Abstract:
A walkway mount system comprising at least one walkway section; and at least one walkway mount, each mount including a mounting body that is able to be located between an upper portion and a lower portion of a roll over protection system of a vehicle; and at least one arm that is attached to the mounting body and is able to be attached to and support the at least one walkway section.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a walkway system. In particular, the invention relates to a walkway system that is able to be used to mount a walkway around the cabin of a bulldozer. However, it should be appreciated that the walkway system may be used on other types of vehicles that have a roll over protection system, 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The presence of a walkway mounted around the cabin of a bulldozer is common place. The walkway allows an operator access to the cabin, provides the ability to clean the glass of the cabin and also enables an operator to view any obstacles located close the side and/or the rear of the bulldozer that would otherwise not be visible from the cabin. Also maintenance personnel can access and perform tasks on window wipers, lights, reversing alarms, rear cameras, radio and GPS aerials and receivers mounted on and around the cabin. 
         [0003]    Most walkways are mounted to a bulldozer by welding the walkway to the bulldozer. This often involves welding walkway mounting brackets to a fuel tank that is located at the rear of the bulldozer. The brackets are then connected to the walkway. This process is very time consuming and requires skilled labor. 
         [0004]    There are other associated problems with welding the brackets to the fuel tank to install the walkway. During installation of brackets on the fuel tank it is necessary to open the vents located on the fuel tank. If the vents are not opened, the internal gas located within the fuel tank will become heated causing the gas to expand. This will usually cause the tank to buckle and/or break. A buckled or broken tank is required to be replaced which is both expensive and time consuming. 
         [0005]    A further issue with welding brackets to the fuel tank is that welding changes the structural integrity of the tank by making it more briftle. Movement of the walkway, by people walking over the walkway or by normal use of the vehicle, applies force through the brackets to the tank. This will normally cause the tank to split prematurely. Again, the tank is required to be replaced which is both expensive and time consuming. 
         [0006]    The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. 
       OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is an object of the invention to overcome and/or alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages and/or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice, 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In one form, although not necessarily the only or broadest form, the invention resides a walkway mount system comprising: 
         [0000]    at least one walkway section; and
 
at least one walkway mount, each mount including:
 
         [0009]    a mounting body that is able to be located between an upper portion and a lower portion of a roll over protection system of a vehicle; and 
         [0010]    at least one arm that is attached to the mounting body and is able to be attached to and support the at least one walkway section. 
         [0011]    Normally there are at least two walkway mounts. Preferably, there are two walkway mounts. 
         [0012]    The mounting body of a walkway mount is normally in the form of a mounting plate. The body may have one or more holes that end through the body. The holes may be for location of fastener. The fastener is normally in the form of a bolt. 
         [0013]    Normally there may be one or two arms attached to the mounting body. Each arm is normally welded to the mounting body. Each arm may extend outwardly from the mounting body. Each arm may be formed from rectangular hollow section. However, it would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that each arm may be made from other sections such as L-shaped, U-shaped, circular, Further, it would be appreciated that the arm may not be hollow but may be solid. 
         [0014]    Each arm may have walkway attachment tabs located on the arm for attaching the walkway section to the arm. Each arm may be removably attached to an associated walkway section. 
         [0015]    There normally is more than one walkway section. Each walkway section may include a base. The base may be attached to at least one arm. At least one handrail may be attached to the base. One walkway section may be attached to another walkway section. 
         [0016]    In another form, the invention resides in walkway mount for mounting a walkway section, the walkway mount comprising: 
         [0017]    a mounting body that is able to be located between an upper portion and a lower portion of a roll over protection system of a vehicle; and 
         [0018]    at least one arm that is attached to the mounting body and is able to be attached to and support the at least one walkway section. 
         [0019]    In yet another form, the invention resides in a vehicle including: 
         [0000]    a roll over protection system; having an upper portion and a lower portion;
 
at least one walkway section; and
 
at least one walkway mount, each walkway mount including:
 
