IES960153A2 - Improvements in and relating to attachments for devices for¹handling silage - Google Patents

Abstract

An attachment for devices for handling silage comprising a detachable bucket having a continuous rear wall and a continuous floor, the attachment having a latch member for detachable securing the bucket to a silage grab and means for engaging and disengaging the latch member, the latch member being self engageable with the grab and being disengageable by a reversible action by the user. The attachment also has side walls. The latch member comprises a spring biased pin or catch mounted on the bucket or silage grab and engageable with the other.<Fig.1>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ATTACHMENTS FOR DEVICES FOR HANDLING SILAGE pm or catch mounted on the bucke engageable with the other. - .* ->~**w<**·*'*·· *'****·*' . p 2 S' ZO The present invention relates to attachments for devices 5 for handling silage.

The term devices for handling silage includes silage grabs, silage grabs having a cutting edge and silage forks which have tines.

Conventional silage grabs have a series of tines projecting forwardly therefrom for grabbing silage.

However, in order to save time and outlay on further equipment it is often desirable that the silage grab could also be used for transporting granular material but this is not possible using conventional silage grabs.

The present invention seeks to alleviate the disadvantages of the prior art.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an attachment for devices for handling silage comprising a detachable bucket having a continuous rear wall and a continuous floor, the attachment having a latch member for detachably securing the bucket to a silage grab and means for engaging and disengaging the latch member, the latch member being self engageable with the grab and being disengageable by a reversible action by the user.

The attachment may also have side walls.

Advantageously, the latch member comprises a spring biased t or silage grab and OPEN TO POB'HC fNSFECWN SECTION 26 AND RULE 23 JNL No...........] IE 960153 - 2 Ideally the means for engaging and disengaging the latch member comprise an engagement and disengagement frame.

Conveniently, this frame may also be used to support the detachable bucket when it is not in use whereby when the bucket is required for use the bucket can then be connected to a silage grab.

The engagement and disengagement procedure can be operated by a user from his tractor and does not require him to dismount at any stage during the engagement and disengagement procedure. Also the invention does not require any hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical activation mechanism for the engagement and disengagement procedure.

Advantageously, the frame is not fixed to wall. Instead it can be transported when is engaged with the bucket and the bucket the frame. This makes for ease of use of the ground or a the silage grab is located on the attachment.

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings in which are shown, one embodiment of the attachment for a silage grab.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side sectional view showing the detachable bucket connected to a silage grab (the latch engagement and disengagement frame is not shown); Figure 2 is a side sectional view showing the latch engagement and disengagement frame with the latch pins of the bucket being disengaged from the frame; Figure 2a is a plan view of a portion of the latch IE 960153 - 3 engagement and disengagement frame along the direction of arrow X shown in Figure 2; Figures 3(a)(b) and (c) are, respectively, a rear view of the detachable bucket, a sectional elevation of the detachable bucket along the line A-A of Figure 3(a) and Figure 3(c) is a plan view of the detachable bucket; Figure 4 is a side sectional view of a second embodiment of the attachment of the invention with the latch engaged; Figure 5 is a side sectional view of the second embodiment showing the latch engagement and disengagement frame with the latch disengaged; Figure 5(a) and 5(b) are a front view and side view respectively of the frame without the bucket; Figure 6 is a front view of the silage grab with latches shown and with the detachable bucket removed; Figure 7(a) is a rear view of the bucket and Figure 7(b) is a sectional view along the line A-A of Figure 7(a) and Figure 7(c) is a front view of the bucket; Figure 8 is a sectional view through the detachable bucket and silage grab assembly in a third embodiment; Figure 9 is a side sectional view of the third embodiment with the latch engagement and disengagement frame shown.

The detachable bucket and latch engagement and disengagement assembly in a first embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 1,2,2a and 3a,b,c.

The detachable bucket is indicated generally by reference IE 960153 - 4 numeral 1 and the frame therefor is indicated by reference numeral 2.

The detachable bucket 1 comprises a rear wall 3, side walls 4 and a continuous floor member 5. The detachable bucket 1 is provided with a latch means comprising two elongate pins 8 biased under the action of a compression spring 9. Each pin 8 is fixedly attached to the bucket 1 by means of an upper fixing plate 10 and a lower fixing plate 16. The spring loaded pin 8 is an elongate pin provided with a head 11. Protruding from the back of the rear wall of the bucket is a guide plate 12 which is fixedly attached to the bucket and which assists in locating the bucket 1 correctly onto the silage grab when the latter is being connected to the bucket 1.

The engagement and disengagement frame 2 for the bucket 1 comprises a pair of ground-contacting arms 20 with upright arms 21 substantially perpendicular thereto and having pin engaging arms 22 arranged in cantilever fashion protruding from the upright arms 21 and pointing in the direction of the ground-contacting arms 20. There is also a strengthening cross-bar arranged diagonally between the ground contacting arm 22 and the pin-engaging arms 22.

