Excavator bucket and manufacturing method

Abstract

Bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine, which comprises a floor and a side wall, and at least one wear component that is removably attached to the floor and the side wall by means of at least one mechanical fastener. The floor and the side wall are disconnectably connected to each other via the at least one wear component so as to form a replaceable bucket corner edge along at least a part of the floor and the side wall.

Claims

1. A bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine, whereby said bucket comprises a floor and a side wall, and at least one wear component that is removably attached to said floor and said side wall by at least one mechanical fastener, characterized in that said floor and said side wall are disconnectably connected to each other via said at least one mechanical fastener that provides for said floor and said wall being removably attached to said at least one wear component so as to form a replaceable bucket corner edge along at least a part of said floor and said side wall, whereby a gap is present between said edge of said floor and said edge of said side wall and said at least one wear component is arranged to traverse said gap, whereby said at least one wear component has an inside surface which forms part of an inside surface of said bucket when said at least one wear component is mounted on said bucket.

2. The bucket according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one wear component has an inside surface when mounted on said bucket, and said inside surface is curved.

3. The bucket according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one wear component is arranged to be entirely located outwards of an inner surface of said floor and an inner surface of said side wall when mounted on said bucket.

4. The bucket according to claim 1, characterized in that an inside surface of said at least one wear component that is arranged to lie flush with an inside surface of said floor and an inside surface of said side wall when mounted on said bucket.

5. The bucket according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one wear component has an outer surface when mounted on said bucket, and said outer surface is curved.

6. The bucket according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one wear component comprises a plurality of adjacently abutting wear components when mounted on said bucket.

7. The bucket according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one wear component comprises a plurality of non-adjacently abutting wear components when mounted on said bucket.

8. The bucket according to claim 6, characterized in that said plurality of wear components comprises at least one wear component having a different thickness or comprising a different material than other wear components of said plurality of wear components.

9. The bucket according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one wear component is arranged to be moveable with respect to said floor and said side wall when it has been removably attached to said floor and said side wall by said at least one mechanical fastener.

10. A method for manufacturing the bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine of claim 1, characterized in that said method comprises the steps of disconnectably connecting said floor and said side wall to each other via said at least one mechanical fastener that provides for said floor and said wall being removably attached to said at least one wear component so as to form said replaceable bucket corner edge along said at least a part of said floor and said side wall.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the method comprises the step of manufacturing said at least one wear component from steel, and cutting said steel when it is immersed in a cooling medium.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the method comprises the step of removably attaching said at least one wear component to said floor and said side wall by said at least one mechanical fastener so that said at least one wear component is moveable with respect to said floor and said side wall when it has been removably attached to said floor and said side wall of said bucket.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The embodiments described herein will hereinafter be further explained by means of non-limiting examples with reference to the appended figures where;

(2) FIG. 1 shows a bucket according to the prior art,

(3) FIG. 2 show a bucket according to an embodiment described herein,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a wear component of a bucket according to an embodiment described herein,

(5) FIGS. 4 & 5 show the bucket illustrated in FIG. 2 from different angles,

(6) FIG. 6 shows a kit according to an embodiment described herein, and

(7) FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the steps of a method according to an embodiment described herein.

(8) It should be noted that the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale and that the dimensions of certain features may have been exaggerated for the sake of clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(9) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a steel bucket 100 according to the prior art viewed at angle from below. The prior art bucket 100 has a floor 101 that extends from a front cutting edge 102 of the bucket 100 up to a top assembly (not shown) that connects the prior art bucket 100 to an earth-moving or materials-handling machine. The prior art bucket 100 also comprises a side wall 103, an edge of which is welded to an edge of the floor 101 of the prior art bucket 100 along the entire length of the floor 101 of the bucket to form a non-disconnectable and non-replaceable bucket corner edge. The prior art bucket 100 also comprises a plurality of spaced apart wear components that have been welded to outside of the prior art bucket 100 across the weld joint connecting the floor 101 of the prior art bucket to its side wall 103.

