Abstract:
An implement attachment device for tractors allowing for easy and quick attachment of implements and tools to a tractor bucket along with correspondingly easy and quick detachment of such implements and tools, wherein such device may itself may be readily connected or disconnected to the bucket and while connected may be easily switched from a bottom use-ready position to a top stowed position in relation to the tractor bucket.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIMS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/493,079, filed on Jun. 21, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is generally directed to devices that permit the attachment of implements or tools to the bucket or front-end loader of a tractor or other mobile unit. 
       BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Tractors and other mobile units (jointly referred to herein as “tractors”) with buckets, front-end loaders, or back-end loaders (all of which are jointly referred to herein as “buckets”) are used for handling and moving many types of particulate material. Such buckets are normally supported by one or more arms of the tractor, where the arms are hydraulically actuated up and down using a motor and the bucket is moved forward or backward with the movement of the tractor. The buckets are normally used to scrape or scoop up particulate material and move that material from one location to another. For instance, buckets attached to tractors are frequently used for scooping and moving earth, sand, gravel, rocks, snow,and many other types of particulate material. 
         [0004]    While such buckets are well-suited for handling and moving particulate materials, they are less satisfactory for handling other types of materials and for performing other types of work that frequently becomes necessary in rural or construction settings. For instance, moving piles of brush, picking up pallets on which materials are stacked, moving rubbish and trash piles, hauling large hay bales, clearing vines or smoothing a road surface are tasks that are not easily accomplished by use of a standard tractor bucket. As a result, the need frequently arises to remove the bucket from the tractor and exchange it for a separate implement (the terms “implement” and “tool” are treated as interchangeable) that can be directly mounted to the arms of the tractor for use in performing a particular task or type of work. Making such a changeover from a bucket to a separate implement that is directly mounted onto a tractor is cumbersome, inefficient and requires the substantial expenditure of time and effort to remove the bucket and then remount the implement on the arms of the tractor. It is preferable to avoid this type of inefficiency, if possible. 
         [0005]    Several attempts have been made in the past to provide for an implement adapter device that will permit the attachment of a separate implement to the bucket of a tractor. Such implement adapter devices have taken the form of a device that has a frontal portion located in the front of the bucket on which the workload or workpiece is supported during the handling process. These devices are supported by the leading edge of the bottom wall of a bucket where the main structure of the implement adapter device overlies the leading edge of the bottom wall of the bucket and the device has a slot or groove into which the leading edge of the bottom wall of the bucket is received. The working load supported by the front end portion of these implement adapter devices is typically counter-balanced by a rear portion that underlies and bears against the bottom wall of the bucket so that the support for the implement adapter device and the supported workload is designed on cantilever principles. In several instances these types of implement adapter devices use clamping means in which the leading edge of the bucket is maintained in the slot or groove of the device with removable clamping means that clamp the device onto one or more edges of the bucket. These types of clamping devices often loosen during use and permit the implement adapter device to separate from the walls of the bucket. 
         [0006]    In other instances, mechanical fasteners that rigidly affix implements directly to one or more walls of a bucket or loader have been advocated. These methods require substantial time and effort to manually rigidly affix an implement to a bucket because they require mechanical interconnection of the implement directly with the bucket. Further, such methods require additional time and effort to mechanically disconnect the implement from the bucket when the implement is no longer in use and the user wishes to return to using the bucket by itself. Such changeovers waste time and effort during the initial rigid affixation of the implement directly to the bucket and during the subsequent mechanical removal of implement from the bucket. 
         [0007]    Another method which has been suggested for securing implements to a bucket is to use chains, ropes, or similar flexible attachment means to fasten implements or implement adapters to one or more bucket walls. This approach may also entail the use of an overcenter arm, a buckle, pulley or similar device for adjusting the overall length of the fastener. However, it is often difficult to maintain a tight connection that prevents movement of the implement or implement adapter in this arrangement, which means that movement of the implements relative to the bucket is possible and therefore use of the implements becomes problematic. 
