Patent ID: 11885095
Assignee: GREAT PLAINS MANUFACTURING, INC.
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E  B  F | IPC B  E  F

Claim 7:
8. A stand-on compact utility loader (CUL) configured for connection to and operation of a variety attachments, the CUL comprising:
a frame;
a platform coupled to the frame near a bottom rear of the frame and configured to support a user while operating the CUL;
a pair of tracks positioned on opposite sides of the frame;
a front idler wheel and a rear idler wheel associated with each of the tracks and horizontally spaced from one another by a first length,
wherein a first midpoint is positioned evenly between the front and rear idler wheels,
wherein a center of gravity of the CUL is positioned rearward of the first midpoint by at least 15% of the first length;
a pair of loader arms coupled to opposite sides of the frame and shiftable relative to the frame between a lowered position and a raised position;
a pair of front and rear links associated with each loader arm and coupling the loader arms to opposite sides of the frame;
a pair of hydraulic cylinders each associated with one of the loader arms and configured to shift the loader arms between the lowered and raised positions; and
a pair of pivot pins each associated with one of the loader arms and configured to connect attachments to the loader arms,
wherein the pivot pins follow a curved travel path from a base position to a maximum height position when the loader arms are shifted from the lowered position to the raised position,
wherein the curved travel path meets one or both more of the following criteria (i) and
(ii)
(i) wherein the curved travel path is approximated by a function f(x)=4.641e0.34x, wherein “x” represents a horizontal distance, in inches, from the base position and f(x) represents a vertical distance, in inches, from the ground, wherein the curved travel path deviates from the function by not more than 1.5 inches in the horizontal direction between the base position and the maximum height position,
(ii) wherein the curved travel path has an inflection point at an intermediate height between the base position and the maximum height position, wherein, at the inflection point, the curved travel path transitions from moving horizontally away from the base position as the loader arms are raised toward the intermediate height to moving horizontally closer to the base position as the loader arms are raised above the intermediate height.