(10) In order to remove and replace one of the wear components 104 of the prior art bucket 100, the wear component 104 must be cut off the prior art bucket 101 and a new wear element 104 must be welded in its place. Such an operation will require cutting and welding equipment being brought to the site where the bucket 100 is being used, or the prior art bucket 100 being moved to a workshop.

(11) Furthermore, since the edges of the floor 101 and the side wall 103 of the prior art bucket 100 have been welded together, and since the wear components 104 have been welded to the bucket in the vicinity of the weld joint connecting the floor 101 and the side wall 103 of the bucket 100, the microstructure and physical properties of the material constituting the prior art bucket 100 may be adversely affected during the manufacture and/or during repair/maintenance work. This may adversely affect the bucket 100 in a region that requires high strength and good abrasion resistance when the bucket is in use.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a bucket 10, such as a backhoe excavator bucket, according to an embodiment described herein viewed at an angle from above. The bucket 10 comprises a floor 11a that extends from a front cutting edge 12 to a top assembly 14 that connects the bucket 10 to an earth-moving or materials-handling machine, such as a hydraulic excavator (not shown).

(13) The illustrated bucket 10 comprises two opposed side walls 16 and a plurality of wear components 18, such as 5 to 20, or 8 to 10, or 10 to 15 or 15 to 20 wear components, that extend along a distance, d, along an edge of the floor 11 and an edge of the side wall 16 on both sides of the bucket 10.

(14) The, or each wear component 18 according to any of the embodiments described herein is removably attached to the floor 11 and a side wall 16 by means of one or more mechanical fasteners 20, such as bolts. It should be noted that the or each wear component 18 according to any of the embodiments described herein may be removably attached to the floor 11 and a side wall 16 using just one mechanical fastener 20, or using a plurality of mechanical fasteners 20. Alternatively, a plurality of wear components 18 may be removably attached to the floor 11 and a side wall 16 using just one mechanical fastener 20. The expression “by means of at least one mechanical fastener” as used in this document is thereby intended to mean an average of exactly one, less than one, or more than one mechanical fastener 20 per wear component 18.

(15) An edge of the floor 11 is connected to an edge of each side wall 16 which is located adjacently to the edge of the floor 11 solely via the wear components 18 along the distance, d. The floor 11 may however be connected to the side walls 16 in any suitable way, such as by welding or by means of at least one mechanical fastener, in one or more regions outside the distance, d, such as in region 11a between the front cutting edge 12 of the bucket and the first wear component 18a and/or in region 11b between the last wear component 18b and the top assembly 14. One part of the bucket corner edge which is formed by disconnectably connecting the floor 11 to a side wall 16 of the bucket (namely the part between regions 11a and 11b in FIG. 2 which extends a distance, d, along the bucket corner edge) does not comprise a weld joint, but the floor 11 and the side wall 16 are connected to each other solely via the wear components 18.

(16) Before the wear components 18 are mounted on the bucket 10, a gap is present between the edge of the floor 11 and the edge of each side wall 16 at the location that is to be occupied by the wear elements 18, i.e. along distance, d. Once the wear components 18 have been mounted on the bucket 10 they will either close or traverse this gap. The floor 11 of the bucket 10 is not connected to the side wall 16 in any way along distance d until the wear components 18 have been mounted on the bucket 10, i.e. the bucket 10 cannot be used until the at least one wear element 18 has been mounted on the bucket 10.

(17) According to an embodiment of the bucket 10, it may comprise a single wear element 18 that is arranged to extend along the entire distance, d.

(18) A bucket 10 according to embodiments described herein is suitable for use with any earth-moving or materials-handling machine, such as a compact excavator, a dragline excavator, amphibious excavator, power shovel, steam shovel, suction excavator, walking excavator, bucket wheel excavator, a bulldozer, a loader, mining equipment, a tractor, a skid steer loader etc. The earth-moving or materials-handling machine may be a ground-engaging machine, or may have a bucket that is arranged to engage some other surface, such as a pit wall in open pit mining.

(19) The earth-moving or materials-handling machine may for example be used for digging a trench, hole or foundations, in forestry work, construction, landscaping, mining, river dredging or snow removal.

