U.S. patent number 3,893,728 [Application Number 05/416,829] was granted by the patent office on 1975-07-08 for material handling apparatus.
Invention is credited to Vaino J. Holopainen.
United States Patent |
3,893,728 |
Holopainen |
July 8, 1975 |
Material handling apparatus
Abstract
Material handling apparatus having a seat which is mounted on a
swinging arm for movement from a forwardly-facing position to a
rearwardly-facing position.
Inventors: |
Holopainen; Vaino J. (East
Sullivan, NH) |
Family
ID: |
23651482 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/416,829 |
Filed: |
November 19, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/65.07;
D15/25; 297/240; 297/344.24; D6/362; 180/331 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02F
9/166 (20130101); B60N 2/143 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60N
2/04 (20060101); B60N 2/14 (20060101); E02F
9/16 (20060101); B60n 001/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;180/77S ;296/65R
;297/240,349 ;214/140 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Spar; Robert J.
Assistant Examiner: Oresky; Lawrence J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Blodgett; Norman S. Blodgett; Gerry
A.
Claims
I claim:
1. Material handling apparatus, comprising:
a. a vehicle body having a substantial horizontal deck
longitudinally of the body,
b. a pair of spaced, parallel fenders extending longitudinally of
the body, one fender being located on each side of the deck,
c. a seat mounted above the deck between the fenders,
d. a support arm pivoted at one end to a fender for swinging
movement through an angle of approximately 90.degree. in a
horizontal plane below the level of the bottom of the seat, the
other end of the arm being pivotally attached to the bottom of the
seat at the center front thereof, and
e. means to cause the seat to rotate through an angle of
180.degree. when the arm swings through its angle of 90.degree.,
the means also serving to cause the seat to move a substantial
distance longitudinally as it pivots through its angle of
180.degree. from a forwardly-directed position were the operator
has access to the driving controls of the vehicle to a
rearwardly-directed position where the operator has access to
handling controls of the vehicle, the means consisting of a control
arm pivotally connected at one end to the same fender to which the
support arm is pivoted, but at a point spaced forwardly a
substantial distance from the connection of the support arm, the
other end of the control arm being pivotally connected to the
bottom of the seat at the center of one side.
2. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
the support arm and the control arm swing in vertically-spaced
planes, so that they do not interfere with one another during
swinging.
3. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
the point of attachment of the support arm to the seat always
remains at one side of the control arm during the movement of the
seat from one position to the other.
4. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein,
the control arm is provided with a threaded coupling to permit its
length to be adjusted.
5. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
the seat consists of upper and lower portions, the operator
occupying the upper portion and the arms being connected to the
lower portion, there being a slidable connection between the
portions for adjustment longitudinally of the vehicle body, and
means to lock the portions in a selected position of relative
adjustment.
6. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
detent means is provided in association with the arm to lock the
arm selectively at either end of its swinging movement.
7. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein
the detent means consists of a horizontal apertured quadrant plate
fastened to the fender and underlying the portion of the arm which
is connected to the fender and of a vertically movable detent
mounted in the arm and located to be accessible to the operator for
movement in and out of the aperture in the plate.
8. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
the seat is padded and provided with a vertical back rest, wherein
the seat has a generally rectangular horizontal portion with a
front edge, a rear edge from which the back rest extends, and two
side edges, wherein the point of attachment of the support arm to
the seat is adjacent the center of the front edge, and wherein the
point of attachment of the control arm to the seat is adjacent the
center of a side edge.
9. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
the fenders are provided with headlights, some directed forwardly
and some directed rearwardly.
10. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
the support arm is located a substantial distance above the deck
and is the sole support for the seat and the weight of the
operator.
