Skid steer attachment

Abstract

Disclosed is an attachment for a skid steer, the attachment being configured to couple to the skid steer so as to be driven forward of the skid steer in use, the attachment comprising a hopper and a screed assembly, the hopper being located forward in-use of the screed assembly and configured to feed screed into the screed assembly, the screed assembly being adapted to spread and / or level the screed onto a surface.

Description

SKID STEER ATTACHMENTTechnical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to attachments for skid steers, and in particular to a skid steer attachment suitable for patching and / or paving a surface.Background

[0002] A skid steer, also commonly referred to as a skid loader or a wheel loader, is a multipurpose mobile construction machine that drives on either four wheels or two tracks. The wheels or tracks remain in a straight, fixed alignment and do not turn, instead requiring that the speed of the wheels on one side of the skid steer increase in speed, thereby causing the wheels to skid or drag across the ground as the skid steer rotates in the opposite direction.

[0003] An important feature of a skid steer is the variety of attachments and accessories available, thereby enabling a skid steer to perform a wide range of construction and landscaping tasks. For example, a bucket can be attached to the arms of a skid steer in order to lift or move heavy materials.

[0004] The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from the prior publication), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that the prior publication (or information derived from the prior publication) or known matter forms liner of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.Summary of the Disclosure

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments are disclosed of an attachment for a skid steer, the attachment being configured to couple to the skid steer so as to be driven forward of the skid steer in use, the attachment comprising a hopper and a screed assembly, the hopper being located forward in-use of the screed assembly and configured to feed screed into the screed assembly, the screed assembly being adapted to spread and / or level the screed onto a surface.

[0006] In some embodiments, the screed assembly may comprise a pair of side walls and a screed plate that is arranged adjacent an in-use rearward end of each of the side walls andacross a gap between the pair of side walls, and wherein a bottom edge of the screed plate is substantially level with and / or offset from a respective bottom edge of each of the side walls. In some embodiments, a distance between the bottom edge of the screed plate and the respective bottom edges of each of the side walls may be adjustable. In some embodiments, a distance between the bottom edge of the screed plate and the surface may be adjustable. In some embodiments, a width of the gap between the side walls may be adjustable.

[0007] In some embodiments, an inlet may be defined by an in-use upper portion of the pair of side walls and the screed plate, the inlet being adapted such that the screed is received therethrough onto a portion of the surface that is within the screed assembly. In some embodiments, an outlet may be defined by a spacing of the bottom edge of the screed plate above the surface, the outlet being adapted such that the screed within the screed assembly is spread and / or levelled as it passes through the outlet. In some embodiments, an in-use forward movement of the attachment relative to the surface may facilitate the passing of the screed through the outlet.

[0008] In some embodiments, the attachment may further comprise a frame that supports the hopper such that it locates, at least in part, above the inlet of the screed assembly. In some embodiments, the hopper may comprise a bucket, the bucket having a base with one or more walls extending away from the base around a perimeter thereof, an opening through the one or more walls being arranged such that screed can be fed therethrough towards the inlet of the screed assembly. In some embodiments, the base of the bucket may be hingedly supported adjacent the opening such that the base can be pivoted and supported at an angle relative to a horizontal plane across the inlet of the screed assembly. In some embodiments, the angle may be between 0 and 90 degrees relative to the horizontal plane across the inlet or the angle is between 90 and 135 degrees relative to the horizontal plane across the base of the bucket.

[0009] In some embodiments, the hopper may comprise a conveyor that is arranged adjacent the opening, the conveyor being configured to convey the screed that is fed through the opening in an in-use rearward direction. In some embodiments, the hopper may comprise a pair of the buckets, each bucket being arranged on an opposing side of the conveyor such that a respective opening of each of the buckets opens onto the conveyor.

[0010] In some embodiments, the attachment may further comprise a coupling, the coupling being arranged to engage with a skid steer that locates in-use rearward of the attachment. In some embodiments, the attachment may further comprise a forward engagementarrangement, the forward engagement arrangement being arranged to engage with an in-use rearward portion of a truck that is located forward in-use of the attachment.

