초록

A work machine has a boom and a boom lock. The boom lock is arranged to lock the boom in a raised boom position. An associated method is disclosed.

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The invention claimed is: 1. A method of operating a boom lock of a work machine, the work machine comprising an operator's station, a boom actuator, and a boom movable between a lowered boom position and a raised boom position using the boom actuator, the method comprising: moving a brace to a boo

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of operating a boom lock of a work machine, the work machine comprising an operator's station, a boom actuator, and a boom movable between a lowered boom position and a raised boom position using the boom actuator, the method comprising: moving a brace to a boom-locking position using the boom actuator, actuating a brace retainer from the operator's station, retaining the brace in the boom-locking position using the brace retainer during a partial lowering of the boom onto the brace, and locking the boom in the raised boom position using the brace in its boom-locking position. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the actuating comprises manually operating a retainer actuator, a handle of which is located in the operator's station. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the actuating comprises moving the brace retainer in an opening in a side wall of a machine body of the work machine. 4. A work machine, comprising: a machine body comprising an operator's station, a boom coupled to the machine body to move between a lowered boom position and a raised boom position, a boom actuator coupled to the boom to move the boom between the lowered and raised boom positions, a brace overlying the boom actuator so as to be movable with the boom actuator in a travel path to a boom-locking position in which the brace is arranged to lock the boom in the raised boom position, a brace retainer arranged to move relative to the machine body between a deployed position extending into the travel path and a non-use position out of the travel path, wherein in the deployed position the brace retainer is arranged to engage and retain the brace in the boom-locking position during a partial lowering of the boom onto the brace so as to assume the raised boom position, and a retainer actuator coupled to the brace retainer and operable from the operator's station to move the brace retainer to the deployed position to retain the brace in the boom-locking position. 5. The work machine of claim 4, wherein the brace and the boom actuator are coupled to a mount of the machine body for pivotable movement about a common pivot axis. 6. The work machine of claim 4, wherein the brace is arranged to ride on the boom actuator upon a change in elevation of the boom by the boom actuator. 7. The work machine of claim 6, wherein the brace comprises a channel arranged to receive the boom actuator therein when the brace rides on the boom actuator and a bottom opening formed in the channel through which the boom actuator exits the channel when the brace is retained in the boom-locking position by the brace retainer during the partial lowering of the boom to the raised boom position by the boom actuator. 8. The work machine of claim 4, wherein the brace comprises a tab, the brace retainer comprises a slidable bar arranged to slide in an opening formed in a side wall of the machine body between the deployed position for engagement with the tab to retain the brace in the boom-locking position and the non-use position, and the slidable bar is biased to the deployed position. 9. The work machine of claim 4, wherein the boom comprises a side arm positioned laterally outwardly from each side of the operator's station and a boss coupled to one of the side arms, and the brace comprises a notch formed in an end of the brace for receiving the boss therein to lock the boom in the raised position. 10. The work machine of claim 4, wherein a handle of the retainer actuator is located in the operator's station. 11. The work machine of claim 4, comprising a machine body, wherein the brace retainer is arranged to move relative to the machine body between the deployed position for engagement with the brace to retain the brace in the boom-locking position and the non-use position. 12. The work machine of claim 11, wherein the retainer actuator comprises a slot, a handle coupled to the brace retainer and extending through the slot into the operator's station for movement in the slot, a fixed member coupled to the machine body against movement relative thereto, and a spring acting between the fixed member and the handle to bias the brace retainer toward the deployed position. 13. The work machine of claim 4, wherein the work machine is a skid steer. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the brace overlies the boom actuator, and the moving comprises pivoting the brace. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the pivoting comprises pivoting the brace about a pivot axis in response to pivoting of the boom actuator about the pivot axis. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the actuating comprises deploying the brace retainer into a pivot path of the brace. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the moving comprises lowering the brace into engagement with the brace retainer after deployment of the brace retainer. 18. The work machine of claim 1, wherein the brace is positioned on boom actuator except when the brace is positioned in the boom-locking position and the boom is positioned on the brace. 19. The work machine of claim 7, wherein the channel comprises an inboard side wall, outboard side wall, and a top wall interconnecting the inboard and outboard side walls, and the inboard side wall, the outboard side wall, and the top wall cooperate such that the channel is inverted U-shaped and opens downwardly at the bottom opening.