Elevating apparatus for tractor attachments

Claim 2

An elevating mechanism for an attachment carried by a powered vehicle comprising at least two vertically disposed members secured at one end to the attachment to be elevated and having inclined slots, pins carried by said vehicle for movement relative thereto in a substantially horizontal plane and engaging said slots, means for moving said pins and means restricting movement of said vertically disposed members in the direction of movement of said pins.

Claim 3

An elevating mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said attachment embodies means to be power driven and said movement resisting means comprises power transmitting means coupled to the vehicular power source and to said attachment.

Claim 4

An elevating mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said power transmitting means comprises a power driven pulley carried by said tractor, a pulley carried by said attachment and a belt engaging said pulleys.

Claim 5

An elevating mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said vertically disposed members comprise a pair of spaced vertically disposed plates positioned in substantially parallel relationship to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle, each of said plates having at least two of said inclined slots with said slots sloping downwardly and forwardly.

Claim 6

An elevating mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said attachment includes power driven means and a pulley coupled to the last said means and said restricting means comprises a belt engaging said pulley with a driven pulley carried by said vehicle and disposed rearwardly of said attachment.

Claim 7

An elevating mechanism according to claim 5 wherein each of said slots terminates at its lower end in a forwardly extending inclined slot and said vehicle includes stops positioned rearwardly of said plates and spaced therefrom when said pins are in engagement with the first said slots whereby said plates and said attachment upon being raised to the uppermost position by forward displacement of said pins will bring said pins into alignment with said terminal slots and permit said attachment to shift rearwardly against said stops to loosen said belt and terminate the transmission of power to said attachment.

Claim 8

An elevating mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said attachment includes rotary blades for grass cutting and includes a pulley for rotating said blades, said vehicle includes a frame and front and rear wheels with said attachment and plates disposed forwardly of said rear wheels, said frame includes sets of horizontally formed slots on each side thereof aligned with the longitudinal axis of said vehicle and each of said pins engages one of said horizontal and one of said inclined slots, and said restricting means includes a belt engaging said pulley with a power driven pulley carried by said frame and disposed rearwardly of said attachment.

Claim 9

An elevating mechanism according to claim 7 wherein each of said slots terminates at its lower end in a forwardly extending inclined slot and said vehicle includes stops positioned rearwardly of said plates and spaced therefrom when said pins are in engagement with the first said slots whereby said plates and said attachment upon being raised to the uppermost position by forward displacement of said pins will bring said pins into alignment with said terminal slots and permit said attachment to shift rearwardly against said stops to loosen said belt and terminate the transmission of power to said attachment.

Claim 10

An elevating mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said plates each carry a footrest.

Claim 11

The combination with a tractor including a frame portion having a pair of elongated slots on each side thereof, of elevating means for an attachment carried by said frame portion, said elevating means comprising a pair of spaced parallel plates each having a pair of inclined openings therein, a control arm positioned on each side of said frame, at least two pins extending from each control arm with the pins on one arm each engaging a slot in one side of said frame portion and an inclined slot in one of said plates and the pins on the other arm, each engaging a slot on the other side of said frame portion and an inclined slot in the other of said plates, means coupled to said arms for longitudinal movement thereof and means restricting longitudinal displacement of said plates at least in one direction.

Claim 12

The combination with a tractor including a frame portion having a pair of elongated slots on each side thereof, of elevating means for an attachment carried by said frame portion, said elevating means comprising a pair of spaced parallel plates each having a pair of inclined openings therein, a control arm positioned on each side of said frame, at least two pins extending from each control arm with the pins on one arm each engaging a slot in one side of said frame portion and an inclined slot in one of said plates and the pins on the other arm, each engaging a slot on the other side of said frame portion and an inclined slot in the other of said plates, means coupled to said arms for longitudinal movement thereof and means restricting longitudinal displacement of said plates at least in one direction.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 10 wherein said attachment includes a shaft to be driven and a pulley carried by said shaft, said tractor includes a driven pulley, and said restricting means comprises a power transmitting belt engaging said attachment and tractor pulleys.