Abstract:
The entire right, title and interest in and to this application and all subject matter disclosed and/or claimed therein, including any and all divisions, continuations, reissues, etc., thereof are, effective as of the date of execution of this application, assigned, transferred, sold and set over by the applicant(s) named herein to Deere &amp; Company, a Delaware corporation having offices at Moline, Ill. 61265, U.S.A., together with all rights to file, and to claim priorities in connection with, corresponding patent applications in any and all foreign countries in the name of Deere &amp; Company or otherwise.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     A loader implement includes a support mast provided with a mounting area for a loader arrangement, in particular for a front loader, and for at least part of a roll-over protective frame assembly, that can be brought into a protective position and a non-protective position. Furthermore, the invention concerns a support mast of a loader arrangement.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In the state of the art, agricultural vehicles such as tractors are known with which loader operations can be performed by means of a loader arrangement, for example, a front loader. Loader operations can include stacking operations, but also planning operations, shove operations or clearing operations. In part such vehicles are offered for sale without an operator&#39;s cab, in particular in the case of smaller vehicles, for example, small tractors, with which in addition to loader operations other operations can also be performed in narrow spaces and particularly in spaces with low overhead. In order to protect the operator of the implement, such vehicles are equipped with a roll-over protective structure in the form of a roll-bar extending in the vertical direction behind or in front of the implement operator&#39;s seat.  
         [0003]     For operations in narrow or low space, the roll-bar may be an obstacle. For this reason, many manufacturers of such vehicles offer a roll-bar that can be pivoted or even folded, so that if necessary or desired, the vehicle can be operated with a roll-bar that has been pivoted downward or folded together.  
         [0004]     Such vehicles are offered for sale, for example, by the company BCS. A small tractor with a mounted loader arrangement is disclosed in a product brochure “VALIANT 400-500” by the company BCS publication number 901000766-07/2002, in which the roll-bar is pivoted from a vertical position over the front hood of the vehicle and can be locked in a horizontal position. The problem here is that during the installation of the loader arrangement, the pivoted roll-bar can remain in a horizontal position, so that an operator of the vehicle could fail to erect the roll-bar. However, without the roll-bar the safety of the operator is impaired.  
         [0005]     The problem underlying the invention is seen in the fact that the safety of the implement operator may be impaired during loader operations.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     According to the present invention, there is provided a novel arrangement for mounting a roll-over protective assembly to a loader implement which may be equipped with a front loader.  
         [0007]     An object of the invention is to equip a loader implement with a loader support mast which is so arranged relative to a roll-over protective assembly such that at least a portion of the latter must be placed in an operative protective position before a loader can be mounted to the loader support mast. Alternatively, this object can be accomplished by providing a second mechanism which is pivoted in response to pivoting the protective assembly to its non-protective position, with the second mechanism then blocking the mounting area for the loader arrangement.  
         [0008]     If the loader implement is operated without a loader arrangement, there should appropriately be a guarantee that the protective assembly can be pivoted into the non-protective position. For this purpose, a retaining arrangement or an anchoring arrangement can be provided for the protective assembly between an operator&#39;s platform of the loader implement and the support mast. Preferably, the support mast for the loader arrangement is attached at the side of the loader implement. Moreover, an arrangement of the retaining arrangement for the protective assembly between the flank of the loader implement and the support mast is also possible, so that the roll-over protective device is arranged to pivot o the inner side of the support mast. Further more, it is also conceivable to fasten the protective assembly directly to the support mast for the loader arrangement and thereby to configure the retaining arrangement or anchoring arrangement of the roll-over protective assembly and the support mast as a combined component. The protective assembly can be connected in joints, free to pivot, by means of a hinge or a pin to the support mast in such a way that, during the pivoting, the protective assembly does not collide with any part of the support mast. A pivoting of the protective assembly into the non-protective position is appropriate at the time when the least possible height of the loader implement is required in order to avoid any damage, for example, to branches projecting into the path of movement of the protective assembly during operation in fruit orchards.  
