Front attachment lift mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10356971-B2
Application number	US-201514862405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A front attachment lift mechanism includes a front hitch weldment connectable to a lawn tractor frame and having a pair of side plates for supporting a front attachment. A hitch arm extends upwardly and rearwardly on each side of the frame. A rear weldment includes a pair of rear brackets connected by support bars to each other. Each rear bracket has an upper portion connectable to one of a pair of lift arms on a lawn tractor, and a forward end extending forwardly and downwardly from the upper portion. A wireform assembly is connected between each of the hitch arms and the forward end of one of the rear brackets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A front attachment lift mechanism, comprising:
a front hitch weldment connectable to a lawn tractor frame and having a pair of side plates for supporting a front attachment and a hitch arm extending upwardly and rearwardly on each side of the frame;
a rear weldment having a pair of rear brackets connected by support bars to each other, each rear bracket releasably engaged to one of a pair of lift arms that are pivoted to raise and lower the front attachment or a mid-mounted attachment under the frame of a lawn tractor, each rear bracket extending forwardly and downwardly from the lift arm; and
a pair of wireform assemblies, each wireform assembly connected between one of the hitch arms and one of the rear brackets.

2. The front attachment lift mechanism of claim 1 wherein each rear bracket is generally triangular in shape.

3. The front attachment lift mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of weld pins on the upper portion of one of the rear brackets and insertable through a plurality of holes in one of the lift arms.

4. The front attachment lift mechanism of claim 1 wherein each wireform assembly has a single bend and is pivotably connected between one of the hitch arms and the forward end of one of the rear brackets.

5. A front attachment lift mechanism, comprising:
a pair of wireform assemblies; one of the wireform assemblies connected to a left side of a rear weldment and the other to a right side of the rear weldment, the left and right sides of the rear weldment removably attached to and extend forwardly and downwardly from a left lift arm and a right lift arm that are actuated manually by a foot pedal to raise and lower either a front attachment or a mid-mounted mower deck under a lawn tractor; each wireform extending forwardly over a front axle of the lawn tractor to a front hitch weldment.

6. The front attachment lift mechanism of claim 5 wherein the left and right sides of the rear weldment are removably attached to the left and right lift arms by weld pins.

7. The front attachment lift mechanism of claim 5 wherein the front hitch weldment includes a pair of hitch arms extending rearwardly and upwardly from the frame of the lawn tractor.

8. A front attachment lift mechanism, comprising:
a front weldment that is removably and pivotably secured to the front of a lawn tractor frame so that a front attachment may be secure thereto and may be moved between a raised position and a lowered position; the front weldment having a pair of rearwardly extending hitch arms; and
a pair of wireform assemblies extending from the hitch arms rearwardly to a rear weldment connected to and extending downwardly and forwardly from a pair of lift arms positioned under the lawn tractor that may be used to raise and lower the front attachment or a mid-mounted implement using a foot pedal; the rear weldment including a pair of rear brackets that are vertically aligned and connected to each other by support rods.

9. The front attachment lift mechanism of claim 8 wherein each of the rear brackets includes an upper portion connected to a lift arm and a forward end connected to a wireform assembly.

10. The front attachment lift mechanism of claim 8 wherein each of the wireform assemblies extends rearwardly over a front axle of the lawn tractor.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Devries Alexandra K
• Ressler Kyle T
• Tolson Melissa

Classifications

• B62D49/02

  modified to take lifting devices · CPC title

• A01B59/064 Primary

  for connection to the front of the tractor · CPC title

• E01H5/098

  about horizontal or substantially horizontal axises perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of clearing · CPC title

• E01H5/04

  Apparatus propelled by animal or engine power; Apparatus propelled by hand with driven dislodging or conveying {levelling} elements, conveying pneumatically {for the dislodged material}(E01H5/10, E01H5/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• A01B63/108

  on the front part · CPC title