대표
청구항
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1. A compact utility loader, which comprises: (a) a frame carrying a prime mover;(b) ground engaging members carried by the frame with at least one ground engaging member on each side of the frame being powered to self-propel the frame;(c) a control console at a rear end of the frame carrying controls that are manipulated to operate the loader;(d) a loader arm assembly having a pair of linkages on opposite sides of the frame, wherein each linkage comprises: (i) a loader arm having a front end and a rear end; and(ii) first and second connecting arms, wher...
1. A compact utility loader, which comprises: (a) a frame carrying a prime mover;(b) ground engaging members carried by the frame with at least one ground engaging member on each side of the frame being powered to self-propel the frame;(c) a control console at a rear end of the frame carrying controls that are manipulated to operate the loader;(d) a loader arm assembly having a pair of linkages on opposite sides of the frame, wherein each linkage comprises: (i) a loader arm having a front end and a rear end; and(ii) first and second connecting arms, wherein each connecting arm has a front end and a rear end, wherein the front ends of the connecting arms are pivotally connected to a front support assembly that is fixed to a front portion of the frame, the front support assembly having an upper end which is located lower than upper ends of the controls carried on the control console, and wherein the rear ends of the connecting arms are pivotally connected to the rear end of the loader arm with the rear end of the loader arm being free to move upwardly and forwardly relative to the frame as the loader arm assembly is elevated between a lowermost, fully retracted position thereof and an uppermost, fully extended position; and(e) an outdoor work operation tool or implement pivotally carried on the front ends of the loader arms. 2. The loader of claim 1, wherein the front support assembly comprises laterally spaced support beams, wherein each support beam extends vertically upwardly relative to the frame and includes a U-shaped cross-section having an open side that faces rearwardly, and wherein the front ends of the connecting arms of each linkage extend into and are pivotally journalled within the U-shaped cross-section of a different one of the support beams to pivotally couple the loader arm assembly to the frame. 3. The loader of claim 2, wherein the support beams have interior side walls that are further joined together by at least a partial front wall extending laterally between and joining the support beams. 4. The loader of claim 2, wherein the connecting arms of each linkage comprise cast arms. 5. The loader of claim 2, further including a cross member that extends laterally between and joins top ones of the connecting arms to each other. 6. The loader of claim 2, wherein the support beams have exterior side walls that mount an outwardly extending pivot pin that is located outside of the U-shaped cross-sections of the side walls, the pivot pin pivotally mounting one end of an actuator that is part of each linkage with the actuator extending rearwardly from the pivot pin to an opposite end that is pivotally journalled on the loader arm ahead of the pivots that journal the connecting arms to the loader arm. 7. The loader of claim 6, wherein the pivot pins are located within substantially enclosed pockets extending laterally from the exterior side walls of the support beams with the pockets being open at a rear side thereof. 8. The loader of claim 6, wherein the actuators extend substantially straight rearwardly as the actuators extend between the support beams of the front support assembly and the loader arms of the linkages, and wherein bottom ones of the connecting arms of the linkages have portions that curve inwardly to avoid hitting or interfering with the actuators. 9. The loader of claim 1, further including a rear foot platform carried on the rear end of the frame for permitting the controls to be accessible from behind by an operator who stands on the rear foot platform. 10. The loader of claim 1, wherein the connecting arms are configured to move the work operation tool or implement in a substantially vertical lift path as the loader arm assembly is elevated between the lowermost, fully retracted position thereof and the uppermost, fully extended position thereof. 11. A compact utility loader, which comprises: (a) a frame carrying a prime mover;(b) ground engaging members carried by the frame with at least one ground engaging member on each side of the frame being powered to self-propel the frame;(c) a control console at a rear end of the frame carrying controls that are manipulated to operate the loader;(d) a loader arm assembly, which comprises: (i) a pair of loader arms that are laterally spaced from one another with the loader arms comprising a left loader arm on a left side of the frame and a right loader arm on a right side of the frame;(ii) a pair of first connecting arms that are laterally spaced from one another with the first connecting arms comprising a left first connecting arm on a left side of the frame and a right first connecting arm on a right side of the frame;(iii) a pair of second connecting arms that are laterally spaced from one another with the second connecting arms comprising a left second connecting arm on a left side of the frame and a right second connecting arm on a right