[0011] In some embodiments, operation of the attachment may be controlled by communication with a remotely located communication device.

[0012] In a further aspect, embodiments are disclosed of a skid steer system suitable for patching and / or paving a surface, the skid steer system comprising the attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims being coupled to a forward in-use portion of the skid steer. In some embodiments, the attachment may derive electrical and / or hydraulic power from the skid steer. In some embodiments, the skid steer system may further comprise a truck that locates adjacent to a forward in-use portion of the attachment, the truck being configured to controllably feed the screed into the hopper.

[0013] Other aspects, features, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this disclosure and which illustrate, by way of example, principles of inventions disclosed.Description of the Figures

[0014] The accompanying drawings facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments. The invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figures la and lb are perspective views from above and perspective views from below, respectively, of a first embodiment of the attachment.

[0016] Figures 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e are a plan view, bottom view, rear view, front view, and side view, respectively, of the first embodiment of the attachment.

[0017] Figure 3a is a side section view through A-A of the screed assembly of the first embodiment of the attachment.

[0018] Figure 3b is a side section view through B-B of the screed assembly of the first embodiment of the attachment.

[0019] Figure 3c is a front section view through C-C of the screed assembly of the first embodiment of the attachment.

[0020] Figure 3d is a closeup side section view through D-D of a rear portion of the screedassembly of the first embodiment of the attachment.

[0021] Figure 4 is a rear perspective view from below of the screed assembly of the first embodiment of the attachment.

[0022] Figure 5 is a plan view of the first embodiment of the attachment, where the width of the screed assembly has been adjusted to a relatively narrow width in comparison to Figure 2a.

[0023] Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the attachment coupled to an embodiment of a skid steer.

[0024] Figures 7a and 7b are a side view and perspective view, respectively, of the first embodiment of the attachment in use between an embodiment of a skid steer and an embodiment of a truck.Detailed Description

[0025] Referring generally to figures 1 to 10, the invention is described in relation to an attachment 100 for a skid steer 90. The attachment 100 can be used to lay screed along a ground surface 92 to patch and / or pave pavement or roadways. Where like reference numerals are used in the following description, the features are considered to be the same unless specified as being otherwise.

[0026] Where the term screed is used herein, it refers to a layer of material that is applied to, and levelled across, a road or other surface. The screed can comprise, but is not limited to, asphalt, gravel or cement.

[0027] The attachment 100 is mountable to the loader arms of the skid steer 90 and supported by the loader arms in front of the skid steer 90 (e.g. Figs. 6 and 7). The attachment 100 can be arranged to derive electronic or hydraulic power that is supplied by the skid steer 90.

[0028] The attachment 100 comprises a frame 10, or hitch, the frame 10 being sufficiently rigid and robustly so as to accommodate being propelled by a skid steer 90 along the paving surface. The width between the side support beams 11 of the frame 10 can vary along the longitudinal length of the attachment 100, with the shape of the frame being generally square or rectangular. The attachment 100 is substantially symmetrical on either side of its central longitudinal axis A-A. With reference to Figures 7a and 7b, in some variations the attachment 100 can be arranged between a skid steer 90 and a vehicle, such as a tipper truck 94, wherein the skid steer 90 propels both the attachment 100 and the tipper truck 94, withthe tipper truck 94 supplying the screed material to the attachment 100. The frame 10 of the attachment can include wheels 12 that are adapted to support the attachment 100 above the surface 92 and improve the ease with which the attachment 100 can be moved along the surface 92 by the skid steer 90.

