초록 ▼

A vehicle for grooming sand or the like includes a quick attachment for connecting a front bulldozer blade or other implement to a steerable front wheel of the vehicle. When the front wheel pivots while steering, the front blade pivots with the front wheel to minimize catching the front blade on the

A vehicle for grooming sand or the like includes a quick attachment for connecting a front bulldozer blade or other implement to a steerable front wheel of the vehicle. When the front wheel pivots while steering, the front blade pivots with the front wheel to minimize catching the front blade on the lip or edge of a golf course bunker. The front blade is pivotal relative to the quick attachment against the bias of springs to minimize the tendency of the blade to dig into the sand. The pivotal motion of the front blade can be locked out if desired. The quick attachment is connected by a four bar linkage to the vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A grooming vehicle, which comprises: (a) a frame supported for movement over the ground by a plurality of ground engaging wheels including a steerable front wheel, wherein the front wheel is rotatably journalled on a support that pivots on the frame about a substantially vertical pivot

I claim: 1. A grooming vehicle, which comprises: (a) a frame supported for movement over the ground by a plurality of ground engaging wheels including a steerable front wheel, wherein the front wheel is rotatably journalled on a support that pivots on the frame about a substantially vertical pivot axis, wherein the front wheel support includes a pair of downwardly extending legs that are spaced apart by more than the width of the front wheel such that the legs straddle the front wheel, and wherein at least one wheel is driven to self-propel the frame over the ground; (b) a quick attachment comprising A-shaped male and female couplers, the couplers interfitting with one another with the female coupler nesting at least partially over the male coupler; (c) a linkage for connecting the A-shaped male coupler to a front of the frame, wherein the linkage includes at least one bar pivotally connecting each side of the male coupler to one of the downwardly extending legs of the front wheel support; and (d) a blade carried on the female coupler for pushing granular material, wherein the blade can be attached to the front of the frame by nesting the female coupler over the male coupler. 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the linkage is a pivotal four bar linkage in which a pair of parallel bars pivotally connect each of the downwardly extending legs of the front wheel support to the male coupler. 3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the blade is pivotal about a substantially horizontal pivot axis relative to the female coupler. 4. The vehicle of claim 3, further including a lock that is selectively actuable by a user for locking the blade against pivoting relative to the female coupler. 5. A grooming vehicle, which comprises: (a) a frame supported for movement by a plurality of ground engaging wheels comprising two rear wheels and a steerable front wheel, wherein at least some of the wheels are driven to allow the frame to be self-propelled; (b) a support on which the steerable front wheel is rotatably journalled, the front wheel support being further pivotal about a vertical pivot axis to pivot the front wheel from side to side to steer the vehicle; (c) a ground grooming implement carried on the front wheel support of the steerable front wheel to pivot with the front wheel about the vertical pivot axis as the front wheel pivots about the vertical pivot axis, wherein the implement comprises a bulldozer blade for pushing granular material; (d) a vertically movable linkage mounted on and carried by the front wheel support with the linkage extending between and connecting the implement to the front wheel support to allow the implement to be raised and lowered relative to the front wheel support by raising and lowering the linkage, wherein the vertically movable linkage comprises a four bar linkage which is configured to raise and lower the implement relative to the front wheel support without substantially pivoting the implement relative to the front wheel support, and wherein the blade is also pivotal about a substantially horizontal axis relative to the four bar linkage when pushing the granular material; (e) a powered actuator mounted on and carried by the front wheel support with the actuator being connected to the movable linkage for raising and lowering the linkage to thereby raise and lower the implement relative to the front wheel support; and (f) a lock that is selectively actuable by a user for locking the blade against pivoting about the substantially horizontal axis. 6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the four bar linkage includes at least one pair of parallel bars pivotally connected at one end to the front wheel support. 7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the parallel bars are pivotally connected at another end to the implement through a quick attachment. 8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the quick attachment is an A-shaped quick attachment. 9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the blade is spring biased into a generally upright orientation, wherein the blade is pivotal about the substantially horizontal axis against the spring bias to be yieldably urged into the generally upright orientation. 10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the powered actuator comprises a housing and an extensible and retractible rod projecting from the housing which rod has powered motion back and forth on the housing caused by motive means in the housing, the housing, rod and motive means of the actuator all being carried on the pivotal front wheel support. 