Blade tilt assembly for a front end loader

An improved blade tilt assembly is provided for adjusting the lateral tilt of a scoop or bucket mounted on a front end loader. The front end loader normally includes frame arms supporting the scoop at the front of the vehicle, in combination with at least one hydraulic lift unit and an hydraulic fore-aft pitch control unit. The blade tilt assembly includes a pair of hydraulic tilt units of reinforced construction, and connected between the frame arms and the scoop respectively at laterally opposite ends thereof. The tilt units are operated in tandem to respectively raise and lower the opposite ends of the scoop in substantially equal increments, thereby adjusting the lateral tilt angel of the scoop.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to improvements in so-called front end 
loaders of the type having an hydraulically operated frame for supporting 
and manipulating a bucket or scoop or other work attachment at the front 
of the vehicle. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved 
blade tilt assembly of a relatively compact and simplified design for 
adjusting the lateral tilt of the scoop or bucket or other attachment on 
the front end loader. The blade tilt assembly is particularly suited for 
use with relatively small so-called skid-steer front end loaders of the 
general type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,231,117 and 3,672,521. 
Front end loaders are generally known in the art for use in performing a 
wide range of grading, digging, construction, and other related tasks. In 
general terms, front end loaders typically comprise a tractor-type vehicle 
equipped with a pivoting frame having a selected work attachment such as a 
scoop or bucket connected thereto. Hydraulic actuator units are provided 
on the vehicle for controlled raising and lowering of the pivoting frame, 
in combination with controlled fore-aft pitch adjustment of the work 
attachment. Appropriate manipulation of the hydraulic actuator units 
enables the work attachment to be correspondingly manipulated to perform a 
specific desired task. 
An exemplary front end loader is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,231,117, generally in conformance with so-called skid-steer loaders 
marketed by Melroe Company, Division of Clark Equipment Company, Fargo, N. 
Dak., under the trademark BOBCAT. Such front end loaders are adapted for 
relatively rapid and interchangeable mounting of different work 
attachments, such as scoops or buckets, dozer blades, fork lift apparatus, 
rotary sweepers, jackhammer and auger devices, etc. In this regard, front 
end loaders of this type are frequently equipped with an adapter mounting 
plate of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,521, to facilitate 
relatively rapid interchangement of work attachments. 
In many earth-moving or grading applications, the specific lateral tilt 
angle of the work attachment such as a scoop or bucket can be an important 
factor contributing to rapid completion of the desired task. By way of 
example, it may be extremely desirable to orient the scoop or bucket with 
a specific lateral tilt in the course of a landscape grading operation, or 
in the course of digging a swimming pool or the like to have a sloped 
floor surface. In this regard, a variety of mechanisms have been proposed 
throughout the prior art to permit such blade tilt adjustment. However, 
such prior art devices have typically been relatively complex and costly, 
frequently having a size and weight which can adversely affect the center 
of gravity and thus alter the maneuverability of the vehicle. Moreover, 
such tilt mechanisms have not been well suited for use with a relatively 
compact front end loader of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,117, 
nor have such mechanisms been satisfactory for use with adapter mounting 
plates of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,521. 
Furthermore, prior tilt adjustment mechanisms have frequently been limited 
to hydraulic mechanisms for raising and lower one end of the scoop or 
bucket on the front end loader. Such single-end devices inherently require 
attachment support mechanisms such as ball joints or slide tracks or 
similar bearing support structures which exhibit relatively high wear and 
resultant short life-span in earth-moving applications. Moreover, raising 
and lowering of one end of the bucket or scoop also inherently skews the 
angle of attack of the work attachment, such that soil grading or shaping 
at significant tilt angles may not be possible. 
The present invention overcomes the many problems and disadvantages 
presented in the prior art, by providing an improved blade tilt assembly 
for a front end loader, wherein the blade tilt assembly has a relatively 
compact and simplified design which may be conveniently used with an 
adapter mounting plate of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,521. 
