Patent ID: 11952738
Assignee: GREAT PLAINS MANUFACTURING, INC.
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 13:
14. A method of coupling an attachment to a heavy-equipment machine, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a coupler comprising a frame including a pair of spaced apart sides, a bottom plate extending between the sides, and a support plate extending from the bottom plate and between said sides, wherein the coupler further comprises a plurality of connection elements extending exteriorly from each of the sides of the frame, a locking pin, a locking element, and an actuator,
wherein the locking element is elongated and extends between the sides of the frame, and
wherein the actuator is rigidly secured to the bottom plate of the frame and abuts the support plate, and wherein a rod extends from the actuator to the locking element, wherein the coupler further includes a pair of biasing elements extending from the support plate to the locking element, with one biasing element positioned on each side of the actuator, configured to bias said locking element into engagement with said locking pin;
(b) shifting the locking element, against the biasing elements, to an unlocked position;
(c) engaging the frame with the attachment, wherein during said engaging of step (c), (i) the connection elements are engaged with the attachment, and (ii) the frame is positioned over the locking pin; and
(d) removably inserting the locking pin through the frame and the attachment;
(e) shifting the locking element to a locked position, wherein after the locking element has been shifted to the locked position in step (e), the locking element is engaged with the locking pin.