US2181675A - Locking means for bucket pins - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, 1939. G. H. WATSON 3 L LOCKING MEANS FOR BUCKET PINS Filed April 27, 1939 Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George Herbert, Watson,

assignor to Alluvial Mining Wales, Australia,

Sydney,v New South Equipment Limited, Sydney, New South Wales,

tralia Australia, a company of New South Wales, Aus- Application April 2'7, 1939, Serial No. 270,441 In Australia October 10, 1938 1 Claim.

This invention has particular reference to the locking of the bucket connecting pins in bucket dredges or conveyors.

. In bucket dredgers the connecting pin through the front eyes of one bucket and the back eye of the preceding bucket is locked against rotation in such front eyes, to confine wear to the pin, whilst the rear eye of the preceding bucket is bushed and rocks on the pin, to permit the buckets to move about the tumblers.

Many devices have been proposed for the purpose of locking the bucket pin in the front bucket eyes, but all of such devices which have been successful have also been relatively complicated and expensive to install and maintain, in that a head is formed on the pin itself, with which a locking device co-operates to prevent rotation of the pin. The most conventional form incorporates a relatively large L head on one end of the pin.

The bucket pins are particularly expensive, for they are formed of costly alloy, such as nickel chrome steel, and considerable forging and machining is necessary to produce the head thereon. The cost of the metal in the head, and the forging and machining of the hard metal to finish the head, represents the greater part of the cost of the pin.

The object of this invention is to provide a locking means for the bucket pin which will be particularly compact, and eflicient in use, and which will moreover permit of a major saving in the cost of the pins themselves, in that the head on the conventional pin is entirely eliminated, along with the cost involved in the production of the head.

A further important advantage inherent in the present invention is that the pin may be reversed end for end to throw wear on the opposite side of the pin, as readily as the pin is originally inserted. Such reversal is not possible with the conventional L headed pin. This feature of the invention virtually doubles the life of the pin.

In order to fully describe the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which depicts a preferred form thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a typical bucket, with the invention applied to the front 50 bucket pin,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional elevation on plane 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a broken front elevation of the bucket eyes and the pin, in part cross-section,

55 and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modification.

The bucket 5 has a back eye 6, and two similar front eyes i, l in which are mounted the ends of a plain pin 8 by means of which the bucket 5 is connected to the adjacent bucket. The ends or" the pin 8 finish flush with the outer surface of the eyes I, 'l and no head is formed on the As the'formation of each front eye I, and the 10 locking of the pin 8 therein, is the same, one only is described.

A parallel slot 9 is formed through the eye, from front to rear, and intermediate the sides, of the eye. Curved seatings l0, ID are machined along the upper and lower sides of the slot.

Pin 8, adjacent its'end, is formed with a recess ll of part-oval section which is adapted to register with slot 9 through the eye, and in particular with the upper-seating ID with which it forms an oval aperture, as clearly seen on the left side of Figure 3.

A wedge block l2, longitudinally tapered and of oval cross-section, is inserted in slot 9 from the front of the eye I. The wedge block l2 seats on one side in the recess H in the pin 8, and on the opposite side in the seating Ill of the slot 9 through the eye. In this manner the wedge block l2 jambs the pin 8 in the eye 1 and restrains it against rotational and axial movement in the eye. The slot 9 is sumciently deep to prevent the wedge l2 from seating simultaneously on both sides of the slot.

The wedge block 12 is formed with a threaded shank l3 which extends rearwardly from the eye I, passing through an abutment plate I4 disposed over the rear face of the eye. On the exterior of the plate Hi the shank is fitted with nuts [5, l5 by means of which the wedge block I2 is drawn into position and locked. 40

In the construction illustrated in Figure 4, the general arrangement is similar to that described, except that slot 53 through the bucket eye I is substantially central of the depth of the eye, and the pin is formed with an oval slot H s1ibstantially centrally through it. Slot H is, of course, of sufficient depth to provide clearance on one side of the wedge block I2. The operation of this form is as above described, in that the wedge block l2 seats along one side on the slot II in the pin, and along the opposite side on the slot 9 in the eye. It will be appreciated that the invention provides simple and neat means for locking the front pin in the bucket eyes. The pin is of plain round section, such as stock material, and

the only machining necessary thereon is the formation of the recesses I I or slot I 1 which results in a very considerable saving in material and machining in comparison with the conventional L headed pin.

As the rear side of the pin wears in use, it is merely necessary to remove the pin and reverse it end-for-end in order to present a fresh working surface.

Actually, the locking means according to this invention are necessary only in one eye to prevent rotational or axial displacement of the pin in the bucket eyes. If the pin itself is recessed at both ends, locking means in one eye only may be used without sacrificing the features of reversibly of the pin.

The feature that the slot through the bucket eye is intermediate the sides of the eye, maintains the strength of the eye to a greater extent than does a slot opening to the side of the eye.

I claim:

Locking means for bucket pins comprising a headless pin mounted in spaced eyes in the bucket, one of said eyes having a slot through the same intermediate the sides of the eye, said pin having a similar and similarly disposed recess adjacent each end thereof and adapted to register with the slot in the eye, a wedge block disposed in said slot and seating along one side on the recess in the pin and along the opposite side in the slot in the eye, and screw means for forcing said wedge block into locked position, said pin being reversible end for end in said eyes, and those portions of the surface of the pin which are engaged by the wedge block being inclined to the axis of the wedge block, by virtue of all of which when the rear side of the pin wears in use the pin may be reversed in said eyes to present a fresh working surface.

GEORGE HERBERT WATSON.

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