US2723471A

US2723471A - Bottom and back brace for drag-line buckets

Info

Publication number: US2723471A
Application number: US223035A
Authority: US
Inventors: Grant W Trundle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-04-26
Filing date: 1951-04-26
Publication date: 1955-11-15
Anticipated expiration: 1972-11-15

Description

Nov. 15, 1955 s. w. TRUNDLE 2,723,471

BOTTOM AND BACK BRACE FOR DRAG-LINE BUCKETS Fild April 26 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F'i ca. 3.

INVENTOR. GRANTW. TRUNDLE,

Nov. 15, 1955 e. w. TRUNDLE BOTTOM AND BACK BRACE FOR DRAG-LINE BUCKETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fild April 26, 1951 FIGS.

INVENTOR.

GRANT W. TRUNDLE, BY

JTTORNB'.

BOTTOM AND BACK BRACE FOR DRAG-LINE BUCKETS Grant-W. Trundle, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.. Application April 26,- 1951Serial Ne.-' 2'23,035

3 Claims. (Cl. 37-135 This invention relates to animprovement-in excavating. apparatus and has particular. reference tothe type-commonly recognized as drag line bucketsuand the :prime purpose of the present invention is the provisiontofx-brace means forprotecting the bucket against: damage -thatiscaused by impact engagement upon rocks or-the'like.

It is a commonly recognized-fact, that drag; line buckets have a relatively short life-and require constant; and repeated repairs to maintainthe bucket bottom straight. in order to facilitate the loadingand discharge of excavated material. Attempts have been-madeto strengthen the bottoms of the buckets by .using. a plural? ity of ribs or runners along the bottom andback oftthev bucket,.but such means has proven ineffective and under normal excavating operations, theoperatorlowers the. bucket to the point of diggingrand frequently, as .the bucket is drawn forward and contacts a rockyformation that fails to give, the bucketwith. its fuller partialiload; rises upwardly and, when the rock: formation-breaks" away, the bucket falls back toits normal position; strik; ingjts bottom against the rocks and bending the :bottom inwardly. In a relatively short time,- therbottomthas been: bent inwardly so far, that the bucket fails: to perform; correctly and it becomes necessary to. remove'the bucket: and by suitable pounding, bend the-bottombaclc -toinormal. position. This. action. results in a.-considerablo=loss; oftime and is comparatively expensive rand-aundennormali rocky excavating, the bucket willrequirevrepairingztapr proximately once a week.

An important object of the-present invention-resides: in providing a centrally disposed brace. ton-the bucketa thatis welded upon the inner surface Ofzzthfi bucketiandl'. provides a-rigid novel brace to prevent. inwardbending; of the bucket bottom underpractically,-all fnormal= con-r; ditions: of excavating.

A further object of the inventionresidesin aucooperwr ating strengthening brace across. thekoutervrear.wallrof; the bucket that prevents bendingof the::walh.inwardly;- should the bucket be idroppedtoo suddenlyon its endzs.

v A further object of the invention:residesimthetnovcl: construction of the brace means. andthemannerwofiim; stallation whereby thenbucket bottom is braced *from: various angles of impact.

Other important objects and advantages of athe invention will be more clearly described and pointed outadur-t ing-the course of the following-description,- reference' be-t: ing had to the accompanying drawings,. wherein: is? shown thepreferreduform-of the device r'andzwherein like char-r acters of reference are employed. to denote-alike .parts throughout.

,In the drawings:

; ingt day, which volume is considerably expensivein-view ofcthe cost of the machineoperator, equipment and thelike.'. The purpose therefore of this invention is to pro-.-

v Figure 1 1s a side elevation of 'a .convent1onal.drag,

line bucket with the invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a rear end elevation thereof,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the bucket, taken on line 44 of Figure 1 andlookingdnthedirem; tio'n of'the arrows,

Figure 5 is; a fragmcntarysectional view of the bucket, taken-on line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6-is a fragmentarytransverse section, taken on.

line 6.-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a perspective viewillustrating the manner of installing the brace means,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of oneside plate of the braceand,

Figure 9 isa perspective view of one of the gussets employed inithebrace means.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5' designates any standard and conventional drag line excavating bucket, having a bottom 6, sidewalls 7 anda rear wall 8. The bottom is. rounded into the rear wall:

arcuate form and the bottom and wall 8 may' be formed-in acontinuous sheet of. material, as may also thebottom and side walls. The forward end of the bucket is formed open and the leading edge of the bottom-6 isprovided with conventional cutting teeth 9. The forward end isalso provided with a conventional yoke: 10,;having connectionwith hoisting cables or chains, as iscustomary. The bucket is also provided with forwardi clevises 11 for connection with draft cables or chains,v while.-the rear portion of the bucket is supported .and

controlled by chains 12, connected to swivels 13. The

structure so far described'is generally conventional withall dragline buckets.