Moreover, the blade tilt assembly of the present invention provides 
substantially sealed bearing and support mechanisms which accommodate 
bidirectional raising and lowering of the opposite ends of the work 
attachment in substantially equal increments. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the invention, an improved blade tilt assembly is 
provided for adjusting the lateral tilt of a work attachment such as a 
scoop or bucket mounted on frame arms at the front end of a front end 
loader. The blade tilt assembly includes a pair of reinforced and 
substantially sealed hydraulic tilt units connected between the frame arms 
and the work attachment, or to an adapter mounting plate connected to the 
work attachment, generally at the laterally opposite ends thereof. The 
pair of tilt units are operated in tandem to displace the opposite ends of 
the work attachment in substantially equal and opposite directions, 
thereby raising one end while lowering the opposite end. With this 
construction, the tilt angle of the work attachment can be adjusted 
bidirectionally, without skewing the angle of attack. 
In the preferred form, the front end loader includes a pair of frame arms 
connected to the vehicle for vertical positional adjustment in response to 
operation of at least one hydraulic lift unit. The front ends of the frame 
arms are connected generally to opposite ends of a work attachment such a 
scoop or bucket, or to opposite ends of an adapter mounting plate designed 
for quick release removable connection to the work attachment. An 
hydraulic pitch control unit is connected between the vehicle and a 
laterally centered point on the work attachment, or adapter mounting plate 
therefor, to select and control fore-aft pitch position. 
The frame arms are connected to the work attachment, or to the adapter 
mounting plate therefor, by a pair of hydraulic tilt units. More 
specifically, the frame arms include transversely extending and coaxially 
aligned link pins connected respectively to the lower ends of a pair of 
hydraulic rams of the two tilt units. The hydraulic rams extend upwardly 
into a corresponding pair of hydraulic cylinders each mounted onto the 
work attachment, or adapter mounting plate therefor, by means of a 
relatively large trunnion bearing oriented to permit rotation of the 
hydraulic cylinder about an axis extending generally in a fore-aft 
direction. The trunnion bearings are respectively carried in mounting 
brackets disposed generally at laterally opposite ends of the work 
attachment. 
The hydraulic tilt units are connected in series in a common hydraulic 
circuit for respectively raising and lowering the laterally opposite ends 
of the work attachment in equal and opposite increments. Thus, one end of 
the work attachment is raised while the opposite end is lowered through an 
equal increment, or vice versa. An operator controlled selector valve 
permits appropriate connector of this hydraulic circuit to an hydraulic 
fluid supply and return, in order to select the direction of tilt motion. 
With this construction, the lateral tilt angle of the work attachment such 
as a scoop or bucket can be bidirectionally adjusted, without skewing the 
angle of attack. 
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the hydraulic rams of 
the tilt units have a relatively large cross sectional size and extend 
into their respective hydraulic cylinders for reinforced slide-fit support 
within elongated sleeve bearings. With this construction, the hydraulic 
rams are slidably supported for a substantial portion of their lengths, 
and substantially concealed within the hydraulic cylinders, thereby 
structurally reinforcing the hydraulic rams and protecting the tilt units 
against significant wear attributable to contact with dirt and the like. 
Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent 
from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with with 
accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles 
of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As shown in the exemplary drawings, a front end loader referred to 
generally in FIG. 1 by the reference numeral 10 includes a removably 
mounted work attachment 12 such as a scoop or bucket for performing a 
variety of tasks, such as earth-moving, grading, etc. The front scoop 12 
is mounted onto a lift frame 14 by means of an improved blade tilt 
assembly 16 (FIG. 2) which provides bidirectional lateral tilt adjustment 
of the scoop 12, as indicated by arrow 18 in FIG. 1. 
The front end loader 10 generally comprises a power-driven vehicle having 
an operator's cab 20 with suitable controls 22 for driving and steering 
the vehicle, and for manipulating the work attachment 12 to perform a 
selected task or tasks. In this regard, FIG. 1 shows the vehicle to 
include the pivotal lift frame 14 defined by a pair of frame lift arms 24 
extending along opposite sides of the vehicle from a pivot base 26 to 
front lower ends 28 adapted for connection to the work attachment 12, as 
will be described in more detail. The lift arms 24 are interconnected at 
the front of the vehicle by a cross brace 30. Each lift arm 24 is 
associated with an hydraulic lift unit 32, one of which is shown in FIG. 
