Tractor vehicle having material handling subframe

Claim 2

A skid steered loader vehicle comprising a body defined in part by side walls on opposite sides of the vehicle center line, by end walls at opposite ends of the side walls and by a bottom wall partially enclosing a compartment area defining a fluid lubricant reservoir, a pair of stub axles spaced, one axle behind the other, at opposite ends of the compartment and projecting outwardly from each side, tubular axle housings rigidly secured to said side walls and surrounding said stub axles, a mounting boss on each of said tubular axle housings, a loader subframe comprising laterally spaced, longitudinally extending side beams and cross members at each end defining a generally interior rectangular space for receiving and partially surrounding said body, said side beams having longitudinally spaced mounting locations engageable with said mounting bosses for securing said subframe onto the body.

Claim 3

A skid steered vehicle and subframe, in combination, comprising a vehicle body defined by side walls on opposite sides of the vehicle center line, by end walls at opposite ends of the side walls and by a bottom wall partially enclosing a lower compartment area defining a fluid lubricant reservoir, an upper compartment area connected to the lower compartment area defined by additional side and end walls spaced from said first-mentioned side and end walls and defining at the rear an engine space and at the front a space for the operator''s legs and intermediate thereof an operator''s seat location above said compartments, a pair of stub axle housings rigidly mounted to the side walls and projecting outwardly from said lower compartment area on opposite sides thereof, mounting means on each stub axle housing, said subframe comprising a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending side beams defining an interior space adapted to receive said body, said side beams providing structure for supporting loads moved by the vehicle and tending to isolate said loads from the compartment areas of the body and mounting means spaced on each side beam opposite the mounting means on each stub axle for removably securing said subframe to the vehicle body.

Claim 4

A skid steered vehicle and subframe, in combination, comprising a vehicle body defined by side walls on opposite sides of the vehicle center line, by end walls at opposite ends of the side walls and by a bottom wall partially enclosing a lower compartment area defining a fluid lubricant reservoir, an upper compartment area connected to the lower compartment area defined by additional side and end walls spaced from said first-mentioned side and end walls and defining at the rear an engine space and at the front a space for the operator''s legs and intermediate thereof an operator''s seat location above said compartments, a pair of stub axle housings rigidly mounted to the side walls and projecting outwardly from said lower compartment area on opposite sides thereof, mounting means on each stub axle housing, said subframe comprising a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending side beams defining an interior space adapted to receive said body, said side beams providing structure for supporting loads moved by the vehicle and tending to isolate said loads from the compartment areas of the body and mounting means spaced on each side beam opposite the mounting means on each stub axle for removably securing said subframe to the vehicle body.

Claim 5

A skid steered vehicle and subframe as defined in claim 2 wherein said upper compartment area contains first and second variable displacement hydraulic pumps having a series of revolving pistons and cylinders driven on a common shaft, an engine mounted in said engine space having an output shaft drivably connected to said common shaft through the rear wall of said upper compartment area, a control handle on each side of the operator''s seat location adapted to be manually moved by the operator in a fore and aft direction, a control linkage connected to each control handle, each said pumps having inclined swash plates against which said pistons engage, said swash plates each being connected by said linkage to one of said control handles, first and second hydraulic motors operatively connected with said first and second pumps mounted in said lower compartment area, first and second gear reduction cases, mounted on opposite sides of said side walls in the lower compartment area having an input shaft connected to said first and second hydraulic motors, a gear train in each of said gear reduction cases driving an output shaft having a drive sprocket thereon, a pair of stub axles sealably journaled in the side walls of said lower compartment area and projecting through said axle housings and rotatably mounting ground engaging wheels on the outer ends thereof, drive sprockets on the inner ends of said stub axles and first and second chain drive means interconnecting the output sprockets of the gear cases and drive sprockets of said stub axles.

Claim 6

A skid steered vehicle and subframe according to claim 3 wherein said first and second gear reduction cases each includes a slidable jack shaft intermediate the inPut and output shafts, gears mounted on said jack shaft interconnecting other gears mounted on said input and output shafts becoming disengaged with one of said gears when said jack shaft is moved, and manual means on opposite sides of the vehicle operable to disengage said one gear allowing said vehicle to be towed at highway speeds.