U.S. patent application number 09/898753 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-09 for mounting plate for quick attachment bracket and bucket construction.
Invention is credited to Deyo, Charles E., Kaczmarski, Wally L..
Application Number | 20030005605 09/898753 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25409993 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030005605 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kaczmarski, Wally L. ; et
al. |
January 9, 2003 |
Mounting plate for quick attachment bracket and bucket
construction
Abstract
A bucket for a prime mover such as a skid steer loader has a
mounting plate on its rear wall that is used for coupling to an
attachment bracket on the prime mover or loader. The mounting plate
is a unitary plate has a unitarily formed upper channel extending
transversely across the bucket at an upper end of the mounting
plate, and a unitarily formed second channel extending transversely
across the bucket at the mounting plate lower end. The upper
channel has a pair of apertures that are of size to receive latch
ends of an attachment bracket and have edges that provide for
alignment of the mounting plate and the bucket to which it is
attached relative to the attachment bracket. The lower channel has
apertures to receive vertically moveable wedge lock member on the
attachment plate to secure the mounting plate and bucket to the
loader.
Inventors: |
Kaczmarski, Wally L.;
(Lisbon, ND) ; Deyo, Charles E.; (Lisbon,
ND) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Nickolas E. Westman
care of: WESTMAN, CHAMPLIN & KELLY, P.A.
International Centre, Suite 1600
900 Second Avenue South
Minneapolis
MN
55402-3319
US
|
Family ID: |
25409993 |
Appl. No.: |
09/898753 |
Filed: |
July 3, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
37/444 ; 172/817;
37/468; 414/723 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02F 3/40 20130101; E02F
3/3627 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
37/444 ; 37/468;
414/723; 172/817 |
International
Class: |
E02F 003/40 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mounting plate for an attachment for a mounting bracket on a
prime mover, said mounting plate comprising a formed plate having a
longitudinal length extending transversely of the attachment, a
vertical height of size to match the mounting bracket on a prime
mover, and a first channel member formed along the longitudinal
length at an upper edge of the mounting plate to protrude in a
direction toward the attachment bracket, a lower wall of the
channel member being provided with at least one aperture receiving
a portion of the mounting bracket, and the mounting plate having a
second channel at a lower edge extending along the longitudinal
length, and having at least one aperture formed in walls of the
second channel for receiving a latch wedge bar on the mounting
bracket.
2. The mounting plate of claim 1, wherein there are two apertures
on the first channel member, said apertures having side edges
forming guides for portions of the mounting bracket when the
mounting bracket portions are received in the apertures.
3. The mounting plate of claim 2, wherein there are two sets of
openings in the second channel, said openings being of size to
receive two latch wedge bars from the mounting bracket on the prime
mover.
4. The mounting plate of claim 1, wherein the mounting plate has an
opening therein between the first and second channels.
5. The mounting plate of claim 3, wherein upper portions of the
mounting plate have wing portions that extend outwardly laterally
beyond the apertures toward each of the side edges of the mounting
plate.
6. The mounting plate of claim 4, wherein the mounting plate
comprises a unitary sheet of material.
7. A loader bucket assembly having a bottom wall, and a rear wall
joined to the bottom wall and end walls to form a forwardly open
bucket, a mounting plate mounted on the rear wall of the bucket,
said mounting plate comprising a unitary plate having a center
planar portion fixed to an exterior of the rear wall of the bucket,
and having a formed channel at an upper end of the mounting plate
extending in a direction between the end walls of the bucket, said
formed channel having upper and lower walls that are spaced apart
and which extend outwardly from the back walls of the bucket, the
lower wall of the channel having at least one aperture therein with
a straight side edge, said opening being of size to receive a latch
end of a mounting bracket for supporting the bucket on a prime
mover.
8. The bucket assembly of claim 7, wherein the mounting plate has a
second channel member at a lower end thereof extending outwardly
from the rear wall of the bucket, said second channel member at the
lower end having an upper wall and a lower wall, and apertures
passing through both the upper wall and the lower wall and being
adapted to receive a latch wedge from a mounting bracket on a prime
mover.
