Patent Publication Number: US-10308484-B2

Title: Power bucket

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     I. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to power buckets. 
     II. Description of Related Art 
     There are many previously known power buckets that are used in a number of different applications. These applications include loading and unloading cargo, such as grain, underwater dredging, and the like. Furthermore, for underwater dredging operations, the previously known power buckets typically scoop a rather thick divot from the bottom of the bed. Consequently, these previously known buckets are adequate for forming or deepening trenches along the water bed. 
     In some situations, however, it is not desirable to remove a significant depth of earth during the dredging operation. For example, in the event of an undesirable environmental spill, it is only desired to remove the spill itself and not the underlying uncontaminated soil. 
     Furthermore, the material dredged from the area of the environmental spill requires careful and costly disposal procedures. As such, it is highly desirable to remove only the contaminated area in an environmental spill area while removing only a minimal amount of uncontaminated soil. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a power bucket which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known power buckets. In particular, unlike the previously known power buckets, the power bucket of the present invention moves the cutting edges of the power bucket in a substantially horizontal plane as the bucket is moved between its open and closed positions. As such, it is possible to remove only the contaminated material from the water bed while minimizing the amount of uncontaminated earth removed from the water bed. This, in turn, reduces the overall cost of disposal of the contaminated soil. 
     In brief, the power bucket of the present invention includes a first and second bucket half which are pivotally secured together about a main axis by one or more pivot pins. Each bucket half is movable between an open and a closed position and, in doing so, the cutting edge of the power bucket moves in a substantially horizontal plane. 
     A lifting crane manipulates the position of the bucket by a power cable attached to a head which is disposed above the bucket halves. 
     The bucket halves are then secured to the head by at least two arms that are pivotally secured together at the head at one end and pivotally secured to the first and second bucket halves at their other end. As such, the arms control the vertical position of the bucket halves as the bucket halves are moved between their open and closed positions. 
     In order to move the bucket halves between their open and closed positions, a cylinder support is pivotally mounted to each pivot pin so that the cylinder support is positioned radially outwardly from the axis of the pivot pin. A power cylinder is then pivotally connected at one end to the cylinder support and, at its other end, to its associated bucket half. Consequently, upon actuation of the power cylinders, the power cylinders simultaneously pivot the power bucket halves about the pivot pins securing the bucket halves together. Simultaneously, the head and its connection through the arms to the bucket halves vertically displace the cutting edge of the bucket halves so that the edge remains substantially vertically constant throughout the entire range of the movement of the bucket halves. This, in turn, produces a level cut that can be closely and accurately manipulated by the crane operator. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in the closed position and with the end cover removed for clarity; 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in the partially opened position and with the end cover removed for clarity; 
         FIG. 3  is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in the fully open position and with the end cover removed for clarity; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention and with the bucket in a fully closed position; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention and with the bucket in a partially open position; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention and with the bucket in a fully open position; 
         FIG. 7  is an end view of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the bucket in a fully closed position; 
         FIG. 8  is an end view of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the bucket in a partially open position; 
         FIG. 9  is an end view of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the bucket in a fully open position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     With reference first to  FIGS. 1, 4-7 , a preferred embodiment of a power bucket  20  according to the present invention is shown. Only one end of the bucket  20  will be described in detail, it being understood that a like description shall also apply to the other end of the bucket  20 . 
     The power bucket  20  includes two bucket halves  22  and  24  which are pivotally secured adjacent the top of the bucket halves  22  and  24  by a pivot pin  26 . The pivot pin  26  is preferably cylindrical in shape and made from steel. One such pivot pin  26  is disposed at each end of the power bucket  20 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the power bucket halves  22  and  24  are illustrated with their end covers  13  and  15  (see  FIGS. 4-9 ) removed for clarity. Each bucket half  22  and  24  has a cutting edge  28  and  30 , respectively, which will move soil into the interior of the power bucket  20  as the bucket halves  22  and  24  move from their open position ( FIG. 3 ) to their closed position ( FIG. 1 ). 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 1-3 , in order to move the bucket halves  22  and  24  between their open position, illustrated in  FIG. 3 , and their closed position, illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a cylinder bracket  32  is pivotally mounted to the pivot pin  26  on the ends of the bucket  20 . A hydraulic cylinder  34  has one end  36  pivotally secured to the cylinder bracket  32 . The other end  37  of the hydraulic piston and cylinder  34  is pivotally secured to the power bucket half  22  by a gusset  80  at a position spaced from both the cylinder bracket  32  and the cutting edge  28  of the power bucket half  22 . A second hydraulic cylinder  39  is similarly connected between the cylinder support  32  and the other bucket half  24 . 
