Integrally Mounted To A Tool Body And Independently Usable By Re- Positioning The Tool Body Patents (Class 37/408)
  • Patent number: 11686057
    Abstract: A snow plow is pivotally mounted to a tractor by a compound mount allowing for multiple blade positions. The mount has an inner portion pivotally mounted about a first horizontal axis to the front of the tractor and an outer portion pivotally mounted about a vertical axis to the inner portion. The plow blade is pivotally mounted about a second horizontal axis to the outer portion. Deicer nozzles spray liquid and a spreader distributes salt and other materials in front of the front wheels of the tractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: THE TORO COMPANY
    Inventor: Thomas M. Rich
  • Patent number: 11261573
    Abstract: A snow plow is pivotally mounted to a tractor by a compound mount allowing for multiple blade positions. The mount has an inner portion pivotally mounted about a first horizontal axis to the front of the tractor and an outer portion pivotally mounted about a vertical axis to the inner portion. The plow blade is pivotally mounted about a second horizontal axis to the outer portion. Deicer nozzles spray liquid and a spreader distributes salt and other materials in front of the front wheels of the tractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: THE TORO COMPANY
    Inventor: Thomas M. Rich
  • Patent number: 10604909
    Abstract: A stackable bucket having a floor, a back wall, and two side walls has a tapered front to back floor but wherein the back wall is substantially rectangular. A diagonal bend allows each side plate to connect to the tapered floor and to the rectangular back wall. Gussets and double-ended reverse hooks may also be used to provide spacing between nested buckets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: CWS INDUSTRIES (MFG) CORP.
    Inventors: Steve Wright, Bob Beales
  • Patent number: 10465359
    Abstract: An implement system includes a linkage and a bucket coupled with the linkage and movable between a dump position and a racked position. The bucket has a compound back section that forms a profile having a basin shape to assist in distributing material within the back section when the bucket is curled, and nesting the bucket close to the linkage. Related methodology is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: David Worth
  • Patent number: 10246849
    Abstract: An implement system includes a linkage and a bucket coupled with the linkage and movable between a dump position and a racked position. The bucket has a torque tube assembly coupled to an outer surface to increase the bucket's torsional rigidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty Ltd
    Inventors: John Marek, Kamesh Gopal
  • Patent number: 9719229
    Abstract: A bucket with a blade-shaped lower front edge includes: a first straight portion horizontally extending from the lower front edge toward an innermost of the bucket; a curve continuous with a rear edge of the first straight portion at a lower edge of the curve, the curve having a predetermined bucket radius; a second straight portion continuous with an upper edge of the curve, the second straight portion being inclined upward toward a bucket opening; a third straight portion bent at a bent portion toward the bucket opening relative to a front edge of the second straight portion, the third straight portion further extending toward the bucket opening; a reinforcing member provided on an exterior surface of the third straight portion to reinforce of the exterior surface; and a connecting portion provided behind the curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihito Bandou, Takeshi Saoyama, Minoru Wada, Toshiyuki Ohta, Toshimitsu Honda, Katsuhiro Tsutsumi, Takaya Kobayashi, Takayasu Wakamoto
  • Patent number: 8776406
    Abstract: A reversible wing plow including a hitch, a moldboard and a moldboard shifting mechanism. The hitch is coupleable to the rear of a prime mover. The moldboard is operably coupled to the hitch proximate an inboard end and rotatable about a first horizontal axis that extends outwardly from the hitch generally parallel to a direction of forward movement of the prime mover. The moldboard shifting mechanism includes first and second linear actuators, both of which are coupled to the hitch at one end and coupled to opposing sides of a rotation crank plate on the other end. The crank plate is further operably coupled to the moldboard, whereby the moldboard is rotatably shiftable to the driver or passenger side of the prime mover, or to a vertically oriented transport position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventor: Michael Frederick Stephan
