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US 12,522,999 B2Granted
Multipurpose bucket
AssigneeGreat Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorErik Thorsell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multipurpopse bucket comprising a front section and a rear section rotatably coupled with the front section. As such, the bucket is configured to transition from a closed position to an open position. The bucket further comprises a single actuator configured to transition the bucket between the closed position and the open position. The actuator is centrally positioned with respect to a width of the bucket.
Claims16
A multipurpose bucket comprising:
- a front section;
- a rear section rotatably coupled with said front section, such that said bucket is configured to transition from a closed position to an open position, wherein said rear section comprises a main panel that extends between a lower portion and an upper portion of said bucket;
- a single actuator configured to transition said bucket between the closed position and the open position, wherein said actuator is centrally positioned with respect to a width of said bucket,
- wherein said bucket comprises a centrally-positioned pocket formed in said rear section, with said actuator being positioned within said pocket,
- wherein said pocket extends forward of said main panel, and wherein said pocket opens in a rearward direction to present a cavity at a back side of the bucket in which said actuator is positioned;
- and
- a shaft extending along the width of the bucket, wherein actuation of the shaft causes the bucket to transition between the closed and the open positions, wherein the actuator is operably connected with the shaft via a lever arm,
- wherein a first end of the lever arm is connected to the actuator, wherein a second end of the lever arm is connected to the shaft, and wherein the lever arm is rotatably connected to a top of the bucket at a position between the first and the second end of the lever arm.
5 more elements
A multipurpose bucket comprising:
- a front section;
- a rear section rotatably coupled with said front section, such that said bucket is configured to transition from a closed position to an open position, wherein said rear section comprises a main panel that extends between a lower portion and an upper portion of said bucket;
- a laterally extending shaft extending across at least a portion of a width of said bucket;
- and
- a single actuator configured to transition said bucket between the closed position and the open position, wherein said actuator is centrally positioned with respect to the width of said bucket,
- wherein said actuator is configured to actuate said shaft, and wherein said actuator is engaged with said shaft at or adjacent a lateral midpoint of said shaft,
- wherein said bucket comprises a centrally-position pocket formed in said rear section, with said actuator being positioned within said pocket,
- wherein said pocket extends forward of said main panel, and wherein said pocket opens in a rearward direction to present a cavity at a back side of the bucket in which said actuator is positioned,
- wherein the actuator is operably connected with the shaft via a lever arm,
- wherein a first end of the lever arm is connected to the actuator, wherein a second end of the lever arm is connected to the shaft, and wherein the lever arm is rotatably connected to a top of the bucket at a position between the first and the second end of the lever arm.
7 more elements
A method of