US2350015A - Concrete bucket - Google Patents

Description

May 30, YFl T CROWE CONCRETE BUCKET Filed'Aug. 23, `1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 filiali fA/yc/S .72" Ceo WE,

INVENTOR.

Patented May 30, 1944 UNITED STATES" PATEN T O F FICE 2,350,015 coivcmrrnl BUCKET Francis T. Crowe', Shasta Dam, Calif.

Application August 23, 1943', Serial No. 499,615

3 Claims.

'My invention relates to `a` .concrete bucket and has particular reference to a concrete bucketr closure mechanism andV operator therefor which nds particular utility when employed Ion large receptacles used as a container for transporting freshly mixed concrete from a mixer to the placing site. i

In my Patent No. 2,202,284, issued May '28, 1940, I have disclosed aconcrete bucket which is designed particularly for *use in transporting large quantities of relatively dry freshly mixed concrete from a mixing plant to the location in r'which the concrete is to be placed, the bucket referred to being designed particularly for use in the construction 4of dams Vand other monolithic structures. A

The bucket referred to linthe above mentioned patent employs a bottom 'closure member which when opened permits the entire contents of the bucket to `be Vdischarged through the open bottom. It has been 'found desirable with concrete buckets of this type to provide relatively elaborate locking means for preventing inadvertent opening of the bucket, particularlyv in those applica tions where the load of the bucket must 'be transported as by means of cableways above areasy in which workmen `and laborers *may be Working. It has been'` found necessary to take every possible precaution to prevent opening `of the bueket during transportationin order to protect the lives of the workmen working below.

Prior to the present invention lit vwas the practice to add to concretel buckets, whether they are of the type disclosed in my prior'patent above referred to or of conventional types, auxiliary latching or locking mechanisms which serve to a greater or lesser extent to 'insure against inadvertent opening of the bucket. These mechanisms being additions to otherwise completeoperative structures imposed -an undue delay in the use of the bucket particularly in the unlatching of the bucket and the opening of `the discharge gate. Furthermore, the auxiliary devices used were not entirely satisfactory because of the possibility of operating failures. f 'It is, therefore, an object' of my invention to provide a concrete bucket of the-general `type disclosed in my prior PatentNo. 2,202,284 which includes a novel lock arrangement for'positively preventing undesired opening of the bucket closure.

It is an additional object of vmyinvention to provide in a concrete bucket of the character referred to in the precedingparagraph va three,- way locking arrangement requiring the simultanecus failure of three mechanisms inb'der to prevent an vaccidental opening ofthe discharge gate.

It is a still further object of my'jinventionfto provide in a concrete bucket of the character previously referred to a novel closure construc-v tion permitting faster and easier operation than is possible with present bucketV `constru'c'ztions.l A v vIt is additionally an object of my invention to provide a bucket ofv the character set forth in the preceding paragraphs which. includes lower closure members and pivoted operating members for opening and closing the closure members and which further includes a novel toggle link arrangement for' controlling the operation 'of the closure operators. L

Other objects and advantages of Amy invention will "be apparent frornra study ofthe following specifications, read in connection with the ace companying drawings, wherein: l, Fig. 1 is a sideelevational view o'f the improved concrete bucket 4of my vinvention'showing the relative positions occupied by theparts 'when the bucket closure is in the opened position;

Fig. `2kis a very similar figure -tol'vF-ig. l but showing the relative disposition o"f parts when the bucket closure is in its closed position;

Fig. `3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line IIlCi---III of Fig.f2 and shewingY the details of the closure operator and `'control therefor.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsectional view illustrating additional details of v'construction of the bucket clcsuraFig. 4 showing the position occupied'by thelparts in the opened'position `of'the bucket; and l Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken'substantially along the line V-V of Fig. 4 andsho'wing additional details of construction of the closure operator and the control mechanism therefor.

`Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated in Figs. l and 2 the preferred embodiment of my invention as comprising a tubular bucket'body l shown as being rectangular in ycross section,

' the rectangular cross section being chosen principally for ease in manufacture. The bucket body l is defined by right and left side walls`-2 and 3 and front and rear walls #and '5. `'l'lie bucket bodyv I is preferably encircled at frequent locations along its length by hoops or reinforcing binding rings 6 shown in thedrawingsas comprising angle irons. If desired the upper end of the bucket may be slightly funnel-shaped 'as shown at 1 to facilitate loading.

