Abstract:
Apparatus for adjusting the spatial position of a machine control device relative to a machine cab floor includes a support bracket defined by a pair of spaced parallel struts, and a pair of spaced cross beams orthogonally positioned relative to the struts, each cross beam having opposed ends rigidly securing the struts together. A laterally translatable carriage is supported on the cross beams for movement of the carriage between the struts along a first axis. The carriage includes a pair of spaced pin-receiving bores, orthogonally oriented with respect to the cross beams, that extend generally parallel to the struts. Spring-loaded pins may extend through each of the carriage bores to support movement of a control device along a second axis.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to apparatus for making in-cab adjustments of implement control devices in a variety of machines, including wheel loaders. More particularly, the disclosure relates to apparatus adapted to facilitate the spatial positioning and adjustment of joy sticks mounted on control pods in at least two dimensions for machine operator effectiveness and comfort. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A variety of machines are employed in off-road tasks involving multiple and repetitive movements. As just one example, a wheel loader, moveable along the ground on wheels or tracks, may be used for excavating, and may include a backhoe mounted on the machine body for such purpose. The backhoe may be the only excavating implement on the machine body, or it may be one of a plurality of implements. For example, the wheel loader may include a backhoe mounted at one end, and a loader bucket mounted at the other end. Stabilizing struts may also be included to maintain the machine in place while an operator excavates dirt or sand with the backhoe, for example. 
     Since the excavating portion of a wheel loader machine is typically mounted at the rear of the machine, the operator may face the rear of the machine during an excavating operation. Controls for the moving and positioning the backhoe and/or the stabilizer struts may be located conveniently to the rear-facing direction, while controls for the front loader bucket, steering, engine throttle, and brake may be located more conveniently to the front-facing direction. 
     Modern machines including wheel loaders typically employ joystick-based control systems for achieving desired manipulation including precise positioning of various implements such as excavation buckets. Hydraulic systems may be included to operationally control physical movements of various boom and stabilizer parts. The machines may include dual control pods, each having a joystick disposed thereon, or alternatively may have joysticks disposed on armrests. The pods and/or armrests may be spaced apart on either side of the operator&#39;s workstation seat. 
     Throughout the life of the machine, operators of different sizes and shapes may operate the controls. These operators may require multiple seating positions during a typical work cycle, obviously depending upon performance effectiveness and comfort of the operator. Alternately, many operators may use a variety of machines, each having a variety of interior dimensions and placements of implement control pods. As a result, consistently comfortable and ergonomic operating positions for each operator for all operating situations may be challenging to achieve. Further, because an operator may need to use both right hand and left hand control devices, and because the controls may be sensitive, the ergonomics of an operator&#39;s work environment may directly affect productivity as well as giving rise to safety concerns. 
     Accordingly, there is a perceived need for control devices that are more fully adjustable than those currently available. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,749 discloses a mechanism for adjusting the control console of a work vehicle. However, the mechanism employs a four-bar linkage which, although providing motion within a single plane, does not accommodate linear motion. To the extent that its movements are along only curved paths, the mechanism offers limited utility. 
     An improved control pod structure may increase productivity of operators using a variety of machines and/or may alleviate need to adjust positions of an operator&#39;s seat multiple times during a work cycle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A position-adjustable mechanism for a machine control device, for example a joystick supported on a control pod, may offer ergonomic benefits to a machine operator. The machine may include a pod support bracket adapted to adjust the spatial position of the joystick relative to a fixed machine cab floor. The bracket may be defined by a pair of spaced vertically oriented struts, and a pair of spaced cross beams orthogonally positioned relative to the struts, each cross beam having opposed ends rigidly securing the struts together. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a laterally translatable carriage may be supported on the cross beams for movement of the carriage along a first axis that extends between the struts. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the carriage may include a pair of spaced pin-receiving bores, orthogonally oriented with respect to the cross beams, and extending generally along a second axis that may be vertically aligned with the struts. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the disclosure, spring-loaded pins may extend through each of the carriage bores to support movement of an associated control device along the second axis. 
