Mounting plate for quick attachment bracket and bucket construction

Abstract

A bucket for a prime mover such as a skid steer loader has a mounting plate on its rear wall that is used for coupling to an attachment bracket on the prime mover or loader. The mounting plate is a unitary plate has a unitarily formed upper channel extending transversely across the bucket at an upper end of the mounting plate, and a unitarily formed second channel extending transversely across the bucket at the mounting plate lower end. The upper channel has a pair of apertures that are of size to receive latch ends of an attachment bracket and have edges that provide for alignment of the mounting plate and the bucket to which it is attached relative to the attachment bracket. The lower channel has apertures to receive vertically moveable wedge lock member on the attachment plate to secure the mounting plate and bucket to the loader.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mounting plate for an attachment for a mounting bracket on a prime mover, said mounting plate comprising a formed plate having a longitudinal length extending transversely of the attachment, a vertical height of size to match the mounting bracket on a prime mover, and a first channel member formed along the longitudinal length at an upper edge of the mounting plate to protrude in a direction toward the attachment bracket, a lower wall of the channel member being provided with at least one aperture receiving a portion of the mounting bracket, and the mounting plate having a second channel at a lower edge extending along the longitudinal length, and having at least one aperture formed in walls of the second channel for receiving a latch wedge bar on the mounting bracket.  
     
     
         2 . The mounting plate of  claim 1 , wherein there are two apertures on the first channel member, said apertures having side edges forming guides for portions of the mounting bracket when the mounting bracket portions are received in the apertures.  
     
     
         3 . The mounting plate of  claim 2 , wherein there are two sets of openings in the second channel, said openings being of size to receive two latch wedge bars from the mounting bracket on the prime mover.  
     
     
         4 . The mounting plate of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate has an opening therein between the first and second channels.  
     
     
         5 . The mounting plate of  claim 3 , wherein upper portions of the mounting plate have wing portions that extend outwardly laterally beyond the apertures toward each of the side edges of the mounting plate.  
     
     
         6 . The mounting plate of  claim 4 , wherein the mounting plate comprises a unitary sheet of material.  
     
     
         7 . A loader bucket assembly having a bottom wall, and a rear wall joined to the bottom wall and end walls to form a forwardly open bucket, a mounting plate mounted on the rear wall of the bucket, said mounting plate comprising a unitary plate having a center planar portion fixed to an exterior of the rear wall of the bucket, and having a formed channel at an upper end of the mounting plate extending in a direction between the end walls of the bucket, said formed channel having upper and lower walls that are spaced apart and which extend outwardly from the back walls of the bucket, the lower wall of the channel having at least one aperture therein with a straight side edge, said opening being of size to receive a latch end of a mounting bracket for supporting the bucket on a prime mover.  
     
     
         8 . The bucket assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the mounting plate has a second channel member at a lower end thereof extending outwardly from the rear wall of the bucket, said second channel member at the lower end having an upper wall and a lower wall, and apertures passing through both the upper wall and the lower wall and being adapted to receive a latch wedge from a mounting bracket on a prime mover.  
     
     
         9 . The bucket assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said bottom wall of the bucket has a forward edge, a cutting blade at the forward edge, and a reinforcing plate on the exterior of the bottom wall to the rear of the cutting edge, said reinforcing plate being a unitary plate that extends from end to end of the bucket and forms a plurality of channels with generally planar walls extending between the channels, some of said planar walls resting against an exterior surface of the bottom wall of the bucket, and the reinforcing plate being welded to the bottom wall of the bucket.