         [0009]     Preferably a locking arrangement is provided with which the protective assembly can be locked in the protective position or the non-protective position. The locking can be accomplished by means of a spring pin or spring bolt that extends through components of the protective assembly and a corresponding bore of the retaining arrangement or the anchoring arrangement in a pivot region of the protective assembly. It is also conceivable to provide the support mast with corresponding bores for the locking in the pivoting region of the protective assembly, so that the protective assembly can be locked in the protective position or the non-protective position. The locking avoids unintended pivoting movements or vibrations, and the protective assembly can be firmly retained in the protective position whether the loader arrangement is mounted or not mounted.  
         [0010]     The locking arrangement preferably includes at least one attaching point or mounting point for the loader arrangement, when the protective assembly is moved into its non-protective position or is retained in the non-protective position. Thereby, on the basis of the mounting process alone, the guarantee is provided that the protective assembly is moved into the protective position in order to free the attaching point of the loader arrangement, which attaching point is used for securing the protective assembly in the non-protective position.  
         [0011]     The protective assembly that is designed to fend off any falling loads in addition to its function as a roll-bar, is preferably provided with an upper partial region that, in the protective position, extends generally horizontally over the operator&#39;s platform. In the protective position, the protective assembly includes a first section that extends approximately vertically on opposite sides of the operator&#39;s platform and has an upper end joined with a second section that extends approximately horizontally over the operator&#39;s platform. This second section may be configured as a multi-sided shape or it may extend in the form of a bow. The second section creates a protective covering framework above the operator&#39;s platform so that the implement operator of the loader implement is protected against any falling loads from the front and from above.  
         [0012]     Preferably, the second section of the protective assembly generally follows the contour of the surface of the hood, so that the protective assembly can ideally be laid around the hood without blocking the view of the operator.  
         [0013]     In order to provide an even further far-reaching improvement of the safety of the implement operator, a roll-bar is provided that extends generally in the vertical direction at the rear of the operator&#39;s platform. Preferably, this roll-bar is configured so that it can be folded in order that a reduced height dimension of the loader implement can be attained, for example, for operation in fruit orchards or for operation through low underpasses and the like. For this purpose, the roll-bar can be provided with a hinge, for example, at half its height, and can thereby also be brought into a non-protective position.  
         [0014]     In a further embodiment, the protective assembly and/or the roll-bar can be constructed so as to permit selected infinite adjustment, or step-wise adjustment in its length or height. This can be attained, for example, by a telescopic arrangement of the components of the protective assembly and/or of the roll-bar and can be locked in their effective length as a function of demand. The locking can be performed, for example, by means of pins that are inserted into correspondingly spaced bores. Tensioning devices are also conceivable here in the form of adjusting screws with which the components can be tensioned with respect to each other. A step-wise change in the effective length has the advantage that the protective function of the protective assembly or the roll-bar need not be omitted, if only a minor reduction in the height of the loader implement is required. Then the protective assembly or the roll-bar need not be brought into the non-protective position so that a protective assembly or roll-bar remains installed for the subsequent protection of the implement operator, although to a reduced extent.  
