U.S. patent number RE33,131 [Application Number 07/162,401] was granted by the patent office on 1989-12-19 for motorized dumping vehicle.
Invention is credited to Donald R. Morrison.
United States Patent |
RE33,131 |
Morrison |
December 19, 1989 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Motorized dumping vehicle
Abstract
A motorized dump-type vehicle is provided having a chassis
frame, a gasoline engine mounted on said frame, a dump container
pivotally mounted on the front of said frame and a hydraulic system
enabling said container to be raised and lowered by a hydraulic
cylinder and said vehicle to be driven in either forward or reverse
directions and braked by hydraulic drive motors. The hydraulic
fluid is cooled by an oil reservoir tank forming a structural part
of the frame and positioned such that heat from the hydraulic fluid
can dissipate itself in the container and its contents.
Inventors: |
Morrison; Donald R. (Charlotte,
NC) |
Family
ID: |
26858724 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/162,401 |
Filed: |
February 29, 1988 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
690460 |
Jan 10, 1985 |
04645264 |
Feb 24, 1987 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
298/1H; 165/41;
298/1C; 180/19.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60P
1/16 (20130101); B62B 3/08 (20130101); B62B
5/0026 (20130101); B62D 51/005 (20130101); F02B
1/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B62D
51/00 (20060101); B60P 1/16 (20060101); B60P
1/04 (20060101); B62B 3/00 (20060101); B62B
5/00 (20060101); B62B 3/08 (20060101); F02B
1/04 (20060101); F02B 1/00 (20060101); B60H
001/22 () |
Field of
Search: |
;180/19.1,19.2,308
;165/41 ;280/5F,782,783 ;298/1H,1C,2 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Spar; Robert J.
Assistant Examiner: Krizek; Janice
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Olive & Olive
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A motorized dump-type vehicle for on-the-job transporting of
concrete or other materials, comprising:
(a) a rectangular metal formed chassis frame having
integrally-joined side, front and rear members defining in transit
front and rear ends thereof.
(b) a gasoline engine mounted above and on the rear end of said
frame;
(c) an open top dump container having metal formed side and bottom
walls, said container being supported on said frame forwardly of
said engine and having a bottom front end portion pivotally mounted
on the front end of said frame;
(d) a pair of oppositely positioned hydraulic drive motors secured
to said frame below the front end thereof;
(e) a pair of front driving ground-engaging wheels located on
opposite sides of said frame front end and each said wheel being
drivingly connected to a respective said hydraulic drive motor
enabling said wheels to be driven thereby;
(f) a single hydraulic piston/cylinder having one end pivotally
mounted on said frame centrally of the width thereof and the
opposite end pivotally connected to the bottom wall of said
container centrally of the sides thereof enabling said container to
be raised and lowered by admitting pressurized fluid to one side or
the other of said piston/cylinder;
(g) rear ground-engaging wheel means mounted below and centrally of
the rear end of said frame on support means enabling said rear
wheel means to swivel about a vertical axis passing through said
support means and through said engine for steering said
vehicle;
(h) a metal formed hydraulic fluid tank secured to said frame
between the side members thereof and structurally reinforcing said
frame, said tank having an input connection for receiving and
storing heated hydraulic fluid and an output connection for
withdrawing fluid to be pumped, said tank having a top wall
positioned so as to be immediately below and covered by the bottom
wall of said container when said container is in its transport
position thereby enabling heat stored in said tank to be dissipated
through said tank top wall and bottom wall of said container and
transferred to cooler material being transported in said
container;
(i) an adjustable dump oil pump mounted on said frame and drivingly
connected to said engine, said pump having a pump input connection
to the output connection of said tank and a pump output connection;
and
(j) a hydraulic valve and conduit system connected between said
pump output connection and said tank input connection including a
first lever-controlled valve connected by conduit to said
piston/cylinder for raising and lowering said container and a
second lever-controlled valve connected by conduit to said
hydraulic drive motor means for forward and reverse driving of said
front wheels.
2. A motorized pump-type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein in
said hydraulic valve and conduit system:
(a) said first valve has a conduit connection to said pump output
connection, a pair of conduit connections connected to opposite
sides of said piston/cylinder and another conduit connection
connected to said second valve;
(b) said second valve has one conduit connection to the input
connection of said tank, a second conduit connection to one side of
each of said hydraulic drive motors and a third conduit connection
to the opposite side of each of said drive motors; and
(c) including a normally open, braking valve located in a conduit
extending between one side of said hydraulic drive motors and said
second valve and manual control means enabling said braking valve
to be closed to stop the flow of fluid through both said hydraulic
drive motors to brake said vehicle. .Iadd.