The lower end of the bucketbody I carries an openable closure comprising a pair of gate members 8 and 9 each pivotally supported upon the bucket body I by means of forwardly and rearwardly extending pivot shafts IIJ and. II (see Fig. 4). The gate members 8 and 9 are movable from open positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 to closed positions as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. 'I'he gate members 8 and 9 are controlled in their movement between these two positions byA two pairs of closure operators I2 and I3, one of the pairs such as the operator I 2 being mounted on the front side 4 of the bucket and the other as I3 being mounted on the rear side 5 of the bucket.

Each of the operators I2 and I3 comprises lal pair of arms I4 and I5 pivotally mounted upon a. pivot shaft I6 which in turn extends through the bucket body I and is mounted thereon as by means of supporting blocks I I and I8. The outer ends of the shaft I 6 may be additionally supported as by means of Z-cllps I9 and 20.

Between the arm I4 of the operator I`2 and the corresponding arm of the operator I3 and similarly between the arm I5 of the operator I2 and the corresponding arm of the operator I3 there are extended rollers ZI and 22 which are so positioned as to bear against downwardly extending reinforcing web members 23 and 24 formed on the under side of the gate members 8 and 9.

The location of the pivot shaft I6 and the distance between the pivot shaft I6 and the rollers 2I22 is so chosen with respect to the location of the pivot shafts I0 and II for the gate members 8 and 9 that movement of the gate operators from an outward position such as shown in Fig. 1 to an inward position such as shown in Fig. 2 will result in movement of the gate members 8 and 9 between opened and closed positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively.

The arms I4 and I5 of the gate operators I2 and I3 are normally urged to their inward position as by means of tension springs 25 extended between the arms I4 and I5. When the bucket is empty the spring 25 exerts a sui'hcient force to move the arms I4 and I5 to the inward position as shown in Fig. 2. When in such position the rollers 2I-22 engage angularly disposed portions 26 and 21 of the gate members 8 and 9. The angularity of the portions 26 and 21 is so chosen as to extend substantially horizontally when the gate members 8 and 9 are in their closed position. This disposition of the portions 26 and 21 is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

When the parts are in this position the weight of a batch of concrete placed within the bucket body I and resting upon the gate members 8 and 9 Vis transmitted directly to the rollers 2| and 22 and the extension surfaces 26 and 21 are disposed at right angles to the thrust line extended between the operator pivot shaft I6 and the rollers 2| and 22. Thus there is no tendency for the operators to move outwardly under influence of the load exerted thereon, whereas the spring 25 continuously resists outward movement of the arms I4 and I5. This insures that the closure will not be opened unless the arms I4 and I5 are forcefully and positively moved apart.

To prevent any inadvertent movement of the arms I'4 and I5 to the open position from any cause whatsoever, I provide an auxiliary latch for each of the closure operators vI2 and I3, this latch comprising as is shown in Fig. 2 a keeper member 28 suitably secured as by welding to the arm I5 and a cooperating latch member 29 which is pivotally mounted as bymeans of a pin 30 upon the arm I5. These two parts are shown in their cooperating position in Fig. 2 from which it will be seen that unless the latch member 29 is pivoted in a clockwise direction it will be impossible to move the arms I4 and I5 away from each other with the result that inadvertent opening of the bucket is absolutely prevented.

To provide for manual movement of the arms I4 and I5 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1 when it is desired to empty the bucket, I` provide a control mechanism for the closure operators I2 and I3. This mechanism preferably includes a transverse shaft 3| carrying a handwheel 32 by means of which the shaft 3l `is manually rotated. On either side of the bucket there are positioned pinions 33 each meshing with spur gears 34 disposed on opposite sides of the bucket and mounted upon a shaft 35. Each of the gears 34 are drivably connected to the arms I4 and I5 as by means of links 36 and 31. These links are pivotally attached at one end as by means of pins 38 and 39 to the arms I`4 and I5 and to the other end as by means of pins 40 and 4I to points on the gear 34 spaced from the center thereof.

With this arrangement of parts, it will be seen that as the gear 34 is rotated, the movement of the pins 40 and 42 will, through the agency of the links 36 and 31, result in movement of the gate operator arms I4 and I5. The links 36 and 31 are preferably curved as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the location of the pivots 38-4l is so chosen that when the arms I4 and I5 are in their nwardmost position corresponding to the locked position of the bucket closure, the lines joining the pins 38 and 4I) and 39 and 4I will lie. respectively, above and below the center of the shaft 35 so that any' couple exerted on the gear 34 by an attempted outward movement of the arms I4 and I5 will be ina direction counter to that required to move the arms I4 and I5 apart, thus providing a positive locking of these arms against outward movement.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2

- a, counter-clockwise rotation of the gear 34 through an angle of approximately will result in moving the arms I4 and I5 to the position shown in Fig. 1. During the rst part of this movement the gate operator rollers 2| and 22 are moved off of the angularly disposed portions 26 and 21 with the result that the weight of` the concrete resting on the closure members 8 and 9 will thereafter be effective in moving the gate members 8 and 9 to their open position through forcing of the arms I4 and I5 to their outer position. i

It will thus be seen that `when the bucket is in its closed position it is held against inadvertent opening by three mechanisms; i; e., by the perpendicular relationship between the surfaces 25 and 21 and the thrust line extended from the pivot I6 to the closures 2| and 22; by the auxiliary latch comprising members 28 and 29; and by the toggle arrangement including the gear 34 and links 36 and 31. Such a mechanismwill positively prevent any inadvertent opening of the bucket closure.

