US2359817A - Drag bucket - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 10, 1944. G J ASHLEYY- 2,359,817

DRAG BUCKET Filed July 30, 1943 IN VENTOR:

B Gena d J./4sh/e ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 10, 1944 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE DRAG BUCKET Gerald J. Ashley, DetroifiMich. Application July 30, 1943, Serial No. 496,753

4 Claims. 01. 37-135) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in drag-buckets for dragline excavators, and more particularly in the arches thereof.

The trade is familiar with the conventional drag-bucket for dragline excavators, such buckets being exemplified in U. S. Patents 1,767,691 and 1,897,346 and 1,974,426, for example.

Such buckets consist of: a box-like dirt-carrying body, open at the top and front; brackets or trunnions on each side, behind the center of gravity, for the attachment of a forked hoistchain; a digging edge, usually with teeth, along the front edge of the bottom; an arch across from side to side, well forward of the digging edge; and means, on the front edges of the sides, well forward of the digging edge, for the attachment of a forked drag-chain.

It is the principal object of my invention to improve the construction of the arch.

In addition to my principal object, above stated, I have worked out a number of novel and useful details, which will be readily evident as the description progresses.

My invention consists in the novel parts and in the combination and arrangement thereof, which are defined in the appended claims, and of which one embodiment is exemplified in the accompanying drawing, which is hereinafter particularly described and explained.

Throughout the description, the same reference number is applied to the same member or to similar members.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my bucket.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my bucket, taken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1, and showing the arch in section.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of my bucket, taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

Turning now to the figures it will be seen that, except for my improved arch, they represent the conventional drag-bucket of the art, in which I I represents the body, 12 the brackets for the attachment of the hoist-chains (not shown), 13 the digging edge, I4 the teeth, and 15 the clevises for the attachment of the drag chain (not shown). Incidentally these particular clevises are the subject matter of U. S. Patent No. 2,131,063, issued September 27, 1938, to G. W. Mork.

The arch of my bucket consists of two curved plates l5 and I7, and one fiat crescent-shaped plate 18.

Curved plate I! is a continuation of the side plates. In its central portion, where the section is taken in Figure 2, it slopes downwardly for- Wardly.

Curved plate l6 joins plate I1 along their rearward edges, and also along the line Hi. In its central portion, where the section is taken in Figure 2, plate I6 is practically horizontal foreand-aft, and carries lugs 20 for the attachment of the conventional stabilizing line.

The gap caused forward by the divergence of plates I6 and I7, is filled by plate I8.

These three plates are welded together, or otherwise properly secured, along their contact edges, so as to form a box-girder construction of triangular cross-section.

The advantages of this type of arch over one of square cross-section are as follows:

1. Less overhead clearance for the same size of front opening.

2. It will be noted that lower'face I! of the arch is practically parallel to digging edge [2 and teeth It. This afiords a natural funnel to direct the dumped material in a stream.

3. The presentation of a narrow rear edge to outgoing material, prevents it from piling up, as it would against a flat rear wall, particularly if it be sticky. 1

4. When the excavated material contains large boulders, they will glance off of my type of arch during dumping, instead of falling squarely against it and thus possibly damaging it, as in the case of an arch with a flat rear wall.

5. Because of the reduced clearance, the bending moments in the center of the arch are reduced.

6. A triangular arch is stronger than a square arch of the same weight. Inasmuch as the bending strains are concentrated in the front of the arch, I have removed the unnecessary rear portion of the arch, and have transferred its metal to the front portion, where it can be really useful in this connection.

7. This forward location of weight also results 7 in an increase in tooth-pressure during digging.

8. There is about a 40% saving in welding due to the omission of one weld, and due to the other welds being shorter.

9. There is about a 30% saving in cutting and dressing, due to the omission of the back plate.

Having now described and illustrated one form of my invention, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown, except insofar as required by limitations in my claims.

I claim:

1. A drag-bucket for dragline excavators, comprising a box-like body open at the top and front, hoistline attaching means on the sides thereof behind the center of gravity of the bucket, a digging edge at the front of the bottom thereof, dragline attaching means on the front of the sides thereof well ahead of the digging edge, an arch extending from the front top of one side thereof to the front top of the other side well ahead of the digging edge, and means on the top of the arch for the attachment of a stabilizing line, said bucket being characterized by."the fact that the arch thereof is triangular in cross-section, the triangle in its central position consisting of a short substantially vertical side, and two side's converging rearwardly therefrom.

2. A bucket according to claim 1, further characterized by the fact that the front substantially vertical side of the triangle is formed by a crescent shaped flat plate, and that each of the other two sides is formed by a curved plate, thesethree plates being appropriately secured together.

3. A bucket according to claim 1, further characterized by the fact that the arch comprises two curved plates and one crescent-shaped fiat plate, appropriately secured together, the two curved plates being secured together along their rearward edges and diverging forwardly, and the crescent-shaped plate closing this divergence.

4. A bucket according to claim 1, further characterized bythe fact that the-arch comprises two curvedplates and one crescent-shaped flat plate, appropriately secured together, the two curved plates being secured together along their rearward edges and diverging forwardly, and the crescent shaped plate closing this devergence, the

15.;;top.plate being substantially horizontal fore-andaft in its central portion, and the bottom plate slopingdownwardly forwardly in its central portiona 1 GERALD J. ASHLEY.

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