Patent Publication Number: US-9890514-B2

Title: Stackable bucket

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This Application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/839,969 having filing date of Aug. 29, 2015. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to heavy equipment buckets. In particular, this invention relates to stackable heavy equipment buckets. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A variety of bucket designs for heavy equipment such as skid steers and loaders are known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 8,875,422 to Tanaka et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,707,589 to Hilton; U.S. Pat. No. 8,695,240 to Mills et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,240,070 to Phillips et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,329 to Horton; U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,128 to Doucette et al. and U.S. Patent Application Pub. Nos. 2014/0331528 to Tanaka et al. and 2014/0230293 to Lunn et al. all disclose various buckets. 
     The storage or shipping of buckets typically requires significant space. When such buckets are manufactured and shipped, multiple shipping containers, flat-bed trucks or trailers may be necessary for transportation depending on the number of buckets. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,520 to Westendorf et al. discloses a bucket providing a tapered floor and a tapered back wall allowing a nested stacking of buckets. In the Westendorf System, the buckets are most efficiently stacked in an alternating manner. But such alternate stacking is time intensive and requires significant space to maneuver the buckets into position. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an improved stackable bucket that may be stacked quickly. 
     These and other objects of the invention will be better understood by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment which follows. Note that the objects referred to above are statements of what motivated the invention rather than promises. Not all of the objects are necessarily met by all embodiments of the invention described below or by the invention defined by each of the claims. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a stackable bucket by providing sides that include a bend to accommodate the dimensioning of a substantially rectangular back wall (having parallel side edges) while the floor of the bucket tapers from its leading edge to its trailing edge. This allows the sides to connect to both the tapering floor and the parallel side edges of the hank wall to provide a stackable bucket. 
     In one aspect, the invention is a stackable bucket for skid steers and loaders having a substantially rectangular back wall having parallel side edges, a floor that tapers from a floor leading edge to a floor trailing edge, and sides that include a bend such that each of the sides connects to both the tapering floor and the parallel side edges of the back wall. 
     In another aspect, the invention is a stackable bucket for skid steers and loaders having a floor and a back wall. The floor has a floor leading edge and first and second floor side edges. The floor also has a floor trailing edge that is shorter in length than the floor leading edge. The back wall has a back wall leading edge. 
     The back wall also has first and second back wall edges that are parallel to one another and a back wall trailing edge that is equal in length to the back wall leading edge. The back wall trailing edge is connected to the floor trailing edge. 
     In a more particular aspect, the first side wall is connected to the first floor side edge and the first back wall side edge. The second side wall is connected to the second floor side edge and the second back wall side edge. The first side wall has a first bend and the second side wall has a second bend. In a more specific aspect, the bend is diagonal in relation to the side walls. 
     The buckets may further comprise gussets connected between the back wall and the sides. In one aspect, the stackable bucket has a first gusset connected to the back wall and the first side plate and a second gusset connected to the back wall and the second side plate. 
     In another aspect, the invention is an assembly of stackable buckets wherein successive buckets nest into one another. The assembly comprises the successive buckets and at least one double-ended reverse hook. The double-ended reverse hook is installed on an outside of the bottom of a first of the buckets using a downward facing end of the hook. An opposed upward facing end of the hook supports a portion of the leading edge of the bottom of another of the buckets. 
     In another aspect, the downward facing end of the hook is engaged in a gap provided between a lip plate welded to the floor of the first bucket and a bolt-on edge connected to the lip plate. 
     In a further aspect, the invention is a method of stacking buckets. In the method, a first bucket is placed on a surface such that an opening of the first bucket faces downward. At least one double-ended reverse hook having a downward facing end and an opposing upward facing end is provided. The at least one double-ended reverse hook is placed on the outside of the bottom of the first bucket. A second bucket is placed over the first bucket such that the leading edge of the bottom of the second bucket is supported by the upward facing end of the at least one hook. 
     In more particular aspect, the leading edge of a bottom of the second bucket comprises a floor leading edge of the second bucket. 
     In another aspect, the leading edge of a bottom of the second bucket comprises a bolt-on edge and a lip plate. 
     In a further aspect, the downward facing end of the at least one double-ended reverse hook is placed in a gap between a lip plate welded to the floor of the first bucket and a bolt-on edge connected to the lip plate. 