         [0015]     Preferably the protective assembly can be combined with the roll-bar in the protective position. This makes it possible for the protective assembly, in conjunction with the roll-bar, to form a protective cage around the implement operator or around the operator&#39;s platform. Thereby the stability of the protective assembly or of the roll-bar is simultaneously improved. For this purpose, the horizontal second section of the protective assembly is rigidly connected to the roll-bar by fasteners in a manner permitting the protective assembly to be selectively released from the roll-bar. It is also conceivable that only the roll-bar, or both the protective assembly and the roll-bar, are provided with an upper section that extends horizontally over the operator&#39;s platform. In the latter case, the respective upper sections of the protective assembly and the roll-bar can be releasably connected to each other. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     The drawing shows an embodiment of the invention on the basis of which the invention, as well as further advantages and advantageous further developments and embodiments of the invention, shall be explained and described in greater detail in the following.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a left side view of a loader implement provided with a support mast in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a left side view of the loader implement of  FIG. 1 , showing a loader arrangement mounted to the support mast.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the loader implement of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the support mast shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with a portion of the protective assembly being shown in solid lines in a protective position, and in dashed lines in a non-protective position.  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of the support mast, as shown in  FIG. 4 , but with a portion of the loader arrangement being shown attached to the support mast.  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  6 -- 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]      FIGS. 1-3  show a loader implement  10  constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. In the embodiment shown, an agricultural tractor is depicted as the loader implement  10 . Other loader implements would also be appropriate, such as, for example, small tractors, forestry vehicles, construction vehicles or the like. The loader implement  10  is provided with front and rear wheels  12  and  14 , respectively, that are connected to a frame  16  of the loader implement  10 . A hood  18  is arranged on a front region of the loader implement  10  above the frame  16 . Between the wheels  12  and  14  of the loader implement  10 , an operator&#39;s platform  20  follows above the frame  16  with an implement operator&#39;s seat  22 . On either side of the hood  18 , the loader implement  10  includes support masts  24  that are used to support a loader arrangement  26 , as is shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0024]     The support mast  24  is shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The support mast  24  is comprised generally of a carrier  28  extending in the vertical direction and having a narrow lower end region  30  containing bores  32  arranged in vertical alignment with each other and used in mounting the carrier  28  to the frame  16  of the loader implement  10 . The carrier  28  can be fastened, for example, by threaded pins (not shown), that are inserted into the bores  32  and bolted to the frame  16 . The carrier  28  is provided with a widening transition section  34  having a forward edge  36  contoured in the form of a bow and that opens in a wide upper end region  38 . The upper end region  38  includes a mounting area  40 , for the loader arrangement  26 , that is arranged above the forward edge  36  and is joined to an upper free end region  42 .  
         [0025]     At the upper end region  38  of the support mast  24  in the free end region  42 , a bore  44  is provided for the bearing support, free to pivot, and another bore  46  for the locking of a roll-over protective arrangement  48 , the pivot axes of these bores extend horizontally and transversely to the longitudinal axis of the loader implement  10 .  
         [0026]     The mounting area  40  is provided, at its forward edge, with a loader-mounting receptacle  50  configured with a hook-shaped contour that opens in the upward direction. The receptacle  50  is used for receiving a sleeve  54  carried by a coupling component  52  ( FIG. 6 ) of the loader arrangement  26 . Above the receptacle  50 , at an angle of approximately 30° to the receptacle  50  and at the height of the bore  46 , a bore  56  is provided between the bore  46  and the receptacle  50  for the fastening of the loader arrangement  26 .  
         [0027]     The roll-over protective assembly  48  is preferably constructed of material having a circular cross section although other cross sections may be appropriate. The protective assembly  48  can be constructed of tubing as well as solid stock. The protective assembly  48  extends from one side to the other of the loader implement  10 , and is provided on both sides of the implement with a profile, which when viewed from the side, as in  FIG. 1 , includes a long leg  58  and a short leg  60  extending at an angle of approximately 60° to the long leg. A cross member  62  extends transverse to the loader implement  10  and interconnects the short legs  60  of the protective assembly  48  with each other, so that in plan view ( FIG. 3 ) the protective assembly is seen as a “U” lying on its side and opening in the forward direction. At an opposite end of each long leg  58  from the short leg  60 , there is provided a further short leg  64  that forms a pivot end region and is angled from the long leg  58  by approximately 10° to 15°, the short leg  64  being shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0028]     The protective assembly  48  is connected in joints to the support masts  24 , free to pivot about a pivot axis  66  (see  FIG. 3 ). Here the short leg  64  is used for the bearing support and for the locking of the protective assembly  48 . The connection in joints is made on both sides of the loader implement  10  by means of pins (not shown) that are inserted through bores  44  on the support mast  24  and through bores  68  in the short leg  64  of the protective assembly  48  (see  FIG. 3 ), so that the protective assembly  48  is supported on pins, free to pivot.  
