FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bucket for transporting concrete at a job site and more particularly to a concrete bucket for attachment to a track mini skid steer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When a construction job requires concrete, heavy delivery trucks can crack driveways and ruin landscaping. Concrete driveways and landscaping are not configured to support concrete trucks. Further, any delivery system with wheels can damage lawns, landscaping, septic fields, sprinkler systems, or other fragile terrain. Renting special equipment, such as a concrete pump is very costly.
Moreover, many job sites have tight or “hard to get to” spaces that require delivery of concrete. Consequently, concrete may have to be delivered to the location required on the job site by either pumping the concrete to the location or delivering the concrete by means of manual wheelbarrows. Even wheelbarrow delivery may require a plywood track to protect the underlying lawn, landscape, or other fragile terrain.
Consequently, there is a need for a way to deliver concrete to a tight space location on a job site from a remote concrete truck.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the need for a way to deliver concrete to a tight space location on a job site from a remote concrete truck. Many landscapers and contractors already own a track mini skid steer for use in lifting and delivering materials to a job site location. Such a track mini skid steer is maneuverable in tight spaces, and the track configuration, with its large footprint, provides flotation over landscaping and other fragile terrain.
Particularly, the present invention provides a concrete bucket attachment for a track mini skid steer. The concrete bucket attachment consists of a support frame with a connection plate that connects to the standard connector plate of a track mini skid steer. The support frame in turn supports a polyurethane tub for holding a batch of concrete. The track mini skid steer with the concrete bucket attachment can then maneuver into and out of tight spaces for delivery of the concrete without damaging landscaping or other fragile terrain.
The polyurethane tub and support frame are sized to hold a batch of concrete that matches the lifting capacity of the track mini skid steer. Further, the polyurethane tub is semitransparent so that the operator of the track mini skid steer can see the level of concrete in the tub. Consequently, the operator can be sure that the tub is not overfilled resulting in exceeding the lift capacity of the track mini skid steer or resulting in the concrete sloshing out of the tub during transport. In addition, the semitransparent tub can be marked with level indices on the side of the tub so that the tub can be filled to a particular maximum level or other lower level depending on the required amount of concrete at the job site.
Further, the polyethylene tub of the concrete bucket attachment is lightweight and easy to clean of concrete residue.
Further objects, features and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional track mini skid steer utilized in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is front elevation view of the track mini skid steer utilized in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is front elevation view of the track mini skid steer utilized in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4 is front elevation view of the track mini skid steer utilized in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of a frame for a concrete bucket attachment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the frame for the concrete bucket attachment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a back perspective view of the frame for the concrete bucket attachment showing attachment of the frame to the track mini skid steer in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the frame for the concrete bucket attachment showing attachment of the frame to the track mini skid steer in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the frame for the concrete bucket attachment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the frame for the concrete bucket attachment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a side perspective view of a tub for the concrete bucket attachment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the tub for the concrete bucket attachment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a side perspective view of the tub for the concrete bucket attachment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of the tub for the concrete bucket attachment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of the concrete bucket attachment including the frame and the tub in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 16-18 are side perspective views of the concrete bucket attachment attached to the track mini skid steer and showing three operative positions of the concrete bucket attachment all in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1-4 show a conventional track mini skid steer 10, such as Vermeer model CTX 160 that has a lift capacity of approximately 1600 pounds. The track mini skid steer 10 has a body 12 mounted on tracks 14. The track mini skid steer 10 includes an engine that propels the tracks 14 of the track mini skid steer 10 and drives the hydraulics of the track mini skid steer 10. The track mini skid steer 10 has a loader frame 16 with loader arms 18. The loader arms 18 are connected at their forward end to a standard connector plate 24. The standard connector plate 24 has a top support edge 26, pivotal side links 28, a top link 30, and connector pins 32. Hydraulic lift cylinders 20, one for each loader arm 18, raise and lower the loader arms 18. Two-way connector plate hydraulic cylinder 22 connects to top link 30 and causes the standard connector plate 24 to rotate about side links 28.
