Patent Publication Number: US-7581340-B2

Title: Scraper blade attachment for toothed buckets of earth working machines

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to attachments for earth moving machine buckets, and more particularly, relating to a scraper blade attachment for an earth moving machine bucket, which is quickly, easily and securely mounted by a single person without tools over the teeth of such a bucket. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Earth moving machines and equipment are frequently fitted with movable buckets to facilitate the movement of earth or other loose material. These buckets are conventionally equipped with teeth spaced along a lower edge or cutting edge of the bucket and project outwardly therefrom. The teeth are used for ripping and loosening soil, rock, pavement and the like. The loosened material is picked up in the bucket by moving the edge of the bucket forward under the material, then generally tilting the buck upward to secure the material in the bucket. 
   Because the teeth project outwardly from the lower edge of the bucket there are many occasions when the teeth interfere with the desired operation of the bucket. The projecting teeth prevent the lower edge of the bucket from making contact with a smooth surface, such as for example a paved surfaced. Consequently, it becomes difficult, if not impossible to pickup and load fine material such as sand, gravel or various construction debris from a smooth surface. 
   Heretofore, there have been many attempts to provide grader and scraper attachments for earth moving machine buckets. While the devices heretofore fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, they have many shortcomings. In this regard, many of these devices require modification to the bucket by drilling bolt holes through the lower edge of the bucket, resulting in a weakening of the lower edge. Further, many of these devices require the removal of one or more tooth points from their tooth adapters to provide a mounting point for the attachment. The removal of tooth points is a difficult and time intensive process and can result in damage to either the tooth point, the tooth adapter or the mounting pins. Additionally, many of these devices apply excessive torque to the teeth resulting in premature failure of the teeth. Moreover, many of these devices extend the width of the bucket making the bucket cumbersome and difficult to move. 
   In view of the shortcomings of the prior devices, a need has continued to exist for improved blade attachments for earth moving machine buckets which permit the bucket to pickup and load fine material such as sand, gravel or various construction debris from a smooth surface. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of bucket attachments now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new scraper blade attachment construction which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior devices. 
   In general, in one aspect, a blade attachment adapted to be removably mounted to an earth moving bucket of the type having a pair of spaced sidewalls, a cutting edge extending between the sidewalls, and a plurality of teeth laterally spaced along and projecting forwardly of the cutting edge is provided. The attachment includes a plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, a leading edge, a trailing edge and first and second opposed side edges, a plurality of tooth receiving pockets spaced laterally along the upper surface of the plate and each being configured to receive one or more of the plurality of teeth of the bucket, an elongated scraper blade extending along the leading edge of the plate, and a securment means for releasably securing the attachment on the bucket with one or more of the plurality of teeth removably seated within the plurality of tooth receiving pockets and the scraper blade position forwardly of the cutting edge of the bucket. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order 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. 
   Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective diagrammatic view of the scraper blade attachment constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention shown with the various components in an exploded configuration and detached from a conventional toothed bucket; 
       FIG. 2  is a front perspective diagrammatic view of the scraper blade attachment securely mounted to the bucket; 
       FIG. 3  is diagrammatic partial side elevation view of the scraper blade attachment having a first securment means attached to a toothed bucket; 
       FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic partial top plan view of the scraper blade attachment with the first securment means attached to a toothed bucket; 
       FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic partial side elevation view of the scraper blade attachment having a second securment means attached to a toothed bucket; 
       FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic partial top plan view of the scraper blade attachment with the second securment means attached to a toothed bucket; and 
       FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic partial cross sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 5  of the second securment means. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, there is shown a representation of a conventional toothed bucket  100  of an earth moving machine (not shown). The toothed bucket  100  has a rear wall  112 , two opposed sidewalls  114  and  116  and a forward cutting edge or lip  118  extending between the opposed sidewalls. A plurality of teeth  120  are spaced along and project outwardly from the lip  18 . The scraper blade attachment  10  of the present invention is shown with its components exploded and detached from the bucket  100 . 
   The attachment  10  includes a generally rectangular plate  12  formed of a tough steel sheet material or the like. The plate  12  may be of a length equal to or greater than the width of the bucket  100 . A plurality of tooth receivers  14  are spaced laterally along an upper surface  16  of the plate  12 , and are attached thereto by an known method, such as, but not limited to by welding. The tooth receivers  14  may be of a generally pocket construction including an open end  16  disposed approximate a trailing edge  18  of the plate  12  and a closed end  20  disposed approximate a leading edge  22  of the plate. The receivers  14  may be constructed to have a longitudinal profile that corresponds to the profile of teeth  120  and sized to snuggly and securely yet releasably receive one or more of the plurality of teeth. Because of the relatively close fit between the receivers  14  and the teeth  120 , the attachment  10  is restrained against any significant sideways movement relative to the teeth and the bucket  100 . Accordingly, so long as the attachment  10  is held tightly over the teeth  120 , it will not shift, wobble or vibrate as it is being used. 
   A blade  24  extends along the leading edge  22  of the plate  12  and includes a beveled forward edge  26  to improve the cutting and scraping of the blade. The blade  24  can be permanently attached to the plate  12  using conventional means such as welding. Preferably, the blade  24  may be removably attached to the plate  12  by a plurality of bolted connections  28  that alternate between the receivers  14  along the length of the plate. 
   With reference to  FIG. 2 , the attachment  10  is shown attached to the bucket  100  the teeth  120  snuggly received by the receivers  14  and secured to the bucket by one or more securment means  30  which secures the attachment from moving forwardly and away from the bucket and releasing the teeth from the receivers. An securment means  30  may be positioned approximate each end of the plate  12 , and may be attached to a top surface of a receiver  14 . Generally, the securment means  30  includes one or more latch arms pivotally attached at one end to the attachment  10  and being rotatable between a first position where a second end of the latch arm is releasably engagable with the bucket  100  and a second position where the second end is not in engaged with the bucket. 
   With reference now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in a first configuration, the securment means  30  is releasably securable and/or engagable with the bucket  100  at a sidewall of the bucket and a tooth  120 , such that once secured, the attachment  10  is. The securment means  30  includes a coil spring  32  supported on a shaft  34  that is inserted axially through the center of the coil spring and supported at opposed ends by shaft support members  36 . The coil spring  32  may be disposed with the longitudinal axis thereof generally parallel to the longwise direction of the attachment  10 . The ends of the coil spring  32  define angularly offset first and second leg portions  38  and  40  that extend outwardly in a direction that is generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the coil spring. The first leg portion  38  provides a first latch arm that is releasably engagable at an end  42  thereof with the bucket  100  in order to secure the scraper blade attachment  10  to the bucket. The second leg portion  40  provides a second latch arm that is also releasably engagable to a rearward facing edge of the bucket  100 , such as a rearward edge  122  of a tooth  120  at an end  44  thereof. The first and second end leg portions  38  and  40  are rotatable between a first, non-engaged position where the ends  42  and  44  thereof are free from engagement and no tension is in the coil spring  32 , as shown in broken line in  FIG. 3 , to a second, engaged position where at least the end  42  of the first leg portion  38  is engaged with the bucket  100 . 
   End  42  of the first leg portion/latch arm  38  may be releasably engaged with the bucket  100  by a catch arrangement where the end  42  may be generally L-shaped forming a dog  46 , as best shown in  FIG. 4 . The end  42  is secured to the bucket by inserting it into a vertical slot  124  that is formed through a sidewall  114  of the bucket  100  by aligning the dog  46  with a horizontal notch portion  126  at a lower end of the slot, after which the end is urged upward in the slot  124  by tension in the coil spring  32  where it cannot be withdrawn. A foot pad  48  may be attached to the first leg portion/latch arm  38  towards the end  42  thereof allowing a user to more easily compress the coil spring  32  to align the dog  46  with the slot  124  during engagement and disengagement. To facilitate the engagement of end  44  of the second leg portion  40  to a rearward facing edge, such at that of the rearward facing edge  122  of a tooth  120 , the end  44  also includes a dog  50  that is engagable with the rearward facing edge  122 , thereby capturing the tooth in the receiver  14 . Once the first and second leg portions  38  and  40  are disposed in the engaged position and tension is applied in the coil spring  32 , the attachment  10  is held securely and tightly over the teeth  120 . 
   With reference now to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , in a second configuration, the securment means  30  operates to capture one or more teeth  120  into one more of the receivers  14  to secure the teeth from withdrawal from the respective receiver, and thereby securely retain the attachment  10  to the bucket. In this regard, and in this configuration, a latch arm  52  rotatably connected at one end  54  to a support  56  of the attachment  10  for rotation between a first position, shown in broken line in  FIG. 5 , where a second end  58  of the latch arm is disposed in an upward non-engaged position and a second position, shown in sold line, where the second end is disposed in a downward engaged position and capturing a tooth  120  into its respective receiver  14 . The second end  58  of the latch arm  52  extends perpendicular therefrom and forms a dog  60  which is disposed reward of the tooth  120 , thereby capturing the tooth into the receiver  14 . The dog  60  may be inwardly bent such that as the latch arm  52  is rotated downward the dog engages a rearward facing surface or edge  122  of the tooth  120  and urges the tooth forwardly into the receiver  14  as the latch arm is further rotated into the engaged position. The latch arm  52  is locked into the engaged position by a pin  62  that is received by cooperating holes  64  and  66  formed through the support  56  and the first end  54  of the latch arm respectively. 
   A spring element  68  may be attached to the latch arm  52  such that the spring is compressed as the latch arm  52  is rotated into the engaged position to urge the latch arm upward out of the engaged position so that the dog  60  is disposed at an elevation greater than the top surface of the tooth when not locked by the pin  62 , thereby permitting removal of the attachment  10  from the bucket  100  without obstruction from the dog  60 . 
   A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.