Patent ID: 8069593

Claim:
A top assembly for an excavator bucket comprising: a bottom plate having a front edge, a rear edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface; a first hinge plate and a second hinge plate each having a bottom edge approximately the same length as the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the bottom plate, each hinge plate being normal to and butted against-the bottom plate along their respective bottom edges approximately from the front edge to the rear edge plate of the bottom plate, the two hinge plates positioned parallel to one another and each featuring two bores, each of the bores on one hinge plate combining with one of the bores on the other hinge plate to form two sets of two axially aligned bores; a top plate normal to the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate and having a front edge, a rear edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the top plate comprising three sections divided from one another by one of the hinge plates with a first section positioned on an outboard side of the first hinge plate, a second section positioned inboard of the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate, and a third section positioned outboard of the second hinge plate; a first weld joint joining the top plate and the bottom plate, the first weld joint formed proximate the rear edge of the top plate and the rear edge of the bottom plate, and formed on the top surface of the bottom plate; and a second weld joint joining the top plate and the bottom plate, the second weld joint formed proximate the front edge of the top plate and the front edge of the bottom plate, and formed on the bottom surface of the bottom plate.