side of the frame;(iv) a pair of extendable and collapsible actuators that are laterally spaced from one another with the actuators comprising a left actuator on a left side of the frame and a right actuator on a right side of the frame; and(v) wherein the first connecting arms, the second connecting arms, and the actuators pivot relative to the frame about a first group of pivot axes comprising first, second, and third laterally extending, horizontal pivot axes, respectively, that are fixed relative to the frame and about a second group of pivot axes comprising fourth, fifth, and sixth laterally extending, horizontal pivot axes, respectively, that are fixed relative to the loader arms but are movable relative to the frame such that rear ends of the loader arms are free to move relative to the frame as the loader arm assembly is elevated between a lowermost, fully retracted position thereof and an uppermost, fully extended position;(vi) wherein the first group of pivot axes is forward of the second group of pivot axes in the lowermost position of the loader arm assembly, as the loader arm assembly is elevated between the lowermost and uppermost positions thereof, and in the uppermost position of the loader arm assembly; and(vii) wherein the first pivot axis is separated from the second pivot axis in the first group of pivot axes by a first distance D1 which is substantially less than a fully collapsed length Da of the actuators when the loader arm assembly is in the lowermost position thereof; and(e) an outdoor work operation tool or implement pivotally carried on front ends of the loader arms. 12. The loader of claim 11, further including: (i) a pair of support members that are fixed to a front portion of the frame, wherein the support members are laterally spaced from one another with the support members comprising a left support member on a left side of the frame and a right support member on a right side of the frame;(ii) wherein the left first connecting arm has a left first connecting arm pivot connection to the left support member, the left second connecting arm has a left second connecting arm pivot connection to the left support member, and the left actuator has a left actuator pivot connection to the left support member;(iii) wherein the right first connecting arm has a right first connecting arm pivot connection to the right support member, the right second connecting arm has a right second connecting arm pivot connection to the right support member, and the right actuator has a right actuator pivot connection to the right support member; and(iv) wherein the first connecting arm pivot connections are aligned with one another to form a first pair of pivot connections that define the first pivot axis, the second connecting arm pivot connections are aligned with one another to form a second pair of pivot connections that define the second pivot axis, and the actuator pivot connections are aligned with one another to form a third pair of pivot connections that define the third pivot axis. 13. The loader of claim 12, wherein the support members are further connected to each other by at least one cross member. 14. The loader of claim 12, wherein each support member comprises a pair of laterally spaced side walls that define a cavity therebetween with the side walls further being connected to each other by a cross member, and wherein two pairs of the three pairs of pivot connections are located within the cavities of the support members. 15. The loader of claim 14, wherein the two pairs of pivot connections that are located within the cavities of the support members comprise the first and second pairs. 16. The loader of claim 14, wherein each support member includes a pocket that is exterior to the cavity formed within the support member, and wherein the third pair of the three pairs of pivot connections is located within the pockets of the support members. 17. The loader of claim 14, wherein the support members are further connected to each other by at least one cross member. 18. The loader of claim 11, further including a rear foot platform carried on the rear end of the frame for permitting the controls to be accessible from behind by an operator who stands on the rear foot platform. 19. A compact utility loader, which comprises: (a) a frame carrying a prime mover;(b) ground engaging members carried by the frame with at least one ground engaging member on each side of the frame being powered to self-propel the frame;(c) a control console at a rear end of the frame carrying controls that are manipulated to operate the loader;(d) a loader arm assembly having a pair of linkages on opposite sides of the frame, wherein each linkage comprises: (i) a loader arm having a front end and a rear end; and(ii) first and second connecting arms, wherein each connecting arm has a front end and a rear end, wherein the front ends of the connecting arms are pivotally connected to a front support assembly that is fixed to a front portion of the frame, and wherein the rear ends of the connecting arms are pivotally connected to the rear end of the loader arm with the rear end of the loader arm being free to move upwardly and forwardly relative to the frame as the loader arm assembly is elevated between a lowermost, fully retracted position thereof and an uppermost, fully extended position;(e) wherein the first connecting arms on the opposite sides of the frame comprise a first pair of connecting arms and the second connecting arms on the opposite sides of the frame comprise a second pair of connecting arms, and wherein the connecting arms in the first pair of the connecting arms are fixedly connected to each other by a laterally extending cross member located proximate to the front ends of the connecting arms in the first pair of connecting arms; and(f) an outdoor work operation tool or implement pivotally carried on the front ends of the loader arms. 20. The loader of claim 19, wherein the front support assembly comprises a pair of support beams on opposite sides of the frame, the support beams being fixedly connected to each other by at least one cross member. 