3. A motorized dump-type vehicle for on-the-job transporting of
concrete or other materials, comprising:
(a) a rectangular metal formed chassis frame having
integrally-joined side, front and rear members defining in transit
front end rear ends thereof;
(b) a gasoline engine mounted above and on the rear end of said
frame;
(c) an open top dump container having side and bottom walls with at
least the bottom wall being formed of a heat conducting material,
said container being supported on said frame forwardly of said
engine and having a bottom front end portion pivotally mounted on
the front end of said frame;
(d) a pair of oppositely positioned hydraulic drive motors secured
to said frame below the front end thereof;
(e) a pair of front driving ground-engaging wheels located on
opposite sides of said frame front end and each said wheel being
drivingly connected to a respective said hydraulic drive motor
enabling said wheels to be driven thereby;
(f) a single hydraulic piston/cylinder having one end pivotally
mounted on said frame centrally of the width thereof and the
opposite end pivotally connected to the bottom wall of said
container centrally of the sides thereof enabling said container to
be raised and lowered by admitting pressurized fluid to one side or
the other of said piston/cylinder;
(g) rear ground-engaging wheel means mounted below and centrally of
the rear end of said frame on support means enabling said rear
wheel means to swivel about a vertical axis passing through said
support means and through said engine for steering said
vehicle;
(h) a hydraulic fluid tank secured to said frame between the side
members thereof and structurally reinforcing said frame, said tank
having an input connection for receiving and storing heated
hydraulic fluid and an output connection for withdrawing fluid to
be pumped, said tank having a top wall formed of heat conducting
material positioned so as to be immediately below and covered by
the bottom wall of said container when said container is in its
transport position thereby enabling heat stored in said tank to be
dissipated through said heat conducting tank top wall and heat
conducting bottom wall of said container and transferred to cooler
material being transported in said container;
(i) an adjustable dump oil mounted on said frame and drivingly
connected to said engine, said pump having a pump input connecting
to the output connection of said tank and a pump output connection;
and
(j) a hydraulic valve and conduit system connected between said
pump output connection and said tank input connection including a
first lever-controlled valve connected by conduit to said
piston/cylinder for raising and lowering said container and a
second lever-controlled valve connected by conduit to said
hydraulic drive motor means for forward and reverse driving of said
front wheels. .Iaddend. .Iadd.
4. A motorized dump-type vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein in
said hydraulic valve and conduit system:
(a) said first valve has a conduit connection to said pump output
connection, a pair of conduit connections connected to opposite
sides of said piston/cylinder and another conduit connection
connected to said second valve;
(b) said second valve has one conduit connection to the input
connection of said tank, a second conduit connection to one side of
each of said hydraulic drive motors and a third conduit connection
to the opposite side of each of side drive motors; and
(c) including a normally open, braking valve located in a conduit
extending between one side of said hydraulic drive motors and said
second valve and manual control means enabling said braking valve
to be closed to stop the flow of fluid through both said hydraulic
drive motors to brake said vehicle. .Iaddend. .Iadd.5. A motorized
dump-type vehicles claimed in claim 3 wherein both said container
and tank are formed entirely of heat conductive material. .Iaddend.
Description
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
The invention relates to a motorized load-carrying vehicle with a
load-carrying pan tipped by power-operated means on the
vehicle.
BACKGROUND ART
Concrete construction and other work requiring on-the-job transport
of heavy materials from one location to another has brought about
the development of a variety of relatively-small, load-carrying
vehicles capable of moving on the job site with relatively small
but often very heavy loads of material. For example, a frequent
need is to load a quantity of concrete at a first location,
transport such concrete to a second location and then dump the
contents for spreading and screeding operations at the second
location. In concrete work such vehicles are often referred to as a
"concrete buggy". They may also be referred to as a dump truck or
power-driven wheelbarrow. Some of such vehicles are of the
walk-behind type while others are of the step or seat-riding type.
The load which is carried by a container called a "skip", "hopper",
"pan", or "dump box" is conventionally raised and lowered by a
hydraulic piston as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,424,670 or 2,427,132. A
front pair of single or dual wheels is conventionally driven by a
differential and transmission as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,427,132. In the
three-wheel-type vehicle, a single or dual wheel supports the rear
of the vehicle and is adapted for rotating around a vertical axis
for the purpose of steering the vehicle and sometimes with use of a
steering mechanism as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,427,132. The conventional
way of braking the vehicle is by use of mechanical brakes as
illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,427,132 and 2,530,574.
