Backhoe wedge locking mechanism

Backhoe mounting apparatus for removably attaching a backhoe to a host vehicle having a longitudinally extending frame, said backhoe mounting apparatus comprising:

• a wedge bearing plate assembly fixedly attached to said longitudinal frame of said host vehicle, said assembly including a wedge bearing plate of rectangular structure having a bearing surface and an elongated aperture longitudinally formed part way along the length of said plate, a pair of spaced apart restraining plates having aligned apertures affixed to an upper end of said wedge bearing plate extending perpendicularly outward from said bearing surface of said plate, and a bolt anchor plate having a through aperture affixed to the upper end of said plate;
• a lower mounting tab fixed to said host vehicle having an apertured projecting portion projecting through said elongated aperture of said wedge bearing plate, said projecting portion having an arcuately cut out portion;
• a backhoe frame having a longitudinal member for receiving said lower mounting tab, said backhoe frame comprising spaced apart side plates provided with aligned upper and lower apertures and a prealignment pin fixedly attached to inboard surfaces of said spaced apart side plates above said aligned lower apertures;
• a backhoe mounting collar carried in said aligned upper apertures of said backhoe frame, said collar having a longitudinal bore and a flat portion extending at least part way along the length of said mounting collar;
• a wedge having a threaded aperture through a truncated end thereof slidably carried on said wedge bearing plate, said wedge having a flat surface for contacting said wedge bearing plate and an inclined surface for contacting said flat portion of said backhoe mounting collar;
• a wedge bolt passing through said aperture of said bolt anchor plate and into said threaded aperture of said wedge to retain said wedge in contact between said wedge bearing plate and said backhoe mounting collar;
• an upper mounting pin passing through one of said spaced apart restraining plates, said longitudinal bore of said backhoe mounting collar and another of said spaced apart restraining plates, said upper mounting pin having a headed end and an aperture equipped nonheaded end;
• a lower mounting pin passing through one of said lower apertures of said spaced apart side plates of said backhoe frame, said aperture of said projecting portion of said lower mounting tab and another of said lower apertures of said spaced apart side plates of said backhoe frame, said lower mounting pin having a headed end and an aperture equipped nonheaded end;
• a plurality of retaining pins for passing through said apertures in said nonheaded ends of said upper and said lower mounting pins.