Dispensing bucket apparatus and dispensing method
First Claim
1. A dispensing bucket apparatus comprising:
- a bucket having an upper open portion adapted to receive a flowable material therein;
a bottom of the bucket opposite the upper open portion;
at least one side wall of the bucket sealingly and fixedly attached to and extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom;
so that the bottom and the at least one side wall define the upper open portion, the upper open portion vertically spaced above the bottom;
the bottom and the at least one side wall formed from a non-porous material;
the bucket defining an exit opening through the at least one side wall that is sufficiently large to permit the flowable material to exit therethrough;
gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening and controlling the size of the exit opening when the exit opening is open;
the bucket is adapted to be removably affixed to a loader vehicle; and
gate control means for actuating the gate means and controlling the position of the gate means--and, thus, the size of the exit opening--from within the loader vehicle when the bucket is functionally attached to the loader vehicle.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dispensing bucket apparatus that removably connects to a loader vehicle. The apparatus is a bucket that is adapted to receive and hold a flowable material and has an exit opening in its front end that is selectively opened and closed by a gate. The position of the gate may be controlled by the user from within the loader vehicle to control the flow and flow rate of the flowable material from the bucket. An alternate bucket design uses a manual latch to release the gate to an opened position. The side walls of the bucket converge toward the front of the bucket and form a funnel that directs the flowable material to the exit opening. The construction of the apparatus is such that the user can view the pour at all times and, thereby, reduce spillage and waste.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A dispensing bucket apparatus comprising:
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a bucket having an upper open portion adapted to receive a flowable material therein; a bottom of the bucket opposite the upper open portion; at least one side wall of the bucket sealingly and fixedly attached to and extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom; so that the bottom and the at least one side wall define the upper open portion, the upper open portion vertically spaced above the bottom; the bottom and the at least one side wall formed from a non-porous material; the bucket defining an exit opening through the at least one side wall that is sufficiently large to permit the flowable material to exit therethrough; gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening and controlling the size of the exit opening when the exit opening is open; the bucket is adapted to be removably affixed to a loader vehicle; and gate control means for actuating the gate means and controlling the position of the gate means--and, thus, the size of the exit opening--from within the loader vehicle when the bucket is functionally attached to the loader vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A dispensing bucket apparatus comprising:
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a bucket having an upper open portion adapted to receive a flowable material therein and an exit opening that is sufficiently large to permit the flowable material to exit therethrough; gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening and controlling the size of the exit opening when the exit opening is open; the bucket adapted for removable attachment to a loader vehicle; gate control means for actuating the gate means and controlling the position of the gate means--and, thus, the size of the exit opening--from within the loader vehicle when the bucket is functionally attached to the loader vehicle; a hydraulic cylinder having a movable ram; the hydraulic cylinder is attached to the bucket; the movable ram is attached to the gate means; the loader vehicle has a hydraulic power system; the hydraulic cylinder is in flow communication with and is controlled by the hydraulic power system when the bucket is functionally attached to the loader vehicle; so that a user in the loader vehicle controlling the hydraulic power system controls the hydraulic cylinder and the ram movement and, thus, the movement and position of the gate means; a connecting linkage having a first end and a distal second end; the connecting linkage is constructed of a substantially rigid material; the ram has an apogee end; the first end of the connecting linkage is rotatably connected to the apogee end of the ram; a stationary linkage support is fixedly attached to the bucket; the connecting linkage is rotatably attached to the stationary linkage support intermediate the first end and the second end of the connecting linkage; a gate linkage having opposing ends; the gate linkage is constructed of a substantially rigid material; the one end of the gate linkage is rotatably attached to the connecting linkage and the distal end of the connecting linkage is and rotatably attached to the gate means; so that the connecting linkage and the gate linkage translate the movement of the ram into movement of the gate means.