11. Material handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
a vertical pintle extends downwardly from the seat and the said
other end of the support arm is provided with an integral bushing
fitting around the pintle, wherein the main part of the support arm
extends at an obtuse angle to the axis of the pintle and an acute
angle to the deck.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has become common practice to provide material handling
apparatus, particularly for earth-moving operations, which consists
of a tractor to which are mounted various attachments. For
instance, it is common practice to provide a heavy duty tractor
with a front end loader at one end and with a back-hoe at the other
end. The efficient use of apparatus of this kind requires that the
operator face in the foreward direction in order to manipulate the
tractor and to use the front end loader. He must face to the rear
in order effectively to operate the back-hoe. Furthermore, he must
move from one position to the other quite frequently during the
working day. For instance, if he is digging a trench with the
back-hoe, he must face forwardly while moving the vehicle forward
and then he must face rearwardly in order to operate the back-hoe;
he must alternate these operations every few minutes in order to
produce an elongated trench. In order to facilitate this operation,
some material handling apparatus has been provided with a seat
which may be converted from a forwardly-directed condition to a
rearwardly-directed condition. One way of accomplishing this has
been to mount the seat pivotally on the top of a vertical post in
the center of the tractor with a detent associated with the pivoted
action to lock the seat in one position or the other. A similar
arrangement has the seat mounted on the transverse horizontal hinge
so that it may be flipped from one position to another, the
operator sitting on the portion of the seat which was the back in
one position and having as his back rest the portion of the seat
which was used as the seat in the other position; such a
construction is shown in the patent of Holopainen No. 2,784,768.
Both of these constructions suffer from the shortcomings that the
ideal seat position for operating the front portion of the
apparatus is spaced a considerable distance from the position in
which the rear portions of the equipment are operated. Attempts
have been made to compensate for this by providing for sliding
between the upper and lower parts of the seat, but the amount of
sliding adjustment that is possible is not great enough to take
care of the distance between these two ideal positions.
Furthermore, the use of adjusting tracks is frustrating to the
operator and a source of constant maintenance difficulty in the
seat because of the presence of dust and dirt in the atmosphere.
These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices
have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to
proivide material handling apparatus having a seat which may be
easily moved from one optimum position of operation to another such
position.
Another object of this invention is the provision of material
handling apparatus having a two-position seat, which is simple in
construction and which is capable of a long life of useful service
with a minimum of maintenance.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of
material handling apparatus having a seat which can be moved and
turned at the same time by apparatus which cannot be disabled by
the presence of dust and dirt.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide material
handling apparatus in which the operator's seat is mounted in a
narrow aisle in which the seat is rotatable and movable
longitudinally along the aisle, the apparatus being arranged so
that the seat does its major turning at the ends of the
longitudinal passage along the aisle, so that the operator does not
strike his knees against the sides of the aisle.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of
material handling apparatus having a seat which can be sold and
mounted on existing apparatus and accessory.
It is a further object of the invention to provide material
handling apparatus having a two-positioned seat which can be
mounted on a flat deck without interrupting the decks surface with
protusions and attachments.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide material
handling apparatus having a two-positioned seat in which the seat
can be moved easily by the operator from one position to the other
without his leaving the seat.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those
skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of
parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims
appended hereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, the invention has to do with a material handling
apparatus having a vehicle body with a horizontal deck extending
longitudinally of the body, and having a pair of spaced parallel
fenders extending longitudinally of the body, one fender being
located on each side of the deck. The seat is mounted above the
deck between the fenders and a support arm is pivoted at one end to
a fender for swinging movement in an angle of approximately
90.degree. in a horizontal plane below the level of the seat. The
other end of the arm is pivotally attached to the bottom of the
seat at the center front thereof. Means is provided to cause the
seat to rotate through an angle of 180.degree. when the arm swings
through its angle of 90.degree..
More specifically, the means also serves to cause the seat to move
a substantial distance longitudinally, as it pivots through its
angle of 180.degree. from a forwardly-direct position where the
operator has access to the driving controls of the vehicle to a
rearwardly-directed position at which the operator has access to
the handling controls of the vehicle.
Furthermore, the means consists of a control arm pivotally
connected at one end to the same fender to which the support arm is
pivoted, but at a point spaced forwardly a substantial distance
from the connection of the support, the other end of the control
arm being pivotally connected to the bottom of the seat as the
center of one side.
The support arm is located a substantial distance above the deck
and is the sole support for the seat with the weight of the
operator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by
reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of material handling apparatus
embodying the principles of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus taken from
the front end,
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus taken from
a rear quarter.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus taken from
above, and
FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are somewhat schematic plan views of the
apparatus showing the seat in three different positions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIG. 1, wherein are best shown the general
features of the invention, the material handling apparatus,
indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown as
consisting of a vehicle body 11 in the form of a tractor to the
front end of which is connected a front end loader 12 and to the
rear end of which is attached a back-hoe 13. The operator 14 is
shown in place on a seat 18.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, it can be seen that the
apparatus is provided with a flat horizontal deck 15, which extends
longitudinally of the vehicle body and has fenders 16 and 17. The
fenders 16 and 17 are spaced and in parallel and they extend
longitudinally of the vehicle body on either side of the deck 15 to
define an aisle between them. A seat 18 is mounted above the deck
15 between the fenders 16 and 17. The seat is carried on a
swingable support arm 19 and movable from a forwardly-directed
position (as shown in FIG. 2) where the operator has access to the
driving controls 22 of the vehicle to a rearwardly-directed
position (as shown in FIG. 4) where the operator has access to the
operating controls 23.
The forwardly-directed position is shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, while
the rearwardly-directed position is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the
forwardly-directed position the operator also has access to the
controls for the front end loader 12 and in the rearwardly-directed
position, the operator by using the operating controls 23 controls
the back-hoe 13.
As is evident in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the supporting arm 19 is
pivoted at one end to the fender 16 for swinging movement through
an angle of approximately .pi..degree. in a generally horizontal
plane below the level of the bottom of the seat 118. The other end
of the arm is pivotally attached to the bottom of the seat at the
center front thereof. Means including a control arm 21 causes the
seat to rotate through an angle of 180.degree. when the arm swings
through its angle of 90.degree. .
The control arm 21 also serves to cause the seat to move a
substantial distance longitudinally as it pivots through its angle
of 180.degree. from the forwardly-directed position (where the
operator has access to the driving controls 22 of the vehicle) to
the rearwardly-directed position (where the operator has access to
the handling controls 23 of the vehicle). A detent mechanism 24 is
provided in association with the support arm 19 to lock it
selectively at either end of its swinging movement. The detent
mechanism is provided with an apertured horizontal quadrant plate
25 which is fastened to the fender 16 and underlies the portion of
the arm which is connected to the fender. A vertically-movable
detent pin 26 is mounted in the arm and is located to be accessible
to the operator for movement in and out of the apertures in the
plate 25. Its lower end is tapered for ease of entry into the
quadrant plate apertures.
The control arm 21 is pivotally connected at one end to the same
fender 16 to which the support arm 19 is pivoted, but at a point
spaced forwardly a substantial distance from the connection of the
support arm. The support arm 19 is connected at the fender 16 for
movement about the vertical pivotal access defined by a pivot pin
27, while the control arm is connected to the fender 16 for
pivoting about a vertical axis defined by a pivot pin 28. As is
most evident in FIG. 2, the support arm 19 and the control arm 21
are located in different vertically-spaced planes so that they do
not interfere with one another during swinging. As has been
previously stated, the point of attachment of the support arm 19 to
the seat 18 (indicated by a bushing 29 integral with the end of the
arm) is located at the center of the seat adjacent the forward
edge. As is evident in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, this bushing or point of
attachment of the support arm to the seat always remains at one
side of the control arm 21 during the movement of the seat from one
position to the other. The control arm 21 is provided with a
threaded coupling 31 for adjustment of its length. The fenders 16
and 17 are provided with forwardly-directed headlights 32 and
rearwardly-directed lights 33.
As is evident in the drawings, the support arm 19 is located a
substantial distance above the deck 15 and is the sole support for
the seat 18 and for at least a major portion of the weight of the
operator 14. As is best evident in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seat 18
consists of an upper portion 35 and a lower portion 34, the arms 19
and 21 being connected to the lower portion 34 and the operator
occupying the upper portion 35. There is a slidable connection
between the two portions for adjustment longitudinally of the
vehicle body and detent means is provided to lock the two portions
in a selected position of relative adjustment. A vertical pintle 36
extends downwardly from the lower portion 34 of the seat and
resides in the bushing 29, which is integral with the end of the
support arm 19. As is best evident in FIG. 3, the main portion of
the support arm 19 extends at an obtuse angle to the axis of the
pintle 35 and at an acute angle to the horizontal surface of the
deck 15.
The operation of the invention will now be readily understood in
view of the above description. Referring to FIG. 1, the operator 14
is shown in the seat 18, facing forwardly of the vehicle body 11
for operating the front-end loader 12. He also has available to him
in that position, a driving control 22 for the vehicle, thus
permitting him to move the vehicle backwards and forwards, as is
particularly necessary when operating a front-end loader. When the
operator faces rearwardly to operate the back-hoe 13, the forward
and rearward movement of the vehicle does not ace quite as
frequently. Nevertheless, in using a back-hoe it is quite often
necessary to advance the vehicle forwardly in small increments to
make the back-hoe operative with different parts of the ground
being worked on. This situation takes place when the back-hoe is
being used to form an elongated ditch. In this situation the
operator must face rearwardly one moment to operate the back-hoe
and then a few minutes later face forwardly to run the vehicle
forward a few feet. An effective operation of the present invention
permits the seat 18 to be moved from the forwardly-directed
position to the rearwardly-directed position without difficulty.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show the forwardly-directed position of the seat 18,
where the operator has access to the driving controls 22 of the
vehicle. It also shows the way in which the fenders 16 and 17 lie
on opposite sides of the deck 15, so that an aisle is formed. This
aisle provides suitable operating area for the swinging of the
seat. FIG. 4 shows the rearwardly-directed position of the seat 18
where the operator has access to the operating controls 23 of the
vehicle, particularly for those operating the back-hoe 13. FIGS. 5,
6, and 7 shown, particularly well, the manner in which the seat is
manipulated. In FIG. 7 the seat 18 is shown in the
forwardly-directed position with the detent pin 26 engaging a
foreward pin on the quadrant plate 25. When the operator wishes to
change the position of the seat, he pulls up on the detent pin 26,
so that it is free of its aperture, and he pushes backwardly on the
seat. As the seat begins to swing rearwardly about the axis of
swing of the support arm 19, this swinging motion also causes the
seat to rotate about a vertical axis passing generally through its
center of gravity due to the operator's action of the control arm
21. It operates in such a way that, when the swinging action on the
arm 19 has gone even a few degrees, the seat has already rotated
90.degree. (as shown in FIG. 6), so that the operator now faces the
side of the vehicle and the vertical surface of the fender 17. In
this position the seat rotates at least 45.degree. before it again
begins to rotate about its center of gravity another 90.degree. to
occupy the position shown in FIG. 5. It can be seen, then, that a
large part of the rotation of the seat takes place during the first
part of the swing and during the last part of the swing, so that as
the operator's knees moved past the fender 17, he is moving
generally parallel to the fender so that he does not bang his knees
against the fender. Because of the longitudinal sliding adjustment
available between the upper and lower parts of the seat, he can
adjust the center of gravity of his body and of the seat relative
to the support arm 19. Minor adjustments in angularity of the seat
can be brought about by use of the threaded coupling 31 in the
control arm 21. When the seat reaches the rearwardly-directed
position shown in FIG. 5, the detent 26, which is springed-biased
into a lower position, drops into the rearward aperture in the
quadrant plate 25.
It can be seen that, by use of the construction of the present
invention, it is possible to provide a seating arrangement in which
the forwardly-directed position is displaced longitudinally a
considerable distance from the rearwardly-directed position. Since
the operator can do this without physical discomfort to hinself, he
is more likely, when operating the back-hoe 13, to move frequently
into the forwardly-directed position to adjust the vehicle plate
relative to the trench. This is a safety feature, because he will
then not try to overreach with the back-hoe. He is encouraged to
make the change of position when it is necessary, because of the
uncluttered nature of the deck 15, due to the fact that the sole
support for the seat is the support arm 19 and it rises at a
considerable angle to the horizontal. The deck, therefore, is clear
for him to "walk" the seat around from one position to the other.
Furthermore, there is little danger of his striking his knees
against the fender or being otherwise physically cramped because of
the unusual geometric motion of the seat. Furthermore, there are no
sliding joints involved in the motion, which sliding joints could
cause maintenance problems because of dust and dirt in the
atmosphere. In a commercial embodiment of the invention, the seat
18 with its related arms 19 and 21 are formed as an integral unit
with the fenders 16 and 17 and the deck 15 and the unit is sold for
attachment to a conventional tractor.
It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and
construction of the invention without departing from the material
spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the
invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is
desired to include all such as properly come within the scope
claimed.
The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new
and desired to secure by letters Patent is:
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