Also provided on the frame 2 are a pair of generally L-shaped members (not shown) with respective notches provided in each of these L-shaped members to assist in supporting the bucket 1. The pin-engaging arms 22 have a retention groove which is a generally U-shaped notch provided at the pin-contacting end of the arms 22 (see Fig. 2a). These notches are for receiving the pin 8 so that the head 11 of pin 8 is secured by the arm 22 thereby maintaining the tension in the spring.

IE 960153 The operation of the detachable bucket 1 and frame 2 will now be described.

The bucket 1 and latch engagement and disengagement frame 2 in the first embodiment are designed for use with a silage grab which is provided with plates 15 having pin-receiving apertures therein. In use, a silage grab having forwardly projecting tines, is attached to a motorised vehicle such as a tractor, for instance. The tines of the silage grab are manoeuvred into position in such a way that the tines are pushed underneath the bucket 1 which is being held on the frame 2. With the tines of the silage grab located under the bucket 1, the tractor is moved forwardly until the guide plate 12 on the rear of the bucket 1 slides underneath a cross-beam on the silage grab and the plates 15 with pin-receiving apertures provided on the silage grab are located underneath the lower fixing plates 16 on the bucket 1. The silage grab is then elevated so that the bucket 1 is lifted slightly upwardly out of contact with the tines and the tractor is engaged in reverse gear. As the bucket 1 is raised and moved laterally so that the head 11 of each pin 8 is moved out of contact with the retention groove, the head 11 of the spring-loaded pin 8 is lifted up out of its retention groove on the frame 2, the tension in the spring is released thereby resulting in the pin 8 being dropped downwardly until the locking collar 17 comes in contact with the lower fixing plate 16 and the end of the pin 8 passing through the pin-receiving apertures on the plates 15 provided on the silage grab. The silage grab is thus secured to the silage grab.

When the operator is finished using the detachable bucket 1 and wishes to replace it on the frame 2, the operator manoeuvres the tractor so that the tines of the silage IE 960153 - 6 grab are located onto the ground-engaging arms 20 of the frame. The head 11 of the pin 8 is located in the retention groove 24 on the frame so that the tension spring is put under compression and the pin 8 is pulled upwardly out of the pin-receiving aperture on the plate 15 fixed to the silage grab and the bucket 1 is thereby disengaged from the silage grab. The tractor is then reversed, the guide plate 12 slides out of contact with the silage grab and the bucket 1 is now supported on the frame 2.

Referring now to Figures 4,5,6 and 7, the detachable bucket and engagement and disengagement frame in a second embodiment will be described.

The assembly in the second embodiment is indicated generally by reference numeral 30. In this embodiment there is a latch arm 31 provided on the frame of the silage grab which can be engaged and disengaged from a latch bar 32 on the detachable bucket 1' . The latch arm is biased by tension spring 33. The engagement and disengagement frame 2' is provided with a head member 28 which is engageable with the bucket 1' . In order to engage the bucket 1' with the silage grab, the silage grab is located so that the tines of the grab are positioned underneath the bucket 1' and the tractor is moved forwardly so that the silage grab is forced to abut the rear of the bucket 1'. This forces the latch arm 31 to snap down onto the latch bar 32 and engage therewith.

In order to remove the bucket 1' from the silage grab and secure the bucket 1' onto the frame 2', the silage grab is manoeuvred so that the bucket 1' is positioned onto the frame 2' with the head 28 located under a lip on the side of the bucket 1'. The weight of the bucket 1' is IE 960153 now borne by the frame 2' and the arm 22' of the frame 2' is provided with a bevelled edge so that it pushes the latch arm 31 upwardly out of engagement with the latch bar 32.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, the assembly is shown in a third embodiment. In this embodiment, there is a hinged plate 45 provided. The hinged plate 45 is hingedly moveable through an angle of 90° about pivot point 46.

The operation of the latch arm 41 and latch bar 42 is similar to that described above in relation to the second embodiment. In order to disengage the latch bar 42, the tractor is manoeuvred so that the latch bar abuts the bevelled edge of the frame 2' and the latch arm 41 is moved upwardly and out of engagement with the latch bar 42 and the hinged plate 45 then drops downwardly to form the floor of the bucket.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. An attachment for devices for handling silage comprising a detachable bucket having a continuous rear wall and a continuous floor, the attachment having a latch member for detachably securing the bucket to a silage grab and means for engaging and disengaging the latch member, the latch member being self engageable with the grab and being disengageable by a reversible action by the user; optionally the attachment also having side walls.

2. An attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latch member comprises a spring biased pin or catch mounted on the bucket or silage grab and engageable with the other; optionally, the means for engaging and disengaging the latch member comprising an engagement and disengagement frame.

3. An attachment according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the engagement and disengagement frame is used to support the detachable bucket when it is not in use whereby when the bucket is required for use the bucket can then be connected to a silage grab.

4. An attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein engagement and disengagement of the frame can be operated by a user from his tractor and does not require him to dismount at any stage during the engagement and disengagement procedure. IE 960153

5. An attachment for devices for handling silage as claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.