Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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OUTRIGGER-MOU~TED AXL.E: ASSEMBLY
_
BACKGROUND_OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the ~Yention.
The present invention relates to a load
05 tran~fer a~embly for vehicleY which have one or more
outriggers. More specifically, the invention relates
to an axle as~embly mounted proximate the outer end
of at lea~t one of the outrigger~.
2. De cription of the Prior Art.
Numerou3 for~s of auxiliary axles or load
support dollie~ have been utilized in combination
with vehicles to partially support the weight of the
vehicle and its load. Government highway or bridge
weight regulation~ often require a ~pecific number of
axle~ when a vehicle's weight exceed~ a certain
limit. To compensate for ~uch regulations for
vehicle~ whose weights vary greatly depending upon
whether they are loaded or not, auxiliary trailing or
"tag" axle~ have been utilized adjacent the rearward
ends of such vehicles to provide a load-carrying
additional axle.
Some vehicle~ are equipped with "outriggers"
for ctability in use. For example, various
ruck-mounted crane~, ladder or snorkel fire engine~,
and other large vehicle~ have been provided with
outriggers that ~lide out or pivot out laterally from
the vehicle frame when the vehicle has been parked
for use of the equipment unted thereon. Becau~e
such vehicles are often large and relatively heavy, a
load transfer assembly, or "tag" axle, i9 also
desirable on 3uch vehicles. Another example of ~uch
a vehicle is one which carries concrete pump and
placing boom. Since the outrigger~ on this type of
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vehicle are often foldable or retractable for
transportation, it is desirable to have the tag axle
mounted in such a way that it doe~ not impede the
~ov~ment of the outriggers or the equipment on the
o5 vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The pre~ent invention provide~ an axls
as~embly to selectively provide additional weight
~upport for u~e on a vehicle which utilizes
ou~riggers for 3tability. Additionally, the axle
as~embly of the present invention i~ mounted in such
a manner that it will not impede the movement of the
outriggers.
The outriggers on a vehicle are ~electively
movable between a first outrigger transport position
(where the outrigger~ are retracted or folded against
the vehicle), and a second outrigger stabilizer
position (wherein the outriggers are extended or
folded out from the vehicle 90 that an outer end of
the outrigger is spaced from the vehicle) with a
portion of the outer end of the outrigger in operable
engagement with the ground to 3tabilize the vehicle
in a desired position. A load transfer a~sembly
("tag" axle) comprises an axle assembly mounted
proximate the outer end of at least one of the
outriggers. Each axle assembly bears at least one
ground-engaging wheel, and each axle as~embly is
selectively pivotable between a first axle support
and tran~port position, wherein the wheel is in
engagement with the ground, and a ~econd axle storage
position, wherein the wheel i~ moved up out of
engagement with the ground.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 i~ a rear perspective view of a
vehicle with each of its outrigger~ in its extended
stabilizer position and with the axle assemblies of
05 the present invention in their axle storage position.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the
vehicle of FIG. 1 with the outriggers in their
retracted transport position and with the axle
a~semblie~ in their axle support and transport
position.
FIG. 3 is a ~ide elevational view of the
axle assembly of the pre~ent invention.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the axle
assembly of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the
pivoting portions of the axle assembly of the present
invention, with ~ome components shown in section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ~REFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 ~how~ a rear perspective view of
vehicle 10 (a concrete pump and placing boom truck,
with the boom not shown) which has a pair of leading
outrigger~ 12 and 14, and a pair of trailing
outriggers 16 and 18 for stability. In FIG. 1, each
of the outriggers 12, 14, 16, and 18 is in an
extended outrigger stabili2er position. Each
outrigger 12, 14, 16, and 18 has an exten~ible leg
20, 22, 24, and 26, respectively, adjacent an outer
end thereof. In the outrigger ~tabilizer position,
outriggers 12, 14, 16, and 18 are folded out from
vehicle 10 80 that legs 20, 22, 24, and 26 are ~paced
from vehicle 10, and the legs are moved into operable
engagement with the ground to ~tabili~e vehicle 10.
Leg~ 20 and 22, mounted proximate outer ends o~
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leading outrigger3 L2 and 14, re~pectively, are each
in operable engagement with the ground at a point
towards a leading end of vehicle 10. Leg~ 24 and 26,
mounted proximate outer ends of ~ailing outriggers
05 16 and 18, respectively, are each in operable
engagement with the ground at a point towards a
trailing end of vehicle 10. In u3e, each leg i8
extended hydraulically to engage the ground or re~t
on a ~uitable support surface, such as timber~ 27.
