Earth working scraper apparatus

• US 5,775,438 A
• Filed: 06/11/1997
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald W. Akins, Richard J. Confoey
• Original Assignee: Donald W. Akins, Richard J. Confoey
• Inventors: Confoey, Richard J., Akins, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US08/873,151
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 172/811, 172/810, 172/828, 172/831, 172/830
• US Class Current: 172/831
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/815 Blades; Levelling or scarifying tools E02F3/40 takes precedence

Abstract

A front-end mounted earth working apparatus for a vehicle, including a skid steer, forms the subject of this invention. The earth working apparatus has a guide frame portion and grading portion. The guide frame portion is attached to the skid steer by a mounting plate. The mounting plate has a lifting fork extending forward therefrom being substantially horizontal. The grading portion is suspended below the guide frame portion by the lifting fork using a suspension mechanism. The grading portion being substantially parallel to the lifting fork. The grading portion further having front and rear blades attached to side rails. The rear blades being attached below the side rails by being pivotably hinged at one end and selectively secured to a corresponding adjustment plate so that the angle of each rear blade is adjustable.

Claims

1. A front mounted earth working apparatus for a skid steer, comprising:

a guide frame portion attached to the skid steer by a mounting mechanism, the guide frame portion having a lifting fork extending forward from said mounting mechanism, and the lifting fork being substantially horizontal with the ground;

a grading portion suspended below said guide frame portion from said lifting fork by a suspension mechanism, said grading portion being substantially parallel with said lifting fork, and said grading portion having a blade attached thereto; and

the suspension mechanism having an attaching mechanism for pulling the grading portion as the skid steer moves forward so that the grading portion will lift without assistance under the lifting fork when the blade hits an unyielding obstruction.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the suspension mechanism is a hinge and the attaching mechanism connects the hinge between the lifting fork and the grading portion.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the mounting mechanism includes a mounting plate and there are at least two lifting forks extending from said mounting plate.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the grading portion further comprises:

at least two side rails, each side rail being vertically aligned with one of the lifting forks in the guide frame portion, the blade attached to the grading portion being a nose blade attached below the side rails and at the front of the grading portion; and

at least two rear blades attached below said side rails behind the nose blade, said rear blades being hinged for selective attachment to a corresponding adjustment plate so that the angle of each rear blade is adjustable.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the grading portion further comprises:

at least two side rails with each side rail being vertically aligned with one of the lifting forks in the guide frame portion; and

each side rail having front and back end guide brackets to confine the lateral movement of the grading portion with the guide frame portion.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein each side rail has a T-bracket which cooperates with the corresponding back guide bracket to prevent the guide frame portion and grading portion from separating vertically a distance sufficient to cause the suspension mechanism to buckle.

7. A front of the earth working apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a guide frame portion attached to the vehicle by a mounting mechanism, the guide frame portion including at least two lifting forks extending forward from the mounting mechanism and the lifting forks being substantially horizontal with the ground and parallel with each other;

a grading portion suspended below said guide frame portion by a suspension mechanism attached to said lifting forks, said grading portion being substantially parallel with said lifting forks;

the grading portion further comprising at least two side rails, each side rail being vertically aligned with one of the lifting forks, the suspension mechanism including a hinge connected between each lifting fork and the corresponding vertically aligned side rail; and

a blade attached to said grading portion.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the mounting mechanism includes a mounting plate.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising at least two blades attached below said side rails, said blades being pivotally hinged at one end for selective attachment to a corresponding adjustment plate so that the angle of each blade is adjustable.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein each side rail having front and back end guide brackets to restrict the lateral movement of the grading portion with the guide frame portion.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein each side rail having a T-bracket which cooperates with the corresponding back end guide bracket to prevent the guide frame portion and grading portion from separating vertically a fixed distance thereby preventing the suspension mechanism from buckling.

12. A front mounted earth working apparatus for a skid steer, comprising:

a guide frame portion attached to the skid steer by a mounting mechanism, the guide frame portion having a lifting portion extending forward from said mounting mechanism;

a grading portion suspended below said guide frame portion by a suspension mechanism attached therebetween, and said grading portion having a blade attached thereto; and

the suspension mechanism having an attaching mechanism for pulling the grading portion as the skid steer moves forward so that the grading portion will lift under the guide frame portion when the blade hits an unyielding obstruction.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the mounting mechanism includes a mounting plate.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the grading portion further comprising at least two side rails and two blades attached below said side rails, said blades being pivotally hinged at one end for selective attachment to a corresponding adjustment plate so that the angle of each blade is adjustable.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein each side rail having front and back end guide brackets to restrict the lateral movement of the grading portion with the guide frame portion.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein one of the side rails has a stop bracket which cooperates with one of the guide brackets mounted on the selected side rail so that the guide frame portion and grading portion are kept from separating vertically a fixed distance.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the suspension mechanism comprises a hinge and the attaching mechanism attaches the hinge between the lifting portion and grading portion using a pivot pin.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein in the attaching mechanism, the pivot pin attaching the hinge to the grading portion is attached to a front end guide bracket of the grading portion, the front guide bracket having a plurality of hole positions for said front end guide bracket pin so that the hinge may be selectively attached thereto.