Work vehicle boom assembly providing improved visability

Abstract

A work vehicle has a boom assembly for a work implement that provides an improved sightline between the cabin and work implement. The boom assembly can be a dual function boom having a wishbone configuration with an elongated body supporting the work implement and at the other end having branch sections extending outwardly at acute angles with open space therebetween. A boom support arch can provide an elevated boom mount on which the boom can pivot about a boom pivot axis at pivots located on the branches of the boom. The boom support arch can have its own pivotal mounting connection to the work vehicle. Actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders, can be coupled to the boom and support arch to independently pivot the boom and the support arch with respect to each other and the work vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A boom assembly for a work vehicle, comprising:
 a boom support providing a boom mount with spaced apart pivots defining a boom pivot axis;   a boom having an elongated body section extending along a boom axis and first and second branch sections extending from the body section at acute angles on each side of the boom axis defining an open space therebetween, the branch sections having pivots pivotally coupled to the pivots of the boom mount along the boom pivot axis; and   a boom actuator including a pair of cylinders coupled to the branch sections of the boom at a side of the boom pivot axis opposite the body section to pivot the boom with respect to the boom support.   
     
     
         2 . The boom assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the boom support is an arch providing an elevated platform for the boom mount and having uprights with pivot connections for pivotally coupling to the work vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The boom assembly of  claim 2 , further including a boom support actuator including a second pair of cylinders coupled to the boom support for pivoting the boom support with respect to the work vehicle about the pivot connections. 
     
     
         4 . The boom assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pivots of the boom are pivot lugs extending away from the boom substantially perpendicularly. 
     
     
         5 . The boom assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the pivot lugs each include a flange segment that is substantially parallel to the boom axis. 
     
     
         6 . The boom assembly of  claim 5 , wherein each pivot lug includes a flange segment that is substantially parallel to an edge of the associated branch section of the boom. 
     
     
         7 . The boom assembly of  claim 6 , wherein each pivot lug includes two flange segments that are substantially parallel to opposite edges of the associated branch section of the boom, one on each side of the flange segment that is substantially parallel to the boom axis. 
     
     
         8 . The boom assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the two flange segments that are substantially parallel to the edges of the associated branch of the boom are located proximate to the edges of the associated branch section. 
     
     
         9 . The boom assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the pivots of the boom support are devises defining recesses in which are disposed the flange segments that are substantially parallel to the boom axis. 
     
     
         10 . The boom assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the boom in part has a hollow interior extending along the body section of the boom to an implement attachment location at a distal end of the body section of the boom. 
     
     
         11 . The boom assembly of  claim 10 , wherein boom support in part has a hollow interior such that a working line can be routed through the interior of the boom support and the boom. 
     
     
         12 . The boom assembly of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the boom support and the boom has a bulkhead for coupling working lines. 
     
     
         13 . The boom assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the boom mounts a work light located at an underside of the body section of the boom between the boom pivot axis and an implement attachment location at a distal end of the body section. 
     
     
         14 . The boom assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least in part the open space between the branch sections of the boom has a greater dimension in the direction of the boom pivot axis than the body section of the boom and extends in the direction of the boom axis closer to the body section of the boom than the boom pivots. 
     
     
         15 . In a work vehicle having a boom for a work implement, a boom assembly comprising:
 a boom support arch providing an elevated boom mount with spaced apart pivots defining a boom pivot axis;   a boom having a wishbone configuration with an elongated body section extending along a boom axis to a distal end where the work implement is attachable and first and second branch segments extending from the body section at acute angles on each side of the boom axis defining an open space therebetween, the branch segments having pivots pivotally coupled to the pivots of the boom mount along the boom pivot axis; and   a boom actuator including a pair of cylinders coupled to the branch sections of the boom at a side of the boom pivot axis opposite the body section of the boom to pivot the boom with respect to the boom support arch.   
     
     
         16 . The boom assembly of  claim 1 , further including a boom support actuator including a second pair of cylinders, wherein the boom support arch includes pivot connections pivotally coupled to the work vehicle, and wherein the second pair of cylinders pivot the boom support arch about the pivot connections. 
     
     
         17 . The boom assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the pivots of the boom are pivot lugs, and wherein each pivot lug includes a flange segment that is substantially parallel to the boom axis and a flange segment that is substantially parallel to an edge of the associated branch section of the boom. 
     
     
         18 . The boom assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the flange segment that is substantially parallel to the edge of the branch section of the boom is located proximate to the edge of the associated branch section. 
     
     
         19 . A work vehicle having a dual function boom assembly for a work implement, the boom assembly comprising:
 a boom support arch providing an elevated boom mount with spaced apart pivots defining a boom pivot axis, the boom support arch having a pivotal mounting connection to the work vehicle;   a boom support actuator including a pair of cylinders to pivot the boom support arch about the pivot connection;   a boom having a wishbone configuration with an elongated body section extending along a boom axis to a distal end where the work implement is attachable and first and second branch sections extending from the body section at acute angles on each side of the boom axis defining an open space therebetween, the branch sections having pivots pivotally coupled to the pivots of the boom mount along the boom pivot axis; and   a boom actuator including a pair of cylinders coupled to the branch sections of the boom at a side of the boom pivot axis opposite the body section of the boom to pivot the boom with respect to the boom support arch.   
     
     
         20 . The work vehicle of  claim 19 , wherein the pivots of the boom are pivot lugs, and wherein each pivot lug includes a flange segment that is substantially parallel to the boom axis and a flange segment that is substantially parallel to an edge of the associated branch section of the boom.