  • Patent number: 7832130
    Abstract: A mounting bracket is designed to interchangeably connect a processor attachment to the stick of a larger excavator or the boom of a smaller excavator in place of the stick. The mounting bracket includes mounting assemblies that are designed to operatively attach the bracket to the stick and related bucket cylinder linkage assembly of a larger excavator. The mounting bracket also includes mounting assemblies that are designed to operatively attach the bracket to the boom and related stick cylinder of a smaller excavator. The mounting bracket may avoid the need to obtain and maintain plural mounting brackets for different mounting applications (e.g., stick or boom).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: The Stanley Works
    Inventors: Clayton Sederberg, Matthew G. Mecklin
  • Patent number: 7810260
    Abstract: A control system for a tool coupling of the type that attaches a tool to an excavator dipper stick and provides for rotation of the tool with respect to the dipper stick about an axis, and further provides for tilting of the tool, includes a rotation sensor and a tilt sensor. The rotation sensor is mounted on the coupling for determining the amount of rotation of the tool with respect to the dipper stick about an axis. The tilt sensor is mounted on the coupling for determining the amount of tilt of the tool with respect to gravity. A control is responsive to the rotation sensor and to the tilt sensor for determining the orientation of the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Richard M. Pope, Anand Arumugam
  • Patent number: 7793443
    Abstract: A soil fracturing tool includes an excavator bucket having a first side, a second side, and a bottom surface defining a soil receiving portion. The bottom surface has a leading edge toward a front of the excavator bucket. A first blade and a second blade extend downward from the bottom surface of the excavator bucket. The distance between the first blade and the second blade is substantially the same as the width of the excavator bucket. A cutting depth guide guides the depth of the first blade and the second blade. A digging depth guide guides the depth of the leading edge of the excavator bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Inventor: Guy Randall Galbreath
  • Patent number: 7591089
    Abstract: A boom assembly comprises a primary boom member having one end attachable to a vehicle and a secondary boom member pivotally attached to the free end of the primary boom member for rotation of the secondary boom member about a first axis relative to the primary boom member. The secondary boom member includes a swivel mechanism configured to enable the secondary boom member to rotate relative to the primary boom member about a second axis of rotation independently to rotation of the secondary boom member relative to the primary boom member about the first axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Cole Technology Limited
    Inventor: Bart Keany
  • Patent number: 7562473
    Abstract: A material-handling bucket which includes a blade with scarifying teeth on the rear of the bucket. By raising the bucket and rolling the bucket backward, the blade and teeth can be made to engage the ground to provide grading and scarifying capabilities for a conventional loader bucket. The blade and scarifying teeth, however, do not interfere with the normal loading operations of the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Westendorf Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Neal W. Westendorf, Joseph W. Langenfeld
  • Patent number: 7509758
    Abstract: A hitch structure for mounting attachments to a vehicle such as a skid steer loader is disclosed herein. The hitch structure includes a universal, reversible hitch structure. The hitch structure includes a first end positioned opposite a second end, a fixed locking structure located adjacent each of the first end and the second end, the fixed locking structure constructed for receiving a toe end of an attachment carrier of a loader vehicle. The hitch structure also includes a removable locking structure with a slot for receiving a locking wedge positioned adjacent a heel end of the attachment carrier. The removable locking structure is removably engageable with the hitch structure alternatively adjacent either the first end or the second end of the hitch structure to form a clamping structure with the fixed locking structure located at the opposite end from the removable locking structure for mounting the attachment to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: NTH Inc.