         [0029]     In the embodiment described, the protective assembly  48  is supported in bearings or is locked directly on the support mast  24 , while in another embodiment, a locking arrangement for the protective assembly  48  can be provided that is not combined with the support mast  24 , and with this arrangement, a separate locking arrangement that is connected to the frame can be provided.  
         [0030]     As is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the protective assembly  48  can be pivoted from an essentially vertical protective position, in which the protective assembly  48  is erected in order to protect an implement operator, into an essentially horizontal non-protective position (shown in dashed lines), in which the protective assembly  48  is laid across the hood  18  of the loader implement  10  in order to reduce the height of the loader implement  10 . In the protective position, the long legs  58  extend upwards on both sides of the loader implement  10  parallel to each other (see  FIG. 3 ) and are inclined towards the rear of the loader implement  10 , from the vertical or from the short lower legs  64  of the protective assembly  48 , by approximately 10° to 15°. The short upper legs  60  extend across the operator&#39;s platform  20  generally horizontally in the longitudinal direction toward the rear of the loader implement  10 , where the cross member  62  extends transverse to the longitudinal direction across the operator&#39;s platform  20 .  
         [0031]     The lower end sections  64  are provided at each of their free end regions with a bore  70  ( FIG. 4 ) that is used to lock the protective assembly  48 . The protective assembly  48  can be locked in the protective position by means of pins  72  for the locking, for example, in the form of cylindrical pins, that are inserted through the bores  46  on the support masts  24  and through the bores  70  of the lower end sections  64 .  
         [0032]     In order to lock the protective assembly  48  in the non-protective position, the long legs  58  of the protective assembly  48  are equipped with brackets  74 . In the embodiment shown, the brackets  74 , in the form of triangular sheet metal elements, are arranged on the forward side of each of the long legs  58  in respective regions near the pivot axes  66  on the long legs  58  of the protective assembly  48 , where the triangular sheet metal elements are arranged parallel to the support masts  24 . The brackets  74  are provided with bores  76  that are used for the locking. The bores  76  are arranged in such a way that they are located at the same distance from the pivot axis  66  as the bores  56  on the support masts  24  that are provided for the fastening of the loader arrangement  26 .  
         [0033]     As can be seen clearly in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the protective assembly  48  can be released from the protective position, by removing the pins  72  from the bores  46  and  70 , and laid over the hood  18  of the loader implement  10  by pivoting the protective assembly in the forward direction to the non-protective position, shown in dashed lines, so that the long legs  58  of the protective assembly  48  are brought into an essentially horizontal position. During the pivoting, the end sections  64  perform a pivoting movement about the pivot axis  66  in the upward direction and are guided out of the upper end regions  38  of the support masts  24 . Simultaneously, the brackets  74  perform a pivoting movement about the pivot axis  66  in the downward direction, and are guided into the upper end regions  38  of the support masts  24 , until the bores  76  of the brackets  74  are aligned with the bores  56  for the loader arrangement  26 . The protective assembly  48  is locked in the non-protective position by inserting the pins  72  into the bores  56  and  76 .  
         [0034]     As is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the loader arrangement  26  can be mounted on the loader implement  10 . On both sides of the hood  18 , the loader arrangement  26  includes the coupling components  52  that are used as mounting elements. Moreover, a loader arm  78  and a lifting cylinder  80  are provided on both sides of the hood  18 , where the lifting cylinder  80  is used to raise and lower the loader arm  78 . A loader tool  82  is arranged at the free end region of the loader arm  78 , and is controlled by means of an actuating cylinder  84 . Each of the coupling components  52  provides a connection between the mast support  24 , the loader arm  78  and the hydraulic cylinder  80 .  