1, for raising and lowering the frame 14 and the work attachment 12 
connected thereto, all in a manner known to persons skilled in the art. In 
addition, an hydraulic pitch control unit 34 is connected between the 
vehicle and the work attachment 12 to permit operator selection of the 
fore-aft pitch orientation of the work attachment. The illustrative front 
end loader 10, as described above, corresponds generally with the front 
end loader shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,117, which is 
incorporated by reference herein. Such front end loaders are generally 
referred to as skid-steer loaders, and are commercially available under 
the trademark BOBCAT from Melroe Company, a division of Clark Equipment 
Company, Fargo, N. Dak. 
Removable mounting of the selected work attachment 12 is facilitated by use 
of an adapter mounting plate 36, as shown in FIG. 2. More particularly, 
FIG. 2 illustrates the adapter mounting plate in the form of a generally 
rectangular base structure having a clevis 38 positioned centrally on a 
rear side thereof for connection to an extensible ram 40 of the pitch 
control unit 34. A pair of transversely extending and generally coaxially 
oriented link pins 42 project outwardly from the lower, laterally opposed 
ends of the adapter plate 36, at a location below the clevis 38, to 
provide a pivot connection to the front lower ends 28 of the lift arms 24. 
An angularly set upper margin 44 of the adapter plate 36 has a size and 
shape to nest beneath an angularly set retainer bracket 46 formed on a 
rear face of the work attachment 12. When the upper margin 44 of the 
adapter mounting plate 36 is nested beneath the retainer bracket 46, 
spring-loaded lock pins 48 (FIGS. 3 and 4) are receivable into lock ports 
50 formed in a horizontal lower shelf 52 on the work attachment. The lock 
pins 48 can be retracted from the lock ports 50, to accommodate 
disassembly of the work attachment 12 from the adapter plate 36, by means 
of manually pivotable release levers 54. The above-described connection 
structure for removably mounting a selected work attachment 12 onto the 
adapter mounting plate 36 is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,672,521, which is also incorporated by reference herein. 
In general terms, the blade tilt assembly 16 comprises a pair of hydraulic 
tilt units 56 connected respectively between the front lower ends 28 of 
the lift arms 24 and the adapter mounting plate 36. The tilt units 56 are 
designed to raise one end of the mounting plate 36 while correspondingly 
lowering the opposite end through an equal stroke increment, resulting in 
lateral tilt adjustment of the work attachment 12 mounted to the adapter 
plate 36. In accordance with one primary aspect of the invention, this 
bidirectional tilt adjustment of the work attachment 12 is particularly 
advantageous when a scope or bucket is used having a laterally extending 
blade edge 58 (FIG. 1), since the blade edge is not skewed with respect to 
a forward angle of attack. The blade edge 58 may thus be tilted to elevate 
the right end, or the left end, with corresponding lowering of the 
opposite end, in accordance with the desired earth-moving or grading 
operation, and without skewing the angle of attack. Although the blade 
tilt assembly 16 is shown and described with respect to the adapter 
mounting plate 36 which is connected in turn to the work attachment 12, it 
will be understood that the invention may be implemented in a direct 
connection between the lift frame 14 and the work attachment 12. 
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, each of the hydraulic tilt units 56 comprises 
a generally vertically oriented ram 60 mounted slidably within an 
hydraulic cylinder housing 62, having an open lower end. The ram 60 is 
disposed predominantly in a concealed position within the housing 
interior, with a major portion of the ram length supported structurally by 
an elongated bearing sleeve 64 of brass or the like. In the preferred 
form, the ram 60 has a substantial cross sectional size or the order of at 
least about two inches, thereby providing a rigid structure supported for 
an extended length to accommodate the high stress forces applied during 
typical earth-moving and grading applications. 