With the above brief description of those aspects of the concrete
buggy-type prior art apparatus deemed pertinent to the present
invention, it will be immediately apparent that there is a
continuing need for improvements in the manner in which a vehicle
of this type is driven as well as in the manner of braking the
vehicle, particularly when carrying a heavy load. While mechanical
drive systems have prevailed, it has been known to employ a
hydraulic drive motor for driving a single rear wheel instead of
mechanically driving two front wheels as is the conventional
practice. In this regard, the Prime-Mover Company of Muscatine,
Iowa 52761, has made a three-wheel vehicle for handling packaged or
palletized brick or block and sold as the L-32 and L-36 models of
what is referred to as a "straddle-type mason tender". In the
hydraulic system employed in the Prime-Mover apparatus both forward
and reverse action as well as braking action are said to be
achieved with a single hydraulic drive motor. However, except for
this type of three-wheel vehicle in which a single rear wheel is
driven by a single hydraulic drive motor, applicant is unaware of
any other attempts that have been made to use hydraulic drive
motors for driving three wheel concrete buggy type vehicles.
The present invention seeks to improve upon the aforementioned
prior art by providing in a motorized so-called "three-wheel-type
dump vehicle" a hydraulic drive system for the front wheels, with
means in the hydraulic system enabling the front wheels to act as
brakes and also with means whereby the hydraulic fluid can be
cooled within a reservoir which acts both as a structural frame
member and as a uniquely-arranged heat sink in which the concrete
or other relatively-cool material being transported in used to
absorb heat from the hydraulic fluid. In other aspects, the
invention also seeks to provide an improved hydraulic system
enabling both the dump box as well as the front wheels to be
hydraulically operated and with a minimum requirement of horsepower
in the gasoline engine used as the prime source of power for the
vehicle. Other objects will become apparent as the description
proceeds.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The invention provides a three-wheel-type motorized vehicle with a
tilting dump box pivotally mounted upon the forward end of the
vehicle chassis. A small horsepower gasoline engine mounts on the
rear end of the chassis and operates a two-stage hydraulic pump.
The hydraulic pump forms part of a hydraulic system for operating
the dump box and separate hydraulic drive motors on the front
wheels. The hydraulic system also includes a reservoir forming a
structural part of the chassis and located so as to use the
material being transported, e.g., relatively cool concrete, for
absorbing heat from the hydraulic fluid passing through the
reservoir. The two-stage pump controls the volume of oil pumped as
required to maintain appropriate hydraulic pressure as the amount
of load changes, e.g., heavy loads, light loads, uphill and
downhill transport situations. Walk behind, riding stop and riding
seat-type variations of the invention vehicle are disclosed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a motorized dumping vehicle
according to a first embodiment of the invention with the dump box
indicated in solid lines in a transport position and in dashed
lines in a dumping position and a typical operator also depicted in
dashed lines.
FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the vehicle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the vehicle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the vehicle of FIG. 1 with the dump box
raised to illustrate the location of the reservoir and other
hydraulic system components.
FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the vehicle of FIG. 1 modified
in a second embodiment as a riding step-type vehicle with the
operator depicted in dashed lines.
FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the vehicle modified in a third
embodiment as a riding-seat-type vehicle with the operator shown in
dashed lines.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic system employed with
the vehicle.
For clarity, the hydraulic conduits illustrated in FIG. 7 are not
shown in the other figures.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Making reference initially to FIGS. 1-4 and FIG. 7, the invention
vehicle 10 comprises a rectangular metal formed chassis 12 mounting
a small, e.g., seven and one-half horsepower gasoline engine 15 at
its rear end and a metal formed dump box load container 18 at its
front end. Dump box 18 has a suitable pivotal mount 20 and is
raised and lowered by hydraulic piston/cylinder 22 by means of rod
25 pivotally connected to bracket 28 on the bottom wall of dump box
18 and cylinder 30 pivotally connected on bracket 31 mounted on bar
32 (FIG. 3).
Chassis 12 is made up of side frame members 35, 36 and end frame
members 38, 40. A metal oil reservoir tank 42 extends between and
as welded to the metal side frame members 35, 36. Tank 42 forms a
structural part of chassis 12. Further, the top wall 43 of tank 42
is located immediately below the bottom wall surface 19 of dump box
18 when in the transport position. Heat in tank 42 can thus be
transmitted through walls 43 and 19. Thus, when relatively cool
concrete is placed in dump box 18, such concrete acts as a heat
sink for removing heat stored in reservoir tank 42. Since
substantial heat develops in the hydraulic system of the invention,
particularly when the vehicle 10 is carrying relatively heavy
loads, climbing a steep incline, or the like, an important feature
of the invention is to provide a reservoir tank which serves the
normal purpose of an oil reservoir as well as serving as a
structural part of the vehicle chassis and which is located in a
manner wherein the dump box itself as well as the material being
transported can be used to absorb heat stored in the hydraulic
fluid passing through the reservoir.