[0029] Referring now to Figures 1 to 3, the frame 10 comprises a pair of support beams 11 that each extend between a first end 14 and a second end 16 of the attachment 100, where the first end 14 corresponds to the front side of the attachment 100 in use, and the second end 16 corresponds to the rear side of the attachment 100 in use. A rear panel across the second end 16 of the frame 10 comprises a coupling 15 that is arranged to facilitate engagement between the attachment 100 and the loader arms of the skid steer 90. For example, the coupling may be a quick hitch mechanism. The frame 10 can be adapted to transfer a portion of the load of the attachment 100 away from the coupling 15 between the attachment 100 and the loader arms of the skid steer 90. One or more push rollers 18 are pivotally connected via a clevis assembly 19 to the first end 16 of the frame 10, with the push rollers 18 able to facilitate engagement with the rearward portion of a vehicle, such as a tipper truck 94, which supplies screed material to the attachment 100. The push rollers 18 can each comprise a pair of free-spinning rollers, each of the rollers of a pair having the same length and extending parallel to one another and being spaced away from each other on either side of the central longitudinal axis A-A. For example, the opposing ends of each of the rollers can be connected adjacent a respective one of the opposing ends of a U shaped endplate, such that the axis of the in-use upper roller extends across the same vertical plane as the axis of the in-use lower roller. Additional rollers 18' can be arranged to extend below the leading edge of the frame 10 and towards the first end 16 of the attachment 100. The additional rollers 18' can be used to protect the first end 16 of the attachment 100 from damage when the attachment 100 is being rolled up or down a ramp during transport to and / or from a work site.

[0030] A screed assembly 20 is supported by the frame 10 and extends at least in part below the support beams 11 of the frame 10 in use. The screed assembly 20 is symmetrical on either side of the central longitudinal axis A-A through the screed assembly 20. The screed assembly 20 and comprises a pair of side walls 22 that extend substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis A-A on either side of the central longitudinal axis A-A. A screed plate 24 is arranged to extend perpendicularly to the side walls 22 between the respective rearward, or trailing, edges 29 of the side walls 22 (i.e. the edge that locates closer to thesecond end 16 of the attachment 100). The screed plate 24 has a length that is longer than a width of the gap 26 between the side walls 22, whereby a portion of the screed plate 24 extends beyond the adjacent one of the side walls 22 on either side of the screed assembly 20. In some forms, the width of the gap 26 between the side walls 22 can be adjustable between a narrower width (e.g. Fig. 5) and a wider width (e.g. Fig. 2), whereby the overall width of the screed assembly 20 is able to be adjusted. For example, in some forms the gap 26 can have a maximum width that substantially corresponds to a width between the tires of a skid steer 90 having the attachment 100 mounted thereto. In some embodiments, the width of the gap 26 between the side walls 22 can be adjustable between a width of 300mm and a width of 1 metre. A width of the gap 26 between the side walls 22 can be marked along an upper edge of the screed plate 24, to provide a visual indicator 23 to an operator of the width of the screed assembly 20. The width of the gap 26 between the side walls 22 can be adjusted by two opposing linear slide assemblies 33. Each linear slide assembly 33 comprises two guide rails and a hydraulic cylinder with an extension range of 350mm.

[0031] The bottom edge 21 of each of the side walls 22 is substantially linear and extends between a leading edge 27 and a trailing edge 29. The leading edge 27 is closer to the first end 14 of the attachment 100 (i.e. forward in-use of the attachment 10), whilst the trailing edge 29 is closer to the second end 16 of the attachment 100 (i.e. rearward in-use of the attachment 10).

[0032] The bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 can be arranged substantially level with (i.e. 0 mm), or at a height that is offset above the trailing edge 29 of the bottom edge 21 of each of the side walls 22. An outlet 34 from the screed assembly 20 is defined by a spacing of the bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 above the surface 92. The outlet 34 is adapted such that the screed within the screed assembly 20 is spread and / or levelled by the bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 at a predetermined thickness as it passes through the outlet 34. For example, the predetermined thickness of the screed can be in the range between 0mm and 100mm above the surface 92. The height of the bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 above the ground surface 92 corresponds to the thickness of the screed material spread and / or levelled on the ground surface 92 and can be adjusted to increase or decrease the area of the outlet 34 (and thus the thickness of the screed layer) in order to maintain the application of a constant thickness of screed material across the ground surface 92. This may be advantageous, for example, where the ground surface 92 is uneven. In use, forwardmovement of the attachment 100 relative to the surface 92 facilitates the passing of the screed material through the outlet 34.