Axle a3~emblies 28 and 30, which include
wheels 32, 33, 34, and 35, are mounted to trailing
outrigger~ 16 and 18 proximate the outer end of
trailing outrigger~ 16 and 18, respectively. When
the outrigger~ 16 and 18 are extended to stabilize
the vehicle 10, axle assemblies 28 and 30, as shown
in FIG. 1, are pivoted to an axle storage position
above the outer ends of their outriggers, with their
wheels 32, 33, 34, and 35 ~oved up out of engagement
with the ground.
FIG. 2 ~hows a side elevational view of
vehicle 10. In FIG. 2, outriggers 12, 14, 16, and 18
are in an outrigger tran~port position (outrigger9 14
and 18 are not ~hown). To reach thi~ position, the
leg~ are retracted upwardly and the outriggers are
retracted of folded against the vehicle sufficiently
to permit the vehicle to be driven. In FIG. 2,
leading outrigger 12 and trailing outrigger 16 are
shown, together with their legs 20 and 24, folded or
retracted against the vehicle 10 for transportation.
The vehicle 10 ~hown in FIG. 2 also has a foldable
concrete placing boo~ 31 mounted thereon.
Additionally, in FIG. 2, axle as~embly 28 is
shown pivoted into an axle support and transport
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position in which wheel~ 32 and 33 (whe~l 33 i8
behind wheel 32 and thus not shown) are in engagement
with the ground. In the axle ~upport and transport
po~ition, part of the weight of vehicle 10 and its
05 load, which is no~mally borne by the wheel~ of axles
36, 38, 40, 42, and 44, i~ tran~ferred to axle
a s3embly 28. The upport provided to the vehicle by
axle a~embly 28 is through outrigger 16 to the
vehicle frame, outrigger 16 now providing support for
the vehicle both during transport and use.
FIG. 3 shows an enlarged ~ide view of axle
assembly 28. For tran~port, the outrigger 16 has
been folded against the cide of the vehicle 10 and
it~ leg 24 retracted from the ground. The axle
assembly 28 has been pivoted into its axle support
and transport position to provide additional vehicle
support during vehicle movement. In FIG. 3, the
relative position of the axle as~embly 28, when moved
to itc axle storage position, i8 shown in phantom.
As seen in FIG. 3, axle assembly 28 is pivotally
mounted to the outrigger 16 proximate the outer end
thereof.
Each axle assembly includes a main frame
portion 37 which i~ pivotally mounted, at an upper
end, to its outrigger and which ha~ a longitudinal
frame portion 39 fixed to its lower end. Frame
portion 39 extends between the wheels of the axle
assembly (e.g., wheels 32 and 33 of axle assembly
28). An ear 41 extend~ down from a leading end of
the frame portion 39. Pivotally mounted to the ear
41 (on a lateral axi~) is a wheel carriage frame
portion 43, that extends longitudinally under the
frame portion 39. An axle 45 for the wheelA 32 and
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33 is borne by the carriage frame portion 45, as seen
in FIG. ~. A compre~sible air bag 47 is ~ounted
between the trailing ends of the frame portion 39 and
to hold the~ in a spaced apart relation and
OS provide the wheelg 32 and 33 with some shock
absorbing capacity in u~e. Preferably, fenders 49
are provided over each wheel on the axle as~embly.
In one preferred embodiment, hydraulic hinge
46 i~ used to mount main frame portion 37 of axle
10as3embly 28 to trailing outrigger 16. Hydraulic
hinge 46 is used for pivoting axle a3sembly 28
between the axle ~upport and tranqport position,
shown in solid lines in FIG. 3, and the axle storage
po~ition, shown in phantom in FIG. 3.
15Hydraulic hinge 46 includes a hydraulic
actuator which has a cylinder portion 48 and an
extensible piston portion 50. The leading end of
cylinder 48 is pivotally mounted to trailing
outrigger 16 at pivot pin 52. The piston 50 extends
out of the trailing end of the cylinder 48, and has
its distal end pivotally mounted relative to the
frame portion 37 of the axle assembly 28 through
pivoting tie rods 52 and 54, as discussed in greater
detail below.