         [0008]    In an effort to address the problems exhibited by the aforementioned types of implement adapter devices and methods, a number of somewhat more sophisticated implement adapter mechanisms have been proposed. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,512 to Felstet discloses an implement adapter system involving a bucket with built-in sockets for receiving an implement, where the sockets are part of the side walls and bottom wall of the bucket itself Felstet&#39;s mechanism involves the insertion of part of an implement directly into the sockets that are disposed within the body of the bucket and then rigid affixation of the implement to the bucket using bolts that are inserted through the bucket&#39;s sockets and through the implement. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No.  6 , 088 , 938  to Logan discloses an implement adapter device comprised of a plate for attaching implements that is rigidly connected to an excavator by at least four arms. A pair of said aims are coupled with the wrist pin of the excavator,and a second pair of said arms are rigidly fastened to the inside portion of the side walls of the excavator. The patent to Logan also discloses a hinged attachment device for connecting tools or implements to an excavator. The attachment device is connected to a plate with multiple hinges that engage the excavator. The attachment device pivots about the hinges and pins are used to secure the base of the attachment to the excavator. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,142 to Truan discloses a bucket-mounted sweeper implement and a proposed apparatus for attaching such an implement to a bucket. The Truan Patent discloses an implement that is permanently, rigidly affixed to a housing wherein the housing has a pair of top mounting brackets on both sides of the housing that are each provided with multiple attachment points. When it is desired to place the implement into use, the implement and its housing and mounting brackets may be bolted to two mounting arms that are themselves pinned to the inside portions of the side walls of a bucket. The apparatus appears to be primarily designed for use with a brush-type implement with a housing that can be connected on each of its ends to the mounting arms at the location of the mounting brackets and will then hang down from the bucket and can be moved along a surface for sweeping particulate materials. The apparatus is problematic during actual use because removal of a specific implement requites that the implement and its mounting brackets must be unbolted from each of the mounting arms. Alternatively, an implement can be removed by unpinning the mounting arms from the sidewalls of the bucket while the implement is still bolted to the mounting arms, but this does not allow for immediate attachment of a different implement to the bucket because such a changeover to another implement would still require the unbolting of the implement from the mounting arms. Thus, a changeover between implements is cumbersome and inefficient. It is also unclear how much support is provided to various implements by the feet of the mounting arms that engage with the bottom wall of the bucket, and it is possible that heavier implements may not be well supported by the apparatus, whereas the brush implement disclosed by Truan apparently receives at least some physical support from the ground or surface underlying the brush implement&#39;s bristles. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    An implement attachment device for the attachment of various implements to a tractor bucket is disclosed. Problems and limitations in the prior art are overcome by the disclosed implement attachment device that permits rapid attachment or detachment of implements to a tractor bucket using one or more receivers that are provided by a main receiver bar. The implements are removably pinned in place to the main receiver bar by pins that pass through holes provided in the shank of the implements and through holes provided in the receivers of the main receiver bar. Additionally, the implement attachment device may be pivoted and reversibly locked into either an upright, stowed position for standard use of the tractor bucket, or may be pivoted and locked into a lower, use-ready position for the use of one or more attached. implements that are connected to the main receiver bar. 
         [0011]    The implement attachment device includes a main receiver bar that is connected to two swing arms. The two swing arms are each connected to a sidewall of the tractor bucket with both a pivot pin and a positioning pin. The positioning pin may be inserted in either a top position hole when the implement attachment device is in the upright, stowed position, or in a bottom position hole when the implement attachment device is in the lower, use-ready position. In order to switch from the stowed position to the use-ready position, the positioning pin is removed from the top position hole, the swing arms and attached main receiver bar are rotated downward away from the top edge of the bucket and toward the bottom edge of the bucket, and then the swing arms are each re-pinned using the positioning pins by inserting the positioning pins through the bottom position holes. This process will move the implement attachment device to the lower, use-ready position. It should be appreciated that this process may be reversed in order to move the implement attachment device, and any attached implements attached thereto, back to the stowed position near the top of the tractor bucket. 
