Clamp-on bucket attachment for loader bucket

Abstract

A clamp-on bucket attachment having hinged fork arms, which prevent the fork arms from being bent or damaged when the loader bucket is lowered while tilted downward. The clamp-on bucket attachment of this invention includes a pivoting fork arm and a separate clamping member detachably mounted to the loader bucket. The fork arm is pivotally connected to the clamp member for free movement between a tilt position where the fork arm is angled with respect to the bottom of the loader bucket and a lift position where the fork arm is parallel to the bottom of the loader bucket. In the lift position, the fork arm abuts against the clamp member to hold it parallel to the bottom of the loader bucket under load.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A fork attachment for a loader bucket having a flat bottom thereof, the attachment comprising:
 a clamp member adapted for detachably mounting to the loader bucket; and   an elongated fork part pivotally connected to the clamp member for movement between a first position where the fork part is parallel to the bucket bottom and a second position where the fork part is angled to the bucket bottom.   
     
     
         2 . The attachment of  claim 1  wherein the fork part being pivotally connected to the clamp member for movement about an axis parallel to the bucket bottom and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fork park between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         3 . The attachment of  claim 3  wherein the clamping member includes a stop and a hinge block, the fork part pivotally connected to the hinge block and abutting the stop when the fork part is in the first position. 
     
     
         4 . The attachment of  claim 1  wherein the fork part includes a clevis hinged to the hinge block, the fork part also includes a flat contact face that abuts the stop. 
     
     
         5 . The attachment of claim * wherein the fork part terminates at its distal end in an angled face. 
     
     
         6 . The attachment of  claim 1  wherein the clamp member includes a first clamp arm, a second clamp arm spaced parallel to the first clamp arm for receiving the bottom of the loader bucket therebetween, a screw part turned into a threaded lateral bore in the second clamp arm for operatively engaging the bottom of the loader bucket to secure the clamp member to the loader bucket. 
     
     
         7 . The attachment of  claim 6  wherein the clamp member also includes an offset part mounted to the second clamp between the second clamp arm and spaced over the first clamp arm.