A controller for use with a working machine includes a machine body and a load handling apparatus coupled to the machine body and moveable by a lift actuator and a sway actuator. The controller receives a signal representative of the position of the load handling apparatus and a signal representative of a stability of the working machine. The controller determines a movement range of the load handling apparatus about the sway axis and issues a signal for use by an element of the working machine. The controller restricts or prevents movement of the load handling apparatus outside of the permissible movement range relative to the lateral reference orientation, the permissible range being dependent on the signal representative of the position of the load handling apparatus with respect to the machine body or longitudinal reference orientation and the signal representative of the stability of the machine.

A Multi-Armed Lifting Accessory is disclosed herein which is compact and transportable in various deployments. The Multi-Armed Lifting Accessory is advantageous and useful as it has hingedly connected loading and support arms attached to a main lifter body. The supporting arms are spring loaded allowing the Multi-Armed Lifting Accessory to stably engage with irregular shaped objects such as barge lid or a skid steer loader and allows for flexible engagement and balanced lifting operations.

A utility loader incorporating a boom of adjustable length. The boom may include either or both of a left and right lift arm assembly, with each lift arm assembly including a rear lift arm that telescopically receives a front lift arm. Each lift arm assembly also includes an extension actuator adapted to telescopically extend and retract its front lift arm relative to its rear lift arm. A detection system may be provided and adapted to limit lift arm assembly extension based at least in part upon a load applied at a tool supported by the boom and a relative telescopic location of a front lift arm relative to its associated rear lift arm.

A utility loader incorporating a boom of adjustable length. The boom may include either or both of a left and right lift arm assembly, with each lift arm assembly including a rear lift arm that telescopically receives a front lift arm. Each lift arm assembly also includes an extension actuator adapted to telescopically extend and retract its front lift arm relative to its rear lift arm. A detection system may be provided and adapted to limit lift arm assembly extension based at least in part upon a load applied at a tool supported by the boom and a relative telescopic location of a front lift arm relative to its associated rear lift arm.

A Multi-Armed Lifting Accessory is disclosed herein which is compact and transportable in various deployments. The Multi-Armed Lifting Accessory is advantageous and useful as it has hingedly connected loading and support arms attached to a main lifter body. The supporting arms are spring loaded allowing the Multi-Armed Lifting Accessory to stably engage with irregular shaped objects such as barge lid or a skid steer loader and allows for flexible engagement and balanced lifting operations.

A front-end loader for attachment to a tractor. The front-end loader includes a support structure configured to be attached to the tractor, and two extendable booms, each boom including a proximal leg and a distal leg, the distal leg configured to be attached to an accessory, such as a bucket. The extendable booms each have a boom extension hydraulic cylinder for extending the boom by up to 2 to 4 feet, in addition to a lift hydraulic cylinder to lift each boom, and a tilt hydraulic cylinder to tilt the accessory. The extendable booms greatly enhance the capability of the front-end loader to position its payload higher and farther than a standard front end loader, while preserving the stability and lifting capacity of the front-end loader. The booms have a traditional dogleg bend of 105 to 135 degrees that provides the two booms with a wide range of motion.

A utility loader incorporating a boom of adjustable length. The boom may include either or both of a left and right lift arm assembly, with each lift arm assembly including a rear lift arm that telescopically receives a front lift arm. Each lift arm assembly also includes an extension actuator adapted to telescopically extend and retract its front lift arm relative to its rear lift arm. A detection system may be provided and adapted to limit lift arm assembly extension based at least in part upon a load applied at a tool supported by the boom and a relative telescopic location of a front lift arm relative to its associated rear lift arm.

A hydraulic assembly for an extendable lift arm assembly can include an extension cylinder, a leveling cylinder, a main control valve, a flow combiner/divider, and one or more flow-blocking arrangements. The main control valve can be configured to control commanded movement of the extension and leveling cylinders of the lift arm assembly. The flow combiner/divider can be configured to hydraulically link the extension cylinder with the leveling cylinder for synchronized operation of the extension cylinder and the leveling cylinder. The one or more flow-blocking arrangements can be configured to restrict flow from rod or base ends of the leveling or extension cylinders during commanded extension or retraction of the leveling and extension cylinders, or in the absence of commanded movement of the leveling and extension cylinders, to maintain synchronized orientation of the leveling and extension cylinders.

A utility loader incorporating a boom of adjustable length. The boom may include either or both of a left and right lift arm assembly, with each lift arm assembly including a rear lift arm that telescopically receives a front lift arm. Each lift arm assembly also includes an extension actuator adapted to telescopically extend and retract its front lift arm relative to its rear lift arm. A detection system may be provided and adapted to limit lift arm assembly extension based at least in part upon a load applied at a tool supported by the boom and a relative telescopic location of a front lift arm relative to its associated rear lift arm.

A self-leveling front-end loader for attachment to a tractor. The self-leveling front-end loader includes a support structure configured to be attached to the tractor, and two extendable booms, each boom including a proximal leg, a distal leg, and a self-leveling hydraulic linkage configured to maintain the tilt angle of an accessory, such as a bucket. Each extendable boom has a boom extension hydraulic cylinder for extending the boom by up to 2 to 4 feet, a lift hydraulic cylinder to lift each boom, a self-leveling hydraulic cylinder, and a tilt hydraulic cylinder to tilt the accessory. The extendable booms enhance the capability of the front-end loader to position payload higher and farther than a standard front end loader, while preserving the stability and lifting capacity of the front-end loader. The booms have a traditional dogleg bend of 105 to 135 degrees, providing the two booms a wide range of motion.