Patent Publication Number: US-2021180288-A1

Title: Debris gripper and extractor for hydraulic equipment

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is Continuation application and claims priority to U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 15/605,306 filed on May 25, 2017 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/342,145 filed on May 26, 2016, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Large scale earth excavation operations are typically performed using a powered excavating apparatus, such as a tracked excavator, having an articulated, hydraulically pivotable boom structure with an elongated, pivotal outer end portion or arm. Secured to the outer end of the arm is an excavating bucket, which is hydraulically pivotable relative to the arm between “closed” and “open” positions. By pivotally manipulating the arm, with the bucket swung to a selected operating position, the excavator operator uses the bucket to forcibly dig into the ground, scoop up a quantity of dirt, and move the scooped up dirt quantity to another location, such as into the bed of an appropriately positioned dump truck. 
     Such backhoe or excavator arrangements are of limited utility when performing tasks other than digging or loading soil or other loose materials. They have a limited ability to lift, move, or transfer other objects such as rocks, logs, pipes, and debris using only the standard bucket attachment. What is needed is an improved grappling attachment for an excavator or backhoe arm. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one example of a grappling attachment according to the disclosed technology. 
         FIG. 2  is a view of the gripping portion of the grappling attachment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the grappling attachment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a grappling attachment according to one example of the disclosed technology attached to an excavator. 
         FIG. 5  is a grapping attachment according to another example of the disclosed technology attached to an excavator arm. 
         FIG. 6  is a grapping attachment according to still another example of the disclosed technology attached to an excavator arm. 
         FIG. 7  is a grapping attachment according to another example of the disclosed technology attached to an excavator. 
         FIG. 8  is a view of a gripping portion of a grappling attachment according to the disclosed technology. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the claimed technology and presenting its currently understood best mode of operation, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the claimed technology is thereby intended, with such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the claimed technology as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the claimed technology relates. 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a grappling attachment  10  for a backhoe or excavator according to one example of the disclosed technology. In this particular example, the grappling attachment  110  is designed to be attached to an existing bucket structure on an excavator  100  such as is shown in  FIG. 4 . In other examples, the grappling attachment  410  can be designed to be attached to the normal bucket attachment points  420  of an excavator  400  after the bucket has been removed such as is shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     In the example shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the grappling attachment  10  includes a bucket portion  12  which is mounted to the existing bucket of an excavator and an opposable finger portion  14  which is operationally connected to a hydraulic ram. In one example, the bucket portion  12  is held steady using the excavator&#39;s hydraulics while the finger portion  14  is pivotably moved using a hydraulic ram to grasp or grip items such as logs, lumber, rocks, construction debris, and the like. In another example, the bucket portion  12  is pivotably moved relative to the finger portion  14  while the finger portion  14  is held steady. In still other examples, both the bucket portion  12  and the finger portion  14  may be movable relative to one another. Optionally, one or both portions are lockable into a desired position relative to one another. In certain applications it may be desirable to be able to selectively move one or both of the bucket and finger portions, for example, when picking through debris and trying to grasp and move only certain items in a debris pile. 
     The finger portion  14  and the bucket portion  12  of the grappling attachment  10  include complementary toothed surfaces  20 ,  22  which interlock when the attachment is closed as shown in  FIG. 1 . The exact angle, depth, and number of teeth may differ across examples of the disclosed technology. In this particular example, a portion of the grappling attachment has relatively shallow and close together teeth  30  near the distal tip  40  of the device as seen in  FIG. 2 . The teeth closer  32  to the proximate end  42  of the device are larger and deeper as shown in  FIG. 3 . In other examples, the size and spacing of the teeth may be consistent across the entire working surface of the device. Optionally, a section of the teeth may be omitted and replaced with a sharpened surface on one or both sides for cutting debris. In other examples, one or more surfaces of either or both of the bucket portion and finger portion may include sharpened surfaces to act as sheers for cutting debris. 
     Continuing with  FIGS. 1-3 , the grappling attachment  10  in this example includes a pass through  50  or opening formed when the finger portion  14  and bucket portion  12  are closed together. In this example, the opening  50  is formed by a notch or cut out portion in each of the finger portion  14  and the bucket portion  12 . This opening  50  may be used to grasp and lift items which might be crushed if handled too aggressively using the gripping teeth  20 ,  22  of the device. In other examples, one or both sides of the opening  50  may include a sharpened or sheering surface for cutting materials. 
       FIG. 8  shows a portion of the working surfaces of a grappling attachment  60  according to another example of the disclosed technology. In this example, the distal end  62  of the tool has three different types of work areas including a sharpened/cutting portion  64 , a flat portion  66 , and an interlocking toothed portion  68 . Each portion of the tool may be used to perform a different task. For example, the sharpened portion  64  may be used to cut a piece of debris down to a more maneuverable size, the flat portion  66  may be used to reduce marring of the surface of an object while grasping it with the tool, and the toothed surface  68  may be used to increase grip strength of the tool. Other examples of the disclosed technology include tools which use one of more of these different work surfaces in different combinations, locations, and sizes relative to one another. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the bucket portion  112  of the grappling device  110  may be attached to an existing bucket  102  of an excavator  100 . Control and movement of this portion of the grappling device  110  is done using the existing hydraulics and operator controls for the bucket. The finger portion  114  of the device is mounted to the excavator support arm  104  using a mounting bracket  116  and moved and controlled using an additional hydraulic ram  118 . The exact size and configuration of a mounting bracket will vary according to the make, model, configuration, and the like of a particular excavator. The other controls and movement for the excavator are unchanged from normal operation for a particular machine. 
     The grappling device  200  shown in  FIG. 5 , the hydraulic ram  202  used to move and control the finger portion  214  may be incorporated directly into the mounting bracket  216  and/or finger portion. In this particular view, the device is shown with the finger portion and bucket portion in an open position. The distance between the finger and bucket portions in an open position may differ between examples depending on the nature and configuration of the excavator being used, the configuration of the particular grappling device, and the like. As shown in  FIG. 6 , an existing hydraulic ram  318  and/or mounting point  316  may also be used for both the finger portion  314  and bucket portion  312  of the grappling device  310 . In this view, the grapping device is shown with the finger portion and bucket portion contacting one another in a closed position. In another embodiment, the bucket may be removed and the grappling device  410  mounted, in whole or in part, to the normal bucket mounting points  420  of an excavator  400  such as shown in  FIG. 7 . The exact configuration of a suitable mounting bracket will vary according to the make, model, and the like of the excavator being used. 
     In still other examples, one portion may be fixably mounted to an excavating machine using a mounting bracket while the other portion is pivotably movable relative to the fixed portion using an existing hydraulic ram. For example, the finger portion may be mounted to the excavator arm using a mounting bracket and the bucket portion may be mounted to the excavator bucket which is pivotable relative to the finger portion using the existing excavator hydraulics and controls. 
     While the claimed technology has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that the embodiments have been shown and described in the foregoing specification in satisfaction of the best mode and enablement requirements. It is understood that one of ordinary skill in the art could readily make a nigh-infinite number of insubstantial changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments and that it would be impractical to attempt to describe all such embodiment variations in the present specification. Accordingly, it is understood that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the claimed technology are desired to be protected.