     Consequently, and with reference to  FIGS. 1-3 and 7-9 , the actuation of the power cylinders  34  and  39  from a retracted position ( FIG. 3 ) to an extended position ( FIG. 1 ) rotatably drives the bucket halves  22  and  24  about the pivot pin  26  between an open position, illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 9 , and a closed position, illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 7 . Furthermore, in order to limit the maximum opening position of the bucket halves  22  and  24 , a stop  40  is secured to and extends outwardly from the cylinder bracket  32 . As shown in  FIGS. 7-9 , this stop  40  then abuts against surfaces  70  and  72  on the end covers  13  and  15 , respectively, for the bucket halves  24  and  22 , respectively, to limit the maximum open position of the bucket halves  24  and  22 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , in order to achieve a level cut for the power bucket  20  as the bucket halves  22  and  24  are moved from their open and to their closed positions, a head  42  is positioned across the top of the power bucket  20 . A first elongated arm  43  is secured to and extends downwardly from the head  40 . A lower free end  44  of the elongated arm  43  is then pivotally connected by pivot pin  45  to one or more gussets  46  fixedly attached to the bucket half  24 . Similarly, a second arm  48  is pivotally mounted at a first end by a pivot pin  50  to the head  42  and at its other ends  52  to gussets  54  attached to the bucket half  22  by a pivot pin  56 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the arms  48  and  43  connecting the head  42  to the bucket halves  22  and  24  are shown as pivotally secured to the bucket halves  24  and  22  by pivot pins  45  and  56  and to the head  42  by the single pivot pin  50 . Optionally, however, the two arms  43  and  48  and the head  42  may be made in three separate pieces with each arm  43  and  48  pivotally secured at both ends to the head  42  and their respective pivot pins  45  and  56 . 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 4-9 , in operation, the bucket halves  22  and  24  are first moved to their fully open position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 9 . This allows the entire power bucket  20  to be lowered into the sea floor  60  to the desired depth of cut for the bucket. In this position the cylinders  34  and  39  are fully retracted. Furthermore, as previously described, the stop  40  on the cylinder bracket  32  abuts against surfaces  72  and  74  on both bucket halves  22  and  24  which limits the open most position of the bucket halves  22  and  24 . 
     Thereafter, the power cylinders  34  and  39  are all actuated to move the cylinders  34  and  39  toward their extended position. In doing so, the cutting edges  28  and  30  move substantially along or parallel to the sea floor  60  as shown in  FIGS. 7-9 . 
     As the bucket halves  22  and  24  move from their fully open position ( FIG. 9 ) and to their partially closed position ( FIG. 7 ), the power actuators  34  and  39  not only move the bucket halves  22  and  24  towards their closed position, but also elevate the piston pins  26  connecting the bucket halves  22  and  24  together. Furthermore, by controlling the position of the pivotal pin  45  on the arm  43 , and similarly the position of the piston pins  50  and  56  connecting the other arm  48  to the other bucket half  22 , the vertical rise of the piston pin  26  connecting the bucket halves  22  and  24  together will offset any vertical drop of the bucket halves  22  and  24  during closure. This, in turn, produces a level cut of the sea bed  60 . 
     Further expansion of the power actuators  46  to move the bucket halves  22  and  24  from the position illustrated in  FIG. 8  and to the position illustrated in  FIG. 7  completes the closure of the bucket halves  22  and  24  while maintaining the cutting edges  28  and  30  substantially horizontal. 
     From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a novel power bucket that produces a level cut that is almost entirely level between a fully open position and a fully closed position of the power bucket. In practice a bucket will only vary less than one inch as the bucket halves are moved between the open and closed positions. Having described my invention, however, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.