[0033] The height of the bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 above the ground surface 92 can be responsively controlled to adjust based on the contour of the ground surface 92 beneath the screed assembly 20. For example, when a thicker screed is required the height of the bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 can be raised further above the ground surface 92 to create a larger outlet 34. Conversely, when a thinner screed is required the height of the bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 can be lowered closer to the ground surface 92 to create a smaller outlet 34. The screed plate 24 can be raised and / or lowered using a linear actuator 36, for example a hydraulic cylinder, that is coupled to a goose necked flange 35 that extends upwards and rearwards, in use, from the upper edge of the screed plate 24. A pair of screed assembly pivot arms 38 extend forward of the screed plate 24 to a pair of pivot pins 37. The linear actuator 36 can be remotely controlled to adjust in length, thereby lifting or lowering the entire screed assembly 20 about the pivot pins 37 via pivot arms 38. The adjustment of the length of the linear actuator 36 thereby allows for the height of the bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 to be responsively controlled relative to the ground surface 92 on the fly, whilst the skid steer 90 is moving the attachment 100.

[0034] For the purposes of transport, the screed assembly 20 can be elevated relative to the frame 10 to provide additional clearance above the ground surface 92. This may also help to avoid damage of the screed assembly 20 during transport. The in-use rearward portion of the screed assembly 20 can be raised by the linear actuator 36, as described above. The in-use forward portion of the screed assembly 20 can also be raised using one or more linear actuators 31 that are coupled to the in-use forward portion of the screed assembly 20.

[0035] The height of the bottom edge 21 of each of the side walls 22 above the ground surface 92 can be configured by adjusting the length of one or more springs 25 that connect between an upper side wall plate 22b and a lower side wall plate 22a. The springs 25 can be adapted proximal an in-use leading and / or trailing side of the side walls 22 so as to enable the bottom edge 21 to effectively "float" over the ground surface 92, i.e. to shift up and down as the bottom edge 21 follows the contour of the ground surface 92 below the screed assembly 20. The floating side walls 22 allow constant containment of screed material within the screed assembly 20 during operation, even as the attachment moves across a surface 92 having varying contours. For example, in use, the leading portion of the lower side wall plate 22a can rotate up (i.e. higher and away above from the ground surface 92) by engagementof the ground surface 92 against the leading portion of the bottom edge 21 of each of the side walls 22.

[0036] An inlet 39 is defined by the upper portion of the pair of side walls 22 and the screed plate 24. The inlet 39 is adapted such that the screed is received through the inlet 39 onto a portion of the surface 92 within the screed assembly 20. Forward movement of the attachment 100 relative to the surface 92 is then able to facilitate the passing of the screed material through the outlet 34, where the bottom edge 28 of the screed plate 24 spreads and / or levels the screed on the portion of the surface 92. The process is then continuously repeated on a new, immediately adjacent portion of the surface 92 for the duration of the period within which screed material is provided into the inlet 39 of the screed assembly 20.

[0037] A hopper 40 is supported, at least in part, at a height that locates above the inlet 39 of the screed assembly 20 by the frame 10. The hopper 40 is located forward in-use of the screed assembly 20, and the inlet 39, and is supported adjacent the first end 14 of the attachment 100 by the frame 10, whereby screed material that is supplied from a vehicle, such as a tipper truck 94, that locates forward in-use of the hopper 40 is able to be fed into the hopper 40.

[0038] The hopper 40 comprises a pair of buckets 42 that are adapted for receiving the screed material. Each bucket 42 has a substantially planar base 44 with one or more walls 46 extending away from the base 44 at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees relative to the horizontal plane across the inlet, or 90 to 135 degrees relative to a plane of the base 44, so as to form a sloped perimeter around at least the side edges and the in-use rearward edges of each of the bases 44. In some forms, not shown, the in-use leading edges of the bases may also comprise walls therealong. Each bucket 42 is arranged on an opposing side of a centrally located conveyor 50, with an opening provided through the walls 46 of each bucket 42 along the inward-facing side of the bucket 42 (i.e. the side that locates adjacent to the conveyor 50). For example, each bucket 42 can comprise a base 44 having a square or rectangular shape with two walls 46, each having a slope between approximately 90 and 135 degrees relative to the plane of the base 44, being provided along the outer-facing side edges and rearward-facing edges of the base 44, respectively. The edge of the base 44 that locates proximal to the conveyor does not comprise a wall and instead provides an opening that facilitates passage of screed material from the buckets 42 onto the conveyor 50. A ramped surface 52 is provided forward in-use of the conveyor 50 and extends towards the leading portion of the frame 10. The ramped surface 52 slopes downwards towards the upper surfaceof the conveyor 50 and is arranged such that the screed material that is received on the ramped surface 52 from the vehicle, in use, is urged under the force of gravity towards the conveyor 50.

[0039] A hinge 47 connects between inward-facing edge of the base 44 (i.e. the side having the opening) and the portion of the frame 10 that is arranged on either side of the conveyor 50. Each bucket 42 is able to be pivoted about its respective hinge 47, and supported at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees relative to a plane that extends across the upper surface of the conveyor 50. In use, the plane that extends across the upper surface of the conveyor 50 may be co-planar with the horizontal plane. For example, the underside of each bucket 42 can be supported by one or more linear actuator 48 (e.g. hydraulic cylinder) that is adapted to pivot the respective bucket 42 about the hinge 47, whereby the buckets 42 can each be configured between an elevated (i.e. sloped) configuration and a lowered, (i.e. substantially co-planar with the horizontal plane) configuration. In use, the various sloped interior surfaces of each bucket 42 of the hopper 40 enable the screed that is received by the buckets 42 to be urged under the force of gravity towards a respective opening (i.e. the side of the bucket that locates adjacent to the conveyor 50), and through the opening 48 onto the conveyor 50. The conveyor 50 conveys the screed material in a rearwards direction towards the second end 16 of the attachment 100, and towards the inlet 39 of the screed assembly 20. In this manner, the hopper 40 feeds the screed material into the inlet 39 of the screed assembly 20.

[0040] The flow rate of the screed material from the hopper 40 to the screed assembly 20 can be controlled by the speed of the movement of the conveyor 50. In addition, in some forms, the path of the screed material from the conveyor 50 to the inlet 39 of the screed assembly 20 can be reduced in size (i.e. to reduce the volume of screed material fed into the inlet 39) and / or blocked entirely (i.e. to stop the flow of screed material into the inlet 39) by a gate 54. The gate 54 can be raised or lowered using one or more linear actuator 56 (e.g. hydraulic cylinder).

[0041] Operation of the conveyor 50, and the attachment 100 in general, can be controlled by communication with a remotely located communication device. A control hub 60 can be arranged between the hopper 40 and screed assembly 20.The control hub 60 can comprise a six-function hydraulic valve bank and a remote control system for operator safety. In some forms, the control hub can comprise a wireless camera, not shown, that is able to be monitored remotely (e.g. inside the skid steer cabin) for ease ofoperation. The outer structure of the arched control hub 60 can extend across the end of the conveyor 50 above the inlet 39. The outer structure of the control hub 60 can act as a protective crash bar that advantageously assists with protecting the buckets 42 of the hopper 40 and the features of the screed assembly 20 from damage during transport. In addition, the frame of the control hub 60 can provide a support structure behind the buckets 42 of the hopper 40 to assist with containment of screed materials when being poured into hopper 40.

[0042] As would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, in some variations, not shown, the hopper could comprise a single bucket that extends along at least a portion of the width of the attachment, the bucket being adapted to pivot about an axis that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the attachment.

[0043] Variations and modifications may be made to the parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the disclosure.

[0044] In the foregoing description of preferred embodiments, specific terminology has been resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar technical purpose. Terms such as "front" and "rear", "inner" and "outer", "above", "below", "upper" and "lower" and the like are used as words of convenience to provide reference points and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

[0045] The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

[0046] In this specification, the word “comprising” is to be understood in its “open” sense, that is, in the sense of “including”, and thus not limited to its “closed” sense, that is the sense of “consisting only of’. A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words “comprise”, “comprised” and “comprises” where they appear.

