Abstract:
A push tube adapter for an off-road vehicle which enables the rearward end of a push tube assembly to be mounted on various vehicle mounts.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a push tube adapter for an off-road vehicle and more particularly to an adapter which enables the rearward end of a push tube assembly to be attached to various mounts secured to the underside of the off-road vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, it has become common to mount an implement such as a plow blade, mower or rotary sweeper on the forward end of an off-road vehicle such as an ATV, UTV, garden tractor or the like. A majority of manufacturers utilize an elongated push tube assembly to mount the implement onto the vehicle. Most push tube assemblies include a pair of elongated, horizontally spaced-apart push tubes having forward and rearward ends. Manufacturers such as Cycle Country Accessories Corporation (“CCAC”), Warn Industries (“Warn”), and Moose Utility Division (“Moose”) secure the rearward ends of the push tubes to the underside of the vehicle midway between the forward and rearward ends of the vehicle. The above manufacturers secure a mount or mount plate to the frame of the vehicle with the mount having a pair of transversely spaced-apart pivot brackets secured thereto to which the rearward ends of the pivot tubes are pivotally secured about a horizontal axis. The pivot brackets on the mount of CCAC are 12.5 inches apart. The pivot brackets on the mount of Moose are 7.25 inches apart while the pivot brackets on the mount of Warn are 12.25 inches apart. 
     The difference in the spacing of the pivot brackets of CCAC, Warn and Moose prevents a CCAC push tube assembly from being mounted on a Warn or Moose mount, prevents a Warn push tube assembly to be mounted on a CCAC or Moose mount, and prevents a Moose push tube assembly to be mounted on a CCAC or Warn mount. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     An adapter for attaching the rearward end of a push tube assembly to a mount secured to the underside of an off-road vehicle is disclosed. The adapter is adapted to be utilized with an elongated, generally horizontally disposed push tube assembly which is used for attaching an implement to an off-road vehicle having a forward end, a rearward end, an underside and a mount secured to the underside thereof with the mount including a pair of transversely spaced-apart mounting brackets. The push tube assembly includes first and second elongated push tubes having forward and rearward ends. 
     The adapter of this invention is comprised of a generally horizontally disposed and rectangular flat adapter plate having a first end, a second end, a forward end, a rearward end, a top surface and a bottom surface. The adapter plate has a first pair of bolt openings formed therein adjacent the first end thereof and has a second pair of bolt openings formed therein adjacent the second end thereof. The adapter plate has a third pair of bolt openings formed therein laterally inwardly of the first pair of bolt openings and has a fourth pair of bolt openings formed therein laterally inwardly of the second pair of bolt openings. 
     The adapter also includes a first mounting bracket having a horizontally disposed bottom wall portion having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side, and an upstanding wall portion extending upwardly from the second side of the bottom wall portion with the upstanding wall portion having at least one opening formed therein adjacent the upper end thereof. The bottom wall portion of the first mounting bracket has a pair of bolt openings formed therein. 
     The adapter also includes a second mounting bracket having a horizontally disposed bottom wall portion having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side, and an upstanding wall portion extending upwardly from the second side of the bottom wall portion with the upstanding wall portion having at least one opening formed therein adjacent the upper end thereof. The bottom wall portion of the second mounting bracket has a pair of bolt openings formed therein. The rearward ends of the first and second push tubes are secured to the adapter plate so as to extend forwardly therefrom. 
     Each of the first and second mounting brackets are selectively secured to the adapter plate in first, second and third positions so that the rearward end of the push tube assembly may be selectively secured to at least three different mounts with the upper ends of the upstanding wall portions of the first and second mounting brackets being pivotally secured to the pivot brackets on the mount which is secured to the underside of the off-road vehicle. 
     It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a push tube adapter for use with an off-road vehicle so that the push tube assembly thereof may be secured to at least three different mounts secured to the underside of an off-road vehicle. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a push tube adapter of the type described above which enables a CCAC push tube assembly to be secured to a CCAC mount, a Warn mount, or a Moose mount. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an adapter of the type described which enables a Moose push tube assembly to be selectively secured to a CCAC or Warn mount. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a push tube adapter of the type described which enables a Warn push tube assembly to be selectively secured to a CCAC or Moose mount. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of the adapter plate of the push tube adapter of this invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a top view of one of the mounting brackets of the push tube adapter of this invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a top view of the other mounting brackets; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating the adapter of this invention assembled in a first configuration; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating the adapter of this invention assembled in a second configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating the adapter of this invention assembled in a third configuration; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged partial perspective view of that shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged partial perspective view of that shown in  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged partial perspective view of that shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
     The numeral  10  refers to the adapter of this invention including an adapter plate  12 , a first mounting bracket  14  and a second mounting bracket  16 . For purposes of description, adapter plate  12  will be described as having a forward end  18 , rearward end  20 , a left end  22 , right end  24 , top surface  26  and bottom surface  28 . As seen, adapter plate  12  is generally rectangular in configuration and is preferably constructed of a steel material. Adapter plate  12  has bolt openings  30  and  32  formed therein adjacent left end  22 , bolt openings  34  and  36  formed therein adjacent right end  24 , bolt openings  38  and  40  formed therein inwardly of bolt openings  30  and  32  respectively, and bolt openings  42  and  44  formed therein inwardly of bolt openings  34  and  36  respectively. Bolt openings  30  and  32  will be described as being a first pair of bolt openings with bolt openings  34  and  36  being described as a second pair of bolt openings. Bolt openings  38  and  40  will be described as a third pair of bolt openings while bolt openings  42  and  44  will be described as being a fourth pair of bolt openings. 
