US1275548A - Drag-line bucket excavator. - Google Patents

Description

1. c. FRENCH.

DRAG LINE BUCKET EXCAVATOR.

APPLlCATION FILED DEC.2. I914.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- J. C. FRENCH.

DRAG LINE BUCKET EXCAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 050.2,1914.

1,275,548. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- JAMES C. FRENCH, 0F KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR To FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAG-LIN E BUCKET EXCAVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

Application filed December 2, 1914. Serial No. 875,083.

To all "H'll-OHL it may concern:

Be it known that I. James C. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Kenosha, Kenosha county, Wisconsin, (510 Exchange street,) have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Drag-Line Bucket Excavators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to excavating ma: chines of that kind in which a drag-line bucket is operated or pulled along the ground, and in which means are provided for hoisting the bucket to dumping position.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide a novel and highly efficient excavator of this general character.

A special object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement for dumping the load by tilting the bucket backward while suspended in an elevated position.

Another object is to provide a novel construction and arrangement whereby the drag-line is employed for holding the bucket in carrying position, and in which means are provided for openin the rear end of the bucket when the pul on the drag-line is relaxed, or thereafter by a jerk on the drag-line, when the bucket reaches dumping position.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and serviceability of a drag-line bucket arrangement of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure I is a side elevation of a drag-line bucket excavator embodying the principles of my invention, showing the bucket in loading position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of said bucket, in the position shown in Fig. 1, showing the construction of the means for automatically opening the rear dump-- mg gate by tilting the bucket backward.

ig. 3 is a rear elevation of the bucket shown in Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4- is a side elevation of the bucket on the same scale as Figs. 2 and 3, but showing the bucket in dumping position.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on line 55 in Fig. 3.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a body A supported on a turntable B of any suitable character, said turntable being mounted on caterpillars C or other suitable traction devices. The boom D is pivoted on the front end of the body at d, so that it may be raised and lowered, and is supported in the desired position by the raising and lowering cable al connected with the outer end thereof. 1

The bucket E is closed at its top and sides and bottom, but is provided with an open mouth at its forward end, and with a swinging gate 6 at its rear end. It will be seen that the said gate is provided with curved arms e which are pivoted to the top of the bucket at 6 whereby said gate is adapted to swing upward and outward to dump the load. A bail F, of any suitable character, is pivoted to the sides of the bucket at f, so that the weight of the load is in rear of the horizontal axis thus provided, causing the bucket to tilt backward when not held in carrying position. The drag-line G is secured to the front of the bucket, in the usual manner, and the hoist line H is secured to the upper end of said bail. A hitch 9 extends from the drag-line over the sheave f on the upper portion of the bail, and thence down to the point f where it is secured to the top of the bucket. A locking bolt 6 is mounted on the gate e, and is adapted to engage an opening 6* in the bracket, portion e which is secured to the heel of the bucket. The springs e are so connected thatvthey serve to yieldingly hold the bolt in locking position, in the manner shown. A bracket 6 is mounted u on the top of the bucket, at the rear thereo and is provided with a sheave P, a short hitch f extending over said sheave from the hitch g to the upper end of said locking bolt.

The hoist -line H extends upward and over a sheave i on the boom, and to a suitable winding drum mechanism X on the body of the machine, which mechanism may be of any suitable known or approved character. The drag-line G also leads to said winding drum mechanism, being supported by a sheave d on the body, and may be pull is directly on the mouth of the bucket during the loading operation. When the bucket is hoisted it is held in carrying position by maintaining a tension or pull on the drag-line, in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. i, and at such time there is still no pull on the hitch f whereby the hoisting of the bucket does not unlatch the dumping gate. When the bucket arrives at dumping position, the tension or pull on the drag-line is then relaxed, allowing the bucket to tilt backward. The hitch g is provided with a knot g disposed in position to strike the sheave f and the sheave mounting g at about the time the bucket is very nearly in dumping position. This causes a pull to be exerted on the hitch f in the manner shown in Fig. i, with the result that the locking bolt 0 is drawn upward to release the dumping gate, thereby allowing the dumping gate to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Thus the bucket E is mountedto tilt backward when the drag-line is slacked oil. The pressure of the load then opens the gate. In this Way the load is discharged from the rear end of the bucket, by means of a pivoted gate which is automatically opened by the backward tilting of the bucket, which tilting operation is produced by relaxing the pull on the dragline. Of course, should the latch fail to operate to release the load, a quick jerk on the drag-line will then unlatch the gate, inasmuch as the latch is connected to the dragline. When the bucket is lowered to the ground, the end of the locking bolt 6 slides over the bracket 6 until it engages the opening e, and the springs c then force the bolt into said opening. In this way the dumping gate is automatically locked in position to enable the bucket to receive another load.

Thus the rope or cable g, through its con nection with the pivot 7, serves to support the bucket in hoisting position, as shown in Fig. l, the drag-line being maintained taut at this time. Obviously, however, as soon as the pull on the drag-line is relaxed, the weight of the rear end of the bucket then tilts the latter backward, so that the pull is thrown on the hitch f as soon as the knot g strikes the sheave on the bail, thus quickly unlatching the door and allowing the load to discharge from the rear end of the bucket. In this way, the means for automatically unlocking the door involves a flexible connection extending over the bucket to the drag-line, in the manner explained.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An excavating machine of the class in which a bucket is operated by a drag-line and raised by a hoist line, substantially as shown and described, characterized by this, to-wit:that said bucket is pivoted so that it tilts backward when the drag-line is slacked 0E, and has a pivoted rear end gate for dumping the load, said gate being arranged to be opened by the pressure of the load, a latch for said gate, and means connected with the drag-line and arranged for unlatching said gate by tilting the bucket backward while suspended in dumping position, and so that if the bucket tilts without dumping the load a jerk on the dragline will then unlatch the gate.

2. The structure of claim 1, as specified, said bucket having a bail for said hoist-line, and a sheave carried on said bail to engage said means.

3. The structure of claim 1, as specified, said bucket having a fixed point of connection with said means and also a sheave for engaging said means at the rear end of the bucket.

l. An excavating machine oi. the class in which a bucket is operated by a drag-line and raised by a hoist line, substantially as shown and described, characterized by this, to-witz-that said bucket is pivoted so that it tilts backward when the drag-line is slacked off, and has a pivoted rear end gate for dumping the load, said gate being arranged to be opened by the pressure of the load, a latch for said gate, and means connected with the drag-line and arranged for unlatching said gate by tilting the bucket backward while suspended in dumping po- .sition; said means including a hitch extendingfrom the drag-line to the rear portion of the bucket, a sheave engaging said hitch, a bail supporting said sheave, a connection from said hitch to said latch, a sheave engaging said connection, supported on the bucket, a stop on said bail, and means on said hitch for engaging said stop to exert a pull on said connection and thereby unlatcg the gate when the bucket is tilted backwar 5. The structure of claim 4, as specified, in which said latch is provided with a spring to resist unlatching of the gate, and said latch being operable by a jerk on the dragline if the backward tilting of the bucket fails to dump the load.

6. The structure of claim 4, as specified, in which said hitch has a fixed connection with the rear end of said bucket at a point immediately below the sheave which. engages the connection to the latch.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 14th day of November, 1914.

JAMES C. FRENC lVitnes-ses:

RACHEL J. l'l-rorranoson, Rosa E. SEHNEM.

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