Snowplow mounting assembly for front-end loaders

Claim 1

A mounting assembly apparatus for attaching a standard highway snowplow to a standard bucket on a front-end loader, wherein the snowplow includes a plow blade supported by a frame having two affixed plow chains and two ear brackets, which are of standard dimensions and standard distances apart, for attaching and securing the snowplow to vehicles, wherein the bucket includes a lower edge having a cutting edge connected thereto by nuts and bolts with said nuts protruding above and being positioned along the edges a standard distance apart from each other and the bucket also includes an upper edge with standard grab hooks affixed to each outer corner, the mounting assembly comprising: a. a main frame member; b. a pair of plow connectors affixed to the main frame member and extending forward toward the plow, wherein the connectors are positioned substantially the same distance apart as the distance separating the ear brackets on the plow and wherein each plow connector includes a set of two parallel, adjacent mounting plates having central holes that are adapted to align with corresponding holes in the plow's standard ear brackets, whereby each set of plates forms a channel to receive one of the ear brackets, and the apparatus further includes two securing rods, whereby the plow is attached to the assembly when the securing rods are passed through the holes in the connector's mounting plates and the ears within the channel of each connector; c. a pair of "U"-shaped struts affixed in parallel alignment to the main frame member and extending rearward toward the bucket with the open ends of the struts adjacent the bucket; and d. a pair of reinforcing members affixed in parallel alignment between the open ends of each "U"-shaped strut, connecting the open end of one strut to the open end of the other strut and thereby forming a receiving slot, wherein the width of the slot is slightly less than the width between any two of the nuts that secure the cutting edge to the lower edge of the bucket, so that the nuts secure the assembly against lateral sliding of the assembly when the assembly is mounted on the bucket.

Claim 9

An apparatus comprising: a. a highway snowplow that includes a plow blade that is supported by a frame having two plow chains and two ear brackets, which are of standard dimensions and standard distances apart, for attaching and securing the snowplow to vehicles; b. a bucket on a front-end loader that includes a lower edge having a cutting edge connected thereto by nuts and bolts that are positioned along the edges a standard distance apart from each other and the bucket also includes an upper edge with standard grab hooks affixed to each outer corner; c. a mounting assembly for connecting the snowplow to the bucket comprising: i. a main frame member; ii. a pair of plow connectors affixed to the main frame member and extending forward toward the plow, wherein the connectors are substantially positioned the same distance apart as the distance separating the ear brackets on the plow and wherein each plow connector includes a set of two parallel, adjacent mounting plates having central holes that are adapted to align with corresponding holes in the plow's standard ear brackets, whereby each set of plates forms a channel to receive one of the ear brackets, and the apparatus further includes two securing rods, whereby the plow is attached to the assembly when the securing rods are passed through the holes in the connector's mounting plates and the ears within the channel of each connector, and the rods are held within the holes in the connector by cotter pins passing through a slot in each rod; iii. a pair of "U"-shaped struts affixed in parallel alignment to the main frame member and extending rearward toward the bucket with the open ends of the struts adjacent the bucket and with triangular shaped reinforcing ribs connected between the struts and the main frame member; and iv. a pair of reinforcing members affixed in parallel alignment between the open ends of each "U"-shaped strut, connecting the open end of one strut to the open end of the other strut and thereby forming a receiving slot, wherein the width of the slot is slightly less than the width between any two of the nuts that secure the cutting edge to the lower edge of the bucket, so that the nuts secure the assembly against lateral sliding of the assembly when the assembly is mounted on the bucket.

Claim 10

An apparatus comprising: a. a highway snowplow that includes a plow blade that is supported by a frame having two plow chains and two ear brackets, which are of standard dimensions and standard distances apart, for attaching and securing the snowplow to vehicles; b. a bucket on a front-end loader that includes a lower edge having a cutting edge connected thereto by nuts and bolts that are positioned along the edges a standard distance apart from each other and the bucket also includes an upper edge with standard grab hooks affixed to each outer corner; c. a mounting assembly for connecting the snowplow to the bucket comprising: i. a main frame member; ii. a pair of plow connectors affixed to the main frame member and extending forward toward the plow, wherein the connectors are substantially positioned the same distance apart as the distance separating the ear brackets on the plow and wherein each plow connector includes a set of two parallel, adjacent mounting plates having central holes that are adapted to align with corresponding holes in the plow's standard ear brackets, whereby each set of plates forms a channel to receive one of the ear brackets, and the apparatus further includes two securing rods, whereby the plow is attached to the assembly when the securing rods are passed through the holes in the connector's mounting plates and the ears within the channel of each connector, and the rods are held within the holes in the connector by cotter pins passing through a slot in each rod; iii. a pair of "U"-shaped struts affixed in parallel alignment to the main frame member and extending rearward toward the bucket with the open ends of the struts adjacent the bucket and with triangular shaped reinforcing ribs connected between the struts and the main frame member; and iv. a pair of reinforcing members affixed in parallel alignment between the open ends of each "U"-shaped strut, connecting the open end of one strut to the open end of the other strut and thereby forming a receiving slot, wherein the width of the slot is slightly less than the width between any two of the nuts that secure the cutting edge to the lower edge of the bucket, so that the nuts secure the assembly against lateral sliding of the assembly when the assembly is mounted on the bucket.

Claim 11

A method for rapid mounting of a standard highway plow onto a standard bucket of a front-end loader, wherein the snowplow includes a frame that has two plow chains affixed and two ear brackets, which are of standard dimensions and standard distances apart, for attaching and securing the snowplow to vehicles and wherein the bucket includes a lower edge that has a cutting edge connected thereto by nuts and bolts with said nuts protruding above and being positioned along the edges a standard distance apart from each other and the bucket also includes an upper edge with standard grab hooks affixed to each outer corner, said mounting method comprising the steps of: a. aligning the ear brackets of the plow within a pair of plow connectors attached to a frame; b. passing securing rods through holes in the plow connectors and the ear brackets; c. inserting the lower edge of the bucket within a receiving slot of the frame; and d. securing the plow chains to the grab hooks on the bucket.

Claim 12

A method for rapid mounting of a standard highway plow onto a standard bucket of a front-end loader, wherein the snowplow includes a frame that has two plow chains affixed and two ear brackets, which are of standard dimensions and standard distances apart, for attaching and securing the snowplow to vehicles and wherein the bucket includes a lower edge that has a cutting edge connected thereto by nuts and bolts with said nuts protruding above and being positioned along the edges a standard distance apart from each other and the bucket also includes an upper edge with standard grab hooks affixed to each outer corner, said mounting method comprising the steps of: a. aligning the ear brackets of the plow within a pair of plow connectors attached to a frame; b. passing securing rods through holes in the plow connectors and the ear brackets; c. inserting the lower edge of the bucket within a receiving slot of the frame; and d. securing the plow chains to the grab hooks on the bucket.