GB2324783A

GB2324783A - Excavator bucket edge strip

Info

Publication number: GB2324783A
Application number: GB9708986A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Herd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-05-03
Filing date: 1997-05-03
Publication date: 1998-11-04
Also published as: GB9708986D0

Abstract

An edging (20, fig. 3) is provided for the edge (4, fig.1) of a bucket 3 forming part of an excavator (1, fig.1). It is made of plastics material, preferably polypropylene, and is moulded to fit the leading edge (4, fig.1) of the bucket 3. It may be secured to the excavator bucket 3 by bolts. The plastic edging (20, fig.3) serves to protect the bucket from damage, or to protect the floors of warehouses in which the bucket may be required to operate. Expensive repairs to either can be avoided.

Description

BUCKET EDGE STRIP This invention relates to a bucket of the type attachable to a vehicle such as a tractor, fork-lift truck teleporter or any materials handler or a machine and to a vehicle or machine incorporating such a bucket.

Vehicle or machines incorporating a bucket have many different uses, for example, may be used to dig up and remove earth, to scoop up earth or other materials such as crops and grain. Such a vehicle or machine will herein be referred to as an excavator.

A known excavator incorporates a bucket made of metal.

The bucket has a relatively flat lower surface. The lower surface will make contact with the ground or with a floor surface when it is required to scoop up material supported by the ground or floor surface.

It is known to use an excavator to scoop up grain after the grain has been dried in order to, for example, transport the grain from a farm where it is being produced, to another location, for example, a warehouse.

It is known that once grain has been harvested it must be dried. One way of drying the grain is to store the grain on a wooden floor in a store, which wooden floor comprises a plurality of air ducts positioned at spaced apart intervals across the wooden floor. When the grain is dry and it is required to scoop up the grain from the store, the bucket of the excavator may be damaged when it comes into contact with the air ducts. In addition, the edge of the bucket may dig into the wooden floor causing expensive damage and repairs to the floor. Splinters of wood may contaminate the grain.

It is also known to store grain on a concrete floor, the concrete floor having air ducts positioned at spaced apart intervals along the floor in order to allow the grain to dry.

It is known that use of a steel bucket to scoop out the grain may damage the concrete floor, particularly the regions of the floor adjacent the air ducts.

It is known to repair a damaged bucket by welding a new piece of metal onto the lower edge of the bucket once it has been damaged. This is expensive and time consuming. An excavator may be out of action for a few days or weeks because a welder is not available to weld on a new piece of metal.

It is also known that use of a metal bucket may damage the floor on which the grain is stored leading to expensive repairs being necessary.

According to the present invention there is provided an edging adapted to fit onto an edge of a bucket forming part of an excavator, the edging being moulded to fit the edge of the bucket and be made of a plastics material.

The edging is adapted to be bolted on to the leading edge of the bucket.

By means of the edging, therefore, the leading edge of the bucket is protected. In addition, the edge of the bucket coming into contact with the ground or floor is now less lightly to damage the floor and therefore contaminants are less likely to be incorporated into the material being scooped by the bucket.

Advantageously, the edging is made from polypropylene.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a known excavator incorporating a bucket; Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the bucket of Figure 1 incorporating an edging according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic representation showing a crosssection of an edging according to the present invention; and Figure 4 is a schematic representation showing a wooden flooring of a grain storage building having air ducts at spaced apart intervals along the flooring.

Referring to Figure 1, an excavator 1 comprises a vehicle 2 to which is attached a bucket 3. The bucket is typically made of metal. The excavator 1 may be used for many purposes and particularly, for example, for scooping up dried grain which has been stored in a grain store.

A grain storage building may comprise a wooden floor 30, as shown in Figure 4. In order to allow the grain to dry, the wooden floor as incorporated therein at spaced apart intervals, air ducts 32.

When it is required to transfer the grain from the store house to some other location, for example, a warehouse for sale, the excavator 1 will be used to scoop up the grain. The bucket 3 has a lower edge 4 which will be the edge of the bucket which will come into contact with the wooden flooring 30.

Pressure will be applied on the edge 4 from the vehicle in order to scoop up the grain. This often results in damage to the edge 4 of the bucket when it comes into contact with, for example, the air ducts 32.

Alternatively, splinters of wood may be sliced away from the wooden floor by the edge 4 it may contaminate the grain scooped up by the bucket. As well as the problem relating to contamination of the grain, this also leads to damage of the wooden flooring which may be expensive and time consuming to repair.

Referring now to Figure 2, the bucket 3 shown in Figure 1 is shown comprising an edging 20 attached to the edge 3 in accordance with the present invention of the bucket. The edging 20 is made of a plastics material, for example, polypropylene and is moulded to be of a shape which allows it to be bolted on to the edge 3 of the bucket.

The edging 20 would be formed using a template having the dimensions of the bucket to which the edging is to be attached.

The plastic material forming the edging will be taped around the template. The cross-sectional shape of the edging 20 is shown in detail in Figure 3. The edging 20 will be slid on to the lower edge 4 of the bucket 4. The edging may then be bolted onto the bucket using one or more nuts and bolts.

The presence of the edging 20 prevents damage of the edge 4 of the bucket 3. In addition, should the edging 20 become damaged, it can simply be removed and replaced with a new edging.

The presence of the edging 20 also reduces damage to a floor surface caused by the bucket 3 being forced against the floor surface.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An edging adapted to fit onto an edge of a bucket forming part of an excavator, the edging being moulded to fit the edge of the bucket and being made of a plastics material.

2. An edging according to claim 1, made from polypropylene.

3. An edging according to claim 1 or claim 2 adapted to be bolted onto the leading edge of the bucket.

4. A bucket forming part of an excavator which bucket has a leading edge, onto which leading edge is bolted an edging according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. An edging substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A bucket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.