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.

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.

Claims

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.