Multi-mode material moving attachment

A multi-mode material moving attachment for a vehicle, comprising:

• a) a box frame enclosing a material collection space laterally and from behind;
• b) a working panel movably mounted to the box frame and selectively movable between:
• i) a bucket bottom position for operating the attachment in a bucket mode, and in which the working panel encloses the material collection space from below when the box frame is in an upright position to support material received in the material collection space, and
• ii) a blade position for operating the attachment in a pusher mode, and in which the working panel encloses the material collection space from behind when the box frame is in the upright position to serve as a pusher blade for pushing material received in the material collection space along a ground surface in a direction away from the vehicle;
• and
• c) a back-drag assembly projecting forward from an upper end of the box frame for operating the attachment in a back-drag mode, the back-drag assembly comprising a back-drag blade spaced apart from the box frame for engagement with the ground surface through tilting of the box frame from the upright position to a back-drag position to back-drag material along the ground surface with the back-drag blade in a direction toward the vehicle.

A method of operating a multi-mode material moving attachment for a vehicle, comprising:

• a) operating the attachment in a bucket mode for collecting material from a ground surface in a material collection space of the attachment, and during which the material collection space is bounded laterally and from behind by a box frame of the attachment and from below by a working panel of the attachment, the working panel serving as a bucket bottom wall for the bucket mode;
• b) operating the material moving attachment in a pusher mode for pushing material received in the material collection space along the ground surface with the working panel in a direction away from the vehicle, and during which the material collection space is open from below and bounded from behind by the working panel, the working panel serving as a pusher blade for the pusher mode;
• and
• c) operating the material moving attachment in a back-drag mode, in which the attachment is tilted to bring a blade of a back-drag assembly projecting forward from an upper end of the box frame into engagement with a ground surface for back-dragging the material with the blade along the ground surface in a direction toward the vehicle.