Front end loader and method of mounting same on tractor

A tractor having a quick mount and dismount front end loader comprising,

• a front end loader having a U-shaped frame with opposite side frame members extending rearwardly from a forwardly positioned cross frame member having front and back sides, uprights connected to the rear ends of said side frame members and a boom having its rear end connected to the upper end of said uprights, power cylinders extending between the boom and the uprights,
• a tractor having side support brackets on opposite sides thereof for engagement with the lower ends of said uprights, a vertically disposed guide support bracket across the front end of said tractor for engagement with the back side of said cross frame member, said guide support bracket being U-shaped and open downwardly,
• a stand rigidly connected to the forward end of said U-shaped frame for pivotal movement therewith during the mounting and dismounting operations,
• locking means for detachably securing said cross frame member to said forward guide support bracket and said uprights to said side support brackets, said locking means including a pin carried on the U-shaped bracket for engagement with an opening in said cross frame, and the rear leg of said U-shaped bracket tapering downwardly and rearwardly for guiding said cross frame into and out of said U-shaped bracket, and
• said power cylinders upon being extended causing said loader to pivot counterclockwise about a pivotal axis through said cross frame member thereby disengaging said uprights from said support brackets when said associated lock means has been opened, and upon said power cylinders being contracted with said cross frame member engaging said guide member and said U-shaped frame extending rearwardly and upwardly said U-shaped frame will pivot clockwise downwardly about a transverse axis through said cross frame member whereby said uprights move into engagement with said support brackets.

In combination, an implement mountable on a tractor, comprising,

• an implement having a boom with a ground-engaging tool on the outer end and pivotally mounted to upright standards at its inner end carried on a U-shaped frame and power means interconnects said U-shaped frame and boom for relative pivotal movement therebetween, said U-shaped frame having a transversely extending member and a stand connected to said frame for cooperation with said tool for supporting said implement independently of said tractor,
• a tractor having oppositely disposed rear side support brackets for engagement with said standards,
• a vertically disposed guide-support bracket on said tractor forwardly of said side support brackets for engagement with said transversely extending member, and
• locking means for detachably securing said transversely extending member to said guide-support bracket and said uprights to said rear side support brackets whereby upon said transversely extending member engaging said guide support bracket and said power means being operated to pivot said U-shaped frame and boom towards each other said U-shaped frame pivots about an axis through said guide-support bracket until said standards engage said support brackets and then pivotal action occurs about an axis through said side support brackets to pivot said transversely extending member upwardly to a position for said locking means to lock said transversely extending member to said guide support bracket.

The method of mounting an implement on a tractor wherein the implement includes a ground-engaging tool carried on a boom pivotally connected to upright standards on a U-shaped frame having a support stand for supporting said implement in cooperation with said tool independent of said tractor, and said tractor including a vertically disposed forward support-guide member and rearwardly positioned support brackets on opposite sides thereof wherein said method includes the steps of,

• driving the tractor forwardly until a transversely extending portion on the U-shaped frame is positioned against the vertically disposed guide member,
• operating the power means to pivot the boom and said U-shaped frame towards each other about an axis through said vertically disposed forward support-guide member and until the upright standards engage said support brackets,
• operating said power means further to pivot said transversely extending portion upwardly about an axis through said support brackets until said transversely extending portion is in a position to be locked to said vertically disposed forward support-guide member, and
• actuating said lock means for securing said transversely extending portion to said forward support-guide member and said uprights to said support brackets.