11. A grooming vehicle for pushing and grading sand in a sand trap or bunker, which comprises: (a) a frame supported by a plurality of ground engaging wheels with air filled tires, at least one of the wheels comprising a steerable front wheel, the frame having a seat for carrying a seated operator and a source of power for driving at least some of the ground engaging wheels so that the frame is self propelled, wherein the frame has an overall weight and weight distribution and the tires have a pressure and width that are sufficient to support the frame and a seated operator atop the sand in the sand trap or bunker without substantially sinking into the sand; (b) a blade coupled by an attachment to a front of the frame for pushing the sand in the sand trap or bunker, wherein the blade is coupled by the attachment to the steerable front wheel on the frame such that the attachment and the blade steer in concert with the front wheel; (c) wherein the blade is pivotally connected to the attachment for pivoting about a substantially horizontal axis relative to the attachment when the blade is in engagement with the sand to allow the blade to become more or less inclined relative to the sand as the vehicle traverses over the sand in the sand trap or bunker; (d) at least one spring operatively connected between the blade and the attachment with the spring being arranged such that pivoting of the blade is opposed by the bias of the at least one spring when the blade pivots in one direction during forward movement of the frame, wherein the blade has a top and a bottom and the bottom of the blade swings rearwardly when the blade pivots in the one direction; and (e) wherein the bias of the at least one spring is chosen to allow the blade to pivot against the bias of the at least one spring when the bottom of the blade becomes loaded with the sand being pushed by the blade to thereby cause the blade to automatically become more inclined relative to the sand in the sand trap or bunker to lessen the grading effectiveness of the blade without changing the vertical position of the blade. 12. A grooming vehicle for pushing and grading sand in a sand trap or bunker, which comprises: (a) a frame supported by a plurality of ground engaging wheels with air filled tires, the frame having a seat for carrying a seated operator and a source of power for driving at least some of the ground engaging wheels so that the frame is self propelled, wherein the frame has an overall weight and weight distribution and the tires have a pressure and width that are sufficient to support the frame and a seated operator atop the sand in the sand trap or bunker without substantially sinking into the sand; (b) a blade coupled by an attachment to a front of the frame for pushing the sand in the sand trap or bunker, wherein the attachment is pivotally carried on and coupled to the frame through a pivotal four bar linkage; (c) wherein the blade is pivotally connected to the attachment for pivoting about a substantially horizontal axis relative to the attachment when the blade is in engagement with the sand to allow the blade to become more or less inclined relative to the sand as the vehicle traverses over the sand in the sand trap or bunker; (d) at least one spring operatively connected between the blade and the attachment with the spring being arranged such that pivoting of the blade is opposed by the bias of the at least one spring when the blade pivots in one direction during forward movement of the frame, wherein the blade has a top and a bottom and the bottom of the blade swings rearwardly when the blade pivots in the one direction; and (e) wherein the bias of the at least one spring is chosen to allow the blade to pivot against the bias of the at least one spring when the bottom of the blade becomes loaded with the sand being pushed by the blade to thereby cause the blade to automatically become more inclined relative to the sand in the sand trap or bunker to lessen the grading effectiveness of the blade without changing the vertical position of the blade. 13. A grooming vehicle for pushing and grading sand in a sand trap or bunker, which comprises: (a) a frame supported by a plurality of ground engaging wheels with air filled tires, the frame having a seat for carrying a seated operator and a source of power for driving at least some of the ground engaging wheels so that the frame is self propelled, wherein the frame has an overall weight and weight distribution and the tires have a pressure and width that are sufficient to support the frame and a seated operator atop the sand in the sand trap or bunker without substantially sinking into the sand; (b) a blade coupled by an attachment to a front of the frame for pushing the sand in the sand trap or bunker, wherein the attachment is pivotally carried on the frame, wherein the attachment is a quick attachment having male and female couplers, one coupler being attached to the frame and the other coupler being attached to the blade, and wherein the couplers are A-shaped; (c) wherein the blade is pivotally connected to the attachment for pivoting about a substantially horizontal axis relative to the attachment when the blade is in engagement with the sand to allow the blade to become more or less inclined relative to the sand as the vehicle traverses over the sand in the sand trap or bunker; (d) at least one spring operatively connected between the blade and the attachment with the spring being arranged such that pivoting of the blade is opposed by the bias of the at least one spring when the blade pivots in one direction during forward movement of the frame, wherein the blade has a top and a bottom and the bottom of the blade swings rearwardly when the blade pivots in the one direction; and (e) wherein the bias of the at least one spring is chosen to allow the blade to pivot against the bias of the at least one spring when the bottom of the blade becomes loaded with the sand being pushed by the blade to thereby cause the blade to automatically become more inclined relative to the sand in the sand trap or bunker to lessen the grading effectiveness of the blade without changing the vertical position of the blade.