Material working attachments

Abstract

A material working attachment for a vehicle includes: (a) a working implement for engaging and working material on a ground surface during operation of the vehicle in a working direction along the ground surface; and (b) a coupling mechanism for attaching the working implement to the vehicle. The coupling mechanism includes: (i) a first coupling portion attached to the working implement and having at least one coupling channel extending along a coupling axis, the coupling axis alignable parallel with the working direction, and (ii) a second coupling portion attachable to the vehicle, the second coupling portion having at least one arm alignable parallel with the coupling axis for sliding of the at least one arm in a respective coupling channel to releasably interconnect the first and second coupling portions for attachment of the material working implement to the vehicle.

1 . A material working attachment for a vehicle, comprising:
 a) a working implement for engaging and working material on a ground surface during operation of the vehicle in a working direction along the ground surface; and   b) a coupling mechanism for attaching the working implement to the vehicle, the coupling mechanism including:
 i) a first coupling portion attached to the working implement and having at least one coupling channel extending along a coupling axis, the coupling axis alignable parallel with the working direction, and 
 ii) a second coupling portion attachable to the vehicle, the second coupling portion having at least one arm alignable parallel with the coupling axis for sliding of the at least one arm in a respective coupling channel to releasably interconnect the first and second coupling portions for attachment of the material working implement to the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the second coupling portion comprises a mount opposite the at least one arm for detachably mounting the second coupling portion to the vehicle with the at least one arm projecting away from the vehicle in the working direction. 
     
     
         3 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein each coupling channel extends along the coupling axis between a channel front end and a channel rear end, the channel rear end open rearwardly toward the vehicle, and each arm is slidably receivable into a respective coupling channel from the channel rear end to mount the implement to the vehicle in a forward configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling mechanism includes a locking mechanism for axially locking the first and second coupling portions relative to each other when interconnected. 
     
     
         5 . The attachment of  claim 4 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a locking member moveably coupled to one of the first and second coupling portions, and when the first and second coupling portions are interconnected, the locking member is movable relative to an abutment structure fixed to the other one of the first and second coupling portions, between a locked position for interlocking engagement with the abutment structure to axially lock the first and second coupling portions relative to each other, and an unlocked position clear of the abutment structure. 
     
     
         6 . The attachment of  claim 5 , wherein the locking member comprises at least one finger with a locking notch, and the abutment structure comprises at least one retaining bar extending in a lateral direction perpendicular to the coupling axis, wherein the locking notch is clear of the retaining bar when the locking member is in the unlocked position, and the locking notch receives at least a portion of the retaining bar when the locking member is in the locked position. 
     
     
         7 . The attachment of  claim 6 , wherein the abutment structure is fixed to the first coupling portion of the coupling mechanism and the locking member is movably coupled to the second coupling portion of the coupling mechanism, and wherein the second coupling portion comprises an isolation bar extending parallel to the at least one retaining bar, and the finger of the locking member comprises a force transfer notch spaced apart from the locking notch, the force transfer notch receiving the isolation bar when the locking member is in the locked position to facilitate transfer of horizontal reaction forces from the first coupling portion of the coupling mechanism to the second coupling portion through the isolation bar. 
     
     
         8 . The attachment of  claim 5 , wherein the locking mechanism includes an actuator assembly operable to move the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions. 
     
     
         9 . The attachment of  claim 8 , wherein the actuator assembly includes a hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
         10 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one arm comprises a pair of arms spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to the coupling axis, and the at least one channel comprises a pair of channels spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction for slidably receiving respective arms of the second coupling portion. 
     
     
         11 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the working implement comprises a cutting edge for cutting engagement with the material. 
     
     
         12 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the working implement comprises a blade having a working face extending laterally across the coupling axis for moving the material along the ground surface during operation of the vehicle in the working direction. 
     
     
         13 . The attachment of  claim 12 , wherein the blade extends laterally between opposed side plates projecting forward from the working face. 
     
     
         14 . A coupling assembly for attaching a working implement to a vehicle, the working implement for engaging and working material on a ground surface during operation of the vehicle in a working direction along the ground surface, the coupling assembly comprising:
 a) a frame having a mount for detachably mounting the coupling assembly to the vehicle;   b) a pair of arms projecting from the frame away from the vehicle and spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to the working direction, the pair of arms alignable parallel with a coupling axis along which a pair of coupling channels attached to the working implement extend for sliding the pair of arms into respective coupling channels to releasably interconnect the arms with the channels; and   c) a locking mechanism for axially locking the arms and the channels relative to each other when interconnected, the locking mechanism including a locking member moveably coupled to the frame, and when the arms and channels are interconnected, the locking member is movable relative to an abutment structure fixed relative to the channels, between a locked position for interlocking engagement with the abutment structure to axially lock the arms and channels relative to each other, and an unlocked position clear of the abutment structure.   
     
     
         15 . The coupling assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the locking mechanism includes an actuator assembly operable to move the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions. 
     
     
         16 . The coupling assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the locking mechanism is laterally intermediate the pair of arms and the abutment structure is laterally intermediate the coupling channels. 
     
     
         17 . The coupling assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the abutment structure comprises at least one retaining bar extending laterally between the coupling channels, and the locking member comprises at least one finger with a locking notch for receiving at least a portion of the retaining bar when the locking member is in the locked position with the arms and channels interconnected, and the locking notch movable clear of the retaining bar when the locking member is in the unlocked position. 
     
     
         18 . The coupling assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising an isolation bar attached to the frame and extending parallel with the at least one retaining bar when the arms and channels are interconnected, and wherein the finger of the locking member comprises a force transfer notch spaced apart from the locking notch, the force transfer notch receiving the isolation bar when the locking member is in the locked position to facilitate transfer of horizontal reaction forces from the working implement through the isolation bar. 
     
     
         19 . A working implement assembly for a material working attachment detachably mountable to a vehicle, comprising:
 a) a working implement for engaging and working material on a ground surface during operation of the vehicle in a working direction along the ground surface; and   b) a pair of coupling channels attached to the working implement and extending along a coupling axis alignable with the working direction, the pair of channels spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to the coupling axis, and each coupling channel extending along the coupling axis between a channel rear end positionable toward the vehicle and a channel front end axially opposite the channel rear end and positionable away from the vehicle, the channel rear end open for slidably receiving a respective coupling arm of the attachment to releasably interconnect the channels with respective arms to attach the working implement to the vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The working implement assembly of  claim 19 , further comprising an abutment structure fixed relative to the pair of coupling channels for interlocking engagement with a locking member of the attachment to axially lock the arms and channels relative to each other when interconnected.