         [0012]    The implement attachment device is also adjustable in relation to the width of the tractor bucket to which it is intended to be attached and used. At the location of the connections between the two swing arms and the main receiver bar, the swing arms are of a smaller diameter and will slidably fit into open ends of the main receiver bar and may be slid to and fro within the body of the main receiver bar until the time of final assembly, at which point the two swing arms are rigidly affixed to the main receiver bar using rigid affixation means. Thus, the implement attachment device can be adjusted to fit the width of most tractor buckets during assembly of the device onto the tractor bucket. 
         [0013]    The implement attachment device hereby disclosed overcomes a number of limitations with the prior art because it allows for rapid changeover between different types of implements and because it also allows for implements to remain attached to the bucket of a tractor yet they can be moved into a stowed position in which the tractor&#39;s bucket may be used in standard fashion for an interim time between consecutive uses of the attached implements. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The disclosed implement attachment device will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments, wherein: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the implement attachment device and implements mounted on a tractor bucket; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the implement attachment device, attached implements, and a tractor bucket; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a closer perspective view of the swing arm and a portion of the main receiver bar of the implement attachment device demonstrating how the swing arm and the main receiver bar are slidably connected during assembly of the device; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the implement attachment device mounted on the bucket of a tractor demonstrating how the positioning pins may be removed from the bottom position holes in the tractor bucket&#39;s sidewalls; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the implement attachment device mounted on a tractor bucket demonstrating movement of the device from a use-ready position to a stowed position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the implement attachment device mounted on a tractor bucket; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the implement attachment device mounted on a tractor bucket demonstrating scooping motion of the tractor bucket when the device is in a stowed position; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view demonstrating movement of the tractor bucket when the device is in a stowed position; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of the implement attachment device mounted on a tractor bucket with the device in a use-ready position and with a platform type of implement connected to the tractor bucket using the device; 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of the implement attachment device with a ball hitch implement attached to the tractor bucket using the device; 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the tractor implement device mounted on the tractor bucket of a tractor with a roller implement connected to the bucket using the device and wherein the roller implement is being used to smooth a surface; 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is a front perspective view of the implement attachment device and a roller implement showing how the roller implement may be mounted onto the main receiver bar of the device in order to connect the roller implement to a tractor bucket. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]      FIG. 1  illustrates an implement attachment device  7  configured to be mountable on a tractor bucket  3  where the tractor bucket is attached to one or more tractor arms  2  of a tractor  1 . The implement attachment device  7  includes a main receiver bar  10  that is provided with one or more receivers  12  that serve as sockets into which the shank  41  of an implement  40  may be fitted. An implement pin  16  is used to reversibly attach the implement  40  to the main receiver bar  10  by reversibly pinning the shank  41  of the implement  40  within the body of the receiver  12 . The main receiver bar  1 . 0  is rigidly affixed to a pair of swing arms  14 . In one embodiment, rigid affixation of the swing arms  14  to the main receiver bar  10  is accomplished by means of at least one fastener  18  per swing arm  14  rigidly affixing the swing arms  14  to the main receiver bar  10 . Each swing arm  14  is attached to a side wall  4  of the tractor bucket  3  by a pivot pin  20  and a positioning pin  22 . The implement attachment device  7  is shown in a use-ready position in  FIG. 1 . in which the swing aims  14  are angled downward from the location of the pivot pin  20  toward the bottom wall  5  of the tractor bucket  3  such that the main receiver bar  10  is located toward the bottom of the bucket  3  and in close proximity to the front edge of the bottom wall  5  of the tractor bucket  3  with the one or more receivers  12  facing forward. As can be seen in referring to  FIG. 1 , when the implement attachment device  7  is in a use-ready position, the top position hole  27  through each sidewall  4  of the bucket  3  is not in use because the positioning pin  22  is engaged in the bottom position hole (not shown) in order to maintain the implement attachment device  7  in the use-ready position. In a preferred embodiment, the implement attachment device  7  will also feature a pair of support members  24 , each of which is a protrusion that is rigidly affixed to, and