9. The bucket assembly of claim 7, wherein said bottom wall of the
bucket has a forward edge, a cutting blade at the forward edge, and
a reinforcing plate on the exterior of the bottom wall to the rear
of the cutting edge, said reinforcing plate being a unitary plate
that extends from end to end of the bucket and forms a plurality of
channels with generally planar walls extending between the
channels, some of said planar walls resting against an exterior
surface of the bottom wall of the bucket, and the reinforcing plate
being welded to the bottom wall of the bucket.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting plate that goes
on the back wall of a loader bucket or other loader attachment, and
mates with the standard quick attachment brackets presently used on
skid steer loaders and in particular those sold under the trademark
BOBCAT. The mounting plate is formed from a single sheet of
material, and includes formed channels with walls that extend out
from the plane of the bucket for receiving latching portions of the
quick attachment bracket that is mounted onto a loader. The
openings provide edge surfaces for positioning and alignment of the
bracket without the need for side walls.
[0002] Quick attachment brackets on skid steer loaders are well
known. The brackets include a plate that pivotally mounts on the
front ends of arms of a skid steer loader. The plate has a pair of
interfitting latch lips that engage a mating recess on a mounting
plate or other attachment and then has latch wedge bars that are
moveable into receptacles on the loader mounting plate bucket for
locking the bucket onto the attachment bracket plate. The
attachment bracket plate can be used for a wide variety of
attachments. The mounting plates used in buckets in the prior art
have several piece parts that require welding together, and the
plates are not easily standardized for easy modification for
different sized buckets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to a formed mounting plate
that provides attachments points for receiving a standard skid
steer loader quick attachment bracket, and which can be easily
welded onto the back wall of a bucket or other attachment used with
a skid steer loader. The mounting plate is formed from a single
sheet of metal, and is contoured to provide outwardly formed
reinforcement or strengthening channels that extend in a direction
across the bucket width. The upper channel walls have channels,
openings that will receive the latch lips at the top of the quick
attachment bracket, and also the lower channel has openings that
will receive the latch wedges or bars that are moveable to secure
the mounting plate and the attached bucket to the quick attachment
bracket.
[0004] The mounting plate is made with a center portion of
substantial vertical height to provide space for the latching
openings, and has laterally extending wings at the top that can be
trimmed to provide a universal formed mounting plate that is easily
trimmed for buckets of different widths. The mounting plate is
designed to include an opening in the center portion along which
welding can take place to minimize distortions and stresses in the
bucket when the mounting plate is welded in place.
[0005] Additionally, the bucket is constructed with a reinforcing
bottom plate immediately behind the bucket cutting blade that
extends for the full width of the bucket and is formed in a series
of corrugations or shallow channels to provide reinforcement for
the bottom wall of the bucket in a unitarily, formed and easily
attached reinforcement plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a side view of a quick attachment bracket shown
schematically mounted on loader arms, and connected to a bucket
that has a mounting plate made according to the present invention
installed thereon;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a mounting plate
coupled to a quick attachment bracket but without showing
bucket;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the mounting plate made
according to the present invention installed on a bucket;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the bucket shown in
FIG. 3 illustrating the mounting plate in position;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the bucket of FIG. 4;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view from the rear of the
bucket with a mounting plate attached and showing a reinforcing
plate on the bottom of the bucket;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the bucket of FIG. 6;
[0013] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the mounting plate
with the quick attachment bracket shown in position;
[0014] FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the mounting plate
alone; and
[0015] FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of a bucket reinforcing
plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] In FIG. 1, a loader bucket 10 is shown coupled onto a quick
attachment bracket 12 of a standard design, the quick attachment
bracket 12 is connected to loader arms 14 at a pivot point 16, and
the control of the attachment bracket 12 about the pivot pins or
point 16 is accomplished with a hydraulic actuator 18 connected as
at 20 to a portion of the quick attachment bracket. The hydraulic
actuator 18 and loader arms are part of a loader 22 that is shown
only schematically.
[0017] The quick attachment bracket 12 is a standard bracket, and
has, as shown in FIG. 2, has a pair of spaced uprightly projecting
latch ends or lips 24, and has upright plates 26 on which moveable
latch wedges 28 (see FIG. 1) are mounted. These are standard latch
wedge operated with levers shown schematically at 29 and disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,397, except these are not power operated,
and the ends of one latch bar is shown at 28A in FIG. 1.
[0018] A mounting plate 30 made according to the present invention
is attached to a back wall 32 of the bucket 10, and extends
laterally between the bucket 10 and quick attachment bracket 12 as
can be seen in FIG. 3.
[0019] The mounting plate 30 is a single piece of metal formed to
include a top channel reinforcing portion 34, that is formed with
an outwardly inclined lower wall 36, an upright wall 38 spaced
outwardly from the bucket back wall 32, and an inwardly tapered
upper wall 40. The upper edge of the wall 40, as well as a center
planar portion 42 of the mounting plate 30 can be welded to the
back wall 32 of the bucket 10. The lower portion of the mounting
plate has a second channel section 44 that is formed with an
outwardly extending tapered upper wall 46, above wall 42 and a
return or inwardly extending wall 48. This channel extends farther
outwardly from bucket back wall. The wall 48 has an edge that rests
on the back wall 32 of the bucket also.