     Mounting bracket  14  includes a bottom wall portion  46  having a first end  48  and a second end  50 . Mounting bracket  14  also includes an upstanding wall portion  52  which extends upwardly from the second end  50  of bottom wall portion  48 . Upstanding wall portion  52  includes a tapered upper end  54 . At least one end and preferably two bolt openings or pin openings  56  and  58  are formed in upstanding wall portion  52  as seen in the drawings. Bottom wall portion  46  includes a pair of bolt openings  60  and  62  formed therein. 
     Mounting bracket  16  includes a bottom wall portion  64  having a first end  66  and a second end  68 . Mounting bracket  16  also includes an upstanding wall portion  70  which extends upwardly from the second end  68  of bottom wall portion  64 . Upstanding wall portion  70  has a tapered upper end  72 . At least one and preferably two pin openings or bolt openings  74  and  76  are formed in upstanding wall portion  72  adjacent the upper end thereof as illustrated in the drawings. Bottom wall portion  64  has a pair of bolt openings  78  and  80  formed therein as seen. 
     In the drawings, the numeral  84  refers to a push tube assembly which is manufactured by CCAC of Spencer, Iowa. Push tube assembly  84  includes elongated push tubes  86  and  88  having a front adapter assembly  90  at the forward ends thereof. The adapter assembly  90  is designed to be secured to an implement such as a plow blade, rotary sweeper, mower, trash shuttle, etc. The rearward ends of push tubes  86  and  88  are secured to the adapter plate  12  by welding or bolts. Although a CCAC push tube assembly  84  is shown, the push tube assembly could be that manufactured by any manufacturer such as Moose Utility Division or Warn Industries. 
     The mounting brackets  14  and  16  of adapter  10  are designed to be pivotally connected to a pair of pivot brackets secured to a mount or mounting plate secured to the underside of the an off-road vehicle such as an ATV, UTV or garden tractor. 
     When the push tube assembly  84  is to be secured to a mount wherein the pivot brackets thereof are spaced 12.5 inches apart, the mounting bracket  14  will be secured to the right end of adapter plate  12  and the mounting bracket  16  will be secured to the left end of adapter plate as seen in  FIGS. 3 and 6 . In that position, the bolt openings in the bottom wall portion  46  of mounting bracket  14  will be aligned with openings  34  and  36  in adapter plate  12  and the bolt openings in bottom wall portion  64  of mounting bracket  16  will be aligned with openings  30  and  32  in adapter plate  12  with carriage bolts  92  extending therethrough to secure the mounting brackets  14  and  16  to adapter plate  12 . As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the upstanding wall portions  52  and  70  of mounting brackets  14  and  16  are at the outer sides of the mounting brackets  14  and  16  respectively. When the adapter  10  is to be secured to a mount wherein the pivot brackets thereto are 12.25 inches apart, mounting bracket  16  will be secured to the right end of adapter plate  12  and the mounting bracket  14  will be secured to the left end of adapter plate  12  as seen in  FIGS. 4 and 7 . In that position, mounting bracket  14  is positioned at the left end of adapter plate and the mounting bracket is positioned at the right end of adapter plate  12  with the upstanding wall portions of the mounting brackets  14  and  16  being at the inner sides thereof. Carriage bolts  92  secure the mounting brackets  14  and  16  to adapter plate  12 . When the adapter  10  is to be secured to a mount wherein the pivot brackets thereof are 7.5 inches apart, mounting bracket  14  will be positioned as seen in  FIGS. 5 and 8 . In that position, the bolt openings in the bottom wall portion  46  of mounting bracket  14  are aligned with bolt openings  42  and  44  of adapter plate  12  and the bolt openings in the bottom wall portion  64  of mounting bracket  16  are aligned with bolt openings  38  and  40  of adapter plate  12  with the upstanding wall portions of the mounting brackets  14  and  16  being at the outer sides thereof. Carriage bolts  92  secure mounting brackets  14  and  16  to adapter plate  12 . 
     Although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.