Swingable bucket for excavators

• US 4,042,131 A
• Filed: 08/07/1975
• Issued: 08/16/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Americas Company (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Buttke, Frederic P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weaver, Ross
• Application Number:
  US05/602,615
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 214/138 R, 214/768, 214/77 R
• US Class Current: 414/694
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3677 allowing movement, e.g. rotation or translation, of the tool around or along another axis as the movement implied by the boom or arms, e.g. for tilting buckets

Abstract

An excavator comprises a boom having a normally vertically disposed dipper stick pivotally mounted on an end thereof and a support bracket pivotally mounted on a lower end of the dipper stick for to and fro movements in a first plane. The bucket is pivotally mounted on a lower end of the support bracket for sideway movements relative thereto in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane. A first double-acting hydraulic cylinder is pivotally interconnected between an upper end of the dipper stick and an upper side of the bracket to selectively pivot the bracket in the first plane whereas a second double-acting hydraulic cylinder is pivotally mounted on an outer side of the bracket and to the bucket for selectively moving the bucket in the second plane.

Claims

1. A dipper stick and bucket arrangement for an excavator comprising,

a normally vertically disposed dipper stick

a support bracket including spaced parallel upstanding plates having front and rear pin bores provided therein, and a depending portion having transverse pivot means provided therein, and wherein said front pin bores are pivotally connected to the distal end of the stick disposed intermediate said plates, said support bracket also including spaced parallel mounting plates extending from one of said upstanding plates on one side of said support bracket and having pivot bores provided in the distal ends thereof,

bucket means including spaced parallel mounting brackets provided on the top thereof each having front and rear pin bores provided therein,

bracket means pivotally mounted on said transverse pivot means and on said front and rear bracket pin bores and wherein said bracket means includes spaced parallel levers extending from one side thereof above the bucket intermediate the front and rear portions thereof, and

a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected to said mounting plates and said levers whereby the bucket may be pivoted around said transverse axis upon actuation of said hydraulic cylinder.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting plates extend from said mounting bracket parallel to and coexistensive with said levers when the bucket is normal to the stick, and then upward from the bucket parallel with the stick,

and wherein said arrangement comprises a cover plate extending between the outer upright edges of the mounting plates whereby the hydraulic cylinder means disposed therebetween is enclosed and protected by said cover plate and said mounting plates.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 further comprising,

first parallel spaced links pivotally converted to said rear pin bores on said support bracket and extending upwardly therefrom,

second parallel spaced links pivotally connected to said first parallel spaced links and to said stick, and

a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected to said first and second parallel links at the juncture thereof and to the stick near the upper end thereof whereby said bucket may be pivoted around the distal end of the stick upon actuation of said hydraulic cylinder.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the size and relative spacing of the first and second pin bores in the support bracket and on the bucket brackets are similar whereby the bucket may be attached directly to the stick and first links in place of the support bracket.