Patent Publication Number: US-6658769-B2

Title: Self-cleaning hydraulic clam bucket

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/474,609, filed on Dec. 29, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,464. That application claims a self-cleaning hydraulic clam bucket. This application claims a bucket (one-half of the clam) which functions is the same manner. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the construction industry, specifically to the excavation of the material in confined areas. It is directed to use on hydraulic excavators and loader backhoes. 
     BACKGROUND—DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     Contractors from the beginning of mechanized excavation have looked for ways to excavate earth and material from confined areas and, depending on the material being excavated, have looked for a bucket that would clean out with each scoop so that the excavation could proceed more efficiently. 
     The original buckets worked off of steam driven winches and wire rope cables. This design stayed basically the same until the 1960&#39;s with the advent of hydraulic excavators. 
     Inventors then began to develop buckets based on the use of hydraulic power. U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,774 to Thomas (1983) discloses an attempt to develop a clam bucket using a single cable run through sheaves. The operating mechanism extends beyond the radius of the bucket limiting the accessible area of the attachment and making the arm susceptible to hanging inside a shored excavation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,735 to Morrow (1991) shows a clam bucket assembly which incorporates an elaborate linkage system, costly to manufacture and maintain. The hydraulic tubes are exposed, creating the possibility of breakage sending 180° fluid spraying into the atmosphere and/or onto workmen. This unit gives no extended reach to work over objects. Also, it has no bucket cleaner. U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,731 to Beaver (1978) demonstrates a clam bucket that does not increase digging depth. The assembly requires extra hydraulics from the host machine and uses an elaborate linkage system to operate the bucket, thus raising the cost to the consumer. This design, again, has no bucket cleaner. U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,137 to McCain (1974) shows a clam bucket assembly designed with a very elaborate mechanism that is costly to manufacture and maintain and does not increase digging depth or reach, and this patent claims no bucket cleaner. 
     The above-referenced buckets suffer from a number of disadvantages: 
     (a) Expensive and elaborate linkage mechanism. Costly to build and maintain. 
     (b) All hydraulic requirements use an extra system which has to be added to the host mechanism at an added cost. 
     (c) None of the previously patented buckets have a self-cleaning bucket which allows the removal of wet and sticky material that becomes trapped in the bucket. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a self-cleaning bucket is described, comprising a bucket with a hinged wiper plate, a striker assembly, and an hydraulic cylinder operated by standard hydraulic circuitry. 
     The bucket, which is mounted on the excavator stick, has a hinged “roof”, or wiper plate, which is designed to follow the inner contour of the sides of the bucket. The wiper plate is forced to the top of the bucket as the bucket fills with dirt or other materials. The bucket hydraulic cylinder rotates the bucket, causing the wiper plate to come in contact with striker forks mounted on the excavator stick, thereby forcing the wiper plate downward, ejecting the dirt or other materials from the bucket. 
     Objects and Advantages 
     Accordingly, the objects and advantages of the self-cleaning hydraulic bucket are: 
     (a) a hydraulic bucket that requires no additional hydraulic circuitry to operate. 
     (b) self-cleaning bucket. The bucket cleans its internal dimension upon each dumping cycle, thus removing all types of material which stick and are packed into the bucket upon filling. 
     (c) workers do not have to manually clean out the bucket, lessening their exposure to contaminated materials and hazardous wastes. 
     (d) no elaborate mechanical linkage to maintain and wear out. 
     Further objects and advantages of the self-cleaning hydraulic bucket will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a side view of the self-cleaning hydraulic bucket mounted on an excavator stick. 
     FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the self-cleaning hydraulic bucket. 
     FIG. 3 shows a top view of the self-cleaning hydraulic bucket. 
     FIG. 4 shows a front view of the self-cleaning hydraulic bucket. 
     FIGS. 5A-5D show side views of the self-cleaning hydraulic bucket in operation; the side of the bucket is “see-through”, showing the wiper plate and the contents of the bucket. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Reference Numerals in Drawings 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 10 
                 hydraulic bucket 
                 12 
                 excavator stick 
               
               
                 14 
                 excavator 
                 16 
                 wiper plate 
               
               
                 18, 20 
                 bucket mounting plate 
                 22 
                 excavator pins 
               
               
                 24 
                 striker mounting plate 
                 26 
                 striker forks 
               
               
                 28 
                 bucket hydraulic cylinder 
                 30 
                 arm cylinder 
               
               
                 32, 34 
                 sidewalls 
                 36 
                 contoured bottom 
               
               
                 38 
                 cutting teeth 
                 40 
                 cutting edge 
               
               
                 42 
                 front tube 
                 44 
                 rear tube 
               
               
                 46, 48 
                 mounting bars 
                 50, 52 
                 pad eyes 
               