     The foregoing may cover only some of the aspects of the invention. Other aspects of the invention may be appreciated by reference to the following description of at least one preferred mode for carrying out the invention in terms of one or more examples. The following mode(s) for carrying out the invention is not a definition of the invention itself, but is only an example that embodies the inventive features of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       At least one mode for carrying out the invention in terms of one or more examples will be described by reference to the drawings thereof in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the stackable bucket; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the stackable bucket of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the stackable bucket of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a stack of four buckets according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an underside perspective view of a stack of four buckets shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a portion of the stack of four buckets shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a double-ended reverse hook for use with stacked buckets; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of a stack of four buckets according to the invention in which double-ended reverse hooks are used; and 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of a portion of the stack of four buckets shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION IN TERMS OF EXAMPLE(S) 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show the preferred embodiment of the bucket for use with heavy equipment such as skids steers and loaders. The bucket  2  comprises a floor  12 , a back wall  14 , and two side walls  8 ,  10 . The floor  12  and back wall  14  may be formed by one or more metal plates. The floor  12  and back wall  14  together form a generally U-shaped or V-shaped structure. 
     The connection between the back wall  14  and the floor  12  may be an edge or a rounded corner. Alternatively, a strip of metal may connect the back wall  14  to the floor  12 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there are two bends  16 ,  18  between the back wall  14  and floor  12 . 
     The floor  12  has a floor leading edge  20  and a floor trailing edge  22 . The back wall  14  has a back wall leading edge  28  (“leading” as it is a forward of the floor trailing edge  22 ) and a back wall trailing edge  30 . The floor  12  is tapered such that the floor leading edge  20  is longer than the floor trailing edge  22 . 
     In the art, the width of buckets is used to describe the size of buckets, for example, ‘96″ buckets’, ‘84″ buckets’, and ‘102″ buckets’. However the actual bucket width may vary from what is suggested by that nomenclature. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the floor leading edge  20  of a ‘96″ bucket’ is 95″ while the floor trailing edge  22  is 90⅞″. In contrast, the back wall  14  has side edges  24 ,  26  that are parallel and that connect to the two sides  8 ,  10  of the bucket. As the side edges are parallel, the leading edge  28  of the back wall  14  is equal in length to the trailing edge  30  of the back wall  14 . In the preferred embodiment, the overall aspect of the back wall is substantially rectangular and the back wall leading and trailing edges are each 90½″. 
     Diagonal bends  38  are provided on each side  8  and  10  in order to allow each side to connect to both the tapered floor  12  and the substantially rectangular back wall  14 . The bend is shown as slight but visible in the edge view of  FIG. 2 . Reference lines  13 ,  15  allow an appreciation of the bend on the left side of the drawing. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the diagonal bend  38  separates the side  8  into a bottom portion  40  and a top portion  42 . The bottom portion  40  of the side  8  extends upwards from and is substantially perpendicular to the tapered bucket floor  12 . In the preferred embodiment, the top portion  42  of the side plate  8  above the bend is angled approximately 2° inwards in relation to the bottom portion of the plate. Side plate  10  on the opposite side mirrors side plate  8  in construction. The inwardly bent sides allow the side ends of the back wall to be parallel to one another while the floor  12  is tapered. 
     It will be appreciated that the angle between the top portion  42  and bottom portion  40  of the side plate  8  caused by the diagonal bend  38  may vary depending on the dimensions of the floor  12  and back wall  14 . For instance, the greater the tapering of the floor, the larger the angle will need to be. 
     The stackable bucket may also have a lip plate  21  and bolt-on edge  19 . The lip plate  21  is typically welded to the bucket floor  12  whereas the bolt-on edge  19  may be removed and replaced upon wear. 
     The leading edge  28  of the back wall  14  is shorter than the lip plate  21  and bolt-on edge  19  at the front edge of the floor  12  of the bucket. This reduces the probability of the top corners snagging or catching on objects. The narrower width at the top of the bucket compared to the front lip of the bucket also enhances the ability to discharge materials such as soil since the difference in width tends to prevent such materials from packing or compressing tightly within the bucket. 
