US4576543A — Knock-down construction for front end loader

Claim 1

Independent Claim 269 words

In a power loader arrangement having two spaced-apart boom members, a sub-frame assembly for mounting said boom members at their rearward portions on a power vehicle and at least one cross-member for mechanically interconnecting said boom members at their forward portions and maintaining a predetermined spacing therebetween, said sub-frame assembly including two side arms for positioning alongside a power vehicle and mechanically interconnected at their front portions to support vertical loads when in use, each boom member being hollow and having spaced-apart inner and outer plates secured together along corresponding upper and lower edges, means at each cross-member end portion for mechanically securing the respective cross-member end portions to the respective inner and outer plates, said securing means comprising: means associated with said inner plate of said boom arm and means associated with a respective end portion of said cross-member which are adapted to cooperate to resist shear and torsional forces exerted on said interconnection during usage of said loader, means associated with said respective cooperating means of said boom arm and cross member end portion to provide for a transfer of a portion of said torsional and shear forces and longitudinal forces exerted along said cross-member during loader use from said inner plate to said outer plate of each boom arm and mechanically releasable fastener means at both end portions of said cross member for coupling said respective cooperating means and in conjunction with said transfer means providing a secure interconnection, said mechanical securement of the at least one cross-member to said boom arms and the mechanical interconnection of the sub-frame providing for a compact disassembled loader arrangement.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 269 words

In a power loader arrangement having two spaced-apart boom members, a sub-frame assembly for mounting said boom members at their rearward portions on a power vehicle and at least one cross-member for mechanically interconnecting said boom members at their forward portions and maintaining a predetermined spacing therebetween, said sub-frame assembly including two side arms for positioning alongside a power vehicle and mechanically interconnected at their front portions to support vertical loads when in use, each boom member being hollow and having spaced-apart inner and outer plates secured together along corresponding upper and lower edges, means at each cross-member end portion for mechanically securing the respective cross-member end portions to the respective inner and outer plates, said securing means comprising: means associated with said inner plate of said boom arm and means associated with a respective end portion of said cross-member which are adapted to cooperate to resist shear and torsional forces exerted on said interconnection during usage of said loader, means associated with said respective cooperating means of said boom arm and cross member end portion to provide for a transfer of a portion of said torsional and shear forces and longitudinal forces exerted along said cross-member during loader use from said inner plate to said outer plate of each boom arm and mechanically releasable fastener means at both end portions of said cross member for coupling said respective cooperating means and in conjunction with said transfer means providing a secure interconnection, said mechanical securement of the at least one cross-member to said boom arms and the mechanical interconnection of the sub-frame providing for a compact disassembled loader arrangement.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said cooperating means having mutual mating faces which are machine finished to provide a secure coupling to resist torsional and shear forces.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 42 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said releasable fastener means comprises a plurality of nuts and bolts, the bolts extending through aligned apertures in said cooperating means and said inner and outer plates to secure the interconnection with the corresponding nuts.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 70 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said means associated with said boom arm is permanently secured to said inner plate, said means associated with said cross-member end portions being secured to said means on the inner plate by said fastener means, said transfer means being permanently secured to said means on the inner plate and extending through the hollow boom arm and being permanently secured to said outer plate.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 50 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said transfer means comprising a plurality of aligned apertures extending through said means associated with said cross-member end portions and said inner and outer plates to receive said fastener means by which a portion of said forces are transferred to said outer plate.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 38 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said sub-frame comprising a support arm mechanically connected at each end to said side arms, each side arm having an aperture through which each end portion of said support arm extends.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 86 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said means associated with said cross-member end portions comprises an inverted U-shaped bracket, a first leg of said bracket contacting said inner plate of the boom member, said second leg of said bracket contacting said outer plate and said bracket central portion contacting said upper portion of the boom member, said means associated with said boom member comprising a plurality of aligned apertures in said inner and outer plates, said fastener means coupling said means to resist said forces.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 149 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said means associated with said cross-member end portions comprising two aligned pairs of slots extending through said cross-member and located to each side of said inner and outer plates with said cross-member extending through said boom arm via aligned openings in said inner and outer plates, said openings snugly receiving said cross-member, said means associated with said boom arm comprising a set of lugs permanently secured to said inner and outer plates, each lug of each set positioned to each side of said opening and lying generally in the same plane, said fastener means comprising a wedge for each pair of slots, each wedge is driven into the slot pairs where spatial relationship of the slots to the lugs is such that said wedges abut corresponding lugs to resist thereby on said inner and outer plates said forces exerted on the interconnection.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 110 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said means associated with said cross-member end portion comprises a metal pad through which said cross-member extends and to which said cross-member is permanently secured, said pad having spaced-apart planar edges, said cross-member end portion extending through aligned apertures in said inner and outer plates with said metal pad abutting said inner plate, said cross-member end portion having an external thread onto which a nut is threaded to connect said cross-member to said boom member, a pair of spaced-apart lugs secured to said inner plate about said aperture and positioned to abut corresponding planar edges of said pad to resist said torsional forces.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 27 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said transfer means including an extension of said cross-member which extends through aligned apertures in said inner and outer plates.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

In a power loader of claim 10, said means associated with said boom member comprising said apertures which snugly receive said cross-member extension to resist said shear forces.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 45 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said means associated with said cross-member end portion comprises a metal pad of irregular outline which abuts said inner plate, said means associated with said boom member comprises lug portions which capture said irregular pad outline when coupled.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 12 words

In a power loader of claim 12, said pad being triangular shaped.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 12 words

In a power loader of claim 12, said pad is pentagonal shaped.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 102 words

In a power loader of claim 1, said means associated with said boom member comprising a first metal pad secured to said inner plate, said means associated with said cross-member end portions comprising a second metal pad secured to the ends of said cross-member, said first and second pads having mating interfitting surfaces to resist said shear force, said fastener means coupling the cooperating means to resist said torsional forces and forces along said cross-member, said transfer means comprising a rigid member secured to said first pad, extending through apertures in said inner and outer plates and secured to said outer plate.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 83 words

In a power loader of claim 15, said first pad having a plurality of threaded studs extending outwardly thereof, said second pad having a corresponding plurality of apertures aligned in register with said studs, each said aperture having a countersunk portion to receive a tapered portion in a nut for each stud, said nut and aperture countersunk portion cooperating to centre said first and second pads as coupled to resist by said studs said torsional and shear forces and forces along said cross-member.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 58 words

In a power loader of claim 15, said first pad having a plurality of threaded bores and said second pad having a plurality of aligned apertures, said fastener means thereby including a corresponding plurality of bolts extending through the aperture of said second pad and threaded into said bores of said first pad to couple the pads together

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 33 words

In a power loader of claim 17, said first pad having a circular projection and said second pad having a corresponding recess to snugly receive said circular projection in forming said mating interfit.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 39 words

In a power loader of claim 17, said first pad having a recessed channel portion and said second pad having a corresponding U-shaped projection for forming a mating interfit with said channel portion when coupled by said fastener means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-03-17	1989-09-16	1990-03-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-03-17	1993-09-16	1994-03-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-03-17	1997-09-16	1998-03-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Knock-down construction for front end loader

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