[0020] The lower wall 36 and upper wall 38 of channel 34 at the top
of mounting plate are provided with a pair of latch end receiving
openings 50, which can be punched into the flat plate before it is
formed, and which are of size to receive the latch ends 24 of the
quick attachment bracket 12. The latch ends are also channel shaped
so they mate with the interior of the channel as the latch ends are
moved up through openings 50.
[0021] The outwardly tapered wall 46 of the channel 44 at the lower
edge of the mounting plate 30 has apertures 52 that are sized to
receive the ends 28A of the latch wedges 28, and the wedges 28
wedges against the rear edge of openings 52 (see FIG. 1) to hold
the mounting plate 30 and the bucket securely onto quick attachment
bracket 12.
[0022] The mounting plate 30 also has outwardly extending wing
portions 54 on lateral sides thereof, which are tapered up from the
main center plate portion 42 and can be rounded as shown at 56.
These wings or ears 54 can be trimmed as represented by the dotted
line 58 in FIG. 2 for different width buckets.
[0023] When the mounting plate 30 is welded onto the bucket back
wall 32, the mounting plate is positioned so that the outer edges
or side edges of the openings 50 toward the outside ends of the
mounting plate 30 are at a known lateral location. The edges are
shown at 60 for the right hand opening 50, and 62 for the left hand
opening 50 are shown in FIG. 2. The edges 60 and 62 will provide
for the lateral positioning of the bucket on the quick attachment
bracket 12, and specifically the latch ends 24 as they are placed
into the openings 50. The mounting plate is also welded to the
bucket back wall along the upper edge of chamber 34. The lower edge
of lower channel 44 is welded to a rear corner angle 49. As can be
seen in FIG. 4, one leg 49A of the corner angle forms an extension
of back wall 32 of the bucket. The corner angle 49 extends
laterally across the bucket, which is used where the bucket has a
rounded corner joining the back and bottom.
[0024] Mounting plate 30 has a center opening, shown at 35 in the
planar center portion 42, as shown in FIG. 3 for example, that
provides edges 35A for welding. The outer edges shown at 35B in
FIGS. 3 and 6 for example, can be used for welding as well.
[0025] FIG. 8 illustrates the mounting plate 30 from a front
perspective view with the latch ends 24 of the quick attachment
bracket 12 portion against wall portions 43 that extend upwardly
from the main wall 42 and overlie the base of the channel 38. These
wall portions are left planar with wall portion 42 when the
openings 50 are punched out, and are left parallel to the center
portion 42 of the back wall when the channels on mounting plate 30
are formed.
[0026] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4, a bucket bottom wall 66 is
joined to the back wall 32 and is reinforced with a transversely
extending reinforcing plate 70 that extends fully from one end wall
33 to the other. The end walls 33 are also joined to the bottom
wall. Plate 70, as can be seen has a series of shallow channels
such as channel 72 which open upwardly, and channels 74 which face
downwardly. The channels 74 have base walls 76 that rest against
the bottom wall 66 of the bucket.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 10 the reinforcing plate 70 also has a
series of slots 78 along the length, in the base walls 76 of the
channels 74. The slots 78 are used for welding the reinforcing
plate 70 onto the bottom wall 66 of the bucket. The periphery of
reinforcing plate 70 is welded to the bucket bottom wall 66 and the
bucket end plates 33 as well.
[0028] The reinforcing plate 70, as can be seen in FIG. 6, extends
all the way across the bottom wall 66 of a bucket between the end
plates 33.
[0029] The corrugated or multiple channel plate that extends from
end to end on the bucket just behind the cutting blade 80 provides
for secure reinforcement, and insures that there is no excessive
loading on the bottom wall of the bucket, as well as providing a
continuous reinforcing structure all the way across the bucket
right behind the cutting blade.
[0030] The construction of the mounting wall, using openings 50 for
positioning permits the removal of edge guide plates of existing
mounting for guiding the attachment bracket to align with the
mounting plate for the bucket or other attachment. The present
mounting also reduces the welding costs, and reduces the
fabrication time, since it is stamped with one operation after the
openings 50 and 52 have been punched out. The forming die will
leave panels 43 planar with wall portion 42.
[0031] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will
recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *