US3148787A - Heavy duty multi-purpose loader bucket - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 15, 1964 M. w. CLARK ETAL HEAVY DUTY MULTI-PURPOSE LOADER BUCKET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, 1962 INVENTORS. MURL w. CLARK BY KAR L L. MA$ON WAYNE E. ROBE RTS A TORN EYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. MUR L W. CLAR K BY KARL L. MASON WAYNE E. ROBERTS ATTORNEYS M. W. CLARK ETAL Sept. 15, 1964 HEAVY DUTY MULTI-PURPOSE LOADER BUCKET Filed June 29, 1962 I a 15 4o a" m n m mm W \\\H. \A u."

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HEAVY DUTY MULTI-PURPOSE LOADER BUCKET Filed June 29, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORB. E MURL W. CLARK BY KARL MASON WAYNE EROBERTS who A TORNEYS United States Patent 3,148,787 HEAVY DUTY MULTI-PURPOSE LOADER BUCKET Murl W. Clark, Morton, Karl L. Mgson, Peoria, and

Wayne E. Roberts, East Peoria, 111., assignors to Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, Ill., a corporation of California Filed June 29, 1962, Ser. No. 206,421 1 Claim. (Cl. 214-147) This invention relates to loader buckets and particularly to a loader bucket of exceptionally heavy and durable construction enabling it to withstand abuse such as is encountered in the demolition of buildings and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a loader bucket capable of ordinary loading operations and also capable of use as a bulldozer, a battering ram and a prying tool.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heavy duty bucket with its hydraulic actuating components protected against destructive forces encountered in heavy duty use.

Still further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings for a detailed understanding of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heavy duty loader bucket embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line IIII of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bucket shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with parts broken away;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing the relationship between the front edge of the bucket and its clamp in closed position;

FIG. 5 is a similar view illustrating a slightly diflerent relationship caused by bending or misalignment of the forward edge of the bucket; and

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation with parts in section illustrating the manner in which the bucket is adapted to grip a timber to be used as a battering ram.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the invention is illustrated as comprising a bucket generally indicated at 10 adapted to be pivotally supported at the ends of lift arms 11 and tilt arms 12 carried by a tractor and employed in a well known manner to raise, lower and otherwise manipulate the bucket. A cover or clamp generally indicated at 13 is pivotally connected to the bucket as by pins 14 and adapted to be swung between open and closed position with respect to the bucket by means of a pair of double acting hydraulic jacks, one of which is shown at 15 in FIG. 2, pivoted as at 16 to the bucket and as at 17 to extensions of the cover 13.

Because of the heavy duty for which the bucket is designed, the jacks and flexible hydraulic lines associated with them are protected from falling debris or other crushing forces. This is accomplished by providing double walls as indicated at 19 and 20 in FIG. 3 at both ends of the bucket to form enclosures for the jacks and their pivotal connections. Flexible hoses 21 communicate with the jacks and are protected in part by the jack enclosures and in part by a curved inner bucket plate 22 (see FIG. 2) which cooperates with the bottom 23 of the bucket and the back plate 24 thereof to form a somewhat triangular enclosure extending throughout the width of the bucket. These hoses communicate within the enclosure with an extension 25 of a conventional swivel fitting 26, the swivel center of which is aligned with pins 27 (see FIG. 1) by means of which the lift arms 11 are connected with brackets 28 secured to the bucket. Because of the coaxial 3,148,787 a e d S pt- 15 4 relationship of the swivel 26 and pins 27, rigid tubular connections, asshown at 29 in FIG. 2, may be secured to and moved with the lift arms so that flexible connections likely to be broken are not necessary outside of the enclosures provided by the bucket construction. Removable inspection plates 30 are provided at the back of the bucket adjacent the jacks 15 for inspection and servicing of the jacks and their associated flexible conduits.

The clamp 13 is formed of inner and outer walls reinforced by a welded cellular structure, generally indicated at 32 in FIG. 2, and the forward face of the clamp is concave in the manner of a bulldozer blade and terminates in a cutting edge 33 at its lower extremity. Thus with the clamp in its closed position, the entire bucket may be employed in the manner of a bulldozer with the bottom of the bucket skidding over the surface of the ground. The walls of the bucket formed by the spaced plates 19 and 20 taper inwardly and forwardly beyond the leading edge of the bucket and clamp and terminate in wedge-likepoints provided with hardened tips 34 (see also FIG. 3) which tips penetrate and facilitate loading of rubble or brush and may also be used as pries in the loosening of concrete slabs or uprooting of foundation members.

Directly behind the hardened edge 33 of the clamp are disposed a plurality of spaced plates 36, best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, which serve to reinforce the cutting edge and also serve to insure proper closing of the clamp in the event that the hardened cutting edge 37 of the bucket becomes bent upwardly or otherwise misaligned in use. It is intended, as shown in FIG. 4, that the plates 36 overlie the forward cutting edge 37 of the bucket in the closed position of the clamp but in the event of misalignment of the hardened bucket edge 37, which might cause them to strike this edge in the manner shown in FIG. 5, the inclined lower surfaces of the plates 36 act in the manner of cams tending to cause the clamp to slide forwardly and assume the intended closed position shown in FIG. 4. The reinforcing plates 36 also perform a further function which, as shown in FIG. 6, is to impale and retain a log or timber represented at 38 between the edge of the bucket and the edge of the clamp, which timber may be used as a battering ram for shattering walls above the normal reach of the bucket.

Entry of debris into the enclosures for the jacks 15 in the vicinity of the pivotal connections 14 between the bucket and clamp is prevented by wiper seals as shown in dotted lines at 40 in FIG. 2 on the bucket and engaging the bearing through which the pin 14 passes and also by wiper seals at 41 and 42 which mate with the serni cylindrical boss constructions 43 integral with extensions of the cover 13. Further protection is provided by the close proximity of a plate 44 on the clamp with the back plate 22 of the bucket which curves around this bearing structure. Removable inspection caps shown at 45 close the upper end of the jack enclosures and provide access to the jack rod pivots shown at 17.

Since the entire bucket is of unusually heavy and durable construction, it may be used for battering and crushing operations and its less durable components such as the hydraulic jacks together with their pivotal supports and flexible connections are adequately protected.

We claim:

In a loader bucket of the kind described comprising a bottom wall, a rear wall, end walls, a cover clamp pivoted with respect to the upper portions of the end walls, hydraulic jacks for imparting pivotal movement to the cover clamp at each end thereof, pivotal connections between the bucket and the jacks and between the jacks and the cover clamp, each end wall including spaced plates With means spanning their marginal edges to form a complete enclosure for a jack, its pivotal connections s and the pivot between the cover clamp and the end Walls, said enclosure forming rigid box-like structures coextensive with the end walls, converging forwardly and terminating in wedge-like tips. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,489,629 Ford Nov. 29, 1949 4 V Carlson Jan. 8, 1957 May 12, Dodge Sept. 13, 1960 Hackett et a1. May 15, 1962 Svoboda Feb. 19, 1962 OTHER REFERENCES John Deere Operators Manual OM-U1393OU for 850 ForkLifLand Log Loader, published March 1961. 1

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