Support apparatus for securing a material moving wing plow relative to a vehicle

Abstract

A support apparatus is disclosed for securing a material moving wing plow relative to a vehicle. The support apparatus includes a trailing link having a first and a second end. The first end of the trailing link is pivotally connected to the vehicle about a first pivotal axis. A support arm is provided for supporting the wing plow. The support arm is pivotally secured to the second end of the trailing link about a second pivotal axis. The first and second pivotal axes are disposed spaced and parallel relative to each other so that the support arm is dragged by and trails from the vehicle so that during a plowing operation, the wing plow supported by the support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of the support arm is avoided.

1 . A support apparatus for securing a material moving wing plow relative to a vehicle, said support apparatus comprising:
 a trailing link having a first and a second end, said first end of said trailing link being pivotally connected to the vehicle about a first pivotal axis; and   a support arm for supporting the wing plow, said support arm being pivotally secured to said second end of said trailing link about a second pivotal axis, said first and second pivotal axes being disposed spaced and parallel relative to each other so that said trailing link trails from and is dragged by the vehicle so that during a plowing operation, the wing plow supported by said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided.   
     
     
         2 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  further including:
 a plate having a first and a second side and a top portion and a bottom portion, said first end of said trailing link being pivotally connected to said top portion of said plate such that said first end of said trailing link is disposed adjacent to said first side of said plate. 
 
     
     
         3 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 2  further including:
 a beam rigidly secured to the vehicle and to said second side of said plate such that said beam extends between the vehicle and said plate. 
 
     
     
         4 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 2  further including:
 a casing for the slidable reception therein of said plate; 
 an actuator connected between the vehicle and said plate for controllably and slidably moving said plate relative to said casing. 
 
     
     
         5 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 4  further including:
 a control device controllably connected to said actuator for controlling an elevation of said plate relative to the vehicle for permitting the wing plow to perform a benching operation. 
 
     
     
         6 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  further including:
 a further trailing link having a first and a second extremity, said first extremity of said further trailing link being pivotally connected to the vehicle about a third pivotal axis; 
 said support arm being pivotally secured to said second extremity of said further trailing link about a fourth pivotal axis, said first, second, third and fourth pivotal axes being disposed spaced and parallel relative to each other so that said trailing links trail from and are dragged by the vehicle so that during a plowing operation, the wing plow supported by said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided. 
 
     
     
         7 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 6  wherein
 a distance between said first and third pivotal axes is substantially the same as a further distance between said second and fourth pivotal axes so that regardless of an elevational disposition of the wing plow relative to the material being moved, an angle of attack of the wing plow relative to the material being moved remains substantially constant so that said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided. 
 
     
     
         8 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 7  wherein
 a spacing between said first and second pivotal axes is substantially the same as a further spacing between said third and fourth pivotal axes so that regardless of an elevational disposition of the wing plow relative to the material being moved, an angle of attack of the wing plow relative to the material being moved remains substantially constant so that said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided. 
 
     
     
         9 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 2  further including:
 a lever having a first and a second termination, said lever being pivotally secured to said plate about said first pivotal axis which is disposed between said first and second terminations of said lever, said second termination defining a cradle for selectively supporting said second end of said trailing link; 
 a moving device connected to said first termination of said lever for rotating said lever about said first pivotal axis such that said moving device rotates said lever between a first disposition thereof in which said second termination of said lever supports and cradles said second end of said trailing link and a second disposition of said lever in which said second termination of said lever is moved away from said second end of said trailing link so that said support arm floats relative to said second termination of said lever. 
 
     
     
         10 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  further including:
 a sprocket rigidly connected to the vehicle, said sprocket being disposed concentrically about said first pivotal axis; 
 a further sprocket rigidly connected to said support arm, said further sprocket being disposed concentrically about said second pivotal axis; 
 a chain cooperating with said sprocket and said further sprocket so that when said trailing link pivots about said first pivotal axis, said trailing link rotates relative to said sprocket such that said sprocket urges said chain to correspondingly rotate said further sprocket relative to said second end of said trailing link so that said support arm and the wing plow secured thereto maintain a substantially constant angle of attack of the wing plow relative to the vehicle regardless of an elevation of the wing plow relative to the material to be moved so that during a plowing operation, the wing plow supported by said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided. 
 
     
     
         11 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein
 said trailing link is disposed in a vicinity of a front of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
         12 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein
 said trailing link is disposed in a vicinity of a back of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
         13 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein
 said trailing link is disposed between a front and a back of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
         14 . A support apparatus for securing a material moving wing plow relative to a vehicle, said support apparatus comprising:
 a trailing link having a first and a second end, said first end of said trailing link being pivotally connected to the vehicle about a first pivotal axis;   a further trailing link having a first and a second extremity, said first extremity of said trailing link being pivotally connected to the vehicle about a third pivotal axis;   a support arm for supporting the wing plow, said support arm being pivotally secured to said second end of said trailing link about a second pivotal axis; and   said support arm being pivotally secured to said second extremity of said further trailing link about a fourth pivotal axis, said first, second, third and fourth pivotal axes being disposed spaced and parallel relative to each other so that said trailing link and said further trailing link trail from and are dragged by the vehicle so that during a plowing operation, the wing plow supported by said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided.   
     