extending from, a surface of each sidewall  4  of the tractor bucket  3 . The support members  24  physically support the swing arms  14  when the implement attachment device  7  is in the use-ready position as shown in  FIG. 1 . The support members  24  are either a metal protrusion welded onto each sidewall  4  of the bucket  3 , or preferably, a bolt or screw that is rigidly affixed to the sidewall  4 , possibly using a nut or washer and nut where the bolt or screw is inserted through a support hole (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) in the sidewall  4  and engages the nut on the opposing planar side of the sidewall  4 . It is also possible to use a pin as a rigid support member  24  without departing from the scope of the inventive concepts hereby disclosed. While the inventive concepts disclosed may be practiced without the rigid support members  24 , it is not advisable to do so since the support members  24  provide physical support for carrying heavier loads using the attached implements  40 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is an exploded front perspective view of the implement attachment device  7  and the tractor bucket  3  that illustrates additional features of the implement attachment device  7 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the main receiver bar  10  includes at least one, and preferably a multiplicity of, receivers  12 , wherein each receiver  12  has one or more receiver holes  17  that pass through one or more walls of the receiver  12 . As shown by path lines in  FIG. 2 , an implement  40  may be inserted into a receiver  12  by inserting the shank  41  of the implement  40  into a receiver  12  and then inserting an implement pin  16  through the receiver holes  17  and through a pin hole  42  that is provided through the shank  41  of the implement  40 . The implement pin  16  may be any suitable type of attachment means such as a screw, bolt, hitch pin, or other similar attachment means, but in a preferred embodiment the implement pin  16  is a bolt or a pin secured in place by a cotter pin  11  (such as a clevis pin—cotter pin combination or other similar arrangement) that fits around an end of the implement pin  16  or through a hole provided through the implement pin  16  (not shown) to secure it in place in a manner that is well understood by those skilled in the art. 
         [0029]    As can be appreciated from viewing the path lines shown in  FIG. 2 , during assembly of the implement attachment device  7  onto the tractor bucket  3 , the pair of swing arms  14  will connect the main receiver bar  10  to the tractor bucket  3 . Each swing arm  14  has a top pivot end  15  and a bottom slide end  17  that are orthogonal to each other. The top pivot end  15  of each swing arm  14  is reversibly attached to a sidewall  4  of the tractor bucket  3  by means of a pivot pin  20  and a positioning pin  22 . As illustrated by path lines in  FIG. 2 , when the implement attachment device  7  is assembled on the tractor bucket  3 , the pivot pin  20  is inserted through an arm pivot hole  30  that is disposed within the top pivot end  15  of each swing arm  14 , and also through a bucket pivot hole  21  that is disposed within each side wall  4  of the tractor bucket  3 . As further illustrated by path lines shown in  FIG. 2 , the top pivot end  15  of each swing aim  14  is reversibly connected to the tractor bucket  3  with a positioning pin  22  that is reversibly inserted through an arm positioning hole  29  and into either a bottom position hole  23  or a top position hole  27 , both of which position holes are disposed at different locations within each sidewall  4  of the tractor bucket  3 . 
         [0030]    After assembly, the implement attachment device  7  will be in a use-ready position when the positioning pin  22  is inserted through the arm positioning hole  29  and through the bottom position hole  23 . This arrangement will place the main receiver bar  10  into close proximity with the leading edge of the bottom wall  5  of the tractor bucket  3  with the one or more receivers  12  facing forward in relation to the bucket  3 , and in this use-ready position, any attached implement  40  held by the main receiver bar  10  will extend forward from the leading edge of the bottom wall  5  of the tractor bucket  3 . The implement attachment device  7  can be moved to a stowed position by removing the positioning pin  22  from the bottom position hole  23 , swinging the top pivot ends  15  of both swing arms  14  upwards such that the main body of the device, including both swing arms  14  and the main receiver bar  10  that is connected between then, is rotated upwards around the pivot pin  20 , and then inserting the positioning pin  22  into the top position hole  27 . These steps will move the implement attachment device  7  from a use-ready position to a stowed position in which the swing arms  14  and main receiver bar  10  are held in place near the top of the bucket  3  by the positioning pins  20 . Once the implement attachment device  7 , including each swing arm  14  and the main receiver bar  10 , is in the stowed position near the top of the tractor bucket  3 , the tractor bucket  3  can then be used to scoop up, handle, and move particulate material in standard manner without interference from the implement attachment device  7  or any implement  40  that may still be attached to the main receiver bar  10  of the device. The pivot pins  20  will stay in their position in which they are engaged through the arm pivot holes  30  of the swing arms  14  and through the bucket pivot holes  21  of each sidewall  4  during the entire time that the device is switched between a use-ready position and a stowed position. 