         [0020]    a mounting body that is located between an upper portion and a lower portion of the roll over protection system of a vehicle; and 
         [0021]    at least one arm that is attached to the mounting body and is able to be attached to and support the at least one walkway section, 
         [0022]    The vehicle is typically in the form of a bulldozer. However, the vehicle may be any vehicle that has a roll over protection system. 
         [0023]    upper portion of the roll over protection system may be in the form of a roll over cage. The roll over cage may be substantially U-shaped. 
         [0024]    The lower portion of the roll over protection system may be in the form one or more brackets. Each bracket may be used to attach the upper portion of the roll over protection system to the vehicle. Accordingly the one or more brackets may be integrally formed with the vehicle. 
         [0025]    In another form, the invention resides in a method of installing a walkway system onto a vehicle that has a roll over protection system, the method including the steps of: 
         [0026]    securing a mounting body of walkway mount between an upper portion and a lower portion of the roll over protection system; and 
         [0027]    attaching a walkway section to at least one arm that is extends outwardly from the mounting body. 
         [0028]    Further forms and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]    An embodiment, by way of example only, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  is a view perspective of a bulldozer including a walkway system according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a further view perspective of a bulldozer including a walkway system according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 3A  is an exploded view perspective of a bulldozer including a walkway system according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 3B  is an detailed exploded view perspective of a bulldozer including a walkway system according to  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4A  is an exploded view perspective of a bulldozer including a walkway system according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 48  is an detailed exploded view perspective of a bulldozer including a walkway system according to  FIG. 4A   
           [0036]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a first walkway mount according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0037]      FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of a second walkway mount according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0038]      FIG. 6B  is a further perspective view of a second walkway mount according to  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0039]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a first walkway section according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0040]      FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of a second walkway section according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0041]      FIG. 8B  is a perspective view of a second walkway section according to  FIG. 8A ; 
           [0042]      FIG. 9A  is a perspective view of a third walkway section according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0043]      FIG. 9B  is a perspective view of a third walkway section according to  FIG. 9A ; and 
           [0044]      FIG. 98  is a perspective view of a third walkway section according to  FIG. 9C . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0045]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a bulldozer  5  to which is attached a walkway system  10 . The walkway system  10  is attached to the bulldozer  5  using a roll over protection system  6 , shown in  FIG. 3A and 4A  which forms part of the bulldozer  5 . The roll over protection system  6  includes an upper U-shaped portion  7  and two brackets  8  which are attached to a body of the bulldozer  5 . In normal use the upper U-shaped portion  7  is attached to the brackets  8  using bolts (not shown) so that the upper U-shaped portion  7  protects a user with a cabin in the event that the bulldozer  5  rolls over. 
         [0046]    The walkway system  10  includes two walkway mounts  100  and  200  that are used to mount two walkway sections  150  and  250 . The first walkway mount  100 , shown in greater detail in  FIG. 3A, 33 and 5 , is formed from a mounting plate  110  to which is welded an arm  120 . The mounting plate  110  has a series of mounting holes  111  located through the mounting plate  110 . The mounting holes are of the same configuration as holes located in the upper portion  7  and bracket  8  of the left hand side of the roll over protection system  6  of the bulldozer  5 . The arm  120  is constructed from rectangular hollow section and is welded to the mounting plate  110 . Two walkway attachment tabs  130  are located on the arm. The walkway attachment tabs  130  are made from angle iron and are spaced apart. A walkway attachment hole  131  is located through each of the walkway attachment tabs. 
         [0047]    The second walkway mount  200 , shown in more detail in  FIG. 4A, 4B , GA and  6 B, is formed from a mounting plate  210  to which is welded two arms  220 . The mounting plate  210  has a series of mounting holes  211  located through the mounting plate  210 . The mounting holes  211  are of the same configuration as holes located in the upper portion  7  and bracket  8  of the right hand side of the roil over protection system  6  of the bulldozer  5 . Each of the arms  220  is made from rectangular hollow section and is welded to the mounting plate  210 . Walkway attachment tabs  230  are located at ends of each of the arms  220 . The arms  220  are made from angle iron and are welded to the arms  220 . Walkway attachment holes  231  extend through each of the walkway attachment tabs  230 . A face plate  240  Is welded to and extends downwardly from the bottom of the mounting plate  210 . Two stair webs  241  are welded to the face plate  240  and the mounting plate  210 . Each of the stair webs  241  includes an outwardly extending projection  242 . These projections  241  are used to mount a stair tread  243  which is welded to the projections and the face plate  240 . 
         [0048]    The first walkway section  150  includes a base  151  and a handrail  152 . The base  151  of the walkway section  150  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 7 . The base  151  includes a floor plate  160  which is substantially rectangular in shape. A series of kick plates  165  are attached to the floor plate by welding. Arm attachment tabs  170  extended downwardly from the kick plates  165 . Arm attachment holes  171  extend through the arm attachment tabs  170 . A walkway abutment plate  175  is located at one end of the floor plate  160  and extends downwardly with respect to the floor plate  160 . Abutment holes  176  are located through the walkway abutment plate  175 . Kick plate attachment tabs  180  are located the kick plates  165  and extend outwardly from the kick plates  165 . Kick plates  165  attachment holes  180  are located through the kick plate attachment tabs  180 . 
