Work machine with a grading blade attachment having a knock down blade assembly

Abstract

A grading blade attachment for a work machine comprising an attachment frame including an upper attachment frame portion and a rear attachment frame portion wherein the upper attachment frame portion has a frame length extending forward from the rear attachment frame portion. The attachment further includes a coupler bracket, a pivot beam, a left wheel assembly, a right wheel assembly, a grading blade, and a knock down blade. The knock down blade assembly is movably coupled to the upper attachment frame portion between an operative position and an inoperative position. The knock down blade assembly including a knock down blade positioned fore of the wheel assemblies connected to the upper attachment frame portion when in the operative position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A grading blade attachment for a work machine, comprising:
 an attachment frame including an upper attachment frame portion and a rear attachment frame portion, the upper attachment frame portion having a frame length coupled to and extending forward from the rear attachment frame portion;   a coupler bracket including an attachment interface for coupling the grading blade attachment to the work machine;   a pivot beam extending transversely to the frame length and coupled to the upper attachment frame portion;   a left wheel assembly and a right wheel assembly coupled to the pivot beam on opposing ends of the upper attachment frame portion;   a grading blade extending transversely to the frame length, the grading blade aft of the wheel assemblies and coupled to the rear attachment frame portion; and   a knock down blade assembly coupled to the upper attachment frame portion and movable between an operative position and an inoperative position, wherein a knock down blade is positioned fore of the wheel assemblies when in the operative position.   
     
     
         2 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 1  wherein the knock down blade assembly comprises:
 a left lift arm and a right lift arm pivotally coupled to the opposite sides of the upper attachment frame portion at a first lift arm ends, and coupled to the knock down blade at a second lift arm ends; 
 an upper attachment frame support beam straddling a left beam of the upper attachment frame portion and a right beam of the upper attachment frame portion; 
 a lift arm support beam straddling the left lift arm and the right lift arm, the lift arm support beam traverse to a longitudinal length of the upper attachment frame portion; and 
 an actuator longitudinally oriented and pivotally coupled to the lift arm support beam on a first actuator end and pivotally coupled to the upper attachment frame support beam on a second actuator end; 
 wherein retraction of the actuator lifts the knock down blade towards the inoperative position. 
 
     
     
         3 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 2 , wherein the left lift arm and the right lift arm are pivotally coupled about a lift arm pivot axis, wherein extension and retraction of the actuator pivots the left lift arm and the right lift arm about the pivot axis. 
     
     
         4 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 3 , wherein retraction of the actuator rotates the left lift arm and the right lift arm at least twenty degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 2 , wherein the upper attachment frame portion is a single-piece component. 
     
     
         6 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 1 , wherein an actuator is communicatively coupled to a controller, wherein the controller is configured to selectively activate a portion of a hydraulic system related to movement of the actuator upon receiving a user input request from a user input interface. 
     
     
         7 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the upper attachment frame portion comprises:
 a first upper attachment frame portion;   a second upper attachment frame portion pivotally coupled to the first upper attachment frame portion at an upper attachment frame folding axis;   wherein rotating the second upper attachment frame portion about the upper attachment frame folding axis lifts the knock down blade towards the inoperative position.   
     
     
         8 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 7 , wherein an actuator couples the first upper attachment frame portion to the second upper attachment frame portion wherein extension and retraction of the actuator rotates the knock down blade about the upper attachment frame folding axis between the inoperative position and the operative position. 
     
     
         9 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the knock down blade is no greater than a length of the grading blade in a direction transverse to the frame length. 
     
     
         10 . The grading blade attachment of  claim 7 , wherein the knock down blade is fixedly coupled to second upper attachment frame portion. 
     
     
         11 . A work machine with a grading blade attachment, comprising:
 a frame supported by a plurality of ground-engaging units, the ground-engaging units configured to support the frame on a surface;   a boom assembly coupled to the frame, the boom assembly having a pair of boom arms pivotally coupled to the frame and movable relative to the frame by a pair of boom hydraulic actuators;   an attachment coupler coupled to a distal portion of the pair of boom arms, the attachment coupler movable relative to the frame by a pair of attachment pitch hydraulic actuators; and   an attachment including
 an upper attachment frame portion and a rear attachment frame portion, the upper attachment frame portion having a frame length extending forward from the rear attachment frame portion; 
 a coupler bracket including an attachment interface for coupling the grading blade attachment to the work machine; 
 a pivot beam extending transversely to the frame length and coupled to the upper attachment frame portion; 
 a left wheel assembly and a right wheel assembly coupled to the pivot beam on opposite sides of the upper attachment frame portion; 
 a grading blade extending transversely to the frame length, the grading blade aft of the wheel assemblies and coupled to the rear attachment portion; and 
 a knock down blade assembly movable coupled to the upper attachment frame portion between an operative position and an inoperative position, the knock down blade assembly including a knock down blade connected to the upper attachment frame portion and positioned fore of the wheel assemblies when in the operative position. 
   
     
     
         12 . The work machine of  claim 11 , wherein the knock down blade assembly comprises:
 a left lift arm and a right lift arm pivotally coupled to the opposite sides of the upper attachment frame portion at a first lift arm ends, and coupled to the knock down blade at a second lift arm ends;   an upper attachment frame support beam straddling a left beam of the upper attachment frame portion and a right beam of the attachment frame portion;   a lift arm support beam straddling the left lift arm and the right lift arm, the lift arm support beam traverse to a longitudinal length of the upper attachment frame portion; and   an actuator longitudinally oriented and pivotally coupled to the lift arm support beam on a first actuator end and pivotally coupled to an upper attachment frame support beam on a second actuator end, the upper attachment frame support beam straddling a left beam of the upper attachment frame portion and a right beam of the upper attachment frame portion;   wherein retraction of the actuator lifts the knock down blade towards the inoperative position.   
     
     
         13 . The work machine of  claim 12 , wherein the left lift arm and the right lift arm are pivotally coupled about a lift arm pivot axis, wherein extension and retraction of the actuator pivots the left lift arm and the right lift arm about the pivot axis. 
     
     
         14 . The work machine of  claim 13 , wherein retraction of the actuator rotates the left lift arm and the right lift arm at least twenty degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The work machine of  claim 12 , wherein the upper attachment frame portion is a single-piece component. 
     
     
         16 . The work machine of  claim 11 , wherein an actuator is communicatively coupled to a controller, the controller configured to selectively activate a portion of a hydraulic system related to movement of the actuator upon a user input request from a user input interface. 
     
     
         17 . The work machine of  claim 11 , wherein the knock down blade is coupled to a wheel axes of the left wheel assembly and the right wheel assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The work machine of  claim 17 , wherein the upper attachment frame portion comprises:
 a first upper attachment frame portion;   a second upper attachment frame portion pivotally coupled to the first attachment frame portion at an upper attachment frame folding axis;   wherein rotating the first upper attachment frame portion about the upper attachment frame folding axis lifts the knock down blade towards the inoperative position.   
     
     
         19 . The work machine of  claim 18 , wherein an actuator couples the first upper attachment frame portion to the second upper attachment frame portion and extension and retraction of the actuator rotates the knock down blade between the inoperative position and the operative position. 
     
     
         20 . The work machine of  claim 11 , wherein the knock down blade is no greater than a length of the grading blade in a direction transverse to the frame length.