Equipment adapter for snowplow attachment

Abstract

An equipment mounting assembly, for attachment of a desired equipment to a snowplow attachment, which comprises a mounting frame with an equipment adapter. A first end of a frame adaptor is pivotally attached, by a horizontal pivot, to a rear portion of the mounting frame to facilitate tilting thereof while a second end of the frame adaptor is engageable with a snowplow attachment. First and second spaced apart support brackets are supported by the mounting frame, and each of the support brackets facilitates coupling the mounting frame to the snowplow attachment. A first end of a frame tilt actuator is supported by the mounting frame while a second end of the frame tilt actuator is attachable to the frame adaptor or and the snowplow attachment so as to facilitate forward and rearward tilting of the mounting frame about a horizontal tilt axis defined by the horizontal pivot.

Wherefore, I/we claim: 
     
         1 . An equipment mounting assembly for releaseable attachment of a desired equipment to a snowplow attachment, the equipment mounting assembly comprising:
 an equipment mounting frame having at least one equipment adapter for releaseable attachment of the desired equipment thereto;   a first end of a frame adaptor is pivotally attached, by a horizontal pivot, to a rear portion of the equipment mounting frame so as to facilitate titling of the equipment mounting frame, and a second end of the frame adaptor being engageable with a forward portion of a frame apex of a snowplow attachment;   first and second spaced apart support brackets being supported by the equipment mounting frame, and each of the first and the second support brackets facilitates coupling the equipment mounting frame with the snowplow attachment to provide stability for the equipment mounting assembly; and   a first end of a frame tilt actuator being supported by the equipment mounting frame at a located spaced from the frame adaptor, and a second end of the frame tilt actuator being attachable to one of the frame adaptor and the snowplow attachment so as to facilitate forward and rearward tilting of the equipment mounting frame about a horizontal tilt axis defined by the horizontal pivot.   
     
     
         2 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame adaptor has an aperture which is alignable with a vertical pivot of the frame apex to facilitate attaching the frame adaptor to the frame apex. 
     
     
         3 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a first angling actuator, of the snowplow attachment, interconnects the first support bracket, of the equipment mounting frame, with a main base frame of the snowplow attachment, and a second angling actuator, of the snowplow attachment, interconnects the second support bracket, of the equipment mounting frame, with the main base frame of the snowplow attachment. 
     
     
         4 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a first fixed length alignment element interconnects the first support bracket, of the equipment mounting frame, with a main base frame of the snowplow attachment, and a second fixed length alignment element interconnects the second support bracket, of the equipment mounting frame, with the main base frame of the snowplow attachment. 
     
     
         5 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the equipment mounting frame comprises at least a frame base element and a center frame element which are connected with one another to form the equipment mounting frame. 
     
     
         6 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the equipment mounting frame comprises a frame base element and a frame upper element which are spaced apart and extend parallel to one another, a vertically center frame element interconnects the frame base element with the frame upper element, and respective outer lateral frame elements interconnect opposed ends of the frame base element with the frame upper element to form a frame structure. 
     
     
         7 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein a first intermediate vertical lateral frame element extends vertically between the center frame element and one of the outer vertical lateral frame elements and interconnects the frame base element with the frame upper element, and a second intermediate vertical lateral frame element extends vertically between the center frame element and the other outer vertical lateral frame element and interconnects the frame base element with the frame upper element. 
     
     
         8 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein each frame element has one of a square transverse cross section, a rectangular transverse cross section, an L-shaped transverse cross section, an I-shaped transverse cross section, a T-shaped transverse cross section and a circular shaped cross section. 
     
     
         9 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired equipment comprises one of a lift platform, a pair of forklift, and a crane. 
     
     
         10 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the equipment mounting frame supports a three-point hitch which facilitates attachment of a variety of components and equipment to the equipment mounting frame, 
     
     
         11 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the three-point hitch comprises a spaced apart pair of horizontal first and second hitch members and a lower portion of the equipment mounting frame supports the third hitch member of the three-point hitch. 
     
     
         12 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired equipment comprises a lift platform frame which comprises framework elements which are fixedly and permanently interconnected with one another, and a load support member overlies and is supported by a top surface of the lift platform frame to form a support surface. 
     
     
         13 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the lift platform and the equipment mounting frame comprises at least one female socket while the other of the lift platform and the equipment mounting frame comprises at least one mating male member which is sized to engage with the female socket and facilitate releasable support of the lift platform to the equipment mounting frame. 
     
     
         14 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired equipment comprises a pair of first and second generally forklift prongs which are attached to the equipment mounting frame by a rod which is supported by the mounting frame. 
     
     
         15 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein each one of the forklift prongs comprises a leading prong section and an integral vertically oriented mounting section, a rear portion of each mounting section comprises a mounting element that is sized and shaped to engage with the rod supported by the equipment mounting frame. 
     
     
         16 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein a rod sleeve is supported by the equipment mounting frame, and each rod sleeve is sized to intimately engage with the rod and retained the rod attached to the equipment mounting frame. 
     
     
         17 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired equipment comprises a crane attachment which is attached to the equipment mounting frame by the equipment adapter, the crane attachment comprises a vertical crane member which is mounted to and extends vertically from the equipment mounting frame, the crane attachment supports at least one pulley and includes a winch. 
     
     
         18 . The equipment mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the crane attachment further includes a horizontal crane arm which extends forward from the vertical crane member, and a free end of the horizontal crane arm supports the at least one pulley. 
     
     
         19 . A method of releasably attaching desired equipment to a snowplow attachment via an equipment mounting assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an equipment mounting frame having at least one equipment adapter for releaseable attachment of the desired equipment thereto;   pivotally attaching a first end of a frame adaptor, via a horizontal pivot, to a rear portion of the equipment mounting frame so as to facilitate titling of the equipment mounting frame,   engaging a second end of the frame adaptor with a forward portion of a frame apex of a snowplow attachment;   supporting first and second spaced apart support brackets by the equipment mounting frame, and the first and the second support brackets facilitate coupling the equipment mounting frame with the snowplow attachment to provide stability for the equipment mounting assembly; and   supporting a first end of a frame tilt actuator via the equipment mounting frame, at a located spaced from the frame adaptor, and attaching a second end of the frame tilt actuator to one of the frame adaptor and the snowplow attachment so as to facilitate forward and rearward tilting of the equipment mounting frame about a horizontal tilt axis defined by the horizontal pivot.