Ripper tooth attachment for a backhoe

Claim 2

A ripper tooth attachment for a backhoe having a bucket pivotably mounted on a boom, hydraulic means for rotating the bucket relative to the boom and a linkage including at least a pair of spaced apart pivot pins one of which is associated with the bucket and the other of which is associated with the hydraulic means interconnecting the bucket with the hydraulic means, the linkage providing rotational movement of the bucket relative to the boom in response to actuation of the hydraulic means, said ripper tooth attachment Comprising a ripper tooth having a sharpened end portion at one end thereof for penetrating material to be ripped, a support member attached to the end of said ripper tooth opposite said sharpened end portion and flange means attached to said support member, said flange means including at least first and second openings therein, said first opening being adapted to receive said pivot pin associated with the bucket therein, said second opening being adapted to receive said pivot pin associated with the hydraulic means therein, said flange means being adapted to support said ripper tooth to enable the ripper tooth to be moved to an operating position when the bucket is rotated in one direction relative to the boom by the hydraulic means and be moved to a nonoperating position when the bucket is rotated in a direction opposite said one direction relative to the boom, the bucket being moved to an operating position when said ripper tooth is rotated to said nonoperating position and being moved to a nonoperating position when said ripper tooth is rotated to said operating position.

Claim 3

A ripper tooth attachment for a backhoe as defined in claim 1 wherein said flange means supports said ripper tooth in a position disposed substantially perpendicular to said linkage.

Claim 4

A ripper tooth attachment for a backhoe as defined in claim 2 wherein said flange means supports said ripper tooth substantially perpendicular to material to be ripped when the bucket is in said nonoperating position and supports said ripper tooth in a position substantially parallel to material to be ripped when the bucket is in said operating position.

Claim 5

A ripper tooth attachment for use with an earth moving vehicle wherein the vehicle includes an earth moving bucket mounted for pivotable movement relative to a boom structure of the vehicle in response to actuation of a hydraulic power means disposed on the vehicle, the bucket includes a first pivot pin associated therewith and which is attached to one end of a linkage the opposite end of which is attached by a second pivot pin to the hydraulic power means of the vehicle so that actuation of the hydraulic power means applies a force through the linkage to effect rotation of the bucket relative to the boom structure, said ripper tooth attachment comprising a ripper tooth having a sharpened portion at one end thereof for engagement with material to be ripped, and support means including a plurality of openings therein for receiving the pivot pins associated with the bucket and hydraulic power means for mounting the ripper tooth in a position substantially perpendicular to the linkage interconnecting the hydraulic means and the bucket, said ripper tooth attachment and the bucket being adapted to be simultaneously supported by the pivot pins, said ripper tooth having an operating position when the bucket is rotated in a first direction relative to the boom structure by the hydraulic power means and having a nonoperating position when the bucket is rotated in a second direction opposite said first direction relative to the boom structure.

Claim 6

A ripper tooth attachment for use with an earth moving vehicle wherein the vehicle includes an earth moving bucket mounted for pivotable movement relative to a boom structure of the vehicle in response to actuation of a hydraulic power means disposed on the vehicle, the bucket includes a first pivot pin associated therewith and which is attached to one end of a linkage the opposite end of which is attached by a second pivot pin to the hydraulic power means of the vehicle so that actuation of the hydraulic power means applies a force through the linkage to effect rotation of the bucket relative to the boom structure, said ripper tooth attachment comprising a ripper tooth having a sharpened portion at one end thereof for engagement with material to be ripped, and support means including a plurality of openings therein for receiving the pivot pins associated with the bucket and hydraulic power means for mounting the ripper tooth in a position substantially perpendicular to the linkage interconnecting the hydraulic means and the bucket, said ripper tooth attachment and the bucket being adapted to be simultaneously supported by the pivot pins, said ripper tooth having an operating position when the bucket is rotated in a first direction relative to the boom structure by the hydraulic power means and having a nonoperating position when the bucket is rotated in a second direction opposite said first direction relative to the boom structure.

Claim 7

A ripper tooth attachment as defined in claim 4 wherein said linkage supports said ripper tooth in said operating position when the bucket is rotated to a nonoperating position by said hydraulic power means and said ripper tooth is in a nonoperating position when the bucket is rotated to its operating position by the hydraulic power means, said ripper tooth and bucket being supported to enable said ripper tooth and bucket to be alternately moved between their operating and nonoperating positions upon actuation of said hydraulic power means.