In accordance with the present invention, a concrete bucket attachment 36 includes a support frame 40 and a tub 74 cradled within the support frame 40. The support frame 40 has a frame connection plate 58 that connects to the standard connector plate 24 of the track mini skid steer 10 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
Once the support frame 40 of the concrete bucket attachment 36 is connected to the standard connector plate 24 of the track mini skid steer 10, the support frame 40 with the cradled tub 74 of the concrete bucket attachment 36 can be raised and lowered by the loader arms 18 and pivoted about side links 28 of the track mini skid steer 10 by means of the connector plate cylinder 22 connected to the top link 30 of the standard connector plate 24.
With reference to FIGS. 8-10, the support frame 40 includes a base 42 comprising side rails 44, front base cross member 46, back base cross member 48, and plate support cross member 49. The support frame 40 also has a back support structure 50 that includes a back horizontal member 52, a top cross member 53, back upright members 54, and back angular supports 56. The frame connection plate 58 is attached to the back horizontal member 52 at the top and attached to the plate support cross member 49 at the bottom. The frame connection plate 58 includes an upper support lip 60 and fastener pin openings 62. The top support edge 26 (FIG. 3) of the standard connector plate 24 of the track mini skid loader 10 engages the support lip 60 of the frame connection plate 58 (FIG. 7), and the connector pins 32 engage the fastener pin openings 62 to securely connect the loader arms 18 of the track mini skid steer 10 to the support frame 40.
The support frame 40 further includes a front support structure 64 including a solid front plate 66, with a front plate top edge 68 and a front plate bottom edge 70. Top side supports 72 extend from the top edge 68 of the front plate 66 to the intersection of the back upright members 54, the back angular supports 56, and the top cross member 53.
With respect to the tub 74 and turning to FIGS. 11-15, the tub 74 has a bottom 76, lateral sides 78, a tub front 80, and a tub back 82 that together define a volume with a top opening 86. A rounded top rim 88 surrounds the top opening 86. The tub 74 has connection bolts or holes 90, two in the front 80 and four in the bottom 76. The connection bolts 90 engage frame connection holes 92, two in the solid front plate 66 of the support frame 40, two in the front base cross member 46, and two in the back base cross member 48. The tub 74 is therefore held in the support frame 40 as shown in FIGS. 15-18.
Because the tub 74 is constructed of polyurethane, the tub 74 is light weight and concrete residue is easily cleaned from the tub 74. In addition, the polyurethane tub 74 is semitransparent so that the operator of the track mini skid steer 10 can observe the amount of concrete in the tub 74. Also advantageously, index marks or lines 94 (FIG. 16) can be added to the outside of the tub to indicate the maximum load level to match the lift the capacity of the track mini skid steer 10 and/or to indicate the amount of concrete at any particular level in the tub 74. For example, the Vermeer CTX160 track mini skid steer has a lift capacity of 1600 pounds. The tub 74 has a volume of 16 ft.3. If loaded to the top, the tub 74 has 16 ft.3 of concrete that weighs approximately 2400 pounds thus exceeding the lift capacity of the Vermeer CTX160 track mini skid steer. Consequently, in order to match the tub 74 to the Vermeer CTX160 track mini skid steer a maximum load level in the tub 74 must be indicated both to limit the load on the track mini skid steer but also to provide volume above the concrete to avoid sloshing of the concrete out of the tub 74 during transport.
FIGS. 16-18 show the operation of the concrete bucket attachment 36 when attached to a track mini skid steer 10. FIG. 16 shows the concrete bucket attachment 36 in its upright configuration for filling and transporting concrete. FIGS. 17-18 show the sequence of dumping the concrete bucket attachment 36 by utilizing the two way connector plate cylinder 22 of the track mini skid steer 10.
While this invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be affected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein and as described in the appended claims.
Patent Application
20230115219
