringing the leaf spring actuator member into engagement with the switch for closing the switch.

Seat belt assembly

A stabilizer assembly for laterally supporting a construction vehicle of the type having a material handling implement. The preferred embodiments of the stabilizer assembly permit selective positioning of the outboard ends of the stabilizer arms over a wide range of positions from a position immediately adjacent the vehicle wheels and near the longitudinal center line of the vehicle frame to a position substantially outside of the wheels and farther from the longitudinal center line of the vehicle frame. The inboard ends of the stabilizer arms are pivotally secured to a stabilizer anchor which is transversely slidable relative to the vehicle frame on either side of the center line thereof. Various means are disclosed for positioning of the stabilizer anchor relative to the vehicle frame and for retaining the stabilizer anchor in such position.

Stabilizer assembly

A hydraulic anti-theft locking device is provided for backhoes and other construction machines which may be set to render the machines inoperable and incapable of movement. The locking device includes an assembly of rotary flow control valves that must be moved to a particular orientation before the machine can be made operable. In an illustrative embodiment, the control valve assembly is mounted to the extensible stabilizer cylinder of a backhoe. The stabilizer cylinder is extended to raise the tractor wheels off the ground, and the valves are positioned to prevent hydraulic fluid from leaving the load supporting end of the cylinder thereby holding up the rear end of the tractor such that the backhoe cannot be moved. The locking device is easily accessible and provides an easy method for the operator to set his own unique combination for locking the machine to make it inoperable. Attempts to bypass the locking device to make the machine operable would be extremely time-consuming and require tools and equipment not commonly available.

Hydraulic anti-theft device

A valve to provide a controlled loss of hydraulic fluid from a closed loop hydrostatic transmission. A method of converting a bleed-off valve from one sensitive only to loop pressure to one sensitive to both loop pressure and charging line pressure. A pressure sensitive surface in flow communication with charging line pressure is used to position the valve to shut off flow in the event that charging line pressure is lost. In the event that charging line pressure and loop pressure are normal the valve provides a controlled bleed of hydraulic fluid. Finally, in the event that loop pressure becomes unacceptably high, flow is shut off.

Hydrostatic transmission bleed-off valve

A hydraulic fluid flow network, utilizing the fluid returned from by an open center hydraulic system, to augment the charging system of a hydrostatic transmission. The augmented charging system provides oil under pressure to flow into the charging system in the event that charging system pressure flow falls below normal. A back pressure is maintained in the return line header of an open center hydraulic system by a relief valve. Flow is diverted to the charging system by a line containing a non return valve.

Augmented charging system for a hydrostatic transmission

A priority flow divider is disclosed for dividing hydraulic fluid flow between a steering circuit and an auxiliary circuit thereby providing better efficiency and greater productivity for the auxiliary circuit. The priority flow divider includes a cylindrical housing having a slidable spool valve therein, and the housing further includes an inlet port connected to the steering pump in the steering circuit, a discharge port connected to the steering valve, in the steering circuit, and a discharge port connected to the auxiliary hydraulic circuit. The spool valve has enlarged cylindrical portions which are connected by recessed connecting portions of a reduced diameter. When the steering valve is in its neutral or non-steering position, the enlarged cylindrical portions of the spool valve selectively engage interior wall portions of the cylindrical housing to define an interior fluid connecting chamber between the inlet port from the steering pump and the discharge port to the auxiliary circuit whereby the fluid flow from the steering pump is diverted to the auxiliary circuit except for a small pilot flow. Actuation of the steering valve causes the spool valve to be shifted to define an interior fluid connecting chamber between the inlet port from the steering pump and the discharge port to the steering valve whereby all of the fluid flow is directed to the steering valve and none to the auxiliary circuit.

Priority flow divider

An automatic hydraulic shut-off system for use with a hydraulic valve and a work apparatus which is retained under hydraulic pressure even when the hydraulic line is broken inadvertently. A lock valve is connected in the line and senses the loss of hydraulic pressure, and the valve is actuated in response to the pressure drop and retains the work apparatus in a pressurized condition to thereby avoid undesired movement in response to the loss of pressure.

