Material handling implement

Claim 1

A material handling implement adapted to be connected to and powered by a three-point hitch assembly of a conventional tractor, said material handling implement comprising: a. a main frame structure including a single elongated beam member having front and rear ends; b. connecting means operatively associated with said elongated beam member for connecting said beam member to the three-point hitch assembly of said tractor such that when connected to said tractor said elongated beam member extends generally rearwardly from said tractor and may be powered up and down by the tractor's three-point hitch assembly, said connecting means including means for directly pivotly connecting said front end of said beam member to an upper central hitch point of said three-point hitch assembly and a pair of connecting links connected to respective lower left links forming a part of said three-point hitch assembly and extending generally upwardly therefrom where they connect to elongated beams about an intermediate point between said front and rear ends thereof; c. a transverse support member secured to the rearward end of said elongated beam member and including two laterally spaced apart leaf members projecting from said transverse support members; d. a shovel assembly secured to said transverse support member disposed about the rear end of said elongated beam member; e. said shovel assembly including a generally U-shaped yoke pivotably mounted to said leaf members projecting from said transverse support member, and a shovel pivotably mounted about a transverse axis within said U-shaped yoke and movable between a filling position and a dumping position; f. said shovel including counter balancing means strategically associated with said shovel relative to said shovel's axis of rotation for causing said shovel to automatically return from said dumping position to said filling position in response to said shovel being emptied; g. said shovel further including an anchor plate having a generally curved shaped caming surface with an opening therein with said anchor plate being secured about the rear side of said shovel and which generally abuts against shovel stop means forming a part of said shovel assembly when said shovel is disposed in said filling position; h. shovel blocking means normally engaged with said shovel and operative to maintain said shovel in said filling position, said shovel locking means including a locking pin axially movable within a sleeve stationarily mounted to said shovel assembly with said locking pin being spring biased so as to normally extend through said opening formed in said anchor plate for locking said shovel in said filling position; i. actuating means operatively connected to said shovel locking means for effectively disengaging said locking pin from said opening formed in said anchor plate such that said shovel may move from said filling position to said dumping position due to the presence of material within said shovel, said actuating means for disengaging said locking pin including a lever pivotably mounted about said elongated beam about a forward portion thereof in reach of an operator stationed on said tractor, and a cable operatively interconnected between said lever and said locking pin; and j. manually actuated control means associated with said material handling implement for adjusting and varying the angle of said shovel assembly relative to said elongated beam member such that the digging angle of said shovel may be adjusted for various working conditions, said manually actuated control means including a hand crank rotatively mounted about said elongated beam member and positioned thereon about the front area thereof in reach of the tractor operator and a worm gear rotatively mounted in a collar stationarily secured relative to said elongated beam member wherein said worm gear is operatively connected between said hand crank and said shovel assembly such that the actuation of said hand crank causes said shovel assembly and the shovel thereof to be angularly adjusted relative to said elongated beam member.