Quick-attach loader bucket

Claim 2

In a tractor having a forwardly extending vertically adjustable supporting structure and a source of fluid pressure, the improvement residing in means for quickly attaching and detaching an implement to the forward end of the supporting structure and comprising: a first pair of laterally spaced and aligned socket means on the implement; a second pair of laterally spaced and aligned socket means on the implement parallel to and offset from the first pair of socket means; first and second pairs of laterally extending pins mounted on the supporting structure and axially shiftable between extended positions, wherein they respectively engage the first and second pairs of socket means when the supporting structure is so positioned relative to the implement that the first and second pairs of pins are respectively aligned with the first and second pairs of socket means, to lock the implement to the supporting structure, and retracted positions, wherein they are disengaged from the respective socket means to disconnect the implement from the supporting structure; hydraulic cylinder means mounted on the supporting structure and connected to the first and second pairs of pins to shift the pins between their alternate positions in response to actuation of the cylinder means; a pair of transversely spaced, forwardly extending hook means mounted on the supporting structure and operatively engageable with a pair of bosses respectively mounted on the implement to shift the implement into a position wherein the first pair of socket means are aligned with the first pair of pins when the bosses are fully engaged by the hook means; and control valve means on the tractor operatively connecting the hydraulic cylinder means to the source of fluid pressure for selectively actuating the hydraulic cylinder means.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the hydraulic cylinder means includes first and second laterally extending cylinders mounted on the supporting structure, and respectively having oppositely extendable piston rods at their opposite ends respectively connected to the first and second pairs of pins.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the pins in each pair of pins are respectively coaxially attached to the oppositely extending piston rods.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the pins are formed by the outer ends of the piston rods and are at least partially retracted within the respective cylinders when the piston rods are retracted.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the supporting structure includes a pair of forwardly extending transversely spaced lift arms and a pair of forwardly extending control links respectively above the lift arms, and the attaching means includes a first pair of laterally spaced and aligned apertures respectively mounted on the forward ends of respective lift arms in alignment with and adapted to receive the first pair of pins and a second pair of laterally spaced and aligned apertures respectively mounted on the forward ends of the respective control links in alignment with and adapted to receive the second pairs of pins.

Claim 7

The invention defined in claim 5 wherein the implement has first, second, third and fourth generally upright rearwardly projecting flanges; the forward ends of one of the lift arms and one of the control links being receivable between the first and second flanges and the forward ends of the other lift arm and control link being receivable between the third and fourth flanges when the supporting structure is positioned for attachment to the implement.

Claim 8

The invention defined in claim 6 wherein one of the first pair of socket means is formed by aligned laterally extending bores in the first and second flanges and the other of said socket means is formed by aligned, laterally extending bores in the third and fourth flanges, and one of the second pair of socket means is similarly formed by aligned, laterally extending bores in the first and second flanges and the other of said second pair of socket means is formed by aligned, axially extending bores in the third and fourth flanges.

Claim 9

In a vehicle having a forwardly extending vertically adjustable supporting structure including a pair of forwardly extending transversely spaced lift arms and a pair of forwardly extending control links respectively above the lift arms, a source of fluid pressure, and a detachable implement, the improvement comprising: a first pair of laterally spaced and aligned apertures in the forward ends of the respective lift arms; a second pair of laterally spaced and aligned apertures in the forward ends of the respective control links; first and second parallel horizontal and vertically offset hydraulic cylinders respectively having a pair of opposed pistons with piston rods projecting from their opposite ends and extendable in response to pressurization of the cylinder between the pistons and retractable in response to pressurization of the opposite ends of the cylinders; first and second pairs of locking pins respectively associated with the piston rods of the first and second hydraulic cylinders and respectively aligned with the apertures in the forward ends of the lift arms and the apertures in the forward ends of the control links and extendable and retractable in response to actuation of the pistons; first, second, third and fourth generally upright rearwardly projecting flanges attached to the implement, each flange having a pair of transversely extending vertically offset bores aligned with the pairs of bores in the other flanges, the bores in each flange being offset the same distance as the first and second hydraulic cylinders, the forward ends of one of the lift arms and one of the control links being receivable between the first and second flanges with their apertures respectively aligned with the bores in the flanges and the forward ends of the other lift arm and control link being receivable between the third and fourth flanges with the apertures in the lift arm and control link being respectively aligned with the bores in the flanges when the supporting structure is positioned for attachment to the implement; and selectively actuatable valve means operative to supply fluid pressure to the cylinders between the pistons to shift the locking pins through the bores in the respective flanges and the apertures in the lift arms and control links when the supporting structure is positioned for attachment to the implement to lock the implement to the supporting structure, or to supply fluid pressure to the opposite ends of the cylinders to retract the pins from the respective bores and apertures to disconnect the implement from the supporting structure.

Claim 10

In a vehicle having a forwardly extending vertically adjustable supporting structure including a pair of forwardly extending transversely spaced lift arms and a pair of forwardly extending control links respectively above the lift arms, a source of fluid pressure, and a detachable implement, the improvement comprising: a first pair of laterally spaced and aligned apertures in the forward ends of the respective lift arms; a second pair of laterally spaced and aligned apertures in the forward ends of the respective control links; first and second parallel horizontal and vertically offset hydraulic cylinders respectively having a pair of opposed pistons with piston rods projecting from their opposite ends and extendable in response to pressurization of the cylinder between the pistons and retractable in response to pressurization of the opposite ends of the cylinders; first and second pairs of locking pins respectively associated with the piston rods of the first and second hydraulic cylinders and respectively aligned with the apertures in the forward ends of the lift arms and the apertures in the forward ends of the control links and extendable and retractable in response to actuation of the pistons; first, second, third and fourth generally upright rearwardly projecting flanges attached to the implement, each flange having a pair of transversely extending vertically offset bores aligned with the pairs of bores in the other flanges, the bores in each flange being offset the same distance as the first and second hydraulic cylinders, the forward ends of one of the lift arms and one of the control links being receivable between the first and second flanges with their apertures respectively aligned with the bores in the flanges and the forward ends of the other lift arm and control link being receivable between the third and fourth flanges with the apertures in the lift arm and control link being respectively aligned with the bores in the flanges when the supporting structure is positioned for attachment to the implement; and selectively actuatable valve means operative to supply fluid pressure to the cylinders between the pistons to shift the locking pins through the bores in the respective flanges and the apertures in the lift arms and control links when the supporting structure is positioned for attachment to the implement to lock the implement to the supporting structure, or to supply fluid pressure to the opposite ends of the cylinders to retract the pins from the respective bores and apertures to disconnect the implement from the supporting structure.