Claim 8

A ripper tooth attachment as defined in claim 5 wherein said ripper tooth is supported substantially perpendicular to material to be ripped when said ripper tooth is in said operating position and said ripper tooth is supported substantially parallel to material to be ripped when said ripper tooth is in said nonoperating position.

Claim 9

Apparatus for use on a machine haviNg a pivotal boom and a power means, said apparatus comprising a first linkage pivotably attached at one end thereof to said boom and at the opposite end thereof to said power means, second linkage means pivotably attached at one end thereof to said first linkage, third linkage means pivotably attached to said boom at one end thereof and to said second linkage means at the opposite end thereof, said one end of said first linkage being pivotably attached to said boom in a spaced apart relationship from said one end of said third linkage means which is pivotably attached to said boom, said second linkage means including an earth ripping implement rigidly fixed to said second linkage means at a location substantially midway between said one end and said opposite end of said second linkage means, said second linkage means being rigidly fixed to said earth ripping implement to prevent relative movement of said second linkage means and said earth ripping implement and being rotatable relative to said opposite end of said third linkage means in response to movement of said first and third linkage means by the power means of the machine, said power means effecting pivotal movement with respect to said boom of said first linkage and said third linkage means through a substantial predetermined arc which effects a small pivotal movement of said second linkage means and said earth ripping implement and wherein further pivotal movement of said first linkage and said third linkage means beyond said predetermined arc effects a substantial pivotal movement of said second linkage means and said earth ripping implement.

Claim 10

Apparatus for use on a machine haviNg a pivotal boom and a power means, said apparatus comprising a first linkage pivotably attached at one end thereof to said boom and at the opposite end thereof to said power means, second linkage means pivotably attached at one end thereof to said first linkage, third linkage means pivotably attached to said boom at one end thereof and to said second linkage means at the opposite end thereof, said one end of said first linkage being pivotably attached to said boom in a spaced apart relationship from said one end of said third linkage means which is pivotably attached to said boom, said second linkage means including an earth ripping implement rigidly fixed to said second linkage means at a location substantially midway between said one end and said opposite end of said second linkage means, said second linkage means being rigidly fixed to said earth ripping implement to prevent relative movement of said second linkage means and said earth ripping implement and being rotatable relative to said opposite end of said third linkage means in response to movement of said first and third linkage means by the power means of the machine, said power means effecting pivotal movement with respect to said boom of said first linkage and said third linkage means through a substantial predetermined arc which effects a small pivotal movement of said second linkage means and said earth ripping implement and wherein further pivotal movement of said first linkage and said third linkage means beyond said predetermined arc effects a substantial pivotal movement of said second linkage means and said earth ripping implement.

Claim 11

Apparatus for use on a machine as defined in claim 7 wherein the distance between the pivotal connections of said first linkage to said boom and said third linkage means to said boom is less than the length of said second linkage means.

Claim 12

Apparatus for use on a machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said earth ripping implement is disposed substantially perpendicular to said second linkage means.

Claim 13

Apparatus for use on a machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said third linkage means includes a first implement which is pivotably attached to said boom for rotation about said one end of said third linkage means upon energization of the power means of the machine.

Claim 14

Apparatus for use on a machine as defined in claim 10 wherein said first implement comprises an earth moving bucket.

Claim 15

Apparatus for use on a machine as defined in claim 11 wherein said pivotal movement with respect to said boom of said first linkage and said third linkage means through said substantial predetermined arc effects movement of said earth moving bucket through a plurality of operating positions and said further pivotal movement of said first linkage and said third linkage means beyond said predetermined arc effects movement of said second linkage means and said earth ripping implement to an operating position and movement of said earth moving bucket to a nonoperating position.

Claim 16

Apparatus for use on a machine as defined in claim 12 wherein said earth ripping implement is in said operating position when said earth moving bucket is pivoted to a non-operating position by said power means and said earth ripping implement is pivoted to a nonoperating position when said earth moving bucket is pivoted to its operating position by the hydraulic power means, said earth ripping implement and said earth moving bucket being supported to enable said earth moving implement and said earth moving bucket to be alternately moved between their operating and nonoperating positions by said power means.

Claim 17

Apparatus for use on a machine as defined in claim 13 wherein said earth ripping implement comprises a ripper tooth having a sharpened end portion on one end thereof for engagement with material to be ripped and said ripper tooth is supported substantially perpendicular to material to be ripped when in said operating position and supported substantially parallel to material to be ripped when iN said nonoperating position.

Claim 18

Apparatus for use on a machine as defined in claim 14 wherein said earth ripping implement further includes support means for operatively connecting said ripper tooth to said second linkage means.