AN EXCAVATOR BUCKET

Abstract: The invention relates to an excavating bucket (3) which is intended for coaction with an excavating arm (2) forming part of an excavating machine (1). A rotatable brush (5) is arranged to take a first position in which the brush in swung into the bucket (3) and a second position in which the brush is extended from the bucket. In the first position, the brush (5) is located within a rearwardly open space (3a) formed in the rear part of the bucket.

Description: TITLE OF THE INVENTION: AN EXCAVATOR BUCKET. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to an excavator bucket, and more particularly to an excavator bucket which is intended to coact fixedly but detachably with the excavator arm of an excavating machine. The bucket may advantageously be secured to the arm by means of known quick-coupling devices, and movement of the arm and movement of the bucket, through its pivotal attachment to the arm, are controlled in a known manner with the aid of hydraulically operable piston-cylinder devices, in the following abbreviated to hydraulic piston device. BACKGROUND PRIOR ART With regard to the constructional features of the excavator bucket applicable to the present invention, it should be mentioned that it is earlier known to mount on the arm of an excavating machine a particular¬ ly configured auxiliary implement in the form of a holder arm pivotally connected to a pivotal excavator arm or stick, where the holder arm carries on an outer part thereof a substantially circular brush which is rotatable about a rotational axis that extends substan¬ tially parallel to the pivot axis of the bucket. The holder arm can be pivoted through an angle of 120°, between a downwardly swung position in which the brush is caused to rotate and therewith sweep away the thin layer of filling material which remains subsequent to shovelling away filling material from a buried conduit, therewith to expose the conduit, and an upwardly raised position in which the holder arm abuts the stick, thereby enabling the excavator to be used for excava¬ ting purposes when the brush is in its raised position. This construction is described and illustrated more clearly in Swedish Patent specification No. 454 899. Also forming part of the known state of the art is the arrangement described and illustrated in U.S. Patent Specification No. 4,100,688, which teaches a ground working implement which is rotatably connected to the stick rearwardly of and adjacent the bucket. With regard to the significant features of the present invention, it should be mentioned that different types of excavator bucket constructions intended for dif¬ ferent working processes are known to the art. For instance, it is known to complement an excavating bucket intended for coaction with an excavating arm of an excavating machine with other devices which form an integral part of the bucket in general. One example in this regard is the possibility of mounting on the rear ar of the bucket one or more gripping claws intended gripping posts and the like. It is also known to fit an excavator bucket with such implements as holders for moving pipes and the like. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEMS When considering the present state of the art as des¬ cribed above, it will be seen that a qualified techni- cal problem resides in the provision of a particularly constructed excavator bucket which incorporates a rotatable brush means intended for removing thin layers of material which remain after shovelling away filling material from above a buried conduit, so as to expose the conduit lying immediately beneath said material layer, where the risk of the brush device, when said device is attached in the manner taught by the Swedish Patent Specification No. 454 899, of falling down and injuring workers in the vicinity of the brush device and the excavating bucket of the machine is eliminated. It will also be seen that a technical problem resides in the provision of conditions which will afford a solution to the aforesaid problem without requiring to this end the attachment of an auxiliary implement to an excavating arm, by incorporating in the bucket a rota¬ table brush such as to form an integral unit which can be attached to the excavating arm in a manner known per se, and therewith eliminate the need of welding or drilling the arm for the purpose of attaching the auxiliary implement. It will also be seen that a qualified technical problem is one of providing a simple solution to the aforesaid problem at very low and normally quite negligible assembly or fitting costs. It will also be seen that a qualified technical problem is one of providing a solution for fulfilling the aforesaid purpose of removing a residual layer of material covering a conduit subsequent to shovelling away filling material, so as to expose a conduit or conduits with the aid of an excavating bucket produced as a complete unit and capable of being readily switched between different tractors with the aid of quick-coupling devices, at the same time as a special- duty bucket can be replaced with a conventional bucket when required. It will be seen that a technical problem also resides in the provision of a solution of the aforesaid problem and therewith create conditions which will enable the bucket to be turned through 180° at its attachment to the escavating or digging arm, so as to thereby provide another and complementary action for the rotatable brush. It will also be seen that a technical problem resides in the provision of a rotatable brush which is able to fulfil the aforesaid purpose and which in an inactive position is folded away such as to be completely out of the way when using the bucket to dig and move coarse filling materials. Another technical problem is one of realising the advantages which an excavating bucket having a rota¬ table brush will afford when the bucket is caused to coact with a so-called rotor tilt. It will also be seen that a technical problem resides in providing a bucket construction in which a rotatable brush can be caused to take a first position in which the brush is located within he * bucket and a second position in which said brush extends from said bucket, where in the first inactive position of the brush said