               
                 54, 56 
                 plate mounting pins 
                 58 
                 dirt 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In FIG. 1, the hydraulic self-cleaning bucket  10  of the present invention replaces the typical bucket which is attached to the free end of the excavator stick  12  of an excavator  14 . Dotted lines show the inventive wiper plate  16  inside the bucket  10 . Excavator pins  22   a ,  22   b , which are part of the original equipment on the excavator  14 , attach the bucket mounting plates  18  to the excavator stick  12 . Striker mounting plate  24  with striker forks  26  is mounted on the front of the excavator stick  12 . Bucket hydraulic cylinder  28  rotates the hydraulic bucket  10 , while arm cylinder  30  moves the excavator stick  12 . 
     In FIG. 2, a close-up view of the bucket  10 , the excavator pins  22  attach the bucket mounting plates  18 , ( 20 ) to the excavator stick  12 . Striker mounting plate  24  with striker forks  26  is attached to the front of the excavator stick  12  at a position which allows the striker forks  26  to clear the bucket hydraulic cylinder  28 . The bucket  10  has sidewalls  32 , ( 34 ) and a contoured bottom  36 , with cutting teeth  38 . 
     In FIG. 3, the self-cleaning bucket  10  has two sidewalls  32 ,  34 , arranged parallel to each other and welded to front tube  42  and rear tube  44 . The contoured bottom  36  is welded to sidewalls  32 ,  34 , and rear tube  44 , forming the bucket  10 . Cutting edge  40  is welded to the front edge of the contoured bottom  36  and sidewalls  32 ,  34 . Cutting teeth  38  are welded to the cutting edge  40 . Bucket mounting plates  18 ,  20  are arranged parallel to each other and to sidewalls  32 ,  34 , and are welded to front tube  42  and rear tube  44 , forming a mounting frame. Bucket mounting plates  18 ,  20  are drilled and bored for mounting the bucket  10  onto the excavator  14 , using excavator pins  22   a ,  22   b , which are inserted through holes in the bucket mounting plates  18 ,  20  and pre-formed holes in the excavator  14 . The wiper plate  16 , which is mounted onto the front tube  42 , rotates through an arc, the bottom edge sweeping along the inside of the contoured bottom  36  of the bucket  10 . Mounting bars  46 ,  48 , are welded onto the back of the wiper plate  16 , extending upwardly therefrom. Pairs of pad eyes  50   a ,  50   b ,  52   a ,  52   b , with drilled holes, are welded to the back side of front tube  42 . Plate mounting pins  54 ,  56  are inserted through the holes in pad eyes  50   a ,  50   b ,  52   a ,  52   b  and in the mounting bars  46 ,  48 , creating two hinges which allow the wiper plate  16  to swing and rotate within the bucket  10 . 
     FIG. 4 shows the open front of the bucket  10 , with the wiper plate  16  hanging from the “hinges”. The dotted lines show the pairs of pad eyes  50   a ,  50   b ,  52   a ,  52   b  welded to the back side of front tube  42 . An end of each of the mounting bars  46 ,  48  has been inserted between one of each of the pairs of pad eyes  50   a ,  50   b ,  52   a ,  52   b  and secured with plate mounting pins  54 ,  56 . The view also shows the front of bucket mounting plates  18 ,  20 , which are mounted onto the excavator stick  12  with excavator pins  22   a , ( 22   b ), as well as the cutting teeth  38 , which are welded to the cutting edge  40 . 
     FIGS. 5A-5D show the hydraulic self-cleaning bucket  10  performing a typical operation. As noted supra, the standard bucket has been removed from the excavator stick  12  and replaced with the bucket  10  of the present invention, which hangs on the excavator stick  12 . Valve manifolds (not shown) are connected to the bucket hydraulic cylinder  28 . The valve (not shown) is closed, directing oil through the hydraulic hoses (not shown) to the bucket hydraulic cylinder  28 . A standard control lever on the operator control panel is moved one way to rotate the bucket  10  and fill it; reversing the lever rotates the bucket  10  in the opposite direction in order to empty it. 
     In FIG. 5A, dirt  58  or other material has been scooped into the bucket  10  by the hydraulically-powered excavator  14 . The wiper plate  16 , which is rotated by the hydraulic cylinder  28 , has moved to the top of the bucket  10  as the dirt  58  is forced into the bucket  10 . When the bucket  10  is full it is raised and swung over the dump area. 
     As shown in FIG. 5B, the inward movement of bucket hydraulic cylinder  28  causes the bucket  10  to rotate in order to empty it. As the bucket  10  rotates, the wiper plate  16  comes in contact with striker forks  26 , which force wiper plate  16  to eject the dirt  58  from inside the bucket  10 . 
     In FIG. 5C, the bucket  10  continues to rotate, while the striker forks  26  keep the wiper plate  16  from moving with the bucket  10 , effectively forcing the dirt  58  out of the bucket  10 . 
     In FIG. 5D, the wiper plate  16  is ejecting the last remnants of dirt  58  from the bucket  10 . The bucket  10  will be swung back over the excavation area, and the process will be repeated until the desired area is excavated. 
     Conclusion, Ramification, and Scope 
     Accordingly, the reader will see that this self-cleaning hydraulic bucket can be used to excavate areas effectively. In addition: 
     It requires no added expense of additional hydraulic pump controls and lines to operate. 
     It requires no additional training of the operator because it works off the standard controls of the machine in the same manner as the standard bucket, thus, eliminating the possibility of an accident because of an unfamiliar operation. 
     The bucket is self-cleaning allowing mud or other sticky material to be removed from inside the bucket, thus no build up of material inside the bucket, increasing productivity and eliminating an age old problem in the industry. 
     The bucket reduces the exposure of workers to contaminated materials and hazardous waste. 
     Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but merely providing illustrations of the presently preferred embodiments of this self-cleaning hydraulic bucket. Thus, the scope of the self-cleaning hydraulic bucket should be determined by the applied claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.