Hose Caddy for Powered Implements Mounted on Loaders

Abstract

A hose caddy is pivotally mounted on an attachment, such as a loader bucket or other powered implement or attachment, connected to the boom arms of a loader. The hose caddy is formed with a hose retention member that passes hydraulic or pneumatic conduits, and/or electrical wiring, through the hollow hose retention member for connection to the powered implement. A mechanism for securing the conduits or wiring and directs the conduits into the hollow hose retention member. A spring biasing mechanism returns the hose caddy toward the implement as the implement is pivoted back toward the boom arms. A bunk defacing apparatus is also disclosed to facilitate the operation of dislodging and collecting silage material from a compacted bunker of silage material. A powered toothed rotor is supported on a pivot linkage that can be collapsed into housing boxes formed on the interior of the loader bucket.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hose caddy for use in conjunction with an attachment mounted on distal ends of forwardly projecting boom arms of a prime mover, said attachment having a powered component connected by conduits or wiring to said a corresponding source of power carried by said prime mover, comprising:
 an elongated member having a lower pivot end and an upper distal end, said lower pivot end being pivotally connected by a pivot pin to said attachment, said upper distal end including an interior cavity and terminating in an engagement member that directs said conduits or wiring onto said interior cavity of said elongated member to be carried thereby, said conduits or wiring separating from said elongated member at a fixed point spaced from said pivot pin.   
     
     
         2 . The hose caddy of  claim 1  wherein said elongated member is formed with a tubular member defining said interior cavity and being mounted on a C-channel forming said lower pivot end, said conduits or wiring exiting said elongated member at an opening in said tubular member offset from said pivot. 
     
     
         3 . The hose caddy of  claim 2  wherein said conduits or wiring establish a fixed distance between said source of power and said engagement member, thereby forcing said elongated member to pivot relative to said attachment when said attachment is moved relative to said boom arms of said prime mover. 
     
     
         4 . The hose caddy of  claim 3  wherein said engagement member is an enlarged head defining a curved path for the positioning of said conduits or wiring into said interior cavity of said tubular member. 
     
     
         5 . The hose caddy of  claim 3  wherein said engagement member is a hose clamp affixed to the upper distal end of said elongated member. 
     
     
         6 . The hose caddy of  claim 3  wherein said hose caddy has a spring bias urging the pivotal movement of said elongated member toward said attachment. 
     
     
         7 . The hose caddy of  claim 6  wherein said spring bias is provided by a coil spring mounted on said pivot bolt. 
     
     
         8 . The hose caddy of  claim 7  wherein said spring bias is adjustable by rotation of said pivot bolt to compress said coil spring, a tension setting bolt engaging said pivot pin to secure the position thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A hose caddy for use in conjunction with an implement mounted on distal ends of forwardly projecting boom arms of a prime mover, said implement having a hydraulically driven component connected by hydraulic conduits to said a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure carried by said prime mover, comprising:
 an elongated member having a lower end and an upper end, said lower end being pivotally connected at a pivot to said implement, said upper end terminating in a hose engagement member that directs said hydraulic conduits onto said elongated member to be carried thereby, said hydraulic conduits separating from said elongated member at a fixed point spaced from said pivot.   
     
     
         10 . The hose caddy of  claim 9  wherein said elongated member is formed with an interior cavity, said hose engagement member directing said hydraulic conduits into said interior cavity, said hydraulic conduits exiting said elongated member at an opening therein offset from said pivot. 
     
     
         11 . The hose caddy of  claim 10  wherein said hydraulic conduits establish a fixed distance between said source of hydraulic fluid under pressure and said hose engagement member, thereby forcing said elongated member to pivot relative to said implement when said implement is moved relative to said boom arms of said prime mover. 
     
     
         12 . The hose caddy of  claim 11  wherein said hose engagement member is an enlarged head defining a curved path for the positioning of said hydraulic conduits into said interior cavity of said elongated member. 
     
     
         13 . The hose caddy of  claim 11  wherein said hose engagement member is a hose clamp affixed to the upper end of said elongated member. 
     
     
         14 . The hose caddy of  claim 11  wherein said hose caddy has a spring bias urging the pivotal movement of said linear member toward said implement. 
     
     
         15 . The hose caddy of  claim 14  wherein said spring bias is provided by a coil spring mounted on a pivot bolt defining the pivot for said elongated member. 
     
     
         16 . A method of supporting hoses or wiring for an attachment to a prime mover carrying a corresponding source of power for operative connection to said hoses or wiring, comprising the steps of:
 pivotally mounting a hose caddy on a pivot pin, said hose caddy having an elongated member formed with an internal cavity and terminating in an engagement member;   engaging said hoses or wiring with said engagement member to direct said hoses or wiring from said engagement member into said internal cavity, said hoses or wiring defining a fixed distance between said engagement member and said source of power so that said hose caddy maintains a fixed orientation relative to said prime mover as said attachment is pivotally moved relative to said prime mover;   exiting said hoses or wiring from said elongated member at an opening offset from said pivot pin;   biasing said hose caddy toward said attachment so that said hose caddy will maintain said fixed orientation as said attachment is pivotally moved relative to said prime mover.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said biasing step is provided by a coil spring mounted on said pivot pin. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said engagement member clamps the hoses or wiring into a fixed position on said engagement member. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said elongated member is formed as a tubular member defining said interior cavity, said tubular member being mounted on a C-channel carrying said pivot pin, said tubular member being bent relative to said C-channel to position said opening at an offset location relative to said pivot pin. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the biasing force exerted by said spring is adjustable by rotation of said pivot pin, the rotated position of said pivot pin being retained by a tension setting bolt engaged with said pivot pin.