[0047] In addition, the foregoing describes only some embodiments of the invention(s), and alterations, modifications, additions and / or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive.

[0048] Furthermore, invention(s) have been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the invention(s). Also, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in conjunction with other embodiments, e.g., aspects of one embodiment may be combined with aspects of another embodiment to realize yet other embodiments. Further, each independent feature or component of any given assembly may constitute an additional embodiment.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A attachment for a skid steer, the attachment being configured to couple to the skid steer so as to be driven forward of the skid steer in use, the attachment comprising a hopper and a screed assembly, the hopper being located forward in-use of the screed assembly and configured to feed screed into the screed assembly, the screed assembly being adapted to spread and / or level the screed onto a surface.

2. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the screed assembly comprises a pair of side walls and a screed plate that is arranged adjacent an in-use rearward end of each of the side walls and across a gap between the pair of side walls, and wherein a bottom edge of the screed plate is substantially level with and / or offset from a respective bottom edge of each of the side walls.

3. The attachment according to claim 2, wherein a distance between the bottom edge of the screed plate and the respective bottom edges of each of the side walls is adjustable.

4. The attachment according to claims 2 or 3, wherein a distance between the bottom edge of the screed plate and the surface is adjustable.

5. The attachment according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a width of the gap between the side walls is adjustable.

6. The attachment according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein an inlet is defined by an in-use upper portion of the pair of side walls and the screed plate, the inlet being adapted such that the screed is received therethrough onto a portion of the surface that is within the screed assembly.

7. The attachment according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein an outlet is defined by a spacing of the bottom edge of the screed plate above the surface, the outlet being adapted such that the screed within the screed assembly is spread and / or levelled as it passes through the outlet.

8. The attachment according to claim 7, wherein an in-use forward movement of the attachment relative to the surface facilitates the passing of the screed through the outlet.

9. The attachment according to any one of the preceding claims, when dependant on claim 6, wherein the attachment further comprises a frame that supports the hopper such that it locates, at least in part, above the inlet of the screed assembly.

10. The attachment according to claim 9, wherein the hopper comprises a bucket, the bucket having a base with one or more walls extending away from the base around a perimeter thereof, an opening through the one or more walls being arranged such that screed can be fed therethrough towards the inlet of the screed assembly.

11. The attachment according to claim 10, wherein the base of the bucket is hingedly supported adjacent the opening such that the base can be pivoted and supported at an angle relative to a horizontal plane across the inlet of the screed assembly.

12. The attachment according to claim 11 , wherein the angle is between 0 and 90 degrees relative to the horizontal plane across the inlet or the angle is between 90 and 135 degrees relative to the horizontal plane across the base of the bucket.

13. The attachment according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the hopper comprises a conveyor that is arranged adjacent the opening, the conveyor being configured to convey the screed that is fed through the opening in an in-use rearward direction.

14. The attachment according to claim 13, wherein the hopper comprises a pair of the buckets, each bucket being arranged on an opposing side of the conveyor such that a respective opening of each of the buckets opens onto the conveyor.

15. The attachment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment further comprises a coupling, the coupling being arranged to engage with a skid steer that locates in-use rearward of the attachment.

16. The attachment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment further comprises a forward engagement arrangement, the forward engagement arrangementbeing arranged to engage with an in-use rearward portion of a truck that is located forward in-use of the attachment.

17. The attachment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein operation of the attachment can be controlled by communication with a remotely located communication device.

18. A skid steer system suitable for patching and / or paving a surface, the skid steer system comprising the attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims being coupled to a forward in-use portion of the skid steer.

19. The skid steer system according to claim 18, wherein the attachment derives electrical and / or hydraulic power from the skid steer.

20. The skid steer system according to claims 18 or 19, wherein the skid steer system further comprises a truck that locates adjacent to a forward in-use portion of the attachment, the truck being configured to controllably feed the screed into the hopper.

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