     The bucket also has two gussets  50 ,  52 . The first gusset  50  is connected to the back wall  14  and the side  8  and the second gusset  52  is connected to the back wall  14  and the side  10 . As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the gussets  50 ,  52  have a flat portion  80 . In a stack of buckets as shown in  FIG. 5 , the flat portions of the two gussets  50 ,  52  of a first bucket rest on the sides  8  and  10  of a second bucket directly below the first bucket. This creates space between the back walls of stacked buckets and reduces scratching and paint damage during shipping or storage. The space between each bucket in the stack of buckets also prevents buckets from becoming stuck within each other. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in operation, a user places a first bucket  60  on the ground or other support with the bucket opening facing downwards. In this orientation, the bucket floor leading edge  20  and bucket back wall leading edge  28  contact or are in close proximity to the ground. The next bucket  62  is then placed on top of the first bucket  60  in the same orientation as the first bucket  60 . Additional buckets  64  and  66  may then be placed on top of the stack of buckets. 
     In some cases, it may be desirable to further avoid the scuffing that might occur when nesting stackable buckets inside one another. According to one embodiment, there is also provided a double-ended reverse hook  90 , the preferred embodiment of which is shown in  FIG. 7  to maintain spacing between the floors of the nested buckets. If the nested buckets also have gussets  50 ,  52 , then the hooks  90  are placed at the side of the buckets opposite to the gussets  50 ,  52 . The hook  90  has a downward facing hook portion  96  and an upward facing hook portion  98 . The use of the double-ended reverse hook  90  between buckets also results in greater stability in the stack of buckets and decreases the likelihood that sequentially stacked buckets will become stuck within one another. 
       FIG. 8  shows a stack of four buckets in which double-ended reverse hooks  90  are placed between successively stacked buckets. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the bottom of the bucket is formed by the floor  12  in combination with any structures attached directly or indirectly to the outside face of the floor  12 . For example, the bottom of the bucket in  FIG. 1  is comprised of the floor  12 , the lip plate  21 , and the bolt-on edge  19 . The inside of the bottom of the bucket is indicated by the numeral  11  in  FIG. 1  while the underside or outside of the bottom of the bucket is indicated by the numeral  17  in  FIGS. 3 and 8 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the leading edge of the bottom of the bucket in the preferred embodiment is an edge of the bolt-on edge  19 . However in an alternate embodiment without a lip plate  21  and bolt-on edge  19 , the leading edge of the bottom of the bucket would be the floor leading edge  20 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , to stack buckets, a first bucket  110  is placed on a surface such that the opening of the first bucket faces downwards. The downward facing portion  96  of at least one double-ended reverse hook  90  is placed into a gap on the outside of the bottom of the first bucket  110 . 
     Various structures may be provided on the outside of the bottom of the bucket to create a gap to receive the downward facing portion  96  of the hook  90 . Such structures may be directly or indirectly attached to the floor of the bucket. For example, there may be a bolt-on edge  92  and lip plate  94  provided outside the bottom of the bucket which then become the leading edge of the bottom of the bucket. The bolt-on edge  92  and the lip plate  94  may be configured to create a gap as at  97  between them to receive the hook  90 . In the preferred embodiment, the hook  90  is installed in a gap formed between the bolt-on edge  92  and the lip plate  94 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The hook  90  is installed with the downward facing hook portion  96  into the gap  97  on the lowermost bucket  110 . The upward facing portion  98  of the same hook  90  receives the bolt-on edge  100  of the next bucket  112 . Two such double-ended reverse hooks are preferred between each pair of successive buckets although more or less hooks may be used. 
     Once the one or more hooks  90  are in place outside of the bottom of the bucket, the upward facing end(s) of the hook(s) are positioned to receive and support the leading edge of the bottom of the next bucket that is stacked above the underlying bucket. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the portion of the next bucket  112  that may be supported by the upward facing end  98  of the hook  90  may be the bolt-on edge  100  of the next bucket  112  in the preferred embodiment. In an alternate embodiment, the floor leading edge of the next bucket  112  may be supported by the upward facing end  98  of the hook. 
     In the foregoing description, exemplary modes for carrying out the invention in terms of examples have been described. However, the scope of the claims should not be limited by those examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.