Abstract:
A bucket attachment for skid loaders and the like that provides a forward hinge material bucket that effectively extends the usable load height for the bucket. The bucket attachment affords loading material into higher trucks using the same skid loader by a uniquely positioned bucket dual pivot system.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/273,970, filed on Aug. 12, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device relates to loader buckets that are mounted on the end of hydraulically activated booms of wheeled loader type vehicles. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art loader buckets have been provided for a different boom and front loader hydraulic arm assemblies that allow for the collection, moving and dumping of bucket material contents typically within a truck or other type of wheeled conveyance. Such bucket attachments are hydraulically operated having fixed pivot points and attached hydraulic piston arm so that the bucket can be pivoted to vertical position dumping the contents therein, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,705,656, 4,080,746, 6,474,933 and 6,578,297. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,656, a bucket attachment is disclosed having transversely mounted pair of hydraulic cylinders with rods extending from both ends for registerable engagement within sockets on the bucket for quick removal and mounting. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,746 discloses a loader bucket for earth working equipment having a pivoted arm assembly connected to the bucket assembly for pivoting the bucket from a mid forward point on the bucket. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,933 claims an extended reach vertical lift boom wherein a bucket attachment is provided on the end of the loader arms with a piston and cylinder assembly mounted thereabove and to the bucket. 
     Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,297 discloses a skidder attachment and sub-attachment for earth moving equipment bucket. The bucket is pivotally secured to the load arms at its back lower corners with a piston and cylinder totally secured thereabout allowing for tilting and unloading the bucket contents on the end of a power activated boom. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A unique bucket attachment for front loaders, skid loaders and other earth moving machines. The bucket attachment is secured to the arm&#39;s end with a bucket support frame having a pair of hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies thereon. The bucket attachment is pivoted from front side mounts with a main arm pivot and a piston rod actuated pivot position thereabove allowing for a front end pivot of the bucket from the attachment mounting frame. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the bucket attachment in open dumped position. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the bucket attachment in down closed position. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the bucket attachment in open pivoted extended dump position. 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view thereof. 
         FIG. 5  is a rear elevational view thereof. 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view showing the bucket attachment on a loader in extended pivoted dump position during use. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  of the drawings, a hydraulic bucket attachment  10  of the invention can be seen having a main support frame  11  with a pair of L-shaped arm supports  12  and  13  extending in spaced parallel relation to one another. A center equipment mounting assembly frame  14  extends between vertical sections  15 A and  15 B of the arm supports  12  and  13 , best seen in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. The arm supports  12  and  13  are identical having horizontally extending arm portions  12 A and  13 A, each with a pivoted mounting bucket activation piston and cylinder assembly  16 A and  16 B thereon. 
     The respective free ends of the arm portions  12 A and  13 A are apertured with a main bucket pivot mounting pin P therein as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     The central equipment mounting assembly  14 , best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 6  of the drawings has a pair of vertically spaced transverse frame members  17  and  18  with reinforcing plates  19  and  20  extending therebetween in abutting relationship to said respective vertical bucket arm sections  15 A and  15 B. Openings are provided for hydraulic fluid lines L which extend along the respective outside surfaces S of the arm supports  12  and  13  to the aforedescribed piston and cylinder assemblies  16 A and  16 B thereon. It will be noted that each of the extending arm portions  12 A and  13 B have an area of reduced cross-sectional dimension at  19 A to provide mounting space for the piston and cylinder assemblies  16 A and  16 B which are pivotally secured to the respective arm portions  12 A and  13 A at the reduced transition vertical dimension point TP. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4  of the drawings, a material load bucket  20  can be seen pivotally attached to the hereinbefore described arm portions  12 A and  12 B of, the main support frame  11 . The bucket  20  has oppositely disposed spaced parallel sidewalls  21  and  22  interconnected with a back wall  23  and reinforcing top plate  24  thereacross. Each of the sidewalls  21  and  22  has an elongated frame receiving pocket channel  25  extending from a base bucket bottom plate  26  interconnecting the respective sidewalls  21  and  22  and back wall  23  into an integral structural configuration. The frame pocket chambers  25  are closed within the bucket area with their respective open channels facing downwardly and are so aligned to receive the respective arm portions  12 A and  12 B with their respective piston and cylinder assemblies  16 A and  16 B when pivotally engaged thereon as best seen in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. 
     A reinforced plate edge  27  extends along the front free edge of the bottom plate  26  between the sidewalls  21  and  22  in front of the hereinbefore described pocket channels  25  as best seen in  FIG. 4  of the drawings. 
     In operation, the material bucket  20  once secured to the pivoted mounting hook  28  extending from a loader  29  shown in  FIG. 6  of the drawings is initially positioned in a down orientation resting on the horizontal arm portions  12 A and  12 B shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  5  of the drawings. The main pivot pin P pivotally secures from the front of the bucket  20  to the arms  12 A and  12 B shown in broken lines in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. 
     The hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly  16 A and  16 B respective rods are pivotally secured to corresponding aligned apertures A in the defined bucket channels  25  in offset vertical spaced relation to the main pivot pin P. 
     It will be evident that this spacing will allow the bucket  20  to pivot forward during the piston and cylinder activation as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  6  of the drawings increasing the relative dump access height to that of the arms  12 A and  12 B as they are extended from the boom of the loader  29  as opposed to a standard bucket attachment which typically pivots from the back of the bucket attachment as is well known in the art. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel high lift extending bucket attachment for loader equipment has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.