brush is located within a rearwardly open space formed in the rear part of the bucket. It will also be seen that a technical problem is one of realising the advantages afforded by permitting the rotatable brush to be carried by an arm, preferably by two arms, which is or are pivotally attached to the bucket wall at its upper, rear part. It will also be seen that a technical problem lies in realising the advantages that are afforded when a hydraulic piston is mounted within the upper part of the bucket and caused to coact with the arm or arms. Another technical problem is one of realising the technical advantages afforded when the hydraulic piston is caused to coact with the arm via a slot which en- ables the rotatable brush to travel freely within narrow limits, thereby to improve shovelling-away of light filling materials and therewith expose the conduit. A further technical problem is one of providing a bucket which is constructed in a manner which will fulfil the aforesaid purpose, and to realise the sig¬ nificance of enabling the brush to rotate from the first to the second position in a 90° pendulating movement in a direction which conforms with a line that constitutes an extension rearwardly of the lower¬ most planar part of the bucket. Another technical problem is one of realising within which angular values the first and the second position shall be selected in relation to a line that extends perpendicularly to the lowermost planar part of the bucket. It will also be seen that a technical problem is one of realising the significance that selection of the dis¬ tance between the pivot axis of the arm and the rota¬ tional axis of the brush has on the ability to ful- fill the aforesaid purpose. Finally, it will be seen that another technical problem resides in the appropriate orientation and positioning of the hydraulic piston device and to realise the significance of allowing the hydraulic piston device to coact with the arm at a point located above the pivot axis of the arm. SOLUTION The present invention provides an excavating bucket of particular configuration which is not only well adapted for coaction with an excavating arm forming part of the excavating machine, via known coupling means, but which is also adapted to provide a bucket whose purpose is to remove thin layers of material that remain above a conduit subsequent to shovelling away filling material above said conduit, such as to expose one or more conduits. To this end, the inventive construction utilizes a known rotatable brush which, in accordance with the invention, is arranged for movement between.a first position in which the brush is located within the bucket and a second position in which the brush is extended from the bucket, wherein when occupying said first position, the brush is located within a rear¬ wardly open space formed in the rear part of the bucke . As preferred embodiments which lie within the purview of the inventive concept, it is proposed that the rotatable brush is carried by one or two arms which are pivotally connected to the upper, rear wall part of the bucket, and in that a drive motor is connected to the arm such as to cause the brush to swing in one of two directions, through the intermediary of transmission means. It is also proposed that a hydraulic piston device is mounted within the upper part of the bucket and caused to coact with the arm or arms through the intermediary of a slot. Furthermore, it is proposed that pivotal movement of the brush from the first to the second position is a pendulating movement with a movement direction that conforms with a line constituting an extension of the lowermost planar part of the bucket, and that the angular value between the first and the second position is smaller than 110° and greater than 60°, preferably within the range 100°-80°. The angular values shall divide so as to be halved on each respective side of a line which extends perpen¬ dicularly to the lowermost planar part of the bucket. It is also proposed that the distance between the pivot axis of the arm and the rotational axis of the brush is between 1.5 and 0.7 times the brush diameter, prefer¬ ably between 1.0 and 0.8. Finally, it is proposed that the hydraulic piston device is arranged to coact with the arm at a point which is located above the pivot axis of the arm and at a small distance between said point and said pivot axis, so as to obtain a large pendulum movement with a small piston movement. ADVANTAGES Those advantages primarily afforded by an inventive excavating bucket reside in the creation of the possibility of using the bucket for conventional dig¬ ging purposes and also for removing thinner layers of material which remain above a conduit subsequent to shovelling away coarse filling material therefrom, such as to expose the conduit, by causing the rotatable brush to adopt one of two terminal positions or one of several available intermediate positions, depending on the desired application. By using an excavating bucket, it is possible to con¬ nect or couple the bucket to the excavator arm in a manner known per se and with the aid of known coupling devices, thereby enabling the specially constructed bucket to be exchanged for another bucket, for instance a bucket that is intended solely for excavating purposes. The primary characteristic features of an inventive excavating bucket are set forth in the characterizing clause of the following Claim 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of an excavating bucket at present pre- ferred and exhibiting the significant characteristic features of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a tractor whose excavating arm coacts with an inventive excavating bucket; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the bucket, and shows a rotatable brush moved to a first position in which the brush is folded into the bucket; and Figure 3 is a corresponding sectional view of the bucket, with the bucket rotated through 45° and the rotatable brush shown in its second positon in which it extends from the bucket. