Clamshell scoop attachment for work vehicle

Abstract

A front-mounted clamshell scoop or shovel arrangement mounts onto the snowplow mounting bracket of the frame of a snowplow assembly when the blade has been removed. The scoop can be closed and lowered to scoop and pick up work-site debris or other materials, raised so the materials can be transported to a collection site, and the jaw portion is rocked to an open position to allow the material to drop from the clamshell scoop. In controls for the snowplow assembly serve to raise and lower the scoop and to open and close it.

Claims

1. Clamshell scoop front attachment adapted to attach onto a frame of a front-mounted snow-plow assembly wherein said frame includes a plow bracket adapted so that a snow-plow blade can be removably attached thereto, the frame including at least one first hydraulic actuator for controllably raising and lowering said plow bracket vertically, and the front-mounted snow-plow assembly further including a first hydraulic circuit connected with at least one first hydraulic actuator adapted for controllably raising and lowering said plow bracket, and the snow-plow assembly including a second hydraulic circuit adapted to be removably connected with a second hydraulic actuator mounted upon said snow plow blade for controllably moving said snow plow blade when said snow plow bracket is attached onto said frame; the clamshell scoop front attachment comprising: a. a fixed vertical back plate having a lower edge, and a scoop bracket affixed onto said back plate and adapted for removably mounting onto said plow bracket; b. a jaw portion including a bottom plate having a front edge and a rear edge; and side walls rising from said bottom plate and having upper pivot portions thereon, the jaw portion being open above the rear edge of said bottom plate and at rear edges of said side walls; c. at least one transverse pivot member joining the upper pivot portions of the side walls of said jaw portion to corresponding portions of said fixed, vertical back plate to permit the jaw portion to pivot up and down relative to said fixed vertical back plate, and defining a transverse pivot axis; d. at least one additional actuator coupled to said back plate and to said jaw portion for controllably moving said jaw portion about said transverse pivot axis between an open position and a closed position wherein in said closed position said jaw portion is rotated down such that the back edge of said bottom plate is spaced below the lower edge of said back plate and at or behind the lower edge of said back plate and in the open position said jaw portion is rotated upward to create a gap between the rear edge of the bottom plate of the jaw portion and the lower edge of the back plate; the at least one additional actuator being configured to be removably connected with said second hydraulic circuit.

2. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 1 wherein said at least one additional actuator includes a coupling for removably connecting the at least one additional actuator with said second hydraulic circuit and hydraulic hoses connecting said coupling with said at least one additional actuator.

3. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 2 wherein said jaw portion includes a pair of lever arms affixed onto the respective side walls of the jaw portion and extending beyond said back plate, and wherein a rod of said at least one additional actuator is journaled in one or both of said lever arms such that said at least one additional actuator is operative to rock said jaw portion between its open and closed positions.

4. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 1 wherein the bottom plate includes a transverse ridge that rises midway between the front and rear edges thereof.

5. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 1 wherein said scoop bracket is rigidly affixed onto said back plate.

6. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 1 wherein said jaw portion is open at the rear edge of said bottom plate.

7. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 1 wherein said at least one additional actuator includes a plurality of vertically-oriented actuators.

8. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 7 wherein said jaw member is entirely open at a back side thereof.

9. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 1 wherein said frame of said front-mounted snow plow assembly is mounted onto a pick-up truck or equivalent utility vehicle.

10. Clamshell scoop front attachment according to claim 9 wherein said first hydraulic circuit and said second hydraulic circuit each include a respective in-cab control located in a cab of said pick-up or equivalent utility vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clamshell scoop attachment according to an embodiment of this invention.

(2) FIGS. 2 to 5 are a rear perspective, a top plan view, a left side elevation, and a rear elevation of the clamshell scoop attachment of this embodiment.

