Soil leveling apparatus with improved frame and hitch

• US 5,511,625 A
• Filed: 05/25/1993
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orlan H. Mork
• Original Assignee: Orlan H. Mork
• Inventors: Mork, Orlan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARNICK IV, SPENCER K
• Application Number:
  US08/068,126
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 172/684.5, 172/824, 172/825, 172/826, 172/445.1, 172/448, 172/449, 172/605, 172/501, 172/503, 172/332, 172/239, 172/299
• US Class Current: 172/445.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 31/00 Drags graders for field cultivators graders in general E02F
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/027 with a rotating, soil working support element, e.g. a roller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/7604 Combinations of scraper blades with soil loosening tools working independently of scraper blades soil loosening attachments fixed on blades E02F3/8152, E02F3/8155
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/7622 Scraper equipment with the scraper blade mounted on a frame to be hitched to the tractor by bars, arms, chains or the like, the frame having no ground supporting means of its own, e.g. drag scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8152 Attachments therefor, e.g. wear resisting parts, cutting edges E02F3/8155, E02F3/8157 take precedence; teeth per se E02F9/28

Abstract

An improved soil leveling apparatus includes a hitch (202 or 302) for connecting the frame to the loader arms and tilt cylinder(s) of a skid steer loader. The hitch (302) includes a hitch plate (304) that can selectively be made rigid with the frame or can selectively be allowed to pivot fore-and-aft relative to the frame. This allows the operator to select the rigid orientation of the frame when it is desired to have the frame be rigid relative to the loader or to select the floating, pivotal orientation depending upon ground terrain and other factors.

Claims

1. An apparatus for working soil, the apparatus suited for being connected to a skid steer loader type vehicle having two transversely spaced, vertically movable loader arms which may be raised or lowered by powered means carried on the vehicle and one or more tilt cylinder(s) carried on the loader arms for tilting an apparatus connected to the loader arms, comprising:

a generally rectangular frame having a pair of longitudinal side members and including a plurality of transverse, elongate ground engaging members which are longitudinally spaced apart relative to one another and are fixedly secured together between the pair of longitudinal side members, wherein the transverse, elongate ground engaging members extend along a predetermined length substantially transversely to a forward and a reverse direction of motion of the skid steer loader,

the transverse, elongate ground engaging members each having a downwardly extending front face which contacts the soil during forward motion of the loader, a downwardly extending rear face which is configured and positioned to engage the soil deposited behind the ground engaging member during reverse motion of the loader to smooth the soil, and a lower, ground contacting, substantially planar surface extending between the front and rear faces, and wherein the lower ground contacting surfaces of the ground engaging members are substantially coplanar with one another, the front face of at least that ground engaging member which is forwardmost during forward motion of the loader being downwardly inclined relative to the horizontal such that the front face has a lowermost edge which engages the soil during forward motion of the loader,

wherein the ground engaging members have a relatively small height in comparison to their predetermined length such that the soil which is encountered by the front faces thereof during forward motion of the loader passes over the ground engaging members to a position behind the ground engaging members; and

hitch means mounted on said frame for releasably and rigidly connecting the frame to the loader arms and the tilt cylinder(s) of the skid steer loader, wherein the hitch means is positioned on the frame relative to the ground engaging members to push the front faces of the ground engaging members into the soil during forward motion of the frame, whereby the frame can be raised and lowered relative to the ground by the loader arms and the frame can be inclined relative to the ground by the tilt cylinder(s) to vary the effectiveness of the front faces of the ground engaging members against the soil.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lowermost edge of the front face is formed by an exposed edge of the lower surface of the ground engaging member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front face of each ground engaging member is downwardly inclined relative to the horizontal.

4. An apparatus for working soil, the apparatus suited for being connected to a skid steer loader type vehicle having two transversely spaced, vertically movable loader arms which may be raised or lowered by powered means carried on the vehicle and one or more tilt cylinder(s) carried on the loader arms for tilting an apparatus connected to the loader arms, comprising:

a frame which includes a plurality of transverse, elongate ground engaging members having a predetermined length that are fixedly secured together, wherein each elongate ground engaging member has a downwardly extending front face which contacts the soil during forward motion of the loader, a downwardly extending rear face, and a lower surface, the lower surfaces of the ground engaging members being substantially coplanar with one another, wherein the ground engaging members are longitudinally spaced apart relative to one another such that the frame includes a forwardmost ground engaging member and one or more trailing ground engaging members, and wherein the front face of at least the forwardmost ground engaging member is downwardly inclined relative to the horizontal such that the front face has a lowermost edge which engages the soil during forward motion of the loader, and wherein the forwardmost ground engaging member has a relatively small height in comparison to its predetermined length such that the soil which is encountered by the front face during forward motion of the loader passes over the forwardmost ground engaging member to a position behind the forwardmost ground engaging member and in advance of the trailing ground engaging members; and

hitch means mounted on said frame for releasably and rigidly connecting the frame to the loader arms and the tilt cylinder(s) of the skid steer loader, wherein the hitch means is positioned on the frame relative to the forwardmost ground engaging member to push the front face of the forwardmost ground engaging member into the soil during forward motion of the frame, whereby the frame can be raised and lowered relative to the ground by the loader arms and the frame can be inclined relative to the ground by the tilt cylinder(s).

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the front face of each ground engaging member is inclined to the horizontal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the rear faces of the ground engaging members are positioned to engage the soil deposited behind the ground engaging members during reverse motion of the loader to smooth the soil.