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS NOW PREFERRED Figure 1 is a very simplified illustration of a tractor 1 having a known excavator unit comprising, inter alia, an excavating arm 2. The free end 2a of the arm 2 coacts with an excavating bucket 3 through the inter¬ mediary of a coupling 4, said bucket being constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 1 illustrates the rotatable brush in a second position (Figure 3) in which it extends from the bucket for the purpose of removing a layer of material C that remains above a conduit B subsequent to shovelling away filling material A, therewith to expose the conduit B. The conduit B may be one or more electrical conductors, or cables, one or more gas conduits, one or more water conduits, etc. Figure 2 illustrates the bucket 3 with the rotatable brush folded into its first position, said bucket being shown in a slightly larger scale and with a part fur¬ ther enlarged. The rotatable brush 5 is held firmly by an arm 6 which is positioned centrally in the bucket and which coacts with a hydraulic motor 7 by means of which a transmission 8 is caused to drive the rotatable brush 5 in one of two rotational directions. The re¬ quisite changeover device or switch is not shown, but may be electrical. The arm 6 is pivotally connected to the bucket by a pivot pin 9 and the arm 6 is held in the position shown in Figure 2 with the aid of a hydraulic piston device 10. Thus, the rotatable brush 5 can be moved to a first position, shown in Figure 2, in which the brush is located in the bucket, and a second position, according to Figure 3, in which the brush is extended out f om the bucket. In the first brush position, shown in Figure 2, the brush is located within a rearwardly open space 3a formed in the rear part of the bucket. This space is defined forwardly by an intermediate wall 3b and separates the forwardly open space 3c of the bucket intended for shovelling filling material. It lies within the scope of the invention to modify the extension of the edge surface 3d to an extent which will increase the loading capacity of the space 3c. The arm 6 is pivotally mounted to the wall 3e of the bucket 5 and to its upper rear ' part. The hydraulic piston device 10 is mounted within the upper part 3f of the bucket and coacts with the arm 6 at 11. The uppermost part of the arm is, in this case, provided with a pin 11. The pin 11 is located in a slot 12 and enables the brush 5 to swing backwards and forwards when the brush is used within the angular values applicable between the position shown in Figure 2 and the position shown in Figure 3. The hydraulic piston device 10 is positioned parallel with the lower¬ most planar part 3g of the bucket and is secured in a known manner. In the illustrated case, rotation of the brush 5 from the first position in Figure 2 to the second position in Figure 3 is a pendulum-like movement with the direc¬ tion of movement following a line that constitutes an imaginary extension of the lowermost planar part 3g of the bucket. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the angular value between the first and the second positions is selected to 90° and the brush will swing through 45° on respective sides of a line 15 which extends perpendicularly to said extension of the planar part 3g. The distance between the pivot axis 9 of the arm 6 and the rotational axis 16 of the brush 5 is 0.9 times the diameter of the brush. The hydraulic piston 10 is intended to coact with the arm at a point which is located above the pivot axis 9 of the arm 6. This distance shall be small, so as to afford a large pivotal movement of the brush 5 in response to a small piston movement of the hydraulic piston device 10. It will be understood that the invention is not re- stricted to the aforedescribed and illustrated exempli- fying embodiment thereof, and that modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept illus¬ trated in the following Claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An excavating bucket adapted for coaction with an excavating arm forming part of an excavating machine, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a rotatable brush which is intended to take a first position in which the brush is swung into the bucket and a second position in which the brush is extended from said bucket is located within a rearwardly open space formed in the rear part of the bucket when in its first position. 2. A bucket according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the brush is carried by one or by two arms pivotally connected to the bucket at its upper, rear part. 3. A bucket according to Claim 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that a drive motor coacts with the arm and functions to cause the brush to swing in one of two rotational directions through the intermediary of a transmission. 4. A bucket according to Claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that a hydraulic piston device is mounted within the upper part of the bucket and coacts with the arm or arms. 5. A bucket according to Claim 4, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the hydraulic piston coacts with the arm through a slot. 6. A bucket according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that rotation of the brush from the first to the second position takes place in the form of a pendulum-like movement in a direction conforming to an extension of a lowermost planar part of the bucket. 7. A bucket according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the angular value for maximum movement of the brush between the first and the second position is smaller than 110° and greater than 60 ° , preferably within the range of 100°-80°. 8. A bucket according to Claim l or 2, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the distance between the pivot axis of the arm and the rotational axis of the brush is between 1.5 and 0.7 times the diameter of the brush, preferably between 1.0 and 0.8 times. 9. A bucket according to Claim 4 or 5, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the hydraulic piston device is intended to coact with the arm at a point located above the pivot axis of the arm. 10. A bucket according to Claim 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the brush is carried by an arm which is placed centrally in the bucket.

Inventors: NILSSON ERIK, NILSSON, ERIK
Applicants: TREMAN HB
Application year: 1990
Main classification: E02F3
IPC codes: E02F3