Patent ID: 7600574

Claim:
A tractor front hitch for mounting an implement on the front of a tractor, the hitch comprising: a single socket mounted for pivotal raising and lowering movement relative to the tractor about a first generally horizontal transverse axis, a raising means for raising and lowering the socket relative to the tractor, a single lower link sub-assembly comprising an inner portion received in the socket and an outer portion outside the socket, and further comprising a pair of lower implement support links for attachment to the implement, one or more upper implement support links supported from the tractor, and extending means to move the socket horizontally between retracted and extended positions relative to the front of the tractor, the inner portion of the lower link sub-assembly being moveable relative to the socket between a coupling position in which the lower link sub-assembly is at least partly withdrawable from the socket to allow movement of the lower link sub-assembly relative to the socket to facilitate coupling of the implement to the lower implement support links and a locked implement operative position in which the lower link sub-assembly is locked in the socket.