Deliberate opening of the bucket is.' on the other hand, readily accomplished by simply releasing the auxiliary latch 28 and 29 and rotating the handwheel 32 an amount suicient to carry the rollers 2| and 22 beyond the inclined surfaces 26 and 21. Thereafter the weight of the concrete resting upon the gate members 8 and 9 will automatically carry-the operation through to completion with the parts finally arriving at the fully opened position which is shown in Fig. 1. As soon as all of the concrete is discharged from the bucket the spring 25 becomes effective to automatically move the arms I4 and I5 back to the positions shown in Fig. 2 with the result that the three-fold lock against inadvertent opening is automatically re-established.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the closure mechanism which I have just described for concrete buckets provides a maximum of protection against inadvertent opening of the bucket and at the same time is so arranged as to permit a deliberate opening of the bucket to be accomplished with a minimum of trouble and effort.

It will also be noted that by employing two separate gate members 8 and 9 it is possible to dispose the pivots I0 and I I for these gate members at a somewhat lower location than would be possible were a single gate member employed, thus permitting a greater concrete holding capacity to be built into a concrete bucket of s, given size. Also the use of two gate members provides for faster operation and faster opening of the bucket with a resultant saving in time when the bucket is placed in operation.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to any of the details of construction shown or described herein, except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a concrete bucket, the combination of: an open ended tubular bucket body; a pair of closure members mounted on opposite sides of said body for movement toward each other from open positions to closed positions closing one end of said body; an over-center mechanism connected between said members and operable in the closed positions of said members to lock said members against movement toward said open positions, said mechanism comprising a disk; means mounting said disk for rotation on said body; a link connected to each of said closure members; and pivot means pivotally connecting one end of each of said links to said disk, said pivot means being so positioned with respect to each other that lines joining respective ends of each of said links will lie on one side of the center of said disk in the open position of said closure members and on the other side of the center of said disk in the closed position of said closure members.

2. In a concrete bucket, the combination of:

a bucket body comprising a tubular body having ciated one of said closure members; pivotal mounting means for securing said operators to said bucket body, said pivotal mounting means being so disposed as to define arcuate paths of movement for each of said roller means extending below and closely adjacent to said mounting means for the associated closure member; an over-center mechanism interconnecting said operators and operable in the closed positions of said closure members to prevent movement of said operators toward positions permitting opening of said closure members, said over-center mechanism comprising a disk; means mounting said disk on said bucket body for rotation; a pair of links each having one end pivotally attached to one of said gate operators; and pivot means pivotally attaching the other end of each of said links to said disk, said pivot means being so located that the lines joining the respective ends of said links lie on one side of the center oi said disk when said closure members are in their open positions and on the other side of the center of said disk when said closure members are in their closed positions.

3. In a concrete bucket, the combination of: a bucket body comprising a tubular member having upwardly extending sides; a pair of rigid plate-like closure members for the lower open end of said bucket body for retaining therein concrete placed within said bucket; means pivotally mounting said closure members on said bucket body at opposite sides thereof for-movement between open and closed positions; a pair of gate operators one for each of said closure members, each having roller means engaging the under side of the associated one of said closure members; a securing means pivotally mounting said operators on said bucket body, said securing means being disposed in such position above said mounting means for said closure members as to denne arcuate paths of movement for said roller means extending from a point below said mounting means to a point disposing said closure members in said closed positions, whereby the weight of concrete resting on said closure members tends to move said members and said gate operators to said open positions; extension means on each of said closure members engageable by the associated roller means in the respective closed positions, said extension means defining plane surfaces disposed at right angles to lines joining each of said roller means with the securing means for said gate operators when said Operators and said closure members are in their closed position, whereby the weight of said concrete is balanced and automatic movement of said operators toward said open position is prevented; an over-center mechanism interconnecting said gate operators for normally preventing movement of said operators away from positions corresponding to the closed positions of said closure members; and latch means for interconnecting said gate operators in their closed positions.

FRANCIS T. CROWE.

Images