Excavating – Scoop or excavating and transporting container – Scoop or bucket structure – per se
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-26
2001-10-16
Shackelford, H. (Department: 3671)
Excavating
Scoop or excavating and transporting container
Scoop or bucket structure, per se
C037S445000, C414S724000, C414S726000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301809
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to excavating and construction equipment and more specifically to material handling systems for powered digging machines such as backhoes.
2. History of the Related Art
Backhoes have become some of the most commonly used equipment in modern industry. These machines are available in several mobile options, including track, wheel, rail, and barge mounted units. Foam filled tires, extendible dippers and side shift mounting arrangements are among the many options available for special applications.
With such a wide variety of jobs that must be done with a backhoe, it is sometimes difficult to avoid tying up a machine with specialized tools, such as log grapples and clamshell buckets, that require direct mounting to the dipper boom. Although these specialized tools work well, much time and labor are required in changing buckets and specialized tools. As a result, many machines are restricted from general use because of this disadvantage.
Several attachments are available that offer a partial solution to the problem of bucket and tool changing. These attachments are designed to aid in the handling of materials such as chunks of concrete, pipe, and logs, by providing a backup to the material being gripped by the curling action of the bucket. Some attachments also offer hydraulic control to the backup or clamping member to further help with the material handling.
Because of the similar mounting and operating action most of these attachments share, they tend to extend downward from the under side of the dipper boom excessively. This interferes with height clearance when working over obstacles such as high sided truck beds. Also, the material handling operation is so far off center of the dipper boom that it is difficult to operate in close quarter conditions, such as down in holes.
A further disadvantage of most known attachments is the absence of a horizontal edge on the attachments to work in cooperation with the teeth or edge of digging buckets. This edge is very important in handling many materials such as pipe or fence posts in vertical position, removing and handling sod, maneuvering and placing stone for rip-rap operations, and a wide variety of jobs that would be difficult without the horizontal edge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the disadvantages in the above paragraphs, it is an object of this invention to provide a better system to assist a digging bucket with material handling.
A material handling system is provided that is secured to the underneath side of a dipper boom. A modular arrangement of sliding bars, secured together side by side to match the bucket width, is mounted adjacent and parallel with the dipper boom. The sliding bars glide freely through guides and are operated by gravity. The low profile mounting of the sliding bars confines the protrusion of the system to within a few inches from the underside of the dipper boom and does not change.
The unique mounting of this system places the material being handled near the projected center line of the dipper boom. This allows the system and the digging bucket to work cooperatively down in holes or other close quarter operations. The mounting of this system also provides a better height clearance when working over obstacles such as high sided truck beds.
Other objects and advantages of a material handling system of sliding bars include:
(a) working in cooperation with a digging bucket while causing minimum interference with the bucket digging qualities;
(b) offering an immediate and continuous choice of digging or material handling operations;
(c) having a mounting independent of the digging bucket which will not interfere with bucket changing;
(d) having a simple low profile and self-aligning mounting system for the installation or removal of the system by one person in minutes;
(e) the system can be exchanged from one machine to another with any machine equipped with the easily installed mounting bracket;
(f) having sliding bars which have enough vertical travel to provide unrestricted bucket opening and can be stored in an uppermost position;
(g) providing modular sections of identical parts that are interchangeable;
(h) having a horizontally mounted edge at the lower end of the sliding bars that combines the strength of the bars and maintains alignment;
(i) having an angled bottom surface as part of the horizontally mounted alignment support assembly whereby the angled bottom surface provides lift to the bars during a digging operation so the digging pressure exerted to the angled bottom surface of the alignment support causes the support to raise over the path of the material entering the bucket and so that the support returns by gravity to retain the material in the bucket when digging pressure is relieved;
(j) having shock absorbing sleeves at the top of each sliding bar and which sleeves also have an off center retaining hole that can change the operating height of the alignment support;
(k) can be operated with no power lift but offers power lift options;
(l) offers an optional baffle capable of sealing the bucket opening for handling sand, mud, crushed stone, and other flowable materials;
(m) offers an optional alignment support assembly for the top of the sliding bars when it is necessary to operate with the lower support assembly removed so that materials such as scrap cable and wire can be handled with no obstacle at the bottom of the bars to get caught on; and
(n) is universal in job use applications including interchangeable parts which greatly reduces the number of different parts needed to be carried in stock.
All that is needed to equip a machine with this system is the installation of a mounting bracket to the under side of the dipper boom. This is a simple job that requires only a measuring rule and a welder.
Considering their very mobile and adaptable nature, backhoes equipped with the system of the present invention could have life saving capability if they could be available when needed in a disaster area.
Further objects and advantages are to provide a material handling system that is equally of interest to all operations, whether it be farming, ranching, timbering or any of the many branches of industry. The interchangeable factor of the parts and systems from one machine to another can result in these systems being of universal nature.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following descriptions and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3362554 (1968-01-01), Fortier
patent: 3921837 (1975-11-01), Vandewater
patent: 4863338 (1989-09-01), Johnson
patent: 5553408 (1996-09-01), Townsend
Dowell & Dowell , P.C.
Shackelford H.
LandOfFree
Material handling system for powered digging apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Material handling system for powered digging apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Material handling system for powered digging apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2564975