(20) FIG. 3 shows a wear component 18 from two different angles. The wear component 18 has an inside surface 18i which may form part of the inside surface of a bucket 10 when it is mounted on the bucket 10 or the entire wear component 18 may be arranged to be entirely located outwards of an inner surface of the floor 11 of the bucket 10 and outwards of an inner surface of the side wall 16 of the bucket 10 when it is mounted on the bucket 10, whereby it extends around the outer surface of the floor 11 and the side wall 11 of the bucket 10.

(21) The inside surface 18i of the wear component 18 may be curved. The inside surface 18i of the wear component 18 may be arranged to lie flush with an inside surface of the floor 11 of the bucket and an inside surface of a side wall 16 of the bucket 10 when it is mounted on the bucket 10. Less material is thereby required to manufacture the floor 11 and/or side wall 16 of a bucket 10 of a certain size because the at least one wear component 18 will replace a section of the floor 11 and/or side wall 16 of the bucket 10 in the region where the floor 11 is usually connected to a side wall 16 of the bucket. The wear component 18 also has an outer surface 18o that is curved. The wear component 18 may be a cast or fabricated component.

(22) In the illustrated embodiment, the wear component 18 has a hole 22 at each end which is arranged to receive and accommodate a mechanical fastener, such as a bolt. The mechanical fastener removably connects the wear component 18 to the floor 11 of a bucket 10 and to a side wall 16 of the bucket 10. Such wear components 18 can be simply and quickly removed and replaced on site when they are excessively worn or damaged, without having to move the bucket 10 to a workshop, which results in a minimum of downtime. One or more wear components 18 may namely be detached from the bucket 10 by removing the at least one mechanical fastener 20 by which it/they is/are attached to the floor 11 and side wall 16 of the bucket 10 and subsequently attaching one or more new wear components 18 to the bucket 10 by means of at least one mechanical fastener 20. A wear component 18, floor 11 or side wall 16 of a bucket 10 may have any number or arrangement of holes for receiving and accommodating mechanical fasteners.

(23) It should be noted that the wear components 18 described herein may be of any suitable shape and/or size and may have any suitable profile. A wear component 18 may for example have a curved inner and/or outer surface when it is mounted on the bucket 10. A wear component 18 may comprise a flat surface on at least part of its inner and/or outer surface when it is mounted on the bucket 10.

(24) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a bucket 10 according to an embodiment described herein viewed at an angle from below. The bucket 10 comprises a plurality of individually removable and adjacently abutting wear components 18, whereby two or more of the wear components 18 are in contact with each along an edge thereof. Alternatively, a bucket 10 may comprise a plurality of individually removable and non-adjacently abutting wear components 18, whereby there is a space between any two or more adjacent wear components 18 or between each wear component 18.

(25) According to an embodiment, each of a plurality of wear components 18 may be arranged to be connected to at least one adjacent wear component 18 when the plurality of wear components 18 is mounted on the bucket 10. For example, two or more wear components 18 may comprise a male element on one side, and a female element on the other side so that they can fit together like jigsaw pieces. Alternatively, a plurality of wear components 18 may be placed side by side along distance, d.

(26) A plurality wear components 18 may comprise at least one wear component 18 having a different thickness and/or comprising a different material than other wear components 18 of said plurality of wear components 18. One or more wear components 18 having a greater thickness and/or made from a more wear and abrasion resistant steel than other wear components 18 of said plurality of wear components 18 may for example be mounted on the part(s) of a bucket 10 that is/are subjected to the greatest wear and damage during use.

(27) FIG. 5 shows a bucket 10 from the side. The part(s) of the illustrated bucket 10 that is/are subjected to the greatest wear and damage during use may for example be located along the outside edges at the sides of the bucket 10 upwards of the point P at which point the floor 11 of the bucket 10 starts to lift off the ground when the bucket 10 is lying on the ground.

