Abstract:
An attachment for a skid steer loader for use in performing road widening and shouldering jobs in small areas such as bike paths, driveways and cul de sacs. The attachment includes a compact frame adapted to support a hopper, a conveyor system, a spreader system, a spreader system angular adjustment, a hydraulic system, at least one wheel, at least one contact roller, and a universal mounting plate. The hydraulic system receives its power from the hydraulic system of, for example, a skid steer.

Description:
REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION 
   The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/776,756, filed on Feb. 24, 2006. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a road widening and shouldering attachment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a skid steer loader attachment that can be utilized for the widening and shouldering of roads. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The use of after-market attachments for road widening and shouldering is well known to the construction industry. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,715 discloses an accessory that is attached to the rear end of a dump truck to divert construction material into a road shoulder or trench located on the side of the dump truck. U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,185 discloses a spreader box that is attached to a rear side of a dump truck to place asphalt on a road shoulder or trench located on the side of the dump truck. U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,774 discloses construction material applicator and compacting devices that are attached, respectively, to the rear and front sides of a dump truck to spread and compact construction material placed on a road shoulder or trench located on the side of the dump truck. Because of the large size of the dump truck—attachment combination and the high cost of purchasing or renting a dump truck, contractors are always concerned with the transportation of the attachment, the size of a working area, and accessibility to dump trucks. Consequently, there is a need for a road widening and shouldering attachment that can be operated within a small area, transported in standard size trailers and trucks, and operated with equipment, such as a skid steer loader, which is readily available to all contractors. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention resolves the shortcomings and fulfills the needs identified above. The invention relates to a light, maneurable, durable and easy to transport attachment for a skid steer loader that can be used for performing road widening and shouldering jobs in small areas such as bike paths, driveways and cul de sacs. To fulfill these needs, the invention is provided with a compact frame that is adapted to support a hopper, a conveyor system, a spreader system, a spreader system angular adjustment, a hydraulic system, at least one wheel, at least one contact roller, and a universal mounting plate. To power the invention, its hydraulic system is connected to the hydraulic system of the skid steer loader to which the invention is attached. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the present invention so that its detail description, following below, and contributions to the art may be better understood. To this effect, those of ordinary skill in the art should readily recognize the features and advantages of the present invention upon a reading of the detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of the currently preferred and illustrative embodiments of the invention. Thus, before discussing the preferred embodiment of the invention in detailed, it should be understood that the invention should not be limited in its application to the details of the specific components, manufacturing, and arrangement illustrated in the description and drawings below. The invention may be represented in other embodiments and may be practiced in other similar or equivalent manner. Also, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology utilized herein is not intended and should not be interpreted as being limiting of the present invention. 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that may be used in conjunction with a skid steer loader or other similar device. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that may be adaptable to fit a variety of skid steer loaders regardless of their origin/manufacturer. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that is adaptable to use a skid steer loader as its means for locomotion. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that may be adaptable to use the hydraulic system of a skid steer loader for powering the hydraulic system of the road widening and shouldering attachment. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that is light enough to be easily transported, moved and manipulated by the a skid steer loader. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that is adaptable to be transported on a standard width trailer, truck or other similar vehicle. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that may be conveniently manufactured from a variety of materials. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that may be conveniently installed during the manufacturing of a skid steer loader or other similar device. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that may be conveniently retrofitted onto a skid steer loader or other similar device. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that provides a nonpermanent, easily removable structure or structures. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that provides selective adjustability (its positioning with relation to a skid steer loader or other similar vehicle). 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment of relatively simple construction that is relatively simple to install, adjust, or reconfigure. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that may be used to deliver a variety of construction materials such as asphalt, stone, top soil, decorative stone and the like. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a road widening and shouldering attachment that is adaptable to deliver a variety of construction materials from various locations/sides. 
   The above together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are identified and explained with more particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a road widening and shouldering attachment as used on a skid steer loader. 
