Hydraulic loader unit

Claim 2

In a loader, a wheel support, upstanding guide means rigidly mounted on said support, a load-carrying member, support bar means pivoted to said load-carrying member, means on said support bar means slidably engaging with said guide means, means to elevate said support bar means and load-carrying member along said guide means, and means to swing said support bars means and load-carrying member outwardly response to the elevation of said support bar means to a predetermined height on said guide means, wherein said load-carrying member comprises a bucket member, and load dumping means operatively connected between said support bar means and said bucket member and including means to rotate the bucket member relative to the support bar means, and wherein said support bar means comprises respective link bars located on opposite sides of the upstanding guide means and being provided with bearing means transversely engaging the front and rear portions of the guide means.

Claim 3

The loader of claim 1, and wherein said bearing means comprises rollers journaled to the link bars.

Claim 4

The loader of claim 1, and wherein said guide means is provided with front and rear guide bearing surfaces extending parallel with said guide means and wherein said bearing means comprises respective front and rear sets of rollers journaled to the link bars and being engageable with said guide bearing surfaces.

Claim 5

The loader of claim 3, and rearwardly extending abutment means on top portions of said guide means located over the rear guide bearing surfaces and being engageable by the rear rollers to limit upward movement of the link bars, whereby to initiate the outward swing movement of the support bar means when said support bar means reaches said predetermined height on said guide means.

Claim 6

The loader of claim 4, and wherein said link bars are provided with rearwardly directed top arm portions and wherein said rear rollers are journaled to said top arm portions.

Claim 7

The loader of claim 5, and wherein said front rollers are journaled to the intermediate portions of the link bars and the bucket member is pivoted to the forward ends of the links bars.

Claim 8

The loader of claim 6, and wherein the means to elevate the support bar means comprises a flexible chain connected between the guide means and the intermediate portions of the link bars, and a hydraulic cylinder pivoted to the support adjacent the lower end of the guide means and having an extensible piston rod provided with abutment means engaging said chain to exert upward force thereon responsive to extension of the piston rod.

Claim 9

The loader of claim 7, and wherein said last-named abutment means comprises a sprocket wheel journaled to the end of thE piston rod and meshingly engaging with said chain.

Claim 10

In a loader, a wheeled support, upstanding guide means rigidly mounted on said support, a load-carrying member, support bar means pivoted to said load-carrying member, means on said support bar means slidably engaging with said guide means, means to elevate said support bar means and load-carrying member along said guide means, and means to swing said support bar means and load-carrying member outwardly responsive to the elevation of said support bar means to a predetermined height on said guide means, wherein said load-carrying member comprises a bucket member, and load-dumping means operatively connected between said support bar means and said bucket member and including means to rotate the bucket member relative to the support bar means, and wherein the means to elevate the support bar means comprises flexible tension means connected between the support and the intermediate portion of the support bar means, and extensible hydraulic cylinder means pivoted to the support and acting between said flexible tension means and said support, said cylinder means being located to exert upward force on said flexible tension means.

Claim 11

In a loader, a wheeled support, upstanding guide means rigidly mounted on said support, a load-carrying member, support bar means pivoted to said load-carrying member, means on said support bar means slidably engaging with said guide means, means to elevate said support bar means and load-carrying member along said guide means, and means to swing said support bar means and load-carrying member outwardly responsive to the elevation of said support bar means to a predetermined height on said guide means, wherein said load-carrying member comprises a bucket member, and load-dumping means operatively connected between said support bar means and said bucket member and including means to rotate the bucket member relative to the support bar means, and wherein the means to elevate the support bar means comprises flexible tension means connected between the support and the intermediate portion of the support bar means, and extensible hydraulic cylinder means pivoted to the support and acting between said flexible tension means and said support, said cylinder means being located to exert upward force on said flexible tension means.

Claim 12

The loader of claim 9, and wherein said wheeled support is provided with respective pairs of steerable front and rear wheels, and means to independently drive said wheels.

Claim 13

The loader of claim 10, and means to independently steer said pairs of front and rear wheels.

Claim 14

The loader of claim 9, and wherein said wheeled support is provided with a pair of vertically journaled front wheel frames at its front forward portion with respective front wheels journaled in said front wheel frame and with a pair of vertically journaled rear wheel frames at its rear portion with respective rear wheels journaled in said last-named wheel frames, means drivingly coupling the front wheel frames together for simultaneous steering movement, means drivingly coupling the rear wheel frames together for simultaneous steering movement, respective hydraulic cylinders operatively connected to the coupling means for the front and rear wheel frames, and means to independently operate said hydraulic cylinders.

Claim 15

The loader of claim 12, and means to independently drive said wheels.

Claim 16

The loader of claim 13, and wherein the means to independently drive the wheels comprises respective hydraulic motors mounted on the support and drivingly connected to the wheels.

Claim 17

The loader of claim 8, and wherein said upstanding guide means comprises a pair of upstanding channel bars arranged with their web portions in parallel relationship and having front and rear flanges defining said front and rear guide bearing surfaces.

Claim 18

The loader of claim 15, and wherein said chain is located between said channel bars.