Patent Publication Number: US-9896821-B1

Title: Bucket attachment for an excavator

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of excavator attachments are known in the prior art. However, what has been needed is a bucket attachment for an excavator including a single bucket having a base, a right side wall, a left side wall, a right guide wing, a left guide wing, and a rear wall. What has been further needed is a rotatable crossbar continuously disposed from a first aperture disposed in the right guide wing to a second aperture disposed in the left guide wing. Lastly, what has been needed is a pair of inverted V-shaped mounting cleats disposed on an exterior surface of the rear wall adjacent a top edge and a pivotable frame attached to the crossbar. The pair of mounting cleats and the frame are configured to releasably attach to an excavator blade of an excavator. The pair of mounting cleats allows the bucket attachment to maintain a stable horizontal position while being lifted and moved by an excavator. The pivotable frame on the bottom of the attachment allows for an upward motion of the blade to easily unload the content within the bucket. The bucket attachment for an excavator thus eliminates the need for a loader tractor on a construction site, since an excavator can now be used for moving and distributing dirt, gravel, and other materials. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to excavator attachments, and more particularly, to a bucket attachment for an excavator. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present bucket attachment for an excavator, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an excavator attachment which has many novel features that result in a bucket attachment for an excavator which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
     To accomplish this, the present bucket attachment for an excavator includes a single bucket having a base, a right side wall, a left side wall, a right guide wing, a left guide wing, and a rear wall. The rear wall has an exterior surface, a top edge, a right edge, and a left edge. The right edge is disposed between the right side wall and the right guide wing, and the left edge is disposed between the left side wall and the left guide wing. Each of the right guide wing and the left guide wing has a bottom rear corner. 
     A rotatable crossbar is continuously disposed from a first aperture disposed in the right guide wing proximal the bottom rear corner to a second aperture disposed in the left guide wing proximal the bottom rear corner. One of a pair of bushings is attached to each of a right surface of the crossbar and a left surface of the crossbar. 
     The present bucket attachment for an excavator also includes a pair of inverted V-shaped mounting cleats and a pivotable frame attached to the crossbar. The pair of mounting cleats includes a right mounting cleat and a left mounting cleat. Each of the right mounting cleat and the left mounting cleat has a first edge and a second edge. The first edge of each of the right mounting cleat and the left mounting cleat is disposed on the exterior surface of the rear wall adjacent to the top edge and proximal the right edge and the left edge, respectively. The pair of mounting cleats is configured to releasably attach to an excavator blade of an excavator. The pivotable frame is attached to the crossbar and is configured to releasably attach to the excavator blade of the excavator. A return spring is disposed around the crossbar and attached to the frame. The return spring is configured to maintain a positioning of the frame. 
     The frame optionally includes a pair of elongated downwardly disposed hooks, a pair of L-shaped brackets, a pair of supports, and a plurality of crossbeams. The pair of hooks includes a right hook and a left hook. Each of the right hook and the left hook has a front edge, a rear edge, an upper surface, and a lower surface. The upper surface of the right hook proximal the rear edge is attached to the crossbar proximal the right surface, and the upper surface of the left hook proximal the rear edge is attached to the crossbar proximal the left surface. The pair of L-shaped brackets includes a right bracket and a left bracket. Each of the right bracket and the left bracket is attached to the rear edge of each of the right hook and the left hook, respectively. The pair of supports includes a front support and a rear support. Each of the front support and the rear support is continuously disposed from the upper surface of the right hook to the upper surface of the left hook. Both the front support and the rear support are perpendicularly disposed with the pair of hooks. Each of the plurality of crossbeams is continuously disposed from the rear support to the front support, and each of the plurality of crossbeams is perpendicularly disposed with the front support. The plurality of crossbeams is optionally three. 
     Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the present bucket attachment for an excavator so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         FIG. 1  is a front isometric view showing a pair of hooks, a pair of supports, and a plurality of crossbeams. 
         FIG. 2  is a front isometric view showing a pair of brackets. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view. 
         FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view. 
         FIG. 6  is an in-use view. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, an example of the instant bucket attachment for an excavator employing the principles and concepts of the present bucket attachment for an excavator and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 6  the present bucket attachment for an excavator  10  is illustrated. The bucket attachment for an excavator  10  includes a single bucket  20  having a base  22 , a right side wall  24 , a left side wall  26 , a right guide wing  28 , a left guide wing  30 , and a rear wall  32 . The rear wall  32  has an exterior surface  34 , a top edge  36 , a right edge  38 , and a left edge  40 . The right edge  38  is disposed between the right side wall  24  and the right guide wing  28 , and the left edge  40  is disposed between the left side wall  26  and the left guide wing  30 . Each of the right guide wing  28  and the left guide wing  30  has a bottom rear corner  42 . 
     A rotatable crossbar  44  is continuously disposed from a first aperture  46  disposed in the right guide wing  28  proximal the bottom rear corner  42  to a second aperture  48  disposed in the left guide wing  30  proximal the bottom rear corner  42 . One of a pair of bushings  50  is attached to each of a right surface  52  of the crossbar  44  and a left surface  54  of the crossbar  44 . 
     The present bucket attachment for an excavator  10  also includes a pair of inverted V-shaped mounting cleats  56  and a pivotable frame  58  attached to the crossbar  44 . The pair of mounting cleats  56  includes a right mounting cleat  60  and a left mounting cleat  62 . Each of the right mounting cleat  60  and the left mounting cleat  62  has a first edge  64  and a second edge  66 . The first edge  64  of each of the right mounting cleat  60  and the left mounting cleat  62  is disposed on the exterior surface  34  of the rear wall  32  adjacent to the top edge  36  and proximal the right edge  38  and the left edge  40 , respectively. The pivotable frame  58  is attached to the crossbar  44 . A return spring  68  is disposed around the crossbar  44  and attached to the frame  58 . As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the pair of mounting cleats  56  and the frame  58  are configured to releasably attach to an excavator blade  70  of an excavator  72 . 
     The frame  58  optionally includes a pair of elongated downwardly disposed hooks  74 , a pair of L-shaped brackets  76 , a pair of supports  78 , and a plurality of crossbeams  80 . The pair of hooks  74  includes a right hook  82  and a left hook  84 . Each of the right hook  82  and the left hook  84  has a front edge  86 , a rear edge  88 , an upper surface  90 , and a lower surface  92 . The upper surface  90  of the right hook  82  proximal the rear edge  88  is attached to the crossbar  44  proximal the right surface  52 , and the upper surface  90  of the left hook  84  proximal the rear edge  88  is attached to the crossbar  44  proximal the left surface  54 . The pair of L-shaped brackets  76  includes a right bracket  94  and a left bracket  96 . Each of the right bracket  94  and the left bracket  96  is attached to the rear edge  88  of each of the right hook  82  and the left hook  84 , respectively. The pair of supports  78  includes a front support  98  and a rear support  100 . Each of the front support  98  and the rear support  100  is continuously disposed from the upper surface  90  of the right hook  82  to the upper surface  90  of the left hook  84 . Both the front support  98  and the rear support  100  are perpendicularly disposed with the pair of hooks  74 . Each of the plurality of crossbeams  80  is continuously disposed from the rear support  100  to the front support  98 , and each of the plurality of crossbeams  80  is perpendicularly disposed with the front support  98 . The plurality of crossbeams  80  is optionally three.