Pipeline padding apparatus

• US 5,493,796 A
• Filed: 07/25/1994
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: H T B LLC
• Original Assignee: Houston T. Barnes, Raymond E. Ballew
• Inventors: Ballew, Raymond E., Barnes, Houston T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US08/280,634
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 37/142.5, 37/303, 37/403, 37/379, 37/347, 37/188, 403/225, 403/226, 403/220, 209/260, 209/421, 209/235, 209/418, 209/419, 209/420, 209/421, 209/245, 209/248, 209/249, 414/722, 414/725
• US Class Current: 37/142.5
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/40 Dippers; Buckets ; Grab devices, e.g. manufacturing processes for buckets, form, geometry or material of buckets devices to connect tools to arms or booms E02F3/3604; teeth therefor E02F9/28
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/226 with means for processing the soil, e.g. screening belts, separators; Padding machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/455 Elastomer interposed between radially spaced members

Abstract

A backhoe operated bucket is provided with an opening containing a screen frame opposite its scraper blade equipped loading opening for separating coarse material contained by soil excavated from a pipeline ditch and depositing fine padding soil on a pipeline in the ditch. A motor driven eccentric supported by the screen frame vibrates the screen frame in several directions to achieve a separation of fine and coarse material, the latter being deposited in the ditch above the padding soil.

Claims

1. A pipe or cable padding bucket apparatus for attachment to a boom of an earth moving vehicle for moving with the vehicle along one side of a ditch to progressively pick up portions of excavated soil adjacent the ditch and release a portion of the picked up soil as padding material into the ditch, the bucket attachment apparatus comprising:

a support frame having parallel end members cooperatively orthogonally joined, respectively, to longitudinal side members;

bucket forming end walls secured to said support frame end members in cooperative parallel relation;

bucket forming side walls having adjacent edges cooperatively

secured to the respective support frame side member and bucket end wall in diverging relation of one bucket side wall relative to the other bucket side wall for forming a bucket having a soil pick up opening of greater perimeter dimension than the perimeter dimension of said support frame;

a scraper blade secured to an edge of one said bucket side wall opposite said support frame;

a screen frame having frame side walls and end walls cooperatively supported within the support frame in predetermined equally spaced relation with respect to the support frame respective end members and side members for forming a padding soil exit opening;

a screen of predetermined mesh overlying the screen frame opposite the bucket soil pick up opening;

a coextensive lip projecting inwardly from the juncture of the support frame end members and side members with the respective bucket end walls and side walls for precluding soil entering the space between said support frame end and side members and the screen frame end and side walls; and

,

screen frame vibrator means supported by said screen frame including an eccentric for vibrating said screen frame relative to the bucket and separating relatively large items from padding soil falling by gravity through the screen.

2. The bucket apparatus according to claim 1 and further including:

a plurality of resilient screen frame mounts interposed between said screen frame side walls and the respective side members of the support frame defining the padding soil exit opening, each resilient mount comprising;

a section of rubber-like material having opposing flat surfaces;

a plate flatly secured to each said flat surface, each said plate having a threaded socket; and

,

a stud bolt in each socket for securing the respective support frame side member and the respective screen frame side wall to the adjacent said plate.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bucket further includes:

a pair of transversely apertured fins secured in parallel spaced relation to one side wall of said bucket intermediate its ends and opposite the bucket side wall having the scraper blade for connection with a bucket operating boom of a soil moving vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 and further including:

panels dividing said screen frame intermediate its end walls for shielding said vibrator means from padding soil falling by gravity through the screen.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 and further including:

a wedge shaped partition dividing said bucket for diverting soil in the bucket laterally of the vibrator shielding panels.

6. A pipe or cable padding bucket apparatus for attachment to a boom of an earth moving vehicle for moving with the vehicle along one side of a ditch to progressively pick up portions of excavated soil adjacent the ditch and release a portion of the picked up soil as padding material into the ditch, the bucket attachment apparatus comprising:

a rectangular support frame having parallel end members cooperatively joined, respectively, to longitudinal side members;

bucket forming end walls secured to said support frame end members in cooperative parallel relation;

bucket forming side walls having adjacent edges cooperatively secured to the respective support frame side member and bucket end wall in diverging relation of one bucket side wall relative to the other bucket side wall for forming a bucket having a soil pick up opening of greater perimeter dimension than the perimeter dimension of said support frame;

a scraper blade secured to an edge of one said bucket side wall opposite said support frame;

a screen frame having frame side walls and end walls centrally supported within the support frame in predetermined equally spaced relation of the outer perimeter of the screen frame with respect to the inner perimeter of the support frame respective end members and side members for forming a padding soil exit opening;

a screen of predetermined mesh overlying the screen frame opposite the bucket soil pick up opening;

a coextensive lip projecting inwardly from the juncture of the support frame end members and side members with the respective bucket end walls and side walls for precluding soil entering the space between said support frame end and side members and the screen frame end walls and side walls;

a plurality of resilient screen frame mounts interposed between said screen frame side walls and the respective side members of the support frame defining the padding soil exit opening, each resilient mount comprising;

a section of rubber-like material having opposing flat surfaces;

a plate flatly secured to each said flat surface, each said plate having a threaded socket; and

,

a stud bolt in each socket for securing the respective support

frame side member and the respective screen frame side wall to the adjacent said plate;

screen frame vibrator means supported by said screen frame including an eccentric for vibrating said screen frame relative to the bucket and separating relatively large items from padding soil falling by gravity through the screen; and

,

a pair of transversely apertured fins secured in parallel spaced relation to one side wall of said bucket intermediate its ends and opposite the scraper blade for connection with a bucket operating boom of a soil moving vehicle.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 and further including:

panels dividing said screen frame intermediate its ends for shielding said vibrator means from padding soil falling by gravity through the screen; and

,

a plurality of longitudinal and transverse interlocking braces disposed in respective end portions of said screen frame adjacent said screen.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 and further including:

a wedge shaped partition dividing said bucket for diverting soil in the bucket laterally of the vibrator shielding panels.