         [0031]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , during assembly of the implement attachment device  7  onto the tractor bucket  3 , the bottom slide ends  17  of the swing arms  14  are initially slidably connected to opposite ends of the main receiver bar  10  by inserting the bottom slide ends  17  in male-female fashion into openings that are disposed within each end of the main receiver bar  10  for receiving and slidably holding the bottom slide end  17  of a swing arm  14 . Each bottom slide end  17  has a smaller cross-sectional area or smaller diameter than the openings at the ends of the main receiver bar  10  that serve as receiving means for the bottom slide ends  17 , and therefore, during assembly but prior to final assembly, each bottom slide end  17  of each swing arm  14  is capable of sliding freely into and sliding to and fro within the body of the main receiver bar  10 . During the assembly process, each bottom slide end  17  is adjusted by sliding it within the body of the main receiver bar  10  to a point where each swing arm  14  is in position adjacent to a sidewall  4  of the bucket  3  such that the top pivot end  15  of each swing arras  14  can be pinned to a sidewall  4  of the tractor bucket  3 . The top pivot ends  15  of the swing arms  14  are then pinned to the bucket  3  using the pivot pins  20  that are inserted through the aim pivot holes  30  disposed within the pivot ends  15  and the bucket pivot holes  21  that are disposed within the sidewalls  4 , and optionally also using the positioning pins  22  to pin the pivot ends  15  of the swing arms  14  to the sidewalls  4 . Final assembly will involve the bottom slide ends  17  of each swing arm  14  being rigidly affixed to the main receiver bar  10 . In some embodiments, rigid affixation of the bottom slide end  17  of each swing arm  14  to the main receiver bar  10  may be accomplished using one or more pre-marked holes  32  in the bottom slide ends  17  and one or more pre-set holes  19  in the main receiver bar  10 , along with a bolt  18 . Rigid affixation of each bottom slide end  17  of each swing aim  14  to the main receiver bar  10  may alternatively be accomplished using any other rigid affixation means, including but not limited to use of a screw with a nut or nut and washer, welding, pinning, or any other similar means that are well understood in the art. To the extent that pre-marked holes  32  may optionally be located on the bottom slide end  17  of each swing arm  14  in some embodiments, along with pre-set holes  19  that may optionally be located on the main receiver bar  10  at predetermined distances apart, the locations and distances of such pre-marked holes  32  and pre-set holes  19  will be such that the overall structure of the implement attachment device  7  may be adjusted to fit tractor buckets of several different commonly-encountered widths at the time of assembly. Use of pre-marked holes  32  and pre-set holes  19  is not required to practice the invention, but are part of an optional embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, the implement attachment device  7  will be able to be assembled onto any tractor bucket  3  having a width of between 48 inches to 72 inches, with the width of the bucket  3  being the distance measured between the outside planar surfaces of the opposing sidewalls  4  of the bucket  3 . Thus, in such a preferred embodiment, the bottom slide ends  17  of the swing arms  14  are capable of being slidably adjusted during assembly by sliding them to and fro within the body of the main receiver bar  10  and then rigidly affixing each to the main receiver bar  10  during final assembly in a position such that the top pivot ends  15  of the pair of swing arms  14  will be anywhere from 48 inches to 72 inches apart when the implement attachment device  7  is finally assembled on a bucket, with the distance between the top pivot ends  15  of the swing arms  14  being determined by the width of the tractor bucket  3  onto which the device is being assembled. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the implement attachment device  7  mounted on a tractor bucket  3 , which is, in turn, mounted on tractor arms  2  of a tractor  1 . Arrows in  FIG. 4  demonstrate the removal of the positioning pins  22  from the bottom position holes (not shown in front view) that are disposed through the sidewalls  4  of the tractor bucket  3 . Removal of the positioning pins  22  is required in order to switch the implement attachment device  7  from the use-ready position at the bottom of the tractor bucket  3  where the main receiver bar is located near the bottom wall  5  of the bucket  3  to a stowed position near the top of the tractor bucket  3  by rotating the main body of the device, including the swing arms  14  and the main receiver bar  10 , upwards around the pivot pins  20  that will stay in place during this switch. 
         [0033]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the implement attachment device  7  mounted on a tractor bucket  3  where the switching of the implement attachment device  7  from the use-ready position  101  that is shown in phantom with a dashed line, to an upright stowed position  102 , is illustrated. The curved arrow  103  illustrates rotation of the implement attachment device  7  and an attached implement  40  upward around the pivot pin  20  to the stowed position  102 . Additional arrows demonstrate insertion of the positioning pins  22  into the top position holes (not labeled) in order to place the device into the stowed position  102  near the top of the bucket  3 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the implement attachment device  7  mounted on a tractor bucket  3  in the stowed position  102 . As can be observed in reference to  FIG. 6 , when the device is in a stowed position  102 , both swing arms  14 , the main receiver bar (not visible in side view), and any implement  40  that may be attached to a receiver  12  by means of an implement pin  16 , will be located near the top of the bucket  3  and away from the bottom wall  5  of the bucket  3 .  FIG. 6  illustrates that the positioning pins  22  are not engaged in the bottom position holes  23  that are disposed through each sidewall  4 , but rather, they are engaged with the top position holes (not shown) closer to the top of the bucket  3  such that the implement attachment device  7  is no longer in front of the tractor bucket  3 , but is in the stowed position  102  at the top of the bucket  3 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the implement attachment device  7  illustrating use of the tractor bucket  3  to scoop materials up when the implement attachment device  7  is pinned in a stowed position  102  near the top of the bucket  3 . The tractor bucket  3  is illustrated as moving with scooping action from a first bucket location  202 ′ that is shown in phantom with dashed lines, to a second bucket location  202 , while the implement attachment device  7  remains in the stowed position  102  (the device in the stowed position prior to movement of the bucket is shown in phantom at location  102 ′ with dashed lines). As can be visualized and understood from reviewing  FIG. 7 , when the implement attachment device  7  is pinned in a stowed position  102 , the implement attachment device  7  will be located away from the bottom wall  5  of the bucket  3  and therefore the bucket  3  can be used in standard fashion to scoop up particulate materials and move them from one place to another. 
         [0036]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the implement attachment device  7  assembled on a tractor bucket  3  where the tractor bucket  3  is illustrated as being raised upward by a curved arrow  303  in order to move or haul particulate materials in the bucket  3  in standard fashion. As can be seen, when the tractor bucket  3  is raised from an initial lower position  301  illustrated in phantom by dashed lines, to a subsequent higher position  302 , the implement attachment device  7 , including the main receiver bar  10  and the swing anus  14 , along with any attached implement  40 , moves with the bucket  3  as it is raised to the higher position  302 . Thus, the implement attachment device  7  can remain in the stowed position without interfering with an operator raising or lowering the tractor bucket  3 , and without interfering with moving or hauling of particulate materials from one place to another using the tractor  1  and its bucket  3 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of the implement attachment device  7  as assembled on a tractor bucket  3  with the implement attachment device  7  in a use-ready position in which the positioning pins  22  have been removed from the top position holes  27  that are disposed within the sidewalls  4  of the tractor bucket  3  and have been re-pinned in the bottom position holes (not labeled) that are located closer to the bottom wall  5  of the tractor bucket  3 . The embodiment of the implement attachment device  7  is shown with the optional support members  24  in place on the sidewalls  4  to provide physical support for the swing arms  14  of the device.  FIG. 9  illustrates the fact that a platform type implement  50  may be attached to the bucket  3  using the implement attachment device  7  by inserting the shanks (not shown) of the platform type implement  50  into the receivers  12  of the main receiver bar and reversibly pinning them in place by inserting implement pins (not labeled) through one or more receiver holes (not labeled) disposed within the receivers  12  and through pin holes disposed (not visualized) within the shanks of the platform type implement  50  in a similar fashion to what was previously illustrated for the implement  40  that is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 10  demonstrates that a ball hitch type implement  60  may be inserted into a receiver  12  of the main receiver bar  10  and pinned in place using an implement pin  16 . The ball hitch type implement  60  allows the operator of a tractor to move ball hitch trailers (not shown) from one place to another using a tractor on which the device has been assembled. 
