Abstract: A moldboard support assembly including a drive frame assembly having one end connectable to the front end of a vehicle. A blade and moldboard support frame is pivotally connected to the other end of the drive frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. The blade and moldboard support frame includes a gear segment driven by a worm gear mounted on the drive frame assembly to effect the pivotal movement of the blade and moldboard, and wear pads are mounted on the drive frame assembly and engage surfaces on the moldboard support frame, to thereby maintain the drive frame assembly and moldboard support frame in alignment to insure proper intermeshing of the worm gear and gear segment.

Abstract: To reduce the weight of a construction crane boom without materially lessening the lifting capacity thereof where the boom sections have an inverted trapezoidal cross sectional shape, a series of openings is formed in the two side plates of each boom section and such openings are provided with internal reinforcing rings or braces. The bottoms of the reinforcing rings are arranged in stress-transferring relation to the boom section side plates and adjacent longitudinal vertical reinforcing plates or stiffeners provided in the structure. Cooperating side plate brace bars arranged between the reinforced side plate openings have their lower ends attached to the longitudinal side plate stiffeners.