A lower end of the ram 60 of each tilt unit 56 extends through a dirt and 
oil seal assembly 66 to protrude a short distance from the lower end of 
the hydraulic cylinder housing 62. The ram 60 terminates in a threaded 
bore 68 for thread-in reception of a stud 70 which projects upwardly from 
a connector block 72. As shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connector block 
72 in turn carries one of the link pins 42 which is connected to the front 
lower end 28 of the adjacent lift arm 24. 
The upper end of each ram 60 of the hydraulic tilt units 56 includes a 
piston 74 disposed within a chamber 76 between a vertically spaced pair of 
hydraulic fluid ports 78 and a 80. Accordingly, with reference to FIG. 5, 
supply of hydraulic fluid under pressure to one side of the piston 74, 
while exhausting or venting hydraulic fluid from the other side, results 
in relative displacement of the ram 60 within the cylinder housing 62. 
The cylinder housing 62 of each tilt unit 56 is securely connected to the 
adapter mounting plate 36 by means of a mounting bracket 82 and a 
relatively large trunnion bearing 84. More specifically, the trunnion 
bearing 84 has a large cross section on the order of at least about two 
inches and is formed integrally with the cylindrical housing 62 to extend 
generally in a fore-aft direction, the trunnion bearing is rotatably 
supported by the mounting bracket 82 at the rear side of the adapter plate 
36. With this construction, supply of hydraulic fluid under pressure to 
the top side of the piston 74 effectively elevates the cylindrical housing 
62 and the adapter plate 36 connected thereto to correspondingly raise the 
associated end of the work attachment 12. Conversely, supply of hydraulic 
fluid under pressure to the lower side of the piston 74 effectively lowers 
the housing 62 and the mounting plate 36 relative to the adjacent lift arm 
24, to correspondingly lower the work attachment 12. 
FIG. 6 shows a preferred hydraulic flow circuit for use in conjunction with 
the pair of tilt units 56 which are connected, as previously described, to 
the laterally opposite ends of the adapter plate 36. An hydraulic fluid 
supply 86 on the front end loader 10 and an associated low pressure return 
88 are connected through an hydraulic selector valve 90 in series flow 
relation to the tilt units 56 to raise one end of the work attachment, 
while lowering the opposite end, and vice versa. More specifically, as 
viewed in FIGS. 6, the vehicle operator can manipulate the selector valve 
90 to supply hydraulic fluid under pressure through a first conduit 94 to 
the top side of one piston 74, while exhausting hydraulic fluid from the 
bottom of that piston through a branch conduit 92 to the bottom of the 
opposite piston 74. This arrangement effectively supplies said opposite 
piston with hydraulic fluid under pressure at the bottom thereof, while 
the top of said opposite piston is exhausted via a second conduit 96 
through the selector valve 90 to the return 88. The two pistons 74 are 
thus subjected to hydraulic pressure in an equal and opposite manner, to 
correspondingly achieve equal and opposite displacement of the work 
attachment. Of course, the selector valve 90 may be manipulated to reverse 
the connection of the supply 86 and low pressure return 88 to the first 
and second conduits 92 and 96, thereby reversing the application of 
hydraulic fluid under pressure to the pistons 74 in a manner which 
correspondingly reverses the direction of blade tilt adjustment. 
The present invention thus provides a relatively simple system and method 
for achieving bidirectional tilt of a work attachment in a front end 
loader environment. The disclosed tilt units 56 include structurally 
reinforced hydraulic rams which are substantially sealed to avoid dirt and 
grit contamination, without requiring open ball joints or slide tracks in 
an earth-moving or other dirt-handling environment. The hydraulic rams 60 
and associated trunnion bearings provide an essentially self-contained 
structure with a small number of moving parts wherein the rams and 
trunnion bearings readily withstand forces applied to the structure during 
a work procedure. 
A variety of further modifications and improvements to the blade tilt 
assembly of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the 
art. Accordingly, no limitation on the invention is intended by way of the 
foregoing description and accompanying drawings, except as set forth in 
the appended claims.