초록 ▼

The front mounting assembly has a vehicle-mounted frame and a plow-mounted frame that are drawn together by a lift actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder, and brought into registry by guides. When the frames are aligned, slides are advanced from one frame into slide receivers affixed to the other fra

The front mounting assembly has a vehicle-mounted frame and a plow-mounted frame that are drawn together by a lift actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder, and brought into registry by guides. When the frames are aligned, slides are advanced from one frame into slide receivers affixed to the other frame and secured thereto by pins. The guides include a pair of guide tabs, which protrude from the plow-mounted frame to guidably engage and subsequently cradle a horizontal lower bar on the vehicle-mounted frame, and a pair of angled upper guides on the plow-mounted frame, which engage a pair of vertical plates on the vehicle-mounted frame to help center the plow-mounted frame as it is pulled into position. For plows having a side wing, a rear mounting assembly engages and lifts a mounting block attached to the wing into a base member to which it is pinned.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A quick-attachment system for mounting a plow to a vehicle, the quick-attachment system comprising: a vehicle-mounted frame affixable to the vehicle and having, a lower bar extending horizontally and having a lower bar front surface and a lower bar rear surface having a maximum separation T, and

1. A quick-attachment system for mounting a plow to a vehicle, the quick-attachment system comprising: a vehicle-mounted frame affixable to the vehicle and having, a lower bar extending horizontally and having a lower bar front surface and a lower bar rear surface having a maximum separation T, and having a lower bar bottom surface,a pair of side plates affixed with respect to said lower bar, said side plates being normal to said lower bar so as to extend vertically, said side plates each having a forward projecting region which extends forward beyond said lower bar to provide vertical bearing surfaces,an upper bar attached to said side plates and spaced apart from said lower bar,a lift bracket attached to said upper bar, andat least one vehicle-mounted frame coupler mounted to said upper bar;a plow-mounted frame having, a substantially vertical body configured to be coupled to a plow,a guide bar affixed to said substantially vertical body and having a guide bar upper surface, a guide bar lower surface, and a guide bar rear surface,at least one plow-mounted frame coupler mounted to said substantially vertical body so as to be vertically spaced from said guide bar,a pair of guide tabs mounted to said guide bar, each of said guide tabs having a guide tab upper surface with an upper surface cradle section forming, in combination with said guide bar, a cradle for receiving said lower bar of said vehicle-mounted frame, anda pair of upper guides attached to said guide bar upper surface, each of said upper guides having an upper guide top section and an upper guide base section, said upper guide top sections being inclined with respect to a vertical plane and being symmetrical with respect to each other so as to direct said guide bar relative to said side plates as said plow-mounted frame is raised into engagement with said vehicle-mounted frame, andsaid upper guide base sections being vertical and normal to said guide bar upper surface, said upper guides being so positioned on said guide bar that said upper guide base sections slidably engage said vertical bearing surfaces of said side plates when said plow-mounted frame is drawn towards said vehicle-mounted frame;a lift actuator coupled to said guide bar and attachable to said lift bracket, said lift actuator being activatable to draw said guide bar into engagement with said lower bar, said guide tab upper surfaces engaging said lower bar and said upper guides engaging said side plates so as to direct said guide bar into a work position when said lift actuator is contracted to bring said guide bar rear surface against said lower bar;means for blocking upwards motion of said plow-mounted frame with respect to said vehicle mounted frame at the work position, where at least a portion of said lower bar is engaged by said guide bar rear surface and by said upper surface cradle section of each of said guide tabs and said upper guides engage said side plates;at least one linking element for engaging said couplers on said vehicle-mounted frame and said plow-mounted frame and securable therewith to secure said frames together; andmeans for blocking rotation of said plow-mounted frame with respect to said vehicle-mounted frame when said at least one linking element is secured to said couplers. 2. The quick-attachment system of claim 1 wherein said at least one vehicle-mounted frame coupler is provided by a pair of couplers, said at least one plow-mounted frame coupler is provided by a pair of couplers, and said at least one linking element is provided by a pair of linking elements. 3. The quick-attachment system of claim 2 wherein said linking elements remain engaged with said plow-mounted frame couplers when said plow-mounted frame is removed from engagement with said vehicle-mounted frame. 4. The quick-attachment system of claim 3 wherein, each of said vehicle-mounted frame couplers is provided by a slide receiver affixed to said upper bar,each of said plow-mounted frame couplers is provided by a slide mount formed on said substantially vertical body, andeach of said linking elements is provided by a slide that slidably engages one of said slide mounts such that, when said frames are engaged in said work position with respect to each other, said slide can be translatably extended into one of said slide receivers. 5. The quick-attachment system of claim 4 wherein said slides and said slide receivers have aligned passages when said slides are extended into said slide receivers, allowing said slides to be secured to said slide receivers by securing pins inserted through said aligned passages. 6. The quick-attachment system of claim 3 wherein, each of said vehicle-mounted frame couplers is provided by a link receiver affixed to said upper bar,each of said linking elements is provided by a link arm, andeach of said plow-mounted frame couplers is provided by a link pivot bracket formed on said substantially vertical body and pivotably connecting one of said link arms thereto such that, when said frames are engaged in said work position with respect to each other, said link arm can be pivoted into one of said link receivers. 7. The quick-attachment system of claim 5 wherein said lower bar is substantially rectangular such that said lower bar front surface and said lower bar rear surface are parallel to each other and said lower bar bottom is formed by a surface normal thereto, further wherein said guide bar is substantially rectangular such that said guide bar upper surface and said guide bar lower surface are parallel to each other, separated by the separation T, and are normal to said guide bar rear surface,still further wherein said upper surface cradle section of each of said guide tabs further comprises: an upper surface first section extending substantially normal to said guide bar rear surface, andan upper surface second section which is normal to said upper surface first section so as to extend substantially parallel to said guide bar rear surface and spaced apart therefrom by the lower bar thickness T, whereby engagement of said lower bar between said guide bar rear surface and said upper section second section provides said means for blocking rotation of said plow-mounted frame with respect to said vehicle-mounted frame,yet further wherein said guide bar upper surface further comprises: an upper surface inclined section which is inclined so as to guide said lower bar into said upper surface cradle section when said plow-mounted frame is raised into engagement with said vehicle-mounted frame. 8. The quick-attachment system of claim 7 wherein at least one of said guide bar rear surface and said lower bar front surface is a discontinuous surface provided by at least one block. 9. The quick-attachment system of claim 8 wherein said substantially vertical body of said plow-mounted frame further comprises: a raised bar extending parallel to said guide bar. 10. The quick-attachment system of claim 9 wherein the system is designed for use with a side wing plow having a tower mounted alongside the vehicle, said plow-mounted frame further comprising: a tower mounting flange affixed to each of said raised bar and said guide bar and configured to allow attaching the tower thereto, further wherein said lift bracket is offset towards said tower mounting flange on said upper bar and said lift actuator is coupled to said guide bar at a location offset towards said tower mounting flange on said guide bar. 11. The quick-attachment system of claim 5 wherein said lift bracket has a transverse pin extending substantially parallel to said upper bar of said vehicle-mounted frame and said lift actuator terminates in a hook that is manually attachable to said transverse pin. 12. The quick-attachment system of claim 5 wherein said means for blocking upwards motion of said plow-mounted frame with respect to said vehicle mounted frame at the work position is provided, at least in part, by engagement of said guide bar surface with said side plates. 13. The quick-attachment system of claim 5 wherein said vertical bearing surfaces of said side plates face each other and said upper guide top sections are inclined towards each other as they extend above said guide bar.