         [0039]      FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12  both illustrate that a roller implement  72  may be attached using the device by the interconnection method  70  demonstrated in which implement pins  16  are used to connect the roller implement  72 .  FIG. 12  also specifically illustrates an alternative embodiment of the implement attachment device  74  in which the entire implement attachment device is all one unitary piece of metal or plastic and there is no assembly of individual swing arms and main receiver bar to form an assembly because the entire implement attachment bar is a single, unitary piece of equipment that comprises a metal or plastic frame with main receiver bar and swing arms that are all part of the unitary structure that can be attached to the sidewalls of a tractor bucket and used to attach various types of implements such as the roller implement  72  that is illustrated. 
         [0040]    The primary purpose of  FIG. 10 - FIG. 12  is to demonstrate that a multiplicity of different types of tools and implements may be attached to a tractor bucket using the implement attachment device and that the types of tools or implements that may be attached using the device are not limited to fork or tine type tools. In practice, several other implements that are not illustrated by the drawings, such as a grape vine puller and an elongated hay spike, have also been demonstrated as implements that may be attached to a tractor bucket using the implement attachment device, wherein each implement has one or more shanks with pin holes such that the shanks of the implements may be inserted into one or more receivers of the main receiver bar and pinned in place with implement pins in a manner similar to what has been shown and illustrated in the attached patent drawings. 
         [0041]    For purposes of the drawings and the description provided hereinabove, the connections between the swing arms  14  and the sidewalls  4  of the bucket  3  may be pins, bolts, screws, or any other similar fastener that may be used to reversibly connect the swing arms  14  to the sidewalls  4  utilizing the various types of holes in the swing arms  14  and sidewalls as have been described. The terms “pin,” “bolt,” or screw,” are not meant to be limiting, and it should be understood that any type of reversible fastener that allows for rotational pivoting motion of the top pivot end  15  of the swing arms  14  in order to move the implement attachment device  7  between the use-ready position  101  and the stowed position  102  comes within the scope of the inventive concepts defined within the appended hereto. Likewise, any type of reversible fastener that allows for reversibly locking the implement attachment device  7  in place in either the stowed position  102  or the use-ready position  101  comes within the scope of the inventive concepts. 
         [0042]    In a preferred embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed, all of the connections between the pivot ends  15  of the swing arms  14  and the sidewalls  4  of the bucket  3  are pins that may be relatively quickly pinned or unpinned in place as described in the foregoing descriptions. The reason for the use of pins in the preferred embodiment instead of bolts or screws with a nut or locking nut, is that pins can be readily removed in order to disconnect the entire implement attachment device from the bucket of a tractor and then simply move the tractor and its bucket backward away from the device. While other previous implement adapter devices have been touted as providing a “quick-release” feature or other similar ease of connection and disconnection, the implement attachment device that is hereby disclosed actually fulfills such promises because removal of two pins on each side of the tractor bucket is all that is required to disconnect the device from the tractor. 