Chassis 12 is supported in the rear by a single wheel 50 having a
pivotal mount 52 below engine 15 enabling the operator 53 to steer
by use of the handles 55, 56 swiveling wheel 50 on its vertical
axis to change the direction of travel of vehicle 10. The front of
chassis 12 is supported by two sets of dual wheels 60, 61 and 62,
63 to provide increased load carrying wheel surface as compared to
use of single front wheels in the normal three-wheel type vehicle.
Thus, while single front wheels could be substituted for the
illustrated dual wheel arrangement on the front of chassis 12,
vehicle 10 provides, in effect, a three-wheel-type vehicle with
increased load-bearing wheel surface.
Wheels 60, 61 are driven by hydraulic motor 65 mounted on support
bar 32 and wheels 62, 63 are driven by hydraulic motor 66, also
mounted on support bar 32 beneath chassis 12. Thus, another
important and unique feature of the invention is to drive the
vehicle 10 by means of front wheels which are individually
hydraulically powered by separate hydraulic motors, a feature in
the configuration of the invention believed to be unique in the
industry and offering numerous advantages particularly when
transporting, reversing and braking heavy loads in industrial
applications.
Continuing the description in reference to FIGS. 1-4 and FIG. 7,
hydraulic piston/cylinder 22 for raising and lowering dump box 18
is controlled by valve 75 through control lever 76, and drive wheel
motors 65, 66 are controlled through valve 80 through control lever
81. As best illustrated in FIG. 7, it will be noted that the
gasoline engine 15 drives a two-stage oil pump 100 with an
adjustable dump such as employed in log splitters wherein the
volume of oil pumped and the system pressure automatically varies
as the load varies thereby enabling a relatively-small gasoline
engine to be employed for hauling relatively-heavy loads. A Delta
pump is one such pump in which under heavy load fluid volume is
reduced and pressure is increased and under light load fluid volume
increases and pressure decreases. Valves 75 and 80 are both of the
type having a spring return to a neutral position in the case of
valve 75 or stop-neutral position in the case of valve 80. The
output of pump 100 is fed entirely to the control valve 75 through
conduit 74 from which most of the fluid is continuously diverted
through conduit 79 to the drive motors control valve 80 and when
desired to one side or the other of piston/cylinder 22 through
conduits 77, 78. Valve 80 may be latched in the forward position by
latching control lever 81 in notch 91 formed in bracket 92 (see
FIG. 2). Conduit 43 provides a return line from valve 80 to
reservoir tank 42.
Pressurized fluid is admitted to one side or the other of the
respective drive motors 65, 66, through conduits 83, 84 depending
on whether control level 81 is in the forward or reverse position.
Braking is achieved by closing the normally-open control valve 102
by utilizing a control cable 103 and pivoted handle 104 loaded by
spring 105 and mounted on handle 55. Thus, braking is achieved very
effectively and in a simple manner using the drive motors 65, 66 as
a front wheel braking device thus eliminating the need for any
additional braking mechanism.
The invention vehicle readily adapts to the riding-step-type
vehicle as illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein there has been added a
step platform 110 secured to chassis 12 and a conventional steering
mechanism 112 having a steering wheel 114, a steering rod 115 and
steering gear box 116 suitably connected through chain 117 to pivot
rear wheel 50. The invention also readily adapts to the
seat-riding-type vehicle as shown in FIG. 6 wherein there has been
added the seat 120 to the FIG. 5 construction.
Having described the improved hydraulically driven and dump vehicle
of the invention, it can be seen that the invention provides
improvements in a unique reservoir forming both a structural part
of the chassis as well as being uniquely located to dissipate the
substantial amount of heat that is inevitably developed in a
hydraulic system under heavy load. Further, the invention can also
be seen to provide an extremely simple hydraulic front wheel drive
mechanism for achieving both forward and reverse directions of
travel as well as a quick and effective means for braking, either
under normal or emergency conditions. Additionally, by use of the
two-stage oil pump, the invention also achieves the advantage of
being able to use a relatively small horsepower engine for
transporting relatively heavy loads .
* * * * *