Claims
- 1. A combination digging attachment and bucket for a skid steer loader said bucket comprising:
a floor, a back wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall extending horizontally, said floor having a cutting edge, the first side wall and the second side wall each having a bearing support; Said digging attachment comprising: a shaft mounted cutter reel, the cutter real having:
a rotatable shaft, the rotatable shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end of the shaft rotatably engaged to the bearing support of the first side wall, the second end of the shaft rotatably engaged to the bearing support of the second side wall, the shaft being mounted forward of the cutting edge of the floor, and a plurality of digging members, the plurality of digging members disposed about the surface of the shaft and projecting outwardly therefrom; and a drive motor, the drive motor engaged to the bucket, the drive motor operatively engaged to the cutter reel, whereby when the drive motor is activated, the rotatable shaft and digging members are rotated at a predetermined rate of rotation.
- 2. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein rotation of the rotatable shaft also rotates the plurality of digging members, urging the digging members into soil and drawing the soil into the bucket.
- 3. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein the drive motor is a hydraulic motor.
- 4. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein the hydraulic motor is in fluid communication with a hydraulic system of a skid steer loader.
- 5. The digging attachment of claim 3 further comprising a chain drive, the chain drive operatively connecting the hydraulic motor to the rotatable shaft of the cutter reel.
- 6. The digging attachment of claim 5 wherein the chain drive is operatively positioned proximate to the first side wall.
- 7. The digging attachment of claim 5 wherein the chain drive further comprises:
a drive sprocket, the drive sprocket being rotatably engaged to the hydraulic motor; a chain sprocket, the chain sprocket being rotatably engaged to the rotatable shaft; a drive chain, the drive chain in continuous engagement with the drive sprocket and the chain sprocket.
- 8. The digging attachment of claim 7 wherein the chain drive further comprises at least one support sprocket, the at least one support sprocket being positioned between the chain sprocket and the drive sprocket.
- 9. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein the bucket further comprises a frame, the frame supporting the floor, the back wall, the first side wall and the second side wall,
- 10. The digging attachment of claim 9 wherein the shaft of the cutter real is removably retained by the frame.
- 11. The digging attachment of claim 9 wherein at least two piercing points are mounted on the frame, the piercing points extending in a substantially horizontal manner outward from the frame, the piercing points constructed and arranged to uplift soil ahead of the cutter reel.
- 12. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein each of the side walls further comprise a horizontally extending piercing point.
- 13. The digging attachment of claim 12 wherein each of the piercing points are chisel shaped.
- 14. The digging attachment of claim 13 wherein the piercing points are constructed and arranged to penetrate, uplift, and direct soil into the bucket.
- 15. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein the drive motor is positioned interior to said bucket, adjacent to the first side wall.
- 16. The digging attachment of claim 15 wherein the drive motor is further positioned adjacent to the back wall.
- 17. The digging attachment of claim 16 wherein the drive motor is further positioned adjacent to the floor.
- 18. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein the drive motor is enclosed within a housing.
- 19. The digging attachment of claim 17 wherein the drive motor is enclosed within a housing, the housing having three sides, the housing being engaged to a portion of the floor, first side wall and back wall adjacent to the drive motor.
- 20. The digging attachment of claim 18 wherein the bucket further comprises at least one cleat, the at least one cleat being securably mounted to the bucket, the housing being engaged to the at least one cleat, thereby securing the housing thereagainst.
- 21. The digging attachment of claim 18 wherein the housing is mounted against the back wall, the back wall further comprising an opening.
- 22. The digging attachment of claim 21 wherein the drive motor is hydraulic, the hydraulic motor having at least one hydraulic hose, the at least one hydraulic hose constructed and arranged to be fluidly engaged to a auxiliary hydraulic system of said skid steer loader.
- 23. The digging attachment of claim 22 wherein the at least one hydraulic hose extends from the hydraulic motor through the opening.
- 24. The digging attachment of claim 23 wherein the at least one hydraulic hose has a quick connector end.
- 25. The digging attachment of claim 23 further comprising a hose guard, the hose guard being engaged to a portion of the bucket, the hose guard and the portion of the bucket defining a passage which enclosed a portion of the at least one hydraulic hose which passes therethrough.
- 26. The digging attachment of claim 9 further comprising a bonnet, the bonnet defining an enclosure, the enclosure sized to fit onto the frame of the bucket, the enclosure having at least one opening.
- 27. The digging attachment of claim 25 wherein the bonnet further comprises a bonnet back wall, the bonnet back wall having a view port.
- 28. The digging attachment of claim 27 wherein the view port comprises a grate.
- 29. The digging attachment of claim 9 wherein the bonnet is constructed from at least one of the following materials: steel, steel alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, plastic, and any combination thereof.
- 30. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein the cutter real may be activated to rotate in a clockwise direction, a counter-clockwise direction, and any combinations thereof.
- 31. The digging attachment of claim 1 wherein the predetermined rate of rotation may be varied.
- 32. A method of displacing soil utilizing the digging attachment of claim 1 comprising the following steps:
connecting the digging attachment to a bucket of a front-end loader; moving the front-end loader to a predetermined location, the predetermined location comprising a predetermined quantity of soil; activating the cutter real so that the cutter real is rotated in a clockwise direction; and advancing the digging attachment into the predetermined quantity of soil, the plurality of digging members being rotated by the drive motor such that the plurality of digging members provide a digging action which excavate the predetermined quantity of soil thereby breaking up the predetermined quantity of soil resulting in broken up soil, the broken up soil being thrown into the bucket as a result of the digging action, thereby providing a predetermined quantity of accumulated soil within the bucket.
- 33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of reversing the direction of rotation of the cutter assembly thereby causing the predetermined quantity of accumulated soil to be drawn out of the bucket.
- 34. A kit for retrofitting a bucket of a skid steer loader, the kit comprising:
a shaft mounted cutter reel, the cutter real having:
a rotatable shaft, the rotatable shaft having
a first end and a second end, the first end of the shaft rotatably engaged to a bearing support of a first side wall, the second end of the shaft rotatably engaged to a bearing support of a second side wall, the shaft being mounted forward of the cutting edge of a floor of the bucket, and a plurality of digging members, the plurality of digging members disposed about the surface of the shaft and projecting outwardly therefrom; and a drive motor, the drive motor engaged to the bucket, the drive motor operatively engaged to the cutter reel, whereby when the drive motor is activated, the rotatable shaft and digging members are rotated at a predetermined rate of rotation.
- 35. The kit of claim 34 wherein the first side wall is engaged to a first wall of the bucket, and the second side wall being engaged to a second wall of the bucket, each of the sidewalls having an outwardly extending piercing point, each of the piercing points extending outwardly away from the bucket and being substantially parallel with the floor of the bucket.
- 36. The kit of claim 35 wherein each of the piercing points being substantially chisel shaped.
- 37. The kit of claim 33 further comprising a drive train, the drive train being supportively engaged to the first wall of the bucket, the drive train being operatively engaged to the drive motor and the rotatable shaft.
- 38. The kit of claim 37 further comprising a protective cover, the protective cover configured to engage the first wall of the bucket thereby covering the drive train.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 60/175,629, filed Jan. 12, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60175629 |
Jan 2000 |
US |