         [0043]    To the extent that pins are used in some embodiments of the device, including the preferred embodiment, the pins that are employed may be a clevis pin—cotter pin type combination, bow-tie locking cotter pin combination, hitch pin, or any other similar type of pin or pin combination that provides for easy connection and easy disconnection of the swing anus and the sidewalls of the bucket. The connections may also be accomplished using bolts, screws, washers, or other similar reversible connection means, but quickly removable pins are the preferred types of connectors for the device for the reasons stated above. 
         [0044]    It should also be recognized that the support members  24  shown in the drawings and discussed in the description above, though optional, are an important aspect of the preferred embodiment of the inventive concepts hereby disclosed. While such support members  24  connected to the sidewalls are not strictly required to practice the inventive concepts disclosed, to the extent that extremely heavy loads are to be loaded onto one or more implements attached to the tractor bucket  2  using the implement attachment device  7 , the support members  24  will provide a significant amount of physical support to the swing arms  14  supporting the heavy load. The support members  24  may be welded metal protrusions, bolts, screws, washers, or any other type of solid protrusion from the sidewalls  4  that serves as a support for the swing arms  14 . Alternatively, the inventive concepts disclosed may be practiced with alternative types of support for the device, such as support means rigidly affixed to the bottom wall  5  of the bucket  3  that would underlie and support the main receiver bar  10  when it is in a use-ready position. Although such alternative means of support come within the scope of the inventive disclosure described and hereinafter claimed, the inventor&#39;s preferred embodiment involves support members that are rigid protrusions from the sidewalls of the bucket. 
         [0045]    With regard to the pre-marked holes  32  provided along the bottom slide end  17  of each swing arm  14  and the pre-set holes  19  provided in the main receiver bar  10  in some embodiments, it should be appreciated that such pre-marked holes  32  and such pre-set holes  19  are not strictly necessary to practice the inventive concepts disclosed. Furthermore, to the extent that such pre-marked holes  32  and such pre-set holes  19  are used in a preferred embodiment of the implement attachment device  7 , there will be two pre-set holes  19 , with each of pre-set holes  19  being a true hole through the main receiver bar  10  that is located in relative proximity to the ends of the main receiver bar  10  and at some distance from the center of the main receiver bar  10 . With reference to the pre-marked holes  32 , such pre-marked holes  32  will not be true holes through the bottom slide ends  17  of the swing arms  14 , but rather, the pre-marked holes  32  will be a multiplicity of dimples or etched spots within each of the bottom slide ends  17  where a true hole through each of the bottom slide ends  17  can be drilled during assembly of the device in order to subsequently rigidly affix the bottom slide ends  17  of the swing arms  14  to the main receiver bar  10  by means of bolts, screws, or pins in the manner described above. The reason for using dimples or etched spots for the pre-marked holes  32  along the bottom slide ends  17  rather than actual pre-drilled holes is that the inventor has discovered during a reduction to practice that a multiplicity of pre-drilled holes that are actual holes through bottom slide ends  17  of the swing arms  14  reduces the overall integrity and physical strength of the entire implement attachment device  7  once it is assembled and put into use. As a result, in a preferred embodiment incorporating,the pre-marked holes  32  that are set at certain distances along the bottom slide ends  17 , the assembler of the device will position the bottom slide ends  17  of the swing arms  14  within the ends of the main receiver bar  10  and slide the swing arms  14  to the proper width apart in relation to the width of the tractor bucket  3 , and then the assembler will drill an actual hole through one of the pre-marked holes  32  in each of the bottom slide ends  17  and use a bolt, screw, or pin to rigidly affix each of the swing arms  14  to the main receiver bar  10  using each of the now-drilled pre-marked holes  32  in a manner that is well understood in the art. 
         [0046]    Although the inventive concepts hereby disclosed have been described with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that the above-described specific embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concepts disclosed, but merely to illustrate some of the specific embodiments of the implement attachment device. It should be understood that various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventive concepts, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the embodiments that is provided or upon reference to the appended claims. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover and read upon all such modifications and alternative embodiments that fall within the scope of the inventive concepts that are claimed by the inventor.