It has been found, that when excavating rock or the like, the'bucket when being-dragged forwardly for cutting or digging action, will frequently engage a mass that isso hard-as tocause the loaded or partially loaded' bucket? to fulcrum upwardly upon the teeth 9 and, as the rock'mass breaks away, the loaded-bucket drops back-to thehorizontal position-and strikes. the. rock surface with considerable force,-accelerated by theload in the bucketand. causes: the bottom of the bucket, adjacent its rear end to be progressivelybent inward. This is understandable-when it is considered that the bucket,-plus its load,.-.weighs-.several thousand. pounds. Due. to this poundinglyand bending, it becomes necessary to discon-- nest and transport the bucket to a point of repair and the bottom'then pounded out to its original shape. AS

the bottom is bent inwardly, the loading and discharge thereof: becomes increasingly more dilficult andgreatly reduces thevolume of work-possible in. the usual workvideaa novel'brace means within the bucket,- that will absorb the external forces of pounding impact to the ex-' tent-that the-bottom and rear .wall are adequately braced against inward: bending.

The brace of the present invention is rigidly welded in"position;withinthebucketand designated as awhole by-the numeral'14; The brace 14 iscentrally arranged and extends longitudinally of the bucket, engaging :both

thebottomwall6 and rear wall 8 in that area subjected .-to-external. forces; The: braceconsists of a centhe: bottom andrear .Wall of the bucket.

ofgussets! 18, triangular. in shapeandhaving.theirvvera tical and bottom edges welded to .the plate 15 and.bot-. The gussets 18.are cut away to.

tom 6, as shown. provide .assembly and welding-tongues. 19, for a. purpose..to-.be.described. The .gussets .18 are covered" by;

side angularly disposed plates 20, slotted at 21, for the PatentedNov. 15, 1955.

reception of the tongues 19 at assembly. The plates I 20 have a straight upper edge 22 that normally parallels the edge 16 of the plate 15 at assembly and a curved lower edge 23 that conforms to the curvature of the bottom and rear wall 6 and 8 at their point of merging. The plate at assembly is welded along its upper edge 22 throughout its contact with the plate 15 and also throughout its curved edge 23, to the bottom of the bucket. The plate 20 is also welded throughout the engagement of the tongues in the slots 21. As shown, the gussets are positioned in radial form and the number of gussets employed is determined by the size of bucket and the estimated weight thereof and the weight of the estimated load supported within the bucket.

In the assembly of the brace 14, the overall length of the desired brace is determined and the lower edge of the plate 15 is cut to conform to the bottom of the bucket. The plate is then positioned within the bucket in vertical position and welded to the bucket along its entire curved edge 17. The number and sizes of gussets having been determined, they are positioned upon opposite sides of the plate 15 and temporarily supported in angular and radial position in contacting relation with the sides of the plate 15 and the bottom of the bucket. Any suitable template may be employed for the temporary support of the gussets. The gussets are then welded to the plate 15 and the bottom of the bucket throughout the right angular edges. The plates 20, having been preformed, are then positioned over the gussets at both sides of the plate 15, with the tongues 19 seated within the slots 21. In this position, the edge 22 contacts and parallels the edge 16 of the plate 15, while the lower edge 23 contacts the bottom of the bucket throughout its length. The

edges

20 and 23 are then welded throughout their length to the edge 16 and bottom of the bucket respectively. The plate 20 is then welded throughout the length of the several tongues of the gussets. It will thus be seen, that a very rigid brace has been provided that is angularly disposed at the rear portion of the bucket in that area found to absorb the major portion of all external forces. The stress of external force is thus transmitted throughout the brace both longitudinally and laterally, while the assembled brace is of inverted V-shape in cross section and offers no obstacle to the loading and unloading of the bucket.

