# US 11,078,643 B1 · Malleable excavation attachment device

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- Number: US 11,078,643 B1
- Document ID: US11078643B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/140,563
- Filed: 2021-01-04
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-26
- Applicants: David Dollar
- Inventors: David Dollar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078643B1

## CPC

- E02F 3/40: Dippers; Buckets {; Grab devices, e.g. manufacturing processes for buckets, form, geometry or material of buckets (devices to connect tools to arms or booms E02F3/3604; teeth therefor E02F9/28)}
- E02F 3/401: {Buckets or forks comprising, for example, shock absorbers, supports or load striking scrapers to prevent overload}
- E02F 3/962: {Mounting of implements directly on tools already attached to the machine (E02F3/404 and E02F3/8152 take precedence)}
- E02F 9/245: {for preventing damage to underground objects during excavation, e.g. indicating buried pipes or the like (detection of pipes in the ground F16L1/11)}
- E02F 9/28: Small metalwork for digging elements, e.g. teeth {scraper bits (ploughs for agriculture A01B15/00; teeth of harrows A01B23/02)}
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)

## Abstract

An excavation attachment device includes a pair of elongated malleable members that are positioned between a rigid top plate and a rigid bottom plate. Each of the malleable members being constructed from rubber and include a forward edge that extends outward beyond the forward edges of the top and bottom plates. A gap is provided between the malleable members for receiving the forks of an excavator bucket. A mounting bracket is positioned along the back edge of the top plate and includes a first set of openings for receiving connectors to selectively engage the bottom wall of an excavator bucket. The mounting bracket also including a pair of protrusions along each end having a second set of openings for receiving connectors to selectively engage the side walls of the excavator bucket.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An excavation attachment device, comprising:
a top plate having a forward edge, a back edge, a bottom surface;
a pair of malleable members, each having a top surface, a bottom surface and a forward edge;
a bottom plate having a forward edge, a back edge, and a top surface;
a mounting bracket that is positioned along one of the top plate or the bottom plate, said mounting bracket including functionality for engaging an excavator bucket; and
an adjustable gap that is located between the pair of malleable members, said adjustable gap including a shape and a size that is configured to receive a plurality of forks extending outward from the excavator bucket,
wherein the pair of malleable members are positioned between the bottom surface of the top plate and the top surface of the bottom plate, and
the forward edge of each of the pair of malleable members extend outward beyond the forward edge of the bottom plate and the forward edge of the top plate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket includes an elongated flat body section that extends outward from the back edge of the top plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, further comprising:
a pair of openings that are positioned along the mounting bracket, said openings being configured to receive a pair of connectors for physically coupling the mounting bracket to a bottom wall of the excavator bucket.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the elongated flat body section includes a length that is complementary to a width of the excavator bucket.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, further comprising:
a pair of protrusions that are located along each end of the elongated flat body section, said pair of protrusions being configured to engage a first side wall and a second side wall of the excavator bucket.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, further comprising:
a pair of openings that are positioned through the pair of protrusions, said openings being configured to receive a pair of connectors for physically coupling the protrusions of the mounting bracket to the first side wall and the second side wall of the excavator bucket.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the pair of malleable members are each constructed from rubber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket includes functionality for mounting the top plate onto the excavator bucket at a plurality of different angles.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the bottom plate includes a complementary shape and a dimensions to the top plate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of elongated hollow sleeves that are positioned between the bottom surface of the top plate and the top surface of the bottom plate, each of the plurality of elongated hollow sleeves being configured to selectively receive one of the plurality of forks extending outward from the excavator bucket.