Material handling attachment

Claim 1

A VARIABLE VOLUME MATERIAL-HANDLING ATTACHMENT FOR USE WITH A TRACTOR LOADER VEHICLE HAVING A BOOM, THE ATTACHMENT INCLUDING THE COMBINATION OF: A BUCKET HAVING A BACK SECTION MOUNTED ON THE BOOM AND A FRONT SECTION MOUNTED ON THE UPPER MARGIN OF THE BACK SECTION FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS BETWEEN DIGGING, CARRYING AND DUMPING POSITIONS; THE BACK SECTION HAVING A REAR WALL FOR SCOOPING AND CARRYING THE MATERIAL; THE FRONT SECTION HAVING A BOTTOM WALL ADAPTED TO PIVOT UNDER THE REAR WALL WHEREBY THE VOLUME OF THE BUCKET IS SELECTIVELY VARIED BETWEEN THE DIGGING AND CARRYING POSITIONS, THE FRONT SECTION FURTHER BEING ADAPTED TO PIVOT FORWARD OF THE REAR WALL WHEREBY THE MATERIAL IS DUMPED FROM THE BUCKET; AND, MEANS TO SELECTIVELY PIVOT THE FRONT SECTION BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS INCLUDING AN EXTENSIBLE HYDRAULIC RAM CONNECTED BETWEEN THE FRONT SECTION AND THE REAR SECTION, A SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, CONTROL MEANS TO SELECTIVELY DIRECT THE FLUID TO THE RAM FOR EXTENSION AND RETRACTION THEREOF, AND MEANS TO TERMINATE OPERATION OF THE CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT SECTION TO THE CARRYING POSITION.