     Finally, in accordance with a still further aspect of the disclosure, a joystick secured to the support bracket may, with respect to the machine floor, be laterally translatable via the carriage along the first axis, and vertically translatable via the pins along the second axis. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a machine that may be equipped with the disclosed adjustable support for a control device. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a machine cab workstation, showing an operator seat, control panel, and conventional dual control pods disposed at either side of the operator seat. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the disclosed adjustable control pod mechanism. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear view of the mechanism of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a frontal elevation view of a first embodiment of the adjustable control pod mechanism, shown contained within at least one of the control pods illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is a view of the same embodiment of the adjustable control pod mechanism, showing use of dual release levers, with the control pod mechanism oriented to reveal the rear side of the mechanism per  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a view of a second embodiment of the adjustable mechanism that incorporates a latching system for enabling operation of multiple cables by a single lever. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary machine, such as a wheel loader  10 , which may incorporate a frame or chassis  12 , and ground elements, such as a pair of rear and front wheels  14 ,  16 , as depicted. Alternatively, instead of wheels  14 ,  16 , the machine  10  may be provided with a pair of endless or crawler tracks (not shown) to permit transportation of the machine over the ground. The machine  10  may also include a cab  18  or other suitable facility in which to accommodate an operator (not shown). The cab  18  may include a fixed floor  9 , to which may be secured suitable controls for operating a loader bucket  20  at a front end  21  of the machine  10 , as well as a rear end backhoe bucket  22  at a rear end  19  thereof. The buckets  20  and  22  may respectively be manipulated by front and rear end controllable boom devices  23  and  25 , respectively, which may be operated by hydraulic cylinders  26 , as shown, and as otherwise may be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
     Referring now also to  FIG. 2 , the cab controls may include joysticks  24 , adapted to manipulate the buckets  20  and  22 , for excavating materials such as dirt or sand, for example. The joysticks  24  may also be effective to manipulate a pivotal swing assembly  28 , which enables the rear boom device  25  to pivot about a vertical axis (not shown). A pair of outriggers or machine stabilizers  30  at the rear end  19  may be effective to keep the machine  10  from undesirable movements, such as ground shifting, when under the force loads imposed thereon during an excavation cycle. 
     Referring now specifically to  FIG. 2 , an operator work station  32  includes a control panel  34  that incorporates operating gauges and controls, as well as a seat  36  situated between left and right control pods  40 . The control pods  40  may act as mounts for implement control devices, such as the right and left joysticks  24 . While the seat  36  may be conventionally adjustable, adjustment capabilities within the control pods  40  may offer enhanced operational ergonomics by providing more control interface positions for an operator while he/she is manipulating machine implements via the joysticks  24 . Although left and right armrests  38  are shown positioned immediately on either side of the seat  36 , and just behind the control pods  40 , this disclosure may be equally applicable to machines containing alternative control structures, such as machines with integral armrest and control pod arrangements, or even machines containing joysticks mounted directly to armrest structures. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a multi-directionally adjustable control pod support mechanism is disclosed in the form of an adjustable bracket  50 . The bracket  50 , which may be incorporated within each control pod  40  shown in  FIG. 2 , may include a pair of (left and right) struts  52  and  54  as structural members, oriented along an axis a-a of  FIG. 3 . The struts are rigidly connected together by upper and lower cross beams  56  and  58 , which extend orthogonally relative to the struts  52 ,  54 . Supported on the cross beams for lateral translatable movement thereon is a carriage  60 . The carriage includes laterally extending apertures or bores  62  to accommodate movement of the carriage  60  along the beams  56 ,  58 , and thus along an axis a-a that extends between the struts  52 ,  54 . 
     A separate set of longitudinal bores  64 , may extend parallel to the struts  52  and  54 , and may be adapted to support vertical movement of left and right vertically extending spring-loaded pins  66  and  68  along an axis b-b, which extends orthogonally to axis a-a, as shown.  FIG. 4  depicts the rear side of the carriage  60 , including a pair of longitudinally extending structural support ribs  42  on the underside thereof. Referring now also to  FIG. 5 , upon installation of the bracket  50  within a control pod  40 , the pins  66 ,  68  may engage a horizontally oriented, albeit horizontally and vertically translatable, joystick support plate  78  for effectively providing like movement of the joysticks  24 , as supported on control pods  40  that may be fixed to the floor  9  of the cab  18 . Springs  70  may be effective to bias the pins  66 ,  68  against a releasable friction lock  72  ( FIGS. 3 and 5 ) for accommodating and selectively fixing discreet vertical movements thereof within the vertically oriented longitudinal carriage bores  64 . 