(3) FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the clamshell scoop attachment of this embodiment mounted on a truck or similar work vehicle, here shown in the closed and open positions, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(4) With reference to the Drawing Figures, and initially to FIG. 1, clamshell front scoop assembly 10 is configured to be mounted onto a snowplow frame on a pickup truck, in place of the snow plow blade assembly (not shown here), on a frame that is mounted to the front vehicle frame of the truck. The clamshell front scoop has a generally flat planar back plate 12 oriented vertically and extending laterally across the truck ahead of the front bumper. A mounting bracket 14 here is shown permanently affixed onto the back or proximal side of the vertical plate, and this is dimensioned to be bolted in place onto the snow plow bracket that is part of the frame of the snowplow assembly.

(5) A jaw portion 16 of the front scoop assembly 10 is configured so as to rock or swing on a horizontal axis relative to the fixed back plate 12. The jaw portion has a normally horizontal bottom plate 18 and two vertically oriented side walls 20, 20 at right and left sides. Also shown here are pivot members 22, e.g., pivot pins, journal the upper part of the side walls 20 of the jaw member to an upper portion of the back plate 12. These define a horizontal, transverse pivot axis for the jaw member 16. Pivoting lever arms 24 extend back or proximally from upper ends of the respective side walls 20 and to each of these is connected a rod of a hydraulic actuator 26, which is vertically disposed and has its lower end attached onto a lower arm 28 that is affixed to a respective end of the back plate 12. The jaw portion 16 is open at the rear, i.e., between the two side walls 20, 20 and is open behind or proximally of a rear edge 40 of the bottom plate. The side walls extend forward to a front edge 42 of the bottom plate 18. In the lowered or closed position as shown in FIG. 1, the rear edge 40 of the bottom plate 18 is just below the bottom edge of the fixed back plate 12. Also shown in FIG. 1 is a dihedral or ridge 44 that extends transversely across the bottom plate 18 about midway between the front and rear edges 40 and 42. This ridge 44 has front and back sloping surfaces that each arise to a ridge line, as shown, and serves to keep the collected debris from spilling out over the front edge 42.

(6) As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, each of the two cylinders or actuators 26 has a lower port connected to a hydraulic hose or line 30 and an upper port connected to another hydraulic hose or line 32. Each of these hydraulic hoses has a connector 31 and 33, respectively, that are adapted to attach to the hydraulic circuit for the plow blade cylinder(s), i.e., the actuators used to orient the blade left, right, or forward. With the blade removed and the scoop assembly installed on the snow plow frame, that hydraulic circuit serves to open and close the jaw member, i.e., rock the jaw member on its horizontal axis between a closed position in which the bottom plate of the jaw member is approximately horizontal and with the rear edge 40 thereof at or behind the lower edge of the vertical back plate 12; and an open position where the jaw member 16 is lifted forward and upward, to open a gap between the rear edge 40 of the bottom plate 18 and the lower edge of the back plate.

(7) FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an example of the scoop assembly 10 of this embodiment mounted onto the front end of a pick-up truck T, here showing a snowplow mounting frame F attached to the truck frame at the front end. The snow plow blade, i.e., moldboard and mounting bracket, have been removed from the frame F and the mounting bracket 14 of the scoop assembly back plate 12 has been fastened in place to the frame F. As shown here, a lift cylinder or actuator 50 on the snowplow frame is configured to lift the snowplow mounting bracket, and with it the back plate 12 of the scoop and with it the jaw member. The actuators or cylinders 26 are extended to lower the jaw to the closed position shown in FIG. 6, and are retracted to rock the jaw member 16 upwards to open the gap 60 and permit collected materials to drop out behind the rear edge 40 of the jaw member bottom plate 18.

(8) Other configurations for the front scoop assembly are possible without departing from the main principles of the present invention. The foregoing embodiment is presented as a selected example, and could be constructed in any of numerous varieties and forms. While the present invention has been described with reference to this embodiment, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment. Rather, many modifications and variations would present themselves to persons skilled in the art without departure from the scope and spirit of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.