(28) FIG. 6 shows a kit for use with a bucket 10 according to any of the embodiment described herein. The kit comprises at least one wear component 18, at least one mechanical fastener 20 and optionally, at least one spacer 26 if necessary. The wear component 18 is arranged to be removably attached to the floor 11 and a side wall 16 of a bucket 10 by means of at least one mechanical fastener 20.

(29) According to an embodiment, a mechanical fastener 20 and a spacer 26 are arranged to be tightened with respect to the floor 11 and the side wall of the bucket 16 to removably attach one wear component 18 or a part thereof, or a plurality of wear components 18 to a bucket 10 but to allow the wear component(s) 18 to move freely with respect to the floor 11 and the side wall 16 when the wear component 18 has been attached to the floor 11 and the side wall 16 of the bucket 10. This will prevent or hinder the mechanical fastener(s) 20 from becoming loose during the use of the bucket 10 due to working pressure acting on the wear components 18. For example, the at least one mechanical fastener 20 may be threaded and the wear component 18 may comprise at least one threaded hole to accommodate the at least one threaded mechanical fastener 20. No tool is needed since the mechanical fastener 20 bolts directly into the wear component 18 and the wear component 18 acts as a nut.

(30) The at least one mechanical fastener 20 and/or at least one spacer 26 are dimensioned and/or designed in order to allow the at least one wear component 18 to move freely with respect to the floor 11 and the side wall 16 of the bucket once the at least one wear component 18 has been removably attached to the floor 11 and the side wall 16 of the bucket 10.

(31) According to an embodiment the head of a mechanical fastener 20 is arranged to lie flush with the floor 11 on the inside 28 of the bucket 10.

(32) FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the steps of an embodiment of the method for manufacturing a bucket 10 for an earth-working or materials-handling machine, whereby the bucket 10 comprises a floor 11 and a side wall 16 and at least one wear component 18 that extends along at least a part of said bucket corner edge. The at least one wear component 18 is removably attached to the floor 11 and the side wall 16 by means of at least one mechanical fastener 20. The method comprises the step of disconnectably connecting the floor 11 of the bucket 10 to the side wall 16 of the bucket via the at least one wear component 18 along at least a part of the floor 11 and the side wall 16. One, some or all of the wear components 18 that are attached to a bucket 10 may be moveably attached to the floor 11 and the side wall 16 by means of at least one mechanical fastener 20. Alternatively or additionally, one, some or all of the wear components 18 that are attached to a bucket 10 may be non-moveably attached to the floor 11 and the side wall 16 by means of at least one mechanical fastener 20.

(33) Before and/or after the floor 11 and the side wall 16 of the bucket have been disconnectably connected along at least a part of the floor 11 and the side wall 16, the floor 11 of the bucket 10 may be connected to the side wall 16 of the bucket 16 in at least one region outside said at least one part of said floor 11 and said side wall 16, such as by welding, which will provide a non-disconnectable connection in that at least one region outside said least one part of said floor 11 and said side wall 16. Alternatively, the floor 11 of the bucket 10 may be mechanically attached to the side wall 16 in regions 11a and 11b (shown in FIG. 2), which will provide a disconnectable connection in regions 11a and 11b. Furthermore, the top assembly 24 of the bucket 10 (shown in FIG. 5) may be welded or mechanically attached to the floor 11.

(34) Since no welding will take place along at least a part of said floor 11 and said side wall 16 when manufacturing or repairing the bucket, no heat-affected zone (HAZ) will be formed along said at least one part of said floor 11 and said side wall 16, and so the microstructure and properties of the material constituting the floor 11, the side wall 16 and the wear elements will not be altered or adversely affected along at least one part of said floor 11 and said side wall 16, which results in a stronger bucket structure along said at least one part of said floor 11 and said side wall 16.

(35) According to an embodiment, the method may comprise the step of manufacturing at least one wear component 18 from steel and cutting the steel 18 when it is immersed in a cooling medium so that the microstructure and properties of the at least one wear component 18 are not adversely affected by it being subjected to a heat intensive cutting operation and subsequent re-cooling.

(36) Further modifications of the embodiments described herein within the scope of the claims would be apparent to a skilled person.