    Inventor: Clinton Nesseth
  • Patent number: 7287344
    Abstract: A landscaping tool for attachment to a bucket of a landscaping vehicle, the tool generally comprising an elongate plate having two opposite longitudinal working edges and a plurality of integrally formed teeth protruding from each working edge. The elongate plate has a plurality of mounting holes extending therethrough for mounting the tool to the bucket attachment of a loader. The plurality of holes can be arranged in sets to allow mounting of the tool in various orientations and configurations to provide differing edge orientations for different landscaping tasks, and to allow a single tool to be used with a variety of different bucket attachments. Methods of converting a bucket into a rake and scarifying attachment is also provided, the methods increasing the versatility of the tool and thereby eliminating the need to purchase several tools to accomplish a wide variety of landscaping tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Inventor: Bradley W. Kostyak
  • Patent number: 7162817
    Abstract: The lifting frame with Z-kinematics of a wheel loader comprises an accessory arm with a lifting cylinder coupled to the vehicle frame or to the truck front-end and a rocker-type reversing lever coupled to the accessory arm, to the ends of which reversing lever the tipping cylinder and the connecting link are coupled for the swivelling of the attachment. Attachments, e.g. a bucket or a log loader, are mountable on the lifting frame. In order to be able, in a raised position of the lifting frame, to swivel the attachment with the necessary large moment from a position tipped downwards into a position tipped upwards, without any reinforcement of the tipping cylinder, there is coupled with the lifting frame, in the direction of the attachment in front of the articulated joint connecting the tipping cylinder to the vehicle frame, at least one hydraulic cylinder, whereof the piston rod engages in an articulated manner with the swivel axle connecting the reversing lever with the tipping cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH
    Inventor: Josef Stock
  • Patent number: 6996925
    Abstract: A combination plow and claw assembly is provided which is attached to a vehicle. The assembly is used for plowing a surface and/or for clawing a surface wherein the function of the combination plow and claw assembly can be easily changed by an operator of the vehicle during operation of the assembly so that a plowing function can be obtained when the vehicle is moved forward and a clawing function obtained when the vehicle is moved backward. In a preferred aspect, a rotating plate (which can be a flexible rake tine or a serrated plate) is fixedly connected to a rotating shaft. A drive shaft is axially disposed in the rotating shaft and secured to the rotating shaft. The drive shaft extends through openings in support plates and is fixedly connected to rotating means. The rotating plate in combination with a stationary plate converts the assembly into a plow or claw depending on the rotation of the rotating plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Inventor: Woodward D. Harding
  • Patent number: 6892482
    Abstract: A combination plow and claw assembly is provided which is attached to a vehicle. The assembly is used for plowing a surface and/or for clawing a surface wherein the function of the combination plow and claw assembly can be easily changed by an operator of the vehicle during operation of the assembly so that a plowing function can be obtained when the vehicle is moved forward and a clawing function obtained when the vehicle is moved backward. In one aspect, the assembly employs a rotatable pipe support member axially disposed within a first elongated horizontal support member wherein a plow and claw plate is fixedly secured to the rotatable member. In use, the plow and claw plate is rotated upward or downward depending on the function desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Inventor: Woodward D. Harding
  • Patent number: 6804903
    Abstract: An undercarriage having tracks or the like is attached thereto is provided for moving the undercarriage along the ground. A turret is attached to the undercarriage along a first substantially vertical axis so that the turret can rotate. A backhoe is pivotally attached to the turret along a second substantially vertical axis. A trencher is operatively attached to the turret and occupies an area adjacent the undercarriage. Structure is provided for preventing the backhoe from moving into an area occupied by the trencher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Mark Cooper
  • Publication number: 20040194355
