Patent ID: 7578411

Claim:
A bail grip for use on a bail of a bucket, the bail having a pair of bail legs with upper ends with the upper ends of the bail legs being joined to opposite sides of an inverted hook that forms a recess, which comprises: (a) a bail grip body that is shaped to at least partially lie along the upper ends of the bail legs, the bail grip body having a central hub with a solid interior and laterally extending arms with at least a partially hollow interior, the arms extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of the central hub; and (b) a slot provided in an exterior surface in each laterally extending arm of the bail grip body to permit access to the hollow interior in each arm, each slot having a narrowed portion lying along the exterior surface in each arm with the narrowed portion being formed by two inwardly protruding, facing fixed shoulders or tabs on facing edges of the slot to snap fit around the upper ends of the bail legs such that a portion of an upper end of a bail leg is received in the hollow interior in each arm after snap fitting through the slot in each arm to attach the bail grip body to the bail legs, each slot also being configured to allow the hook to pass outwardly through the slot and upwardly above the central hub of the bail grip body such that at least a portion of the recess formed by the hook lies above the central hub of the bail grip body without any portion of the upper ends of the bail legs or the hook passing through the interior of the central hub.