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US 12,648,524 B1Granted
Bale slicer bucket, mounting method, and assembly
AssigneeRussell Creek Engineering, LLC
InventorsChristopher D. Goddard, Fred S. Goddard, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A loader bucket for mounting in a bale slicer apparatus, and a method of quickly and securely mounting the loader bucket in the bale slicer apparatus to form a loading assembly without having to first remove the bale slicer apparatus from the slicer carrier vehicle. After using the loading assembly, e.g., to scoop, carry, and dump loose feed and feed supplement materials, the loader bucket can be conveniently removed from bale slicer apparatus to resume using the bale slicer apparatus for lifting, carrying, and opening bales of feed material.
Claims10
A bucket mountable in a bale slicer apparatus, the bucket comprising:
- a floor having a laterally extending scooping edge at a forward longitudinal end of the floor;
- a left side wall extending upwardly from a left lateral end of the floor;
- a right side wall extending upwardly from a right lateral end of the floor;
- a lateral back wall which extends upwardly from a rearward longitudinal end of the floor;
- two or more rear attachment hook structures which are spaced laterally apart, each of the rear attachment hook structures having (i) a proximal end which is attached on or above an upper portion of the lateral back wall, (ii) a downwardly curved hook on a distal end of the rear attachment hook structure, and (iii) an arm which extends rearwardly, at an upward inclination, between the proximal end of the rear attachment hook structure and the downwardly curved hook on the distal end of the rear attachment hook structure;
- the two or more rear attachment hook structures being a left hook structure and a right hook structure which is spaced laterally apart from the left hook structure:
- a left back plate which extends laterally between the left hook structure and the left side wall, the left back plate having a cavity which extends downwardly into the left back plate for receiving a left outer side arm of a cutting jaw of the bale slicer apparatus;
- and
- a right back plate which extends laterally between the right hook structure and the right side wall, the right back plate having a cavity which extends downwardly into the right back plate for receiving a right outer side arm of the cutting jaw of the bale slicer apparatus.
6 more elements
A loading assembly comprising:
- a bale slicer apparatus comprising
- a curved frame having a concave forward face,
- a cutting jaw, and
- a plurality of tines which project forwardly from a bottom of the curved frame;
- the cutting jaw comprising
- an opposing pair of outer side arms which (i) have distal ends and (ii) have rearward ends which are pivotably connected to the curved frame,
- a knife blade which extends transversely between the distal ends of the outer side arms, and
- a rearward cross-support which extends transversely between the outer side arms and moves in an arc within the forward face of the curved frame when the cutting jaw is pivoted upwardly and downwardly with respect to the curved frame;
- a bucket mounted in the bale slicer apparatus, the bucket having
- a floor,
- a back wall which extends upwardly from the floor,
- a pair of rear attachment hook structures which are laterally spaced apart, and
- two or more tine sleeves which extend longitudinally on an exterior bottom of the floor of the bucket and in which a corresponding number of the tines of the bale slicer apparatus are received;
- each of the rear attachment hook structures of the bucket comprising (i) a proximal end which is attached on or above an upper portion of the back wall of the bucket, (ii) a downwardly curved hook on a distal end of the rear attachment hook structure, and (iii) an arm which extends rearwardly, at an upward inclination, between the proximal end of the rear attachment hook structure and the downwardly curved hook on the distal end of the rear attachment hook structure;
- and
- the rearward cross-support of the cutting jaw being upwardly received in the downwardly curved hooks on the distal ends of the rear attachment hook structures of the bucket to hold the bucket in the bale slicer apparatus.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.