Rear counterweight assembly for a vehicle carrying a front mounted implement

Claim 1

In combination with a vehicle having a rearward end defined in part by a frame including a pair of side members having rear ends joined by a cross member and a bumper releasably secured to the cross member; a counterweight assembly comprising: said bumper being formed of a tough elastomeric material defining opening means extending fore-and-aft therethrough; said bumper having a forward end provided with a rectangular recess surrounding said opening means; said opening means being adapted for receiving a taillight means and having a rearward end closed by a taillight lens means; a bumper mounting structure including a pair of transversely spaced, forwardly projecting mounting rods having forward threaded ends and a rectangular plate fixed to the rear ends thereof and releasably secured in said recess in closing relationship to a forward end of said opening means; a pair of transversely spaced openings located in the cross member and respectively receiving the mounting rods; at least one rectangular weight having a lower edge provided with a pair of transversely spaced upwardly extending notches; said at least one weight being located between said bumper and said cross member with the notches thereof received on said mounting rods; and a pair of threaded nuts respectively received on said pair of mounting rods and holding said at least one weight sandwiched between said bumper and cross member.