Load handling apparatus

Claim 1

IN LOAD HANDLING APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING ON A SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE, SAID LOAD HANDLING APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A LOAD HANDLING BUCKET COMPRISING FRONT AND REAR BUCKET SECTIONS, (B) POWER OPERATED LIFTING AND LOWERING SUPPORTING ARM MEANS ON WHICH SAID REAR BUCKET SECTION IS TILTABLY MOUNTED, (C) POWER OPERATED TILTING MEANS FOR TILTING SAID REAR LOAD HANDLING BUCKET SECTION, (D) MEANS CONNECTING SAID FRONT BUCKET SECTION TO THE REAR BUCKET SECTION FOR RELATIVE OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENTS THEREBETWEEN, (E) POWER MEANS FOR EFFECTING SUCH OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENTS, (F) SAID FRONT BUCKET SECTION HAVING AN OPEN FRONT AND AN OPEN REAR, BOTH PROVIDED WITH SOIL CUTTING EDGES FOR CAUSING THE ENTRY OF SOIL INTO SAID OPEN FRONT OR INTO SAID OPEN REAR, AND (G) A CLOSURE GATE INCLUDING A TRANSVERSE CLOSURE WALL EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE WIDTH OF THE FRONT BUCKET SECTION AND HAVING SIDE WALLS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SIDE WALLS OF THE FRONT BUCKET SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY THEREOF, SAID CLOSURE WALL BEING SWINGABLE ABOUT SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTION FOR POSITIONMENT EITHER INTO A FRONT CLOSURE POSITION FOR CLOSING THE OPEN FRONT OF SAID BUCKET SECTION, OR INTO A REAR CLOSURE POSITION FOR CLOSING THE OPEN REAR OF SAID BUCKET SECTION.