FIG. 4 i8 a top plan view of axle assembly
28 as seen in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 schematically shows a
valve 51, a fluid pressurizer 53 and a fluid
reservoir 55 which allow for operation of the
hydraulic actuator, and thu~ selective extension and
retraction of piston portion 50 with respect to
cylinder portion 48, as i~ well known in the art~
Exten~ion of piston 50 cau~es axle assembly 28 to
pivot into the axle support and transport position
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where wheels 32 and 33 bear part of the weight and
load of vehicle 10, as ~hown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4.
Retraction of pi~ton portion 50 causes axle as~embly
28 to pivot into the axle storage position as shown
05 in FIG. 1 and as seen in phantom in FIG. 3.
At its leading end, the hydraulic cylinder
48 ha~ an ear 56, which fits between a pair of
outrigger ears 58 and 60, The outrigger ears 58 and
60 are secured to trailing outrigger 16 at a point
spaced from the outer end of trailing outrigger 16,
and are provided with generally horizontally aligned
apertures, These apertureq are aligned with an
aperture in cylinder ear 56 for acceptance of a pivot
pin 62. This allows cylinder 48 to pivot vertically
with respect to trailing outrigger 16 about a lateral
axi~ defined by pivot pin 62 relative to the
outrigger 16 and vehicle 10.
FIG. 5 show~ a further enlarged top plan
view of the pivotal connection component~ between
pi~ton portion 50 and axle assembly 28. Two
horizontally aligned mounting ear~ 63 and 64 extend
rearwardly from the outer end of outrigger 16. At
it~ upper end, the main frame portion 37 of the axle
assembly 28 has a U-shaped mounting bracket 65
~ecured thereto. The mounting bracket has parallel,
longitudinally-extending side wall~ 66 and 68, and a
lateral end wall 70. Mounting earq 63 and 64 fit
inside ~ide walls 66 and 68 of m~unting bracket 65
and extended parallel thereto. Wall 66 of mounting
bracket 65 iq provided with an aperture which i~
~ub3tantially laterally aligned with an aperture in
mounting ear 63, and these aperture~ are aligned for
accepting lateral pivot pin 72.
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Mounting ear 64 and wall 68 of mounting
bracket 65 are also provided with substantially
laterally aligned aperture for acceptance of pivot
pin 74, which is axially aligned with pivot pin 72.
05 This arrangement allows mounting bracket 65 to pivot
with re~pect to mounting ears 63 of the outrigger on
a lateral axis defined by pivot pin~ 72 and 74.
The sid~ walls 66 and 68 of the mounting
bracket 65 have another pair of axially aligned
aperture~ located rearwardly of the aperture~ holding
pivot pinq 72 and 74. The~e apertures are provided
to allow pivotal connections between the mounting
bracket 65 and the parallel tie rods 54, 54' (3een in
FIG. 5). The tie rods 54, 54' are of equal length
and at a first outer end thereof, each tie rod 54,
54' has an aperture which i8 aligned with the
rearward aperture~ of the mounting bracket 65. A
pivot pin 84 is mounted between ~ide wall 66 and tie
rod 54, whil0 a pivot pin 86 i9 mounted between ~ide
wall 68 and tie rod 54'. Because the tie rodq and
side wall.q are not side by side, spacers 88 and 90
are provided therebetween along the pivot pin~ 84 and
86, respectively. As seen, the pivot pins 84 and 86
are axially aligned.
The qpacer 88 maintains tie rod 54 a desired
distance from wall 66 o~ mounting bracket 65 such
that tie rod 54 is pivotable with respect to wall 66
about pivot pin 84 and does not interfere with pivot
pin 72 or mounting ear 63. Similarly, the ~pacer 90
maintains tie rod 54' a desired diqtance from wall 68
so that tie rod 54' is pivotable with respect to wall
68 about pivot pin 86 and does not interfere with
pivot pin 74 or mounting ear 64.
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g
At its distal end, pi~ton portion 50 has a
lateral tube 92 fixed thereto, and adapted for
pivotal reception of a lateral pivot pin 94. At a
econd inner end thereof, each tie rod 54, 54' has an
05 aperture adapted for pivotal reception of pivot pin
94, as ~een in FIG. 5. The tie rod3 54, 54' are
mounted about the pivot pin 94 proximate its outer
endR and spaced laterally from the lateral tube 92 of
the piston portion 50, with portionC of the tie rod~
56, 56' therebetween.