    Abstract: The lifting frame with Z-kinematics of a wheel loader comprises an accessory arm with a lifting cylinder coupled to the vehicle frame or to the truck front-end and a rocker-type reversing lever coupled to the accessory arm, to the ends of which reversing lever the tipping cylinder and the connecting link are coupled for the swivelling of the attachment. Attachments, e.g. a bucket or a log loader, are mountable on the lifting frame. In order to be able, in a raised position of the lifting frame, to swivel the attachment with the necessary large moment from a position tipped downwards into a position tipped upwards, without any reinforcement of the tipping cylinder, there is coupled with the lifting frame, in the direction of the attachment in front of the articulated joint connecting the tipping cylinder to the vehicle frame, at least one hydraulic cylinder, whereof the piston rod engages in an articulated manner with the swivel axle connecting the reversing lever with the tipping cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventor: Josef Stock
  • Patent number: 6718661
    Abstract: A new and improved appliance boom having opposite ends. One of the ends is adapted to be secured to the bucket of an articulated powered bucket loader. The other end is adapted to be secured to an appliance. The boom has means for guiding appliance control cables from end to end. At least one control cable having opposite ends is trained through the means. One of the control cable ends is attached to the appliance; the other of the control cable ends is attached to a control in the cab of the bucket loader to which the boom is attached. The appliance cradle may be secured to appliances ranging from crane pulleys, chain saws, and rotary drills, reciprocating saws, to other rotary or reciprocating equipment. The appliance boom may be secured to the bucket of a conventional bucket loader and unattached conveniently and stored when not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Inventor: Gerald D. Miller
  • Patent number: 6578297
    Abstract: A unique bucket attachment and sub-attachment adaptable for use with skid steer loaders and other earth moving equipment. The bucket attachment has a much smaller ratio of width to length than conventional loader buckets. It also provides for a much longer reach than conventional loader implements. The bucket attachment is well adapted for use with a skid steer loader or other tractor for trenching, excavation and moving of granular materials such as earth, sand, gravel or crushed rock. The bucket attachment may include a short fork assembly at the distal end. In addition to increasing the reach of the attachment, the fork assembly assists in the manipulation of heavy unit items such as balled and burlapped trees and shrubs, boulders, and blocks of stone or concrete. Sub-attachments, such as a smaller bucket that further extends the reach of the bucket attachment, and a variety of chutes can be removably attached to the distal end of the bucket attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Inventor: Craig H. Forsberg
  • Patent number: 6490815
    Abstract: An excavating bucket mountable on the handle of an excavating machine generally consisting of a pair of side walls; an upper wall interconnecting such side walls; a downwardly and forwardly curved rear wall merging into a forwardly curved bottom wall, interconnecting such side walls and providing a transversely disposed cutting edge; at least one ripping tooth mounted on the rear wall, projecting rearwardly and having a curved lower edge merging with the curvature of the rear and bottom walls to provide a substantially continuous curved line; and mounting brackets for detachably connecting to the bucket to the handle of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Rockland, Inc.
    Inventor: Samuel S. Pratt
  • Patent number: 6430849
    Abstract: An excavating machine, representatively a tracked excavator has a boom stick portion on which both an excavating bucket and a hydraulic breaker are mounted for hydraulically driven pivotal movement between first and second limit positions. With the breaker in its first limit position, the bucket may be swung away from its first limit position and used independently of the breaker for digging operations. Similarly, with the bucket in its first limit position, the breaker may be swung away from its first limit position and used independently of the breaker for refusal material-breaking operations. Thus, the same excavating machine may be used for both digging and breaking operations without the previous necessity of changing out excavating apparatus on the boom stick. A specially designed electrical and hydraulic circuit is provided which permits the positional control of both the bucket and the breaker with the same control device typically used to control the pivotal orientation Of an excavating bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Inventor: Lowell A. Underwood
  • Patent number: 6269560
    Abstract: A sweeping assembly for a machine having a handle generally comprising a first implement pivotally connectable to the handle; a strut assembly including a first arm member operatively connectable to the handle, a second arm member and a spring device operatively interconnecting the first and second members, and means for yieldably biasing the second arm member into a predetermined position relative to the first arm member; and a second implement mounted on the second arm member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Rockland Inc.
    Inventor: Samuel S. Pratt
  • Patent number: 6238140
    Abstract: A method for burying pipe or tile and, especially, double walled drainage tile. The method comprises the steps of digging a relatively wide trench having a bottom with a desired grade and loosening the soil in a central portion of the trench bottom by pulling a groove cutter which is attached to an excavating bucket along the trench bottom so that the bucket rides on the trench bottom and the groove cutter extends below the bottom surface of the trench. After the groove cutter loosens the soil, a modified trench shield or trench box is advanced along the trench bottom. The trench shield is provided, at its leading end, with a groove shaper which removes loosened soil from the central portion of the trench and forms a relatively narrow groove in the bottom of the trench. The width of the groove, adjacent the floor of the trench, may be a little larger or smaller or equal to the drain tile diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Inventor: Lanny T. Boes
  • Patent number: 6067733
    Abstract: A ditch trenching device is adapted to be connected to earth moving equipment that use buckets. A dirt port is dimensioned in a lower portion of a bucket. A trencher is attached to the dirt port and is defined by two side members each with a front, back, top, and floor that are spaced apart the width of the dirt port; a floor member with a distal end is attached to the floors; and a back member is attached to the backs. There is an acute angle between the front and floor. A first cutting edge is placed at the distal end and a second cutting edge is connected to the front by the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Inventor: Walter Gasper
  • Patent number: 5689905
    Abstract: A working machine of a hydraulic shovel which enables easy attaching and detaching of a chisel and affords smooth breaker work even in the vicinity of a wall, while enhancing chisel penetration and correspondingly improving the efficiency of the work. To this end, a bucket hinge pin (6d) is provided on one end of each of a pair of bucket brackets (6b) at a position offset from the axis of a breaker-incorporating arm (4b) toward the bucket cylinder (7), and, while the bucket (6) is in the tilted position, the chisel (10) is attached so as to extend through a space between the bucket hinge pin (6d) and the bucket link pin (8b) which is provided on the other ends of the bucket brackets (6b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Ibusuki
  • Patent number: 5556217
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an auger mount device for coupling an auger to a vehicle such as an excavator, skid steer loader, or the like, having a dipper stick and a bucket link. The auger mount device comprises a mounting plate having a dipper end, an auger end, and a pivot aperture adjacent to the dipper end. The pivot aperture is suitable for mounting the auger mount device to the boom. A fin is attached to the mounting plate. The fin defines a slot suitable for attachment to the bucket link. The auger is mountable to the auger end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Clark Equipment Company
    Inventors: Charles Deyo, Verne C. Watts, Wally L. Kaczmarski
  • Patent number: 5456028
    Abstract: In an excavating apparatus including a bucket removably coupled to a distal end of a hydraulically powered boom, a field-detachable and field-attachable ripper comprises a shank portion having a lower tip, a mounting portion disposed along an upper area of the shank portion and a detachable and re-attachable coupling element disposed along the mounting portion. The detachable and re-attachable coupling element secures the ripper to the bucket. There is optionally further included a detachable ripper tip coupled to the lower tip. The detachable ripper tip comprises a metal piece having a point disposed at a first end thereof and having a hollow disposed at a second end thereof. The hollow is adapted to accommodate the lower tip therein. The detachable ripper tip further includes an opening disposed on one side thereof and extending into the hollow. The opening is adapted to accommodate a fastener extending from the side and into the lower tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Inventor: David S. Larson
  • Patent number: 5423137
    Abstract: A pavement cutting and excavating tool comprising an excavation bucket and a cutting disc. The tool is mountable to a construction vehicle such as a backhoe. A disc housing is disposed in the backhoe bucket, and the cutting disc is disposed in the housing. Accordingly, the cutting disc of the present invention is substantially more narrow than the backhoe bucket in which it is partially disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Inventor: Gary L. Cochran
  • Patent number: 5315772
    Abstract: A small utility tractor having a front-end loader which is modified to include a backhoe digger mounted on the front-end loader is disclosed. The backhoe digger is readily attached to or detached from the front-end loader to provide a digging function at the front of the tractor. The backhoe bucket is coupled to the front-end loader using an attachment device which releasably attaches the backhoe bucket to the front-end loader so that the backhoe bucket is located below the bottom of the front-end loader and the bucket front opening faces in the opposite direction to which the front-end loader opening faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Inventor: Nelson Lalonde