Flail mower attachment for a skid steer vehicle

• US 5,666,794 A
• Filed: 11/21/1995
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Loftness Specialized Farm Equipment Co.
• Original Assignee: Palm Sales, Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Vought, Michael Lee, Palm, Harlan Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US08/561,394
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 56/15.2, 56/504, 56/505, 56/DIG. 9, 56/294, 56/10.7, 56/12.7, 56/2, 56/7, 172/112, 172/47, 172/30, 172/123, 172/45, 172/125, 37/403, 37/468, 414/686
• US Class Current: 56/15.2
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/435 Flail harvesters or mowers cutting flails A01D34/535
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/16 Devices for coupling mowing tables to conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/09 Detachable implement

Abstract

An improved skid steer vehicle that has a longitudinally extending main frame and wheels for supporting the main frame for movement over the ground. An operator'"'"'s compartment spans substantially the entire lateral distance of the main frame in the fore and aft midportions thereof, An engine is contained within an engine compartment disposed rearward of the operator'"'"'s compartment and includes an auxiliary hydraulic power supply driven off the engine. A pair of spaced apart actuating arms are operably coupled to the main frame at a first end and have a quick attaching mount disposed at a second end thereof. The improvement comprises a flail mower implement that has a quick attachment receiver that is adapted for selective engagement with the quick attaching mount of the pair of actuating arms.

Claims

1. A skid steer vehicle, comprising:

a main frame, the main frame defining a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and an elevational direction transverse to the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction;

wheels operably coupled to the main frame to support the main frame for movement over the ground;

an operator'"'"'s station supported by the main frame;

an engine compartment disposed rearwardly of the operator'"'"'s station in the longitudinal direction;

an engine disposed within the engine compartment;

a hydraulic power supply driven off the engine;

a pair of spaced actuating arms operably coupled to the main frame and extending forwardly of the operator'"'"'s station in the longitudinal direction;

a quick-attaching mount operably coupled to the pair of spaced actuating arms; and

a flail mower implement supportable on the pair of spaced actuating arms by the quick-attaching mount, the flail mower implement comprising;

a quick-attaching receiver readily connectable to and readily disconnectable from the quick-attaching mount;

a pair of side walls defining opposite outer sides of the flail mower implement;

a top wall extending between the side walls, one of the side walls defining a first bore therethrough disposed above the top wall;

a rear panel extending between the side walls;

a rear subpanel extending between the top wall and the rear panel, the quick-attaching receiver being disposed on the rear subpanel; and

a hydraulic motor having an output drive shaft for powering the flail mower implement via a drive arrangement, the output drive shaft extending through the first bore to avoid penetration of the top wall.

2. The skid steer vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the flail mower implement comprises a flail drive shaft driven by the hydraulic motor via the drive arrangement;

the one side wall defines a second bore therethrough disposed below the top wall; and

one of the flail drive shaft and the drive arrangement extends within the second bore.

3. The skid steer vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

said one side wall comprises an inward side and an outward side, the hydraulic motor being disposed on the inward side of said one side wall;

the drive arrangement comprises a belt and pulley arrangement, the hydraulic motor powering the flail mower implement via the belt and pulley arrangement; and

the flail mower implement further comprises a drive cover disposed on the outward side of said one side wall, the drive cover housing the belt and pulley arrangement.

4. The skid steer vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the quick-attaching mount comprises at least one locking element; and

the quick-attaching receiver comprises at least one back plate extending in the lateral direction, the back plate having a lower end bent upwardly to define an obtuse included angle between the lower end and the remainder of the back plate, the back plate including at least one locking hole having an edge proximate the bend, the locking hole being constructed to receive the locking element of the quick-attaching mount.

5. The skid steer vehicle of claim 4, wherein the at least one back plate comprises two back plates spaced apart in the lateral direction, the back plates having lateral outside edges, the quick-attaching receiver further comprising guide plates attached to the back plates along the lateral outside edges of the back plates, the guide plates extending in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the back plates.