The tie rods 56, 56' are also equal in
length and extend parallel to one another, as Qeen in
FIG. 5. At a fir~t upper end thereof, each tie rod
56, 56' ha~ an aperture adapted for acceptance of
lS pivot pin 94. The pivotal connection of piston
portion 50, tie rods 54, 54', ana tie rods 56, 56'
above pivot pin 94 thu~ allows those component~ to
pivot relative to one another.
At a second lower end thereof, each tie rod
20 56, 56' ha~ an aperture adapted for acceptance of
pivot pin8 96 and 98, respectively. The piVot pin~
96 and 98 are, in turn, alsO retained in axially
aligned aperture~ in the mounting ears 63 and 64 of
the outrigger 16, a~ ~een in FIG. 5.
The arrangement of pivot pins 72, 74, 84,
86, 94, 96, and 98 provide~ the pivotal connection
between outrigger 16 and axle a~embly 28. In
operation, the laterally extending and parallel pivot
pins worX a3 follow~: when pi~ton portion 50 i~
extended from cylinder portion 48, pivot pin 94
extends upwardly and rearwardly from mounting ear~ 63
and 64. Tie rod~ 56, 56' pivot upwardly and
rearwardly with re~pect to pivot pin~ 96 and 98 on
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the mounting ears 63 and 64. Tie rods 54 and 54'
also pivot rearwardly. The axis defined by pivot
pins 72 and 74 is the main pivoting axis for the axle
assembly 28. As the piston portion 50 i~ extended,
05 mounting bracket 65 pivots downwardly about the axi~
of pivot pins 72 and 74. Since mounting bracket 65
is pivotally connected to axle assembly 28, extension
of piqton portion 50 from cylinder ~ortion 48 causeq
axle assembly 28 to pivot downwardly and rearwardly.
When axle assembly 28 is pivoted downwardly far
enough (i.e., when piston portion 50 i3 extended far
enough), the wheels 32 and 33 engage the ground.
Axle assembly 28 i then in a support position
capable of bearing part of the weight and load of
vehicle 10.
Also, once wheels 32 and 33 have come into
engagement with the ground, piston portion 50 can be
further extended with re~pect to cylinder portion 48
(by varying the presqure in cylinder portion 48 via
valve 53) so that axle assembly 28 bears more of the
weight and load of vehicle 10.
Conversely, retraction of piston portion 50
into cylinder portion 48 causes pivot pin 94 to move
forwardly with respect to mounting ears 63 and 64.
Thiq, in turn, causes both tie rods 56 and 56' to
pivot forwardly with respect to pivot pins 96 and
98. Also, this causes tie rods 54 and 54' to pivot
forwardly. This action causes mounting bracket 65 to
pivot upwardly about the main pivot axis defined by
pivot pins 72 and 74. Consequently, axle assembly 28
pivot~ upwardly with respect to mounting ears 63 and
64. When piston portion 50 is fully retracted with
respect to cylinder portion 48, axle assembly 28 has
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pivoted appro~imately 180 (a3 shown in phantom in
FIG. 3) about the main axij dsfined by pivot pins 72
and 74. Also, when pi~ton portion 50 i~ fully
retracted with respect to cylinder portion 48, wheels
05 32 and 33 are moved up out of engagement wi~h the
ground and axle assembly 28 i9 in a ~torage po~ition
where it doe~ not bear any of the load or weight of
vehicle 10.
Since piston portion 50 is selectively
extendable from cylinder portion 48, as indicated
schematically in FIG. 4, axle a~sembly 28 can
maintain any position within the approximately 180
arc shown in FIG. 3 inclusive of the support and
transport position Rhown in FIG. 3 and the qtorage
po~ition shown in phantom in FIG, 3.
Thi~ invention provide~ a useful means and
arrangement for conveniently mounting a tag axle on
the outer end of an outrigger on a vehicle which uses
outriggers for stability. As shown, the tag axle can
be used to bear varying portions of the vehicle's
load when the outriggers are folded or retracted into
the vehicle for transportation. Additionally, when
the outriggers are extended to give support to the
vehicle, the tag axle or axle as~embly is pivoted
into a qtorage position where it doe~ not interfere
with the vehicle's operation or the operation of the
equipment mounted on the vehicle.
Although the present invention ha3 been
described with reference to preferred embodiments,
3G workers skilled in the art will recognize that
changes may be made in form and detail without
departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. For example, an axle a~sembly could be
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mounted on each outrigger of a vehicle, rather than
ju~t the two trailing outriggers.
05
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