       FIG. 2  shows a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the road widening and shouldering attachment and skid steer loader of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective and sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective and sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an exploded and sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the drawings, and particularly to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , in which like reference numbers indicate similar parts in the various views, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the road widening and shouldering attachment is made by a support frame  11  (as conformed by a multiplicity of horizontal  42  and vertical  43  members), a hopper  40 , a conveyor system  41 , a spreader system  30 , a spreader system angular adjustment  31 , front rollers  44 , and wheels  45 . The horizontal  42  and vertical  43  members of the support frame  11  are generally fastened together by welding although other fastening means such as bolts or pins may also be utilized. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the hopper  40  is conformed by four walls positioned in an angular manner as to form a vertically oriented open container capable of receiving construction materials through its upper opening and capable of delivering the same construction materials through its lower opening to the conveyor system  41 . Although the walls of the hopper  40  may be constructed from any materials strong enough receive and support construction materials, wall  46  is made of a flexible but durable material such as steel-belted rubber. Except for walls  46  and  47 , the other walls are fastened together and to the support frame  11  by welding although other fastening means such as bolts or pins may also be used. Wall  46  is fastened to the other walls by fastening means such as bolts or pins. Additional support is provided to Wall  46  through the use of spring loaded or resilient cables which are fastened at one end to Wall  46  and at the other end to support frame  11 . Wall  47  is fastened on the opposite side of the spreader system  30 , to the two longest walls, in a manner that permits wall  47  to collapse in the direction of the spreader system  30  as to decrease the overall width of the road widening and shouldering attachment. Wall  32  is fastened in a manner that permits construction material to exit the hopper  40  when the conveyor system  41  is activated in the direction of the spreader system  30 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the conveyor system  41  is conformed by a conveyor belt and a multiplicity of rollers that are horizontally aligned beneath the lower opening of the hopper  40 . Each roller is rotably fixed to the support frame  11 . The conveyor belt is positioned around the rollers with a first outer most roller, fastened in a manner that permits its displacement as to increase the tension in the conveyor belt. A gear box and hydraulic motor assembly is fixed to one end of a second outermost roller, on the opposite side of the first outermost roller, as to rotate the conveyor belt around the rollers and cause construction material to exit hopper  40  at the side of the spreader system  30 . The conveyor system  41  is positioned at a sufficient distance from the lower opening of the hopper  40  as to permit rotation of the conveyor belt without excessive friction against the lower opening of the hopper  40 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the spreader system  30  is conformed by a two walls fastened together to form a right angle (spreader elbow), supporting means  33  attached to one of the walls of the spreader elbow (the supporting means  33  may be a device of varying length such as a chain, link or bar), at least one guide rod  51  and one hydraulic cylinder/ram assembly  52 , at least one two-way hydraulic valve/controller  53  for actuating the hydraulic cylinder/ram assembly, a first mounting frame  54  for securing one end of the guide rod and one end of the hydraulic cylinder/ram assembly to the right angle end formed by the two walls, a second mounting frame  55  for guiding and securing the other end of the guide rod and hydraulic cylinder/ram assembly and for pivotally securing  56  the spreader system  30  to the support frame  11 , a support plate  57 , and a spreader system angular adjustment  31  for pivoting the spreader system  30  about the support frame  11 . The two walls of the spreader system  30  are generally fastened together by welding although other fastening means such as bolts or pins may also be used. The first mounting frame  54  is generally fastened to one of the walls of the spreader system  30  by bolts although other fastening means such as welding or pins may also be utilized. The two walls are to be of sufficient height and thickness as to facilitate the even spreading of construction material without significant deflection of the two walls. The length of one of the walls is to be long enough to permit its placement across the width of the second mounting frame  55  and the support frame  11 . The longer wall is frictionally secured to the second mounting frame  55  as to allow the longer wall to be displaced in the direction in which the hydraulic ram is displaced when actuated. The spreader system angular adjustment  31  is oriented at an angle with its upper end fastened to the support frame  11  and its lower end fastened to the second mounting frame  55 . The spreader system  30  is pivoted about the support frame  11  as the spreader system angular adjustment  31  is actuated. The spreader system angular adjustment  31  is a torque-screw assembly although another assembly such as a hydraulic cylinder/ram assembly may also be used to pivot the spreader system  30  about the support frame  11 . The two-way hydraulic valve/controller  53  is generally fastened onto the support frame  11  by bolts, clamps, or pins. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the hydraulic system is conformed by a gear box and hydraulic motor assembly, a hydraulic cylinder/ram assembly  52 , and a two-way hydraulic valve/controller  53 . The hydraulic system is powered by connecting it to a hydraulic coupler located within the skid steer loader for the operation of skid steer loader attachments. These connections are set up in a manner that permits an operator of a skid steer loader to activate the conveyor system  41  and the spreader system  30  simultaneously or independently of each other by using the standard controls of the skid steer loader. The hydraulic system is generally fastened to the support frame  11  by bolts, clamps or pins. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the road widening and shouldering attachment is attached to a skid steer loader by the universal mounting plate  10 . The universal mounting plate  10  is oriented in parallel with the skid steer loader&#39;s mounting plate and is fastened to the skid steer loader&#39;s mounting plate by a friction joint, bolts or clamps. The universal mounting plate  10  is part of the support frame  11 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the universal mounting plate  10  is of rectangular shape and incorporates a horizontal mounting lip along its upper edge and at least one mounting guide perpendicular to the horizontal mounting lip. 
   In an alternative configuration, hopper  40 , conveyor system  41 , spreader system  30 , spreader system angular adjustment  31 , and supporting means  33  can be reconfigured around support frame  11  as to permit hopper  40  to collapse and construction material to be discharge and spread on the sides opposite as those disclosed above.