Patent ID: 8008790

Claim:
A system for recovering or converting energy associated with a machine having an implement mounted on the machine by an implement supporting member, wherein the implement supporting member is movable relative the machine by an hydraulic actuator, the system comprising: an energy converter mounted on one of the implement supporting member or the machine; an energy converter activation device interposed between the energy converter and the other of the machine and the implement supporting member; and a flywheel mounted on the same implement supporting member or machine as the energy converter, the flywheel being interposed between the energy converter activation device and the energy converter; wherein relative movement between the energy converter activation device and the flywheel drives the flywheel, which in turn drives the energy converter; wherein the energy converter is selected from the group consisting of a hydraulic pump and an electric generator and the energy converter is a hydraulic pump and the energy converted by the energy converter is stored in an accumulator.