As an additional safeguard against inward bending, should the bucket be dropped forcibly upon its rear wall 8, a transverse horizontally arranged rib 24 is welded to the outer face of the wall 8 at a point above the brace 14. The rib 24 will obviously be notched to engage over the conventional external runners 25 of the bucket, with the engaging edge of the rib being welded throughout its length to the bucket. Gussets 26 are preferably welded to the rib 24 above and below and to the wall 8 of the bucket. An external force striking the rib 24 will be transmitted through the brace 14 longitudinally thereof, with the force being distributed both longitudinally and laterally.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that a very novel and highly efficient brace means has been provided for drag-line buckets. The brace rigidly supports the bottom and rear wall against inward bending and does not interfere with the loading action of the bucket nor the discharge of such load. The incline of the brace both longitudinally and upon its sides, prevents rocks or the like from catching and hanging in the bucket. It is contemplated that the brace shall be installed within drag-line buckets as original equipment, but the application of the brace to those buckets now in use is simple and cheap to install and greatly adds to the life of the bucket and avoids the very costly delays now encountered in straightening and repairing the buckets after their bottoms have been bent inward.

Since the buckets will not be removed from service periodically for repair, the production will be very considerably increased.

It is to be understood, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown, but that various changes in the shape, size, materials and methods of assembly may be resorted to as clearly fall within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Brace means for use with a drag-line excavating bucket of the type that is formed of sheet metal and having a fiat bottom wall, vertical side walls and a vertical rear wall, and with the bottom being rounded to merge into the several walls, an internal brace device for rigid positioning within the bucket centrally and longitudinally thereof, the brace device embodying a central plate having an upper straight edge and a curved lower edge that conforms to the merging portion of the bottom, the straight edge being inclined throughout its length from the bottom to the rear wall, outwardly inclined side Plates welded to the first named plate along its straight edge and to the bottom, rear wall and rounded area of the bottom, gussets transversely and radially disposed between the plates, the several plates being welded throughout their lower edges to the bucket and the gussets being welded to the plates and to the bucket and an outer rear wall brace that extends transversely and horizontally of the rear wall and is welded thereto throughout its length and gussets above and below the rear wall brace that are welded throughout their contacting engagement with the brace and the rear wall.

2. A bottom and rear wall brace device for use with sheet metal drag-line excavating buckets that have a flat bottom that is rounded to merge into a vertical rear wall, the brace embodying an inverted V-shape in cross section throughout its length, the brace consisting of a fiat vertically arranged metallic plate that is positioned centrally and longitudinally of the bucket, the plate having a lower curved edge that conforms to and is welded to the rounded portion of the bottom and the rear wall, the upper edge of the plate being straight and inclined upward throughout its length from the bottom to the rear wall, transversely disposed triangular gussets arranged upon both sides of the plate and welded to the plate and to the bottom, the gussets being disposed radially with the gussets upon opposite sides of the plate being identically arranged, closure plates for positioning over the gussets, interlocking means between the gussets and the closure plates, the closure plates having straight upper edges coextensive with the upper edge of the first named plate, the closure plates inclined outwardly and downwardly for interlocking engagement with the gussets with their lower edges curved to conform to the rounded bottom portion, the upper straight edges of the closure plates lying in parallel contact with the straight edge of the first named plate, the several plates and gussets being rigidly welded together throughout their contacting engagement and rigidly welded to the bucket throughout their contacting engagement therewith.

3. A bottom and rear wall brace device for use with drag-line excavating buckets of the type that have a flat bottom wall and a rear wall and with the bottom wall being curved to merge into the rear wall, an inverted V-shaped brace adapted to be rigidly positioned in the bucket centrally and longitudinally thereof and connected jointly to the bottom and rear walls, the brace consisting of a fiat vertically arranged center plate and downwardly and outwardly inclined side plates, the center plate and the side plates having upper straight edges co-extensive in length and lying in parallel contacting engagement, the lower edges of the several plates being curved to conform to and have contacting engagement throughout their lengths with the bottom, rear wall and curved area, the

upper straight edges jointly being inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the flat bottom to the rear wall, triangular gussets transversely positioned between the plates and upon opposite sides of the center plate, the gussets being disposed in a radial manner, the side plates provided with radial slots corresponding to the radial positioning of the gussets, the gussets having tongues formed thereon that are co-extensive with their co-operating slots, the side plates being positioned in overlying position to cover the gussets with the tongues of the gussets engaging their respective slots, the several plates and gussets and their engaging tongues being welded throughout their area of contacts, the several plates and gussets being welded to the bottom, rear wall and rounded area throughout their points of contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kennedy Jan. 5, 1886 Dunlop July 3, 1906 McMann July 30, 1907 Surbaugh Feb. 3, 1914 Cole Jan. 7, 1919 Brannon Feb. 16, 1926 McKee et a1. May 1, 1928 Bailey, Jr May 21, 1929 Grounds Dec. 8, 1931 Smith June 28, 1932 Lee Mar. 20, 1945 Maxon, Jr. Mar. 29, 1949 Siems Feb. 7, 1950