6. The skid steer vehicle of claim 5, wherein the flail mower implement further comprises two gusset plates attached to and extending between the back plates and the top panel of the flail mower implement.

7. The skid steer vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a wedge bar extending along the top of the at least one back plate, the wedge bar defining an acute angle with respect to the at least one back plate for receiving the quick-attaching mount.

20. The skid steer vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear subpanel includes a plurality of surfaces extending in the lateral direction and angled relatively to each other.

8. A skid steer vehicle, comprising:

a main frame, the main frame defining a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, an elevational direction transverse to the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, and a central axis extending in the longitudinal direction;

wheels operably coupled to the main frame to support the main frame for movement over the ground;

an operator'"'"'s station supported by the main frame;

an engine compartment disposed rearwardly of the operator'"'"'s station in the longitudinal direction;

an engine disposed within the engine compartment;

a pair of spaced actuating arms operably coupled to the main frame and extending forwardly of the operator'"'"'s station in the longitudinal direction, the arms being equally spaced from the central axis;

a quick-attaching mount operably coupled to the pair of spaced actuating arms; and

a flail mower implement supportable on the pair of spaced actuating arms by the quick-attaching mount, the flail mower implement having a quick-attaching receiver that is readily connectable to and readily disconnectable from the quick-attaching mount, the quick-attaching receiver being disposed on the flail mower implement in an offset position in the lateral direction;

wherein the flail mower implement, when supported by the pair of spaced actuating arms, extends forwardly of the arms in the longitudinal direction and projects in the lateral direction more to one side of the quick-attaching mount than to the other side of the quick-attaching mount.

9. The skid steer vehicle of claim 8, wherein:

the quick-attaching mount defines a central axis extending in the longitudinal direction, the central axis of the quick-attaching mount being disposed centrally between opposite lateral sides of the quick-attaching mount;

the flail mower implement defines a central axis extending in the-longitudinal direction, the central axis of the flail mower implement being disposed centrally between opposite lateral sides of the flail mower implement; and

the central axis of the flail mower implement is offset in the lateral direction from the central axis of the quick-attaching mount.

10. The skid steer vehicle of claim 8, further comprising:

a hydraulic power supply driven off the engine;

a hydraulic motor supported by the flail mower implement and being driven off of the hydraulic power supply; and

a plurality of hydraulic lines extending between the hydraulic motor supported by the flail mower implement and the hydraulic power supply driven off the engine, the hydraulic lines being readily connectable and disconnectable between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulic power supply.

11. The skid steer vehicle of claim 8, wherein the flail mower implement further comprises:

a pair of side walls;

a top wall extending between the side walls, one of the side walls defining a bore disposed therethrough above the top wall, the quick-attaching receiver being disposed in a position off the top wall; and

a hydraulic motor having an output drive shaft for powering the flail mower implement via a drive arrangement, the output drive shaft extending through the bore to avoid penetration of the top wall.

12. A skid steer vehicle, comprising:

a main frame, the main frame defining a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and an elevational direction transverse to the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction;

wheels operably coupled to the main frame to support the main frame for movement over the ground;

an operator'"'"'s station supported by the main frame;

an engine compartment disposed rearwardly of the operator'"'"'s station in the longitudinal direction;

an engine disposed within the engine compartment;

a pair of spaced actuating arms operably coupled to the main frame and extending forwardly of the operator'"'"'s station in the longitudinal direction;

quick-attaching mount means, coupled to the pair of spaced actuating arms, for mounting an implement on the pair of spaced actuating arms;

flail mower implement means for being supported on the pair of spaced actuating arms by the quick-attaching mount means, the flail mower implement means having a quick-attaching receiver means for being readily connectable to and readily disconnectable from the quick-attaching mount means, the quick-attaching receiver means being disposed on the flail mower implement means in an offset position in the lateral direction;

wherein the flail mower implement means, when supported by the pair of spaced actuating arms, extends forwardly of the arms in the longitudinal direction and projects in the lateral direction more to one side of the quick-attaching mount means than to the other side of the quick-attaching mount means;

wherein the flail mower implement means further comprises;

a pair of side walls defining opposite outer sides of the flail mower implement means;

a top wall extending between the side walls, one of the side walls defining a bore therethrough disposed above the top wall, the quick-attaching receiver means being disposed in a position off the top wall; and

drive means for powering the flail mower implement means, the drive means comprising a hydraulic motor having an output drive shaft extending through the bore to avoid penetration of the top wall.

