AU768356B2 - Grader device - Google Patents

Description

p 1.

Regulation 3.2 -1-

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT

APPLICANT:

NUMBER:

FILING DATE: SDAVID ANDREW MCKENZIE WILLIAM ALLEN RAYMANT GREGORY JOHN DIXON PQ 4436/99 6/12/1999 Invention Title: GRADER DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 GRADER DEVICE Technical area This invention relates to the area of equipment for grading and levelling surfaces and in particular to the use of such equipment in conjunction with a motorised vehicle such as a skid steer loader.

Background to the invention It is known to use a machine such as a skid steer loader in association with an attachment such as a loader bucket to spread and grade surface materials particularly hard surfaces. This is then followed by the process of back blading of loose material such as loam, quarry dust, loam and such materials which process, if carried out over any significant area, is both slow and does not provide a sufficiently smooth and level surface for some applications.

Such applications which require a smooth and level surface include the preparation of tennis courts, preparation of landscaped areas and areas for paving or concreting and the like. These are generally also areas which are too small for conventional graders to move about in efficiently.

WP51\SPEC\RAYMANT-GRADER.CAP\BV\6 December, 2000 Outline of the Invention It is an object of this invention to provide an attachment, either integrally attached or detachable, for a motorised work vehicle which is capable of relatively quickly grading most materials such as gravel, sand and soils into a flat surface.

The invention is a surface levelling device adapted to cooperate with a work vehicle, which levelling device includes a chassis having a grader blade at its leading edge with at least one smoother blade mounted parallel thereto, the arrangement being such that backwards motion of the levelling device smooths the surface material.

It is preferred that the means whereby the levelling device cooperates with the vehicle is by means of an adapter plate attachable to the vehicle which adapter plate is in turn associated with a connection frame which connects to the levelling device.

Preferably the chassis has side members to which are attached at least one smoother blade in a parallel arrangement with the grader blade and preferably each such smoother blade has an upper edge raked rearwards relative to the grader blade. It is further preferred that there be more than one smoother blade.

It is also preferred that the levelling device be provided with skid plates adjacent the sides of the chassis to provide height adjustment of the device at a continuum of heights and it is further preferred that the adjustment be effected by hydraulic power being WP51\SPEC\RAYMANT-GRADER.CAP\BV\6 December, 2000 4 provided by the work vehicle. It is also preferred that the device in this mode may be used in association with a laser levelling attachment.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood we shall describe by way of non limiting example two particular embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawing Figures Fig. 1 shows the levelling device with hydraulically operated skids; Fig. 2 shows the basic levelling device; Fig. 3 shows an adaptor plate and connection frame for connection to the levelling device; In both embodiments of the invention a connection frame 40 attached to an adaptor plate 50 which connects to the lift mechanism of a work vehicle such as a skid steer loader is provided. The connection frame is pivotally connected to the levelling device using pins and bushes through apertures 42 through arms 41 and corresponding apertures 43 through flats .g The basic features of the levelling device 10 are shown in Figure 2. In a first embodiment of the invention a chassis or frame 11 has a grader blade 12 bolted to the front of the frame while three equally spaced rearwardly angled blades 14 are affixed to the frame and located parallel to and behind the grader blade. The blades are angled so that the top of the blades is further away from the plane of the grader blade than the bottom.

WP51\SPEC\RAYMANT-GRADER.CAP\BV\6 December, 2000 Four parallel lengths of flats 25 are provided over the top of the frame and orthogonal to the angled blades and have welded brackets 26 to gusset angle blades. The flats thereby connect the main frame to an effective flotation hitch frame (Figure 3) operated from the work vehicle, the connection being by pins and bushes.

When the work vehicle is moving forward the grader mechanism can be activated and when the vehicle moves in reverse the angled smoother blades act to smooth the material over which they pass.

In a second embodiment of the invention a removable longitudinal skid plate 30 is provided at each side of and below the frame between flats 35. The skid plates 30 are welded to foot plates 31 which are connected to pivoting arms 32, or lift arms, by pins 33 which arms hinge to the main frame adjacent the front and rear of the levelling device. These pivoting arms 32 are connected to a stabilizing pipe 37, which keeps the foot plates aligned, and which pins to a hydraulic ram 60 which is operated from the work vehicle and connects 62 to the vehicle's hydraulics.

The hydraulic ram 60 and pivoting arms 32 are able to lift the frame slowly for fine lowering and control of frame lifting. This fine adjustment permits a very smooth grading result to be achieved and permits the use of this apparatus with laser levelling.

In both embodiments of the invention a pivoting connection frame is provided as described earlier which connects the pivoting framework to the main frame. An adaptor plate connects to the vehicle used to drive the levelling device and of course these WP51\SPEC\RAYMANT-GRADER.CAP\BV\6 December, 2000 plates will alter in design to suit whatever vehicle is used. Provision is however made via a series of holes at the rear of the pivoting connection frame to affix it to the chosen adaptor frame.

The pivoting connection frame allows the main levelling device to float over the ground while the adjustment holes allow for variations in the heights of different vehicles which may be connected to the apparatus.

Whilst we have described herein specific embodiments of the invention it is envisaged that other embodiments of the invention will exhibit any number of and any combination of the features previously described. It is to be understood therefore that variations and modifications in the invention as described in these embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

o*oo WP51\SPEC\RAYMANT-GRADER.CAP\BV\6 December, 2000

Claims (7)

1. A surface levelling device adapted to cooperate with a work vehicle, which levelling device includes a chassis having a grader blade at its leading edge with at least one smoother blade mounted parallel thereto, the arrangement being such that backwards motion of the levelling device smooths the surface material.

2. A surface levelling device as claimed in claim 1 wherein any smoother blades are angled so that their upper edges are directed rearwardly towards the work vehicle.

3. A surface levelling device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 which is connectable to a connection frame associated with an adapter plate, each adapter plate designed to attach to a specific work vehicle. *I

4. A surface levelling device as claimed in claim 3 having skid plates adjacent its sides, said skid plates having height adjustment means to provide height adjustment of the levelling device. f S:

5. A surface levelling device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the height adjustment means is provided by a hydraulic ram mounted on the device and interconnected to the skid plates.

6. A surface levelling device as claimed in claim 3 in which the connection frame is pivotally connected to the levelling device. WP51\SPEC\RAYMANT-GRADER.CAP\BV\6 December, 2000 8

7. A surface levelling device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS DAY OF DECEMBER 2000 Gregory John Dixon William Allen Raymant David Andrew McKenzie By their Patent Attorneys A TATLOCK ASSOCIATES WP51\SPEC\RAYMANT-GRADER.CAP\BV\6 December, 2000