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10. A dispensing bucket apparatus comprising:
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a bucket having an upper open portion adapted to receive a flowable material therein and an exit opening that is sufficiently large to permit the flowable material to exit therethrough; gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening and controlling the size of the exit opening when the exit opening is open; the bucket adapted for removable attachment to a loader vehicle; gate control means for actuating the gate means and controlling the position of the gate means--and, thus, the size of the exit opening--from within the loader vehicle when the bucket is functionally attached to the loader vehicle; means for deflecting the flowable material exiting through the exit opening in a downward direction comprising; a diverter having a top end; the top end of the diverter is connected to the bucket by a hinged connection so that the diverter rotates about the hinged connection and the top end; the diverter extends at least the full width of the exit opening and at least the full height of the exit opening when the exit opening is fully opened; and the diverter is substantially rigid and nonporous. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A dispensing bucket apparatus comprising:
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a bucket having an upper open portion adapted to receive a flowable material therein and an exit opening that is sufficiently large to permit the flowable material to exit therethrough; a substantially flat bottom of the bucket formed of a non-porous material; a peripheral wall of the bucket sealably and fixedly attached to and extending upward from the periphery of the bottom, the peripheral wall defining the upper open portion at a top end of the peripheral wall; so that the upper open portion is vertically spaced above the bottom of the bucket; gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening and controlling the size of the exit opening when the exit opening is open; the bucket adapted to be removably affixed to a loader vehicle; the exit opening positioned in the peripheral wall and extending to the bottom of the bucket; and the gate means opening proximal the bottom; so that the bucket is emptied proximal the bottom through the exit opening. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A dispensing bucket apparatus comprising:
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a bucket having an upper open portion adapted to receive a flowable material therein and an exit opening that is sufficiently large to permit the flowable material to exit therethrough; the bucket having a back, and two side walls that extend upwardly from and are fixedly, sealably connected to the perimeter of a bottom to form a peripheral wall, the back sealably connected to the side walls; the bottom, the back, and the two side walls formed of a non-porous material; the side walls converge linearly toward one another from opposing ends of the back to the exit opening; so that the bucket utilizes the pressure exerted by the flowable material against the side walls to force the flowable material through the exit opening; gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening; and the bucket adapted to be removably affixed to a loader vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A dispensing bucket apparatus comprising:
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a bucket having an upper open portion adapted to receive a flowable material therein and an exit opening that is sufficiently large to permit the flowable material to exit therethrough; the bucket having a back, and two side walls that extend upwardly from the perimeter of a bottom to form a peripheral wall; the side walls converge linearly toward one another from opposing ends of the back to the exit opening; so that the bucket utilizes the pressure exerted by the flowable material against the side walls to force the flowable material through the exit opening; gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening; and the bucket adapted to be removably affixed to a loader vehicle; gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening; and the bucket adapted to be removably affixed to a loader vehicle; latching means for releasably maintaining the gate means in a closed position; and release means for releasing the latching means; so that the gate means may be held in a closed position by the latching means during transport of the flowable material; so that the gate means may be released to open and allow the flowable material to exit through the exit opening; the gate means comprising a gate attached to the bucket at the top end of the gate by a hinged connection; and so that, when the latching means is released by the release means, the pressure of the flowable material in the bucket forces the gate open allowing the flowable material to exit through the exit opening.
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21. A method of delivering a flowable material comprising:
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attaching a bucket to a loader vehicle, the bucket having a non-porous bottom and a non-porous peripheral wall sealably attached to and extending about the periphery of the bottom to define an upper open portion at the top of the peripheral wall opposite the bottom that is adapted to receive a flowable material therein, the peripheral wall defining an exit opening through the peripheral wall and positioned at the front of the bucket that is sufficiently large to permit the flowable material to exit therethrough, providing an adjustable gate means for selectively opening and sealingly closing the exit opening and controlling the size of the exit opening when the exit opening is open; placing the flowable material in the bucket; driving the loader vehicle to the desired delivery site and positioning the exit opening at the desired delivery site; controlling the gate means from within the loader vehicle to control the flow and flow rate of the flowable material from the bucket; and pouring the flowable material through the peripheral wall via the exit opening from the front of the bucket. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification