초록 ▼

A single operator is able to couple and decouple a work accessory from a UTV by employing a mounting mechanism comprising a channel assembly coupled to the UTV having channels adapted to receive rails of a rail assembly mounted to the work accessory. Wedges associated with the rails and wedge plates

A single operator is able to couple and decouple a work accessory from a UTV by employing a mounting mechanism comprising a channel assembly coupled to the UTV having channels adapted to receive rails of a rail assembly mounted to the work accessory. Wedges associated with the rails and wedge plates associated with the channels at the distal ends of the rails and channels and rail locks at the proximal ends of the rails and channels are employed to secure the rails in the channels to couple the work accessory to the UTV. Adjustable legs coupled to the rail assembly are used to support the work accessory when not coupled to the UTV, to level and stabilize the work accessory, and to adjust the height of the rails relative to the bottom of the channels when coupling and decoupling the UTV and work accessory.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus comprising: a) a self-powered and steerable utility vehicle having a front, a rear, and a frame assembly between the front and the rear;b) a work accessory having a base;c) a mounting assembly comprising a channel assembly and a rail assembly, i. said channel assembly coupled to the

1. An apparatus comprising: a) a self-powered and steerable utility vehicle having a front, a rear, and a frame assembly between the front and the rear;b) a work accessory having a base;c) a mounting assembly comprising a channel assembly and a rail assembly, i. said channel assembly coupled to the frame of the vehicle and comprising a first channel and a second channel extending parallel to each other above the frame of the vehicle from a location adjacent the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle, each of said channels defined by a bottom wall, a pair of spaced apart side walls projecting upwardly from the bottom wall, an open top, an open proximal end and a wedge plate defining the distal end of the channel, said wedge plate extending at an angle upwardly and rearwardly between the two side walls;ii. said rail assembly coupled to the base of the work accessory comprising a first and rails extending parallel to each other below the base of the work accessory, said rails each having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion of each rail comprising a wedge, said rails adapted to simultaneously slide into said channels to engage the wedges of the rails with the wedge plates of the channels to secure the distal end of the rails in the channels; andiii. a lock for securing the proximal end portion of each rail in place with respect to the channel. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said lock comprises first holes through the two side walls of one of the channels adjacent the open proximal end and a second hole through the rail received in said one of the channels adjacent the proximal end of the channels, said first holes and second hole adapted to be aligned when said rail is in said channel and the wedge of the rail is in locking engagement with the wedge plate, and wherein said lock further comprises a pin adapted to be received within said aligned first holes and second hole. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a set of legs coupled to the work accessory, each of said legs comprising telescoping sections adapted to permit the length of the legs to be adjusted to align the height of the rails with the height to the channels when coupling the work accessory to and decoupling the work accessory from the utility vehicle. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 where each leg has an internal screw jack and crank for adjusting the length of the leg. 5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said legs comprise a front pair of legs and a back pair of legs and the distance between the front pair of legs is greater than the width of the utility vehicle. 6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said work accessory is a work platform lift further comprising a work platform, a scissor lift mechanism coupled to the base and the work platform, and a telescoping actuator that cooperates with the scissor lift mechanism to raise and lower the platform with respect to the base, and wherein the legs are adapted to stabilize the utility vehicle and the work accessory as the work platform is raised and lowered and as a the work platform is being used when raised to perform work. 7. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a foot projecting outwardly from the bottom of each leg. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the channel assembly is removably coupled to the frame of the utility vehicle. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the channel assembly is pivotally coupled to the frame of the utility vehicle. 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said lock comprises a lock plate adapted to engage both an upwardly facing surface of a rail and a rearwardly facing surface of a rail, and adapted to be secured in place to prevent both upward and rearward movement of the rail with respect to the channel. 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said lock plate is coupled to a bar that is adapted to be rotated between a locked position and an unlocked position, and said lock further comprises a member positionable by hand to lock the bar in a locked position. 12. An apparatus comprising: a) a self-powered and steerable utility vehicle having a front, a rear, and a frame assembly between the front and the rear;b) a work accessory having a base and wherein said work accessory is a work platform lift further comprising a work platform, a scissor lift mechanism coupled to the base and the work platform, and a telescoping actuator that cooperates with the scissor lift mechanism to raise and lower the platform with respect to the base;c) a mounting assembly comprising a channel assembly and a rail assembly, i. said channel assembly coupled to the frame of the vehicle and comprising a first channel and a second channel extending parallel to each other above the frame of the vehicle from a location adjacent the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle, each of said channels defined by a bottom wall, a pair of spaced apart side walls projecting upwardly from the bottom wall, an open top, an open proximal end and a wedge plate defining the distal end of the channel, said wedge plate extending at an angle upwardly and rearwardly between the two side walls;ii. said rail assembly coupled to the base of the work accessory comprising a first and rails extending parallel to each other below the base of the work accessory, said rails each having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion of each rail comprising a wedge, said rails adapted to simultaneously slide into said channels to engage the wedges of the rails with the wedge plates of the channels to secure the distal end of the rails in the channels; andiii. a lock for securing the proximal end portion of each rail in place with respect to the channel; andd) a plurality of legs adapted to stabilize the utility vehicle and the work accessory as the work platform is raised and lowered and as a the work platform is being used when raised to perform work. 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of said legs include telescoping sections adapted to permit the length of the legs to be adjusted to align the height of the rails with the height to the channels when coupling the work accessory to and decoupling the work accessory from the utility vehicle. 14. The apparatus of claim 12 where each leg has an internal screw jack and crank for adjusting the length of the leg. 15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the legs are also adapted to level the work accessory when the work accessory is coupled to the vehicle and operating. 16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said legs comprise a front pair of legs and a back pair of legs and the distance between the front pair of legs is greater than the width of the utility vehicle. 17. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a foot projecting outwardly from the bottom of each leg. 18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said lock comprises first holes through the two side walls of one of the channels adjacent the open proximal end and a second hole through the rail received in said one of the channels adjacent the proximal end of the channels, said first holes and second hold adapted to be aligned when said rail is in said channel and the wedge of the rail is in locking engagement with the wedge plate, and wherein said lock further comprises a pin adapted to be received within said aligned first holes and second hole. 19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the channel assembly is removably coupled to the frame of the utility vehicle. 20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the channel assembly is pivotally coupled to the frame of the utility vehicle.