     The locking mechanism  72  may be actuated by a manually operated release lever  80  secured directly via cable  84  to the locking mechanism  72 . For such purpose, the release lever  80  may be secured either to the armrest  38  (as shown) or alternatively may be secured to the structure of the control pod  40 . Similarly, referring back to  FIG. 4 , a separate releasable friction lock  74  may be effective to secure the carriage  60  at various desired lateral positions along the cross beams  56 ,  58 , ideally among an infinite number of positions between the left and right struts  52  and  54 . The latter may be employed particularly to facilitate a desirable single-handed adjustment capability. 
     To the extent that the path of any particular cable  72 ,  74  will be determined by the internal layout of the bracket  50 , including the carriage  60 , the cables as described herein are displayed only schematically and in phantom. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , it will become apparent that the cable  84  may be operatively associated with the friction lock  72  (visible in  FIGS. 3 and 5 ), while a separate cable  86  may be operatively associated with the friction lock  74  (visible in  FIGS. 4 and 6 ). Thus, for controlling the above-described vertical movements of the pins  66 ,  68  with respect to the carriage  60 , the release lever  80  may be secured to the cable  84 . On the other hand, for controlling the above-described lateral movements of the carriage  60  along the cross beams  56 ,  58 , a second release lever  82  may be operatively secured to the separate cable  86 . As such, in the first-described embodiment of  FIG. 6 , each cable  84 ,  86  may be controlled by the separate release levers  80  and  82 , as shown. 
     Finally, referring to  FIG. 7 , another embodiment is shown that, although using multiple cables  84  and  86 , employs a latching mechanism  90  to permit simultaneous operation of both cables by a single lever  80 ′. The latching mechanism  90  secures the cables  84  and  86  together to permit such operability. 
     Several other embodiments may be contemplated as falling within the scope of this disclosure. For example, compound pod structures may be utilized in which a front portion of the pod may be movable fore and aft for accommodating the physical movements of a machine operator, particularly with respect to getting into and out of the cab  18 . In another embodiment, primary adjustment levers may be at least partially hidden under an armrest for ergonomic facilitation of “single-handed” adjustments. In addition, multiple latches may be useful for accommodating single-handed adjustments. 
     In still other embodiments, the carriage  60  may comprise a central casting, or otherwise be fabricated so as to contain the friction lock mechanisms  72 . In addition, the cross beams  56 ,  58  and the pins  66 ,  68  may be lengthened or shortened, depending on any particular application, to afford optimal utility of the support bracket  50  in a variety of environments. 
     Finally and as noted above, in the described embodiment the pods  40  may be fixed to the cab floor  9 . In such arrangement, the struts  52 ,  54  may be fixed to the upper interior pod structure (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). Alternatively, the bracket  50  may be positioned at the bottom of the pod  40 . As such, the struts  52 ,  54  may be fixed to the floor  9 , while the bottom of the pod may be fixed to the pins  66 ,  68 , such that the entire pod may be movable along the a-a and b-b axes. The latter is deemed to fall within the scope of this disclosure as another variation. Indeed, a plurality of such brackets  50  may be employed to provide an even greater flexibility. For example, the embodiment of  FIG. 5  may be used in combination with the utilization of a second bracket  50  situated between the cab floor  9  and the bottom of the pod  40 , as just described. As such, even greater vertical and lateral movements may be afforded with respect to the spatial positioning of implement control devices of machines, including joysticks. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     This disclosure may be beneficial for a variety of off-road machines, including excavators, crawler tractors, and wheel loaders. While the disclosed control pod adjustment mechanism has been described principally in connection with a wheel loader, it may be appreciated that yet other types of machines not shown nor suggested may benefit from its utility, as well. 
     In operation, the machine  10  may include the adjustment support bracket  50  to facilitate ergonomic positional adjustments of the controls  24  for the benefit of a machine operator, by permitting accommodating movements of the controls along the vertical, or a-a, axis, as well as the lateral, or b-b, axis. After any particular adjustment is made, the selected adjustment may be at least temporarily secured by way of the described releasable friction locking mechanism  72 . Independently of any machine operator seat adjustments, the machine operator may benefit from the feature of control device adjustability as described above. 
     It may be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations, even beyond those described, may be suitable for inclusion within the scope of the disclosed control system and method without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Other embodiments may become apparent to those skilled in the art via considerations of the specification and by way of practice of the disclosed embodiments. It is thus intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only.