     
         15 . A support apparatus for securing a material moving wing plow relative to a vehicle, said support apparatus comprising:
 a trailing link having a first and a second end, said first end of said trailing link being pivotally connected to the vehicle about a first pivotal axis;   a support arm for supporting the wing plow, said support arm being pivotally secured to said second end of said trailing link about a second pivotal axis, said first and second pivotal axes being disposed spaced and parallel relative to each other so that said trailing link trails from and is dragged by the vehicle so that during a plowing operation, the wing plow supported by said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided;   a plate having a first and a second side and a top portion and a bottom portion, said first end of said trailing link being pivotally connected to said top portion of said plate such that said first end of said trailing link is disposed adjacent to said first side of said plate;   a beam rigidly secured to the vehicle and to said second side of said plate such that said beam extends between the vehicle and said plate;   a casing for the slidable reception therein of said plate;   an actuator connected between the vehicle and said plate for controllably and slidably moving said plate relative to said casing;   a control device controllably connected to said actuator for controlling an elevation of said plate relative to the vehicle for permitting the wing plow to perform a benching operation;   a further trailing link having a first and a second extremity, said first extremity of said trailing link being pivotally connected to the vehicle about a third pivotal axis;   said support arm being pivotally secured to said second extremity of said further trailing link about a fourth pivotal axis, said first, second, third and fourth pivotal axes being disposed spaced and parallel relative to each other so that said trailing links trail from and are dragged by the vehicle so that during a plowing operation, the wing plow supported by said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided;   a distance between said first and third pivotal axes is substantially the same as a further distance between said second and fourth pivotal axes so that regardless of an elevational disposition of the wing plow relative to the material being moved, an angle of attack of the wing plow relative to the material being moved remains substantially constant so that said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided;   a spacing between said first and second pivotal axes is substantially the same as a further spacing between said third and fourth pivotal axes so that regardless of an elevational disposition of the wing plow relative to the material being moved, an angle of attack of the wing plow relative to the material being moved remains substantially constant so that said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided;   a lever having a first and a second termination, said lever being pivotally secured to said plate about said first pivotal axis which is disposed between said first and second terminations of said lever, said second termination defining a cradle for selectively supporting said second end of said trailing link; and   a moving device connected to said first termination of said lever for rotating said lever about said first pivotal axis such that said moving device rotates said lever between a first disposition thereof in which said second termination of said lever supports and cradles said second end of said trailing link and a second disposition of said lever in which said second termination of said lever is moved away from said second end of said trailing link so that said support arm floats relative to said second termination of said lever.   
     
     
         16 . (new claim was  1  in parent) A support apparatus for securing a material moving wing plow relative to a vehicle, said support apparatus comprising:
 a beam having a first and a second end, said beam being rigidly secured to the vehicle; 
 a plate having a first and a second extremity, said plate being rigidly secured to said beam; 
 a first trailing link pivotally secured to said plate about a first pivotal axis; 
 a second trailing link pivotally secured to said plate about a second pivotal axis; and 
 a support arm for supporting the wing plow, said support arm having a first termination and a second termination, said support arm being pivotally secured to said first trailing link about a third pivotal axis, said support arm being secured to said second trailing link so that during a plowing operation, said first and second trailing links trail away from said plate in a direction which is opposite to a direction of movement of the vehicle such that the wing plow supported by said support arm moves smoothly over the material being moved so that a potentially dangerous diving of the wing plow into the material in a vicinity of said support arm is avoided. 
 
     
     
         17 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 16  further including:
 an anchoring plate secured to said first end of said beam for rigidly securing said beam to the vehicle. 
 
     
     
         18 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 16  further including:
 a first extension extending from said support arm adjacent to said first termination, said first extension defining a first hole; 
 a second extension extending from said support arm adjacent to said second termination, said second extension defining a second hole; 
 a support pin extending through said first and second holes for locking and supporting the wing plow relative to said support arm. 
 
     
     
         19 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 16  wherein
 said support arm being pivotally secured to said second trailing link; 
 
     
     
         20 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 19  wherein
 said support arm being pivotally secured to said second trailing link about a fourth pivotal axis, said first, second, third and fourth pivotal axes being spaced and parallel relative to each other so that when the vehicle moves in a forward direction, said third and fourth pivotal axes trail behind said first and second pivotal axes relative to said forward direction of the vehicle; 
 a further plate having a further first and a further second extremity, said further plate being rigidly secured to said beam between said plate and said first end of said beam; 
 a further first trailing link pivotally secured to said further plate about said first pivotal axis; 
 a further second trailing link pivotally secured to said further plate about said second pivotal axis; and 
 an arm having a further first termination and a further second termination, said arm being pivotally secured to said further first trailing link about said third pivotal axis, said arm being pivotally secured to said further second trailing link about said fourth pivotal axis. 
 
     
     
         21 . A support apparatus as set forth in  claim 16  further including:
 a first extension extending from said support arm adjacent to said first termination, said first extension defining a first hole; 
 a second extension extending from said support arm adjacent to said second termination, said second extension defining a second hole; 
 a support pin extending through said first and second holes for locking and supporting the wing plow relative to said support arm.