13. The skid steer vehicle of claim 12, wherein:

said one side wall comprises an inward side and an outward side, the hydraulic motor being disposed on the inward side of said one side wall;

the flail mower implement means further comprises a flail drive shaft, the drive means powering the flail drive shaft;

the drive means comprises a belt and pulley arrangement; and

the flail mower implement means further comprises a drive cover disposed on the outer side of said one side wall, the drive cover housing the belt and pulley arrangement.

14. The skid steer vehicle of claim 12, wherein:

the flail mower implement means further comprises a flail drive shaft, the drive means powering the flail drive shaft;

said one side wall defines a second bore therethrough disposed below the top wall; and

one of the drive means and the flail drive shaft extends within the second bore.

15. The skid steer vehicle of claim 12, wherein:

the quick-attaching mount means defines a central axis extending in the longitudinal direction, the central axis of the quick-attaching mount means being disposed centrally between opposite lateral sides of the quick-attaching mount means;

the flail mower implement means defines a central axis extending in the longitudinal direction, the central axis of the flail mower implement means being disposed centrally between opposite lateral sides of the flail mower implement means; and

the central axis of the flail mower implement means is offset in the lateral direction from the central axis of the quick-attaching mount means.

16. A flail mower implement supportable by a quick-attaching mount on a pair of spaced actuating arms of a skid steer vehicle, the flail mower implement comprising:

a quick-attaching receiver readily connectable to and readily disconnectable from the quick-attaching mount;

a pair of side walls defining opposite outer sides of the flail mower implement;

a top wall extending between the side walls, one of the side walls defining a first bore therethrough disposed above the top wall;

a rear panel extending between the side walls;

a rear subpanel extending between the top wall and the rear panel, the quick-attaching receiver being disposed on the rear subpanel; and

a hydraulic motor having an output drive shaft for powering the flail mower implement via a drive arrangement, the output drive shaft extending through the first bore to avoid penetration of the top wall.

17. The flail mower implement of claim 16, wherein:

the quick-attaching mount comprises at least one locking element; and

the quick-attaching receiver comprises at least one back plate extending in a lateral direction, the back plate having a lower end bent upwardly to define an obtuse included angle between the lower end and the remainder of the back plate, the back plate including at least one locking hole having an edge proximate the bend, the locking hole being constructed to receive the locking element of the quick-attaching mount.

18. A flail mower implement supportable by a quick-attaching mount on a pair of spaced actuating arms of a skid steer vehicle, the arms being equally spaced from a central axis of a main frame of the skid steer vehicle, the flail mower implement comprising:

a quick-attaching receiver that is readily connectable to and readily disconnectable from the quick-attaching mount, the quick-attaching receiver being disposed on the flail mower implement in an offset position in a lateral direction of the flail mower of the skid steer vehicle;

wherein the flail mower implement, when supported by the pair of spaced actuating arms, extends forwardly of the arms in a longitudinal direction of the skid steer vehicle and projects in the lateral direction more to one side of the quick-attaching mount than to the other side of the quick-attaching mount.

19. The flail mower implement of claim 18, further comprising:

a pair of side walls;

a top wall extending between the side walls, one of the side walls defining a bore disposed therethrough above the top wall; and

a hydraulic motor having an output drive shaft for powering the flail mower implement via a drive arrangement, the output drive shaft extending through the bore to avoid penetration of the top wall.