Loader bucket sifting system

• US 5,771,612 A
• Filed: 07/15/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eddie T. Lynch
• Original Assignee: Eddie T. Lynch
• Inventors: Lynch, Eddie T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US08/680,015
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 37/142.5, 37/904, 37/403, 37/408, 37/409, 37/410, 37/444, 37/445, 37/379, 414/722, 414/912, 171/63, 172/32, 172/40, 209/421
• US Class Current: 37/142.5
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/405 using vibrating means blades or levelling tools with vibrating teeth E02F3/8155; vibrating rippers E02F5/326
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/06 Delivery chutes or screening plants or mixing plants mounted on dredgers or excavators for back-filling E02F5/226 takes precedence; separating equipment in general B03; delivery chutes in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 37/904 Vibration means for excavating tool

Abstract

A new loader bucket vibrational sifting system for separating rock and other abrasive material from dirt extracted from a trench for a pipe line, thereby allowing the user to fill in the trench after laying the pipe with the sifted dirt eliminating contact by rock or other abrasive material with the pipeline and, thereby, preclude rusting, corrosion, or like damage. The inventive device includes a sifting structure formed to pivotally enclose a conventional loader bucket, a vibrating means secured near the pivoting end of the sifting structure for vibrating the sifting structure, and a hydraulic releasing means pivotally secured at one end to the sifting structure and pivotally secured at the opposite end to the conventional loader bucket manipulating the sifting structure to allow rocks to be released.

Claims

1. A loader bucket sifting system comprising:

a sifting structure pivotally secured to the rear portion of a conventional loader bucket and formed to fit the shape of the conventional loader bucket;

the sifting structure including

an upper edge engaging support rim formed to fit a loader bucket upper edge;

a plurality of pivoting members secured to a shortened end of the upper edge engaging support rim, where the pivoting members rotatably engage a rear upper portion of the conventional loader bucket opposite of a front cutting edge of the conventional loader bucket;

a left sifting side secured to the upper edge engaging support rim opposite of the pivoting members projecting along a substantial portion of an elongated side thereafter the upper edge of the left sifting side slants towards an edge of the upper edge engaging support rim securing the pivoting members, projecting orthogonally to a plane of said upper edge engaging support rim;

a right sifting side secured to the upper edge engaging support rim opposite of the pivoting members projecting along a substantial portion of an elongated side opposite of the left sifting side thereafter the upper edge of the right sifting side slants towards an edge of the upper edge engaging support rim securing the pivoting members, projecting orthogonally to the plane of said upper edge engaging support rim;

a front sifting side secured to the upper edge engaging support rim opposite of the pivoting members, adjacent and secured to the first and right sifting sides, and projecting orthogonally to the plane of said upper edge engaging support rim;

a bottom sifting side secured to the front sifting side opposite of the upper edge engaging support rim, and projecting along the left sifting side and the right sifting side orthogonally and opposite of the upper edge engaging support rim until said left and right sifting sides begin to slant thereby forming a U-shaped structure with one end enclosed by the front sifting side allowing a predetermined size of an object to pass through; and

a slanted sifting side secured adjacent to the edge of the bottom sifting side opposite the front sifting side thereafter projecting along a slanted portion of the left and right sifting sides terminating at an edge of the upper edge engaging support rim securing the pivoting members;

,

a hydraulic releasing means pivotally secured to the sifting structure at one end and pivotally secured to the conventional loader bucket at the opposite end; and

a vibrating means secured to a lower rear portion of the sifting structure for vibrating the sifting structure allowing sifting of the loaded dirt.

2. The loader bucket sifting system of claim 1, wherein the vibrating means includes:

an encasement structure secured to the slanted sifting side near the pivoting members;

a hydraulic rotating motor secured within the encasement structure;

a second hydraulic hose fluidly connected to the hydraulic rotating motor supplying fluid which rotates the hydraulic rotating motor; and

a vibrating weight secured off center to a rotating shaft projecting from the hydraulic rotating motor so as to cause a vibration when the rotating shaft is rotated.

3. The loader bucket sifting system of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic releasing means includes a right hydraulic cylinder pivotally secured to the right sifting side at one end and pivotally secured to the conventional loader bucket at the opposite end, and fluidly connected to a first hydraulic hoses allowing control of the opening and closing of the sifting structure.

4. The loader bucket sifting system of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic releasing means further includes a left hydraulic cylinder pivotally secured to the left sifting side at one end and pivotally secured to the conventional loader bucket at the opposite end, and fluidly connected to the first hydraulic hoses allowing control of the opening and closing of the sifting structure.

5. The loader bucket sifting system of claim 1, wherein the sifting structure is constructed from a plurality of parallel sifting ribs sized to allow a predetermined size object to pass through.

6. The loader bucket sifting system of claim 1, wherein the sifting structure is constructed from a reticulated material sized to allow a predetermined size object to pass through.