21. The loader of claim 19, wherein the cross member in the first pair of the connecting arms is located forwardly of the prime mover. 22. The loader of claim 19, wherein the first pair of connecting arms is located above the second pair of connecting arms, the second pair of connecting arms being free of any cross members extending between them. 23. The loader of claim 22, wherein the cross member is located substantially immediately behind where the front ends of the connecting arms in the first pair of connecting arms pivotally connect to the front support assembly. 24. The loader of claim 22, wherein the connecting arms in the first pair of connecting arms pivotally connect to the front support assembly at a vertical location that is higher than a vertical location where the connecting arms in the second pair of connecting arms pivotally connect to the front support assembly. 25. The loader of claim 24, wherein the connecting arms in the first pair of connecting arms pivotally connect to the front support assembly at a fore-and-aft location that is rearward of a fore-and-aft location where the connecting arms in the second pair of connecting arms pivotally connect to the front support assembly. 26. The loader of claim 22, wherein the front support assembly comprises a pair of support beams on opposite sides of the frame, the support beams being connected to each other by at least one cross member. 27. The loader of claim 22, wherein the loader arms are connected to one another by a laterally extending cross member that is fixed to the loader arms, wherein the cross member on the loader arms is located proximate to a front portion of the front support assembly when the loader arm assembly is disposed in the lowermost, fully retracted position thereof. 28. The loader of claim 27, wherein the cross member on the loader arms is disposed forward of and below the cross member on the first pair of connecting arms when the loader arm assembly is disposed in the lowermost, fully retracted position thereof. 29. The loader of claim 19, further including a rear foot platform carried on the rear end of the frame for permitting the controls to be accessible from behind by an operator who stands on the rear foot platform. 30. A compact utility loader, which comprises: (a) a frame carrying a prime mover;(b) ground engaging members carried by the frame with at least one ground engaging member on each side of the frame being powered to self-propel the frame;(c) a control console at a rear end of the frame carrying controls that are manipulated to operate the loader;(d) a loader arm assembly, which comprises: (i) a pair of loader arms that are laterally spaced from one another with the loader arms comprising a left loader arm on a left side of the frame and a right loader arm on a right side of the frame;(ii) a pair of first connecting arms that are laterally spaced from one another with the first connecting arms comprising a left first connecting arm on a left side of the frame and a right first connecting arm on a right side of the frame;(iii) a pair of second connecting arms that are laterally spaced from one another with the second connecting arms comprising a left second connecting arm on a left side of the frame and a right second connecting arm on a right side of the frame, wherein the first pair of connecting arms is located above the second pair of connecting arms;(iv) a pair of actuators that are laterally spaced from one another with the actuators comprising a left actuator on a left side of the frame and a right actuator on a right side of the frame;(v) wherein the first connecting arms, the second connecting arms, and the actuators pivot relative to the frame about a first group of pivot axes comprising first, second, and third laterally extending, horizontal pivot axes that are fixed relative to the frame and about a second group of pivot axes comprising fourth, fifth, and sixth laterally extending, horizontal pivot axes that are fixed relative to the loader arms but are movable relative to the frame such that rear ends of the loader arms are free to move relative to the frame as the loader arm assembly is elevated between a lowermost, fully retracted position thereof and an uppermost, fully extended position;(vi) wherein the first group of pivot axes are forward of the second group of pivot axes in the lowermost position of the loader arm assembly, as the loader arm assembly is elevated between the lowermost and uppermost positions thereof, and in the uppermost position of the loader arm assembly; and(vii) wherein the first pivot axis is positioned to be highest and most rearward in the first group of pivot axes and the third pivot axis is positioned to be lowest in the first group of pivot axes, and(e) an outdoor work operation tool or implement pivotally carried on front ends of the loader arms.
