davesisk
Platinum Member
OK, I finally got started on this for my old PT1418. The 6' stack of tree limbs and trunks in my back yard after our recent ice storm was the motivation.
Initially, I was thinking of making a really simple grapple attachment that was fixed to the lift arms. You then close the bucket against it. However, it occurred to me that the lift arms actually swing through quite a large angle (like around 90 degrees), so if the fixed grapple were positioned so that there was ample room to close the bucket against it when the lift arms were down, then it would be opened 90 degrees when the lift arms were raised, and vice versa.
I really didn't want to go to the trouble and expense of plumbing in another cylinder, valve, and hoses, so what I've done is designed this grapple attachment almost like an upside down bucket (ie. the same curl pivot point, and a mirror image of the lift pivot point). Essentially (if it works the way I intend after I'm done), when I uncurl the bucket the grapple will open, and when I curl the bucket, the grapple will close against it. I'll post some pics (and maybe even an MPEG) when it's done, which should be possibly today, perhaps tommorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that I haven't made some glaring error in it's geometry!
Dave
Initially, I was thinking of making a really simple grapple attachment that was fixed to the lift arms. You then close the bucket against it. However, it occurred to me that the lift arms actually swing through quite a large angle (like around 90 degrees), so if the fixed grapple were positioned so that there was ample room to close the bucket against it when the lift arms were down, then it would be opened 90 degrees when the lift arms were raised, and vice versa.
I really didn't want to go to the trouble and expense of plumbing in another cylinder, valve, and hoses, so what I've done is designed this grapple attachment almost like an upside down bucket (ie. the same curl pivot point, and a mirror image of the lift pivot point). Essentially (if it works the way I intend after I'm done), when I uncurl the bucket the grapple will open, and when I curl the bucket, the grapple will close against it. I'll post some pics (and maybe even an MPEG) when it's done, which should be possibly today, perhaps tommorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that I haven't made some glaring error in it's geometry!
Dave