Automatic hydraulic shut-off system

A hydraulic pump unloading system having an engine driving two hydraulic pumps which are connected in parallel to a load-supporting member. An unloading valve is connected in the hydraulic line with one of the two pumps and is shiftable between positions for directing flow to the load and for directing flow to a reservoir, depending upon the pressure and or flow in the hydraulic line. Also, a pressure-compensated flow-control valve is connected in the line with the other pump and, under certain conditions, directs fluid pressure to the unloading valve for setting the unloading valve in either the operative or the unloading position, all depending upon the hydraulic condition at the load-supporting member. Further, either an additional valve or a spring can be effective on the unloading valve for controlling the operative and the unloading position of the unloading valve. The system is arranged so that when the workload approaches an excessive magnitude, one of the pumps is unloaded so that the engine will not stall.

Hydraulic pump unloading system

A hydraulic safety system for use with a hydraulic valve and a work apparatus which is retained under hydraulic pressure even when the hydraulic line is broken inadvertently. A lock valve is connected in the line and senses the loss of hydraulic pressure, and the valve is actuated in response to the pressure drop and retains the work apparatus in a pressurized condition to thereby avoid undesired movement in response to the loss of pressure.

A dual oil filter automatic switching system incorporating two oil filters and a switching oil valve and an oil pump, all connected together. The system also includes electric means incorporating a differential pressure switch and a latching relay, and an electric signal and an electrically-operative temperature switch are also disclosed. The oil valve is electrically responsive to the electric switching, and the valve directs the oil to either or both of the filters.

Dual oil filter automatic switching system

A control system for connecting a manually actuated lever to an arm of a fluid translating device that forms part of the drive transmission for a skid steer vehicle is disclosed herein. The connection between the lever and the arm is in the form of a hydraulic fluid connection that includes master and slave cylinder and piston assemblies with the master cylinder and piston assembly connected to the lever and the slave cylinder and piston assembly connected to the control arm. The opposite ends of the respective cylinders on opposite sides of the respective pistons are interconnected by fluid conduits to define first and second chambers and both pistons are biased to a centered neutral position. The system also incorporates a hydraulic fluid reservoir that is connected to the master cylinder by ports located in close proximity to the master piston when it is in a neutral position so that any fluid losses in either cylinder are automatically replenished when the master piston is returned to the neutral position.

Hydraulic skid steering control system

An automatic control system for a backhoe utilizing a bucket at the end of a rigid boom is disclosed herein. The automatic control system includes an actuator cooperating with a control valve that controls the flow of fluid to hydraulic rams that pivot the boom. The control system also includes position indicating means between the boom and the frame and a manually settable control element both of which produce output signals that are combined and activate the actuator so that the implement is moved at a rate which corresponds to the differences between the respective signals.

Automatic control system for backhoe

An accumulator warning system utilizing an electric system with an electric signal and wherein a movable member is disposed in a container having a gas on one side of the member and oil on the other side of the member. The movable member moves toward electric conductors when the gas in the container is depleted, and thus the electric signal is activated.

Accumulator warning system

A self-leveling system for a material handling unit on a pivoted boom is disclosed herein. The self-leveling system consists of a separate valve which is automatically controlled by the actuation of a material handling valve to produce the leveling function in either the raising or lowering condition for the boom.

Self-leveling system for material handling implement

In heavy mobil construction machinery such as backhoes, power shovels and boom cranes, wherein outriggers are extended for lateral stabilization, an automatically self-locking and self-releasing mechanism is provided to restrain an outrigger in its retracted inoperative position when not in use. The mechanism is operable in response to simple hydraulic actuation of the outrigger, and does not require manual operation or remote controls to effect locking or release of the mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Burlington, IA, United States of America

Donald J Parquet