         [0035]     The configuration of the coupling component  52  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The coupling component  52  includes two plates  86  and  88  that are shaped as trapezoids and are connected to each other by means of pins  90 ,  92  and  94 . The plates  86  and  88  are provided with bores  96 ,  98 , and  100  that accept the pins. Bearing sleeves  54 ,  102 , and  104  are arranged between the plates  86  and  88 , and are respectively received on the pins  90 ,  92  and  94 , and permit the plates  86  and  88  to be clamped rigidly against each other at a predetermined distance from each other. The pins  90 ,  92  and  94  can, for example, be bolted to each other with the plates  86 , and  88  or they can be welded together, or, as is shown in  FIG. 6 , riveted together. Together with the bearing sleeve  104 , the pin  94  forms a pivot bearing for the loader arm  78 , and the pin  92 , together with the bearing sleeve  102 , forms a bearing location for the hydraulic cylinder  80 , which can be seen particularly well in  FIG. 5 . In connection with the bearing sleeve  54 , the pin  90  forms a bearing axis that is used for the coupling and mounting of the loader arrangement  26 . Furthermore, the coupling component  52  contains bores  106  arranged in the plates  86  and  88  that are used in combination with a pin  108  and with the bore  56  for the fastening of the coupling component  52  to the support mast  24 .  
         [0036]     The coupling and mounting of the loader arrangement  26  is performed as follows beginning with the non-protective position of the locked protective assembly  48 . For the coupling of the loader arrangement  26  in the non-protective position, the locked protective assembly  48  must initially be released from the locked condition, since the bores  56  for the locking of the protective assembly  48  in the non-protective position are occupied and the support mast  24  for supporting the loader arrangement  26  are blocked. In this condition, a mounting of the loader arrangement  26  is not possible. The locking is released by removing the pins  72  from the bores  76  and the bores  56 . Only by pivoting the protective structure assembly  48  into the protective position are the bores  56  freed for a fastening of the coupling components  52 . The protective assembly  48  is locked in the protective position by inserting the pin  72  into the bores  46  and  70 . The coupling to attach the loader arrangement  26  follows by means of laying the loader elements  54  of both coupling components  52  onto the receptacles  50  and the subsequent pivoting of the coupling components  52  about the bearing axis of the loader elements  54  in the direction of the bores  56 , until the bores  56  are aligned with the bores  106  that are provided in the plates  86  and  88 . Here it should be noted that the outer radius of the bearing sleeve  54  corresponds to the distance of the bore  56  from the center of the receptacle  50 . This provides the assurance that the bores  56  and  106  can be brought into alignment with each other by pivoting the coupling component  52 . By inserting the pin  108  into the bores  56  and  106 , the coupling component  52  and with it also the loader arrangement  26  is rigidly connected with the support mast  24 .  
         [0037]     To improve the safety of the implement operator, a generally vertical roll-bar  110  is arranged in the rear region of the operator&#39;s platform  20 . The roll-bar  110  is provided at half its height with a hinge  112  that can be locked by means of a threaded screw or a pin  114 . Thereby the roll-bar  110  can selectively be brought into an erect, or a folded, position. In case the least possible height of the loader implement is desired, the forward protective assembly  48  can be pivoted into the non-protective position and the roll-bar  110  can be folded together.  
         [0038]     As an alternative to the hinge  112 , the roll-bar  110  can also be configured as a telescoping hollow member in such a way that the effective height of the roll-bar  110  can be infinitely adjusted by means of clamping screws that clamp the telescoped tubular sections together, or, alternatively, one of the telescoping tubes can be provided with a plurality of spaced holes and the other provided with a single hole whereby the roll-bar  110  can be locked in predetermined steps in height by inserting a fastener through the single hole and selected ones of the spaced holes. The protective assembly  48  can also be constructed of telescoping members. This makes it possible that even in loader operations the height of the loader implement can be reduced, and that a protective function is maintained thereby.  
         [0039]     Preferably, the roll-bar  110  is also provided with an upper end section  116  extending horizontally and in the transverse direction across the operator&#39;s platform  20 , that, however, extends forwardly. If the protective assembly  48  is in the protective position and the roll-bar  110  is in an erect position, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the protective assembly  48  and the roll-bar  110  can be connected with each other, for example, by means of threaded screws that are conducted through bores, provided at  118  in  FIG. 3 . Thereby a cage-like protective design is created that is distinguished by high stability and offers the implement operator of the loader implement  10  a high degree of safety against falling loads particularly during loader operations.  
         [0040]     Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.