Detachable lifting mechanism for a tracked snow vehicle method and apparatus
OwnerRon Goodman, Terry Goodmaninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lifting device adapted to be fitted to a tracked vehicle which is configured to operate in snow-covered terrain. The lifting device has an interface member which in one form allows for an interface portion of the mast region to fit to a plurality of commercially available tracked snow vehicles. Further, in one form, the lifting device interfaces with the existing hydraulics of conventional tracked snow vehicles.
Claims24
A lifting device adapted to be attached to a over-snow track vehicle having a positioning member, a base member, and a control member that is adapted to control a plurality of hydraulic lines, one pair of the hydraulic lines being adapted to operate one or more winglets, the lifting device comprising:
- a) an interface member having connection portions adapted to engage the positioning member in a fixedly and removably attached manner,
- b) a hydraulic lift system having a hydraulic line that is in fluid communication with a hydraulic actuator, the actuator being operatively connected to a repositioning member that is adapted to reposition with respect to the interface member,
- c) a base mount having an attachment region that is adapted to be rigidly and removably attached to the interface member,
- d) whereas one of the hydraulic lines that is controlled by the control member which is adapted to control one or more winglets is in communication with the hydraulic actuator.
A method of interfacing a snow fork-lift device with a tracked vehicle, the method comprising:
- a) attaching a repositioning member to a base mount in a manner where the repositioning member is adapted to be forcefully moved from a first lower position to a second upper position,
- b) providing an attachment region of the base mount having a uniform attachment interface,
- c) attaching a uniform attachment interface to an intermediate member which has a receiving uniform attachment portion and a customized attachment portion where the custom attachment portion is adapted to be retrofitted to the tracked vehicle,
- d) attaching winglet hydraulic lines to a main actuator that is adapted to forcefully move the repositioning member from the first lower position to the second upper position.
A lifting device for an over-snow track vehicle which operates with an over-snow track vehicle having a base mount, the base mount being driven by the over-snow track vehicle actuating system having first and second hydraulic lines, the lifting device comprising:
- a) an interface portion comprising a mounting plate having a lifting device mounting region and a base mount attachment region, the base mount attachment region being operatively configured to be fixedly and removably attached to the base mount of the over-snow track vehicle,
- b) a mast region operatively configured to be fixedly attached to the lifting device mounting region of the mounting plate,
- c) a carriage, movably attached to a mast region, the carriage being operatively configured to be repositionable with respect to the mounting plate,
- d) a hydraulic system comprising a drive actuator with first and second inlet ports, the inlet ports being operatively configured to be connected to first and second hydraulic lines of the over-snow track vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.