Patent Application
20150060508
The present disclosure relates to a mounting assembly for mounting an article to the exterior of a utility vehicle, such as a tractor.
Detachable articles, such as storage containers, are often externally mounted to utility vehicles. Such articles can be used as toolboxes, for storage of the tools necessary for maintenance of the vehicle, and for storage of tools for installation tasks and minor repairs. For example, it is known to mount a bracket near the steps of the John Deere 6400 series tractor, and to attach thereto a toolbox. Since these storage articles are attached to the exterior sides of the vehicle, and because of the small amount of available space, known toolboxes are relatively small and permit only a few tools to be stored. When the utility vehicle is away from where it is usually kept for extended periods, many items that should be brought along cannot be or must be accommodated elsewhere, since there is no room in the toolbox. Such items may include chains, attachment devices, spare parts, a large hammer, protective clothing, and rubber boots.
Modern agricultural tractors utilize most of the space that traditional tool boxes would normally mount. Customers demand a larger tool box to carry many tools and larger items like log chains. Certain forward mount tool box designs take the space that is normally reserved for suitcase weights. This limits the tractor operator's ability to ballast the tractor properly.
K & M Manufacturing provides a variety of weight or ballast boxes. Some K & M weight box models are mounted ahead of the ballast weights and are supported by brackets which are coupled to the ballast weights. Some K & M weight box models are mounted in place of the ballast weights and are supported by brackets which are hooked to the ballast weight support arm. In all these designs, the brackets are fixedly attached to the box and the separation between the boxes is not adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,397, issued in 2003 to Teich, and assigned to the assignee of the present application shows an article mounted in front of a ballast weight. A mounting bar projects from a rear wall of the article and into a forward opening recess formed in the ballast weight. The mounting bar is coupled to the ballast weight by a pin which extends vertically through bores in the ballast weight and a bore in the mounting bar. As a result, at least some of the ballast weights must be modified or adapted to receive and couple to the mounting bar.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a mounting assembly is provided for mounting an article to a vehicle. The vehicle has a horizontally extending weight support at a front end thereof. The weight support is adapted to support a plurality of ballast weights thereon. The article may include a plurality of walls and including an rear end wall which faces towards the weight support. The article may be a shelf or a component, such as a light module. The article mounting assembly includes a coupling member and a pair of brackets. The coupling member is attached to the end wall. Each bracket has a front end coupled to the coupling member and a rear end coupled to the weight support. Each bracket is movably coupled to the coupling member so that the spacing between the brackets is adjustable. This mounting assembly can mount a front mounted tool box to the front weight support on tractors and can be mounted with preferably a minimum of 4, and up to a full rack of “suitcase” type ballast weights. The mounting brackets mount to the weight support in the same fashion that the suitcase weights mount. These brackets are coupled to the back portion of the article and hold the article forward of the weights.
Referring to
A mounting assembly 16 is mounted to the weight support 12. The mounting or support assembly 16 supports an article 20 such as a tool box, which is positioned outwardly and preferably outboard of the weights 14. The mounting assembly 16 includes a pair of brackets 34 and 36 and a plate 26. Each bracket 34 and 36 has a forward end 38, 40 coupled to the plate 26, a rear end 42, 44 coupled to the weight support 12, and a body 46, 48. The rear ends 42, 44 form hooks 43, 45 which are hooked over a lip 47 which is formed on the weight support 12. The body 46, 48 is adapted to be placed adjacent to at least one of the ballast weights 14. Alternatively, not shown) each bracket 34, 36, may be sandwiched between adjacent pairs of ballast weights 14, or spaced apart therefrom if only a few weights 14 are mounted on the weight support 12.
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The result is an article mounting or support assembly which can be used with standard unmodified ballast weights 14. This mounting assembly can be used to support a front mounted tool box on an agricultural tractor fitted with front mounted suitcase weights. The mounting assembly could be used to mount items other than a tool box. For example, this mounting assembly could be used to mount small fluid tanks or other accessories. This mounting assembly could also be used to mount a vertical plate which could have mounting holes for a variety of components and accessories.
While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the present disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations that incorporate one or more of the features of the present disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
