Patent Publication Number: US-4096654-A

Title: Drag implement for gathering and spreading dirt

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to garden implements for grading gardens, and more particularly to gathering of dirt and the dispersal thereof by spreading. 
     It is well known in the art for a riding garden tractor to power snow plows, scraper blades, and scoop pans by pushing, either to the front or rear, but not by dragging. The difficulty heretofore unresolved satisfactorily was to stabilize the tilt angle or angle of attack of the sharp edge of the bucket to gather dirt within the limit of available power of the tractor and strength of the drag implement, and to dump the gathered dirt when and where desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a drag implement for use with a riding garden tractor to grade and level a garden. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a bucket, for gathering, hauling and dumping dirt, that can be converted into a spreader of the dumped dirt. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide means for stabilizing the angles of tilt of a dirt gathering bucket in two positions within the power and material strength of the drag implement and to conform the angles to two different sizes of tractor. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the invention installed on a garden tractor with bucket inverted and sharp edge normal to the ground for spreading dirt; 
     FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of the invention from the front upper right in normal carrying position; and 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along section lines 3--3 partially showing the jam bar engaged for gathering dirt and a reversibly mounted wedge for setting tilt angles on different sizes of tractors. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the invention comprises a rectangular bucket 10, open at the front and top, with two side walls 12, a back wall 18, and a bottom 20. A leading sharp edge 22 is defined forwardly by bottom wall 20. A first transverse element 24 extends across the top of container 10 between end walls 12 and supports a jam bar lock assembly 30 centered between said end walls 12. Two mounting brackets 31, fixed to the ends of first transverse element 24, are pivotally connected to manually operable lift arms 33 of said garden tractor. Lock assembly 30 includes two longitudinally spaced end blocks 32 respectively defining aligned holes 35 in which a lock pin 36, a second transverse element, is slidable. A wedge 37 is bolted to said first transverse element 24 between said spaced end blocks 32. A center space is defined between end blocks 32, first transverse element and the wedge, if used, and lock pin 36 when slidably engaging both end blocks 32 has variable vertical dimensions depending on whether or not the wedge is bolted to said first transverse element and the orientation of the wedge slope. A jam bar 38 with oppositely disposed ends is pivotally connected at one end to the back and center of the garden tractor. The other free end 45 extends through the space defined by the lock assembly 30 and the first transverse element and is jammed between the lock pin 36 and opposing structure by the rotation of the bucket 10 when it is lowered by lift arms 33 to engage the ground for gathering dirt. The ratio of the vertical dimension of the jam bar to the vertical height of the space determines the tilt angle of the bucket and its leading sharp edge 22 in said jamming action. This ratio is variable by reversing or removing the wedge from between the end blocks 32 and on the first transverse element 24 by unbolting the wedge. The variation in space height provides also for use with a variety of garden tractors of different hitch heights above the ground while maintaining a desired tilt angle of the bucket. When the bucket is raised by the lift arms, it pivots to its normal level position without tilt. 
     A handle 44 extending above the back wall 18 and fixed thereto is used for pivoting the bucket upside down for dumping, the lock pin 36 first being slidably disengaged from one of end blocks 32 to open said center space defined therebetween. A converter bracket 46, defining a hole 48, is mounted below handle 44 and in the interior of the bucket for connecting with the free end 45 of the jam bar 38 in which an aligned hole 43 is defined by a common pin (not shown) passing therethrough. The length of the jam bar is adapted, when pinned to the back of the bucket, to rigidly position the inverted bucket with its sharp edge normal to the ground for acting as a spreader when lowered to engage said ground.