         [0049]    The second walkway section  250  again includes a base  251  and handrail  252 . The base  251  shown in more detail in  FIG. 8A and 8B  includes an L-shaped floor plate  260 , A series of kick plates  265  extend upwardly from the floor plate and are welded to the floor plate  260 . Kick plate attachment holes  266  are located end kick plates  265 . A walkway abutment plate  275  is located at one end of the floor plate  260  and extends downwardly with respect to the floor plate  260 . Abutment holes  276  are located through the walkway abutment plate. An arm attachment plate  280  is located at the other end of the floor plate  260  and also extends downwardly from the floor plate  260 . Arm attachment holes  281  are located through the arm attachment plate  281 . Arm attachment tabs  270  extend downwardly from one of the kick plates  265 . Arm attachment holes  271  are located through the arm attachment tabs  270 . 
         [0050]    In order to install the walkway system  10 , the roil over protection system  5  must first be dismantled. This involves removing bolts (not shown) from the upper U-shaped portion  7  that are fastened to the brackets  8 . Once the bolts have been removed, the upper U-shaped portion  7  can be removed from the brackets  8 . Once the U-shaped upper portion has been removed, the two walkway mounts  100 ,  200  are located over the brackets  8  so that the mount holes  111 ,  211  located through the respective mounting plates  110 ,  210  are in alignment with holes in the respective brackets  8 . The upper U-shaped portion  7  is then lowered onto the mounting plates  110 ,  210  of the walkway mounts  100 ,  200  so that the holes located within the upper portions are in alignment with the mount holes  111 ,  211  in the mounting plates  110 ,  210  of the walkway mounts  100 ,  200 . Longer bolts (not shown) are then fed through the holes located in the upper portion  7  and mounting holes  111 ,  211  in the mounting plates  110 ,  210 . The bolts (not shown) are then tightened so that they screw into the brackets  8  to sandwich the mounting plates  110 ,  210  between the upper U-shaped portion  7  and the brackets  8 . 
         [0051]    Once the two walkway mounts  100 ,  200  are in place, then the walkway sections  150 ,  250  can be attached to the walkway mounts  100 ,  200 . The second walkway section  250  is mounted to the second mount  200  before the first walkway section  110  is mounted to the first walkway mount  100 . 
         [0052]    The second walkway mount  200  is mounted to the second walkway section  250  by placing the walkway section  250  over the arms  220  of the second walkway mount  200 . The second walkway section  250  is then moved until the arm attachment tabs  270  and arm attachment plate  280  is aligned with the walkway attachment tabs  230  on the respective arms  220 , Bolts (not shown) are then located through the arm attachment holes  231  in the arm attachment tabs  230 , the arm attachment holes  281  in the arm attachment plate  281  and through the walkway attachment holes  231  in the walkway attachment tabs  230 . Nuts (not shown) are then located over the bolts to fasten the second walkway to the arms  220  of the second mount  200 . 
         [0053]    The first walkway section  100  is then located over the arm  110  of the first attachment mount  100 . The first walkway section  100  is moved so that abutment holes  176 ,  276  in the walkway plates  175 ,  275  of the first walkway section  100  and the second walkway section  250  are in alignment. Bolts (not shown) are then located through the walkway abutment holes  176 ,  276  and fastened together using associated nuts not shown). The kick plate attachment holes  181  in the kick plate attachment tabs  181  and kick plate attachment holes  266  in the kick plates  265  will also be aligned and fastener together using nuts and bolts (not shown). 
         [0054]    The walkway attachment tabs  130  on the arms  110  are then aligned with the arm attachment tabs  170  on the first walkway section  150 . Bolts (not shown) are then located through the walkway attachment holes  131  in the walkway attachment tabs  130  and the arm attachment holes  171  in the arm attachment tabs  170 . The walkway attachment tabs  170  and the arm attachment tabs  170  are then fastened together using associated nuts and respective bolts (not shown). 
         [0055]    It should be appreciated that the hand rails  152 ,  252  may be pre-attached to the base  151 ,  251  before they are attached to the walkway mounts  100 ,  200  or the hand rails may be attached to the base after the base is mounted to the walkway mounts  100 ,  200 . 
         [0056]    It should be appreciated that other elements may be added to the walkway system for practical purposes. For example additional walkways sections may be added.  FIG. 9A, 9B and 9C  show a third walkway section  350  which is welded to a body of the bulldozer  5  and also fastened to the second walkway mount  200 . The third walkway section includes a floor plate  360  and two kick plates  365  which extend upwardly from the floor plate  360 . A weld plate  370  extends downwardly from one side of the floor plate  360  and is welded to the floor plate  260 . A web  375  is welded to the front of the floor plate  360 . A stair plate  380  is welded to a side of the floor plate  360  and to the web  375  and is used to support a stair tread  385 . The stair tread  385  is welded to the front of the web  375  and stair plates  380 . 
         [0057]    In order to install the third walkway section  350 , the weld plate  370  is welded to the body of the bulldozer  5 . An additional weld plate  390  is welded onto the stair plate  380  and also welded to the bulldozer  5 . The kick plate  365  is aligned with the stair plate  240  on the second walkway mount  250  and bolted to the second walkway mount  250  using associated bolts and nuts (not shown). 
         [0058]    It should also be appreciated that another feature that may be added is a step  400  located on the beam connects the body of the bulldozer  5  to the blade. This step  400  may be of any configuration but typically includes a hand holder  410  as shown on  FIGS. 1 and 4A . 
         [0059]    In this specification, the terms “comprise”, “comprises”, “comprising” or similar terms are intended to mean a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system, method or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include those elements solely, but may well include other elements not listed. 
         [0060]    It should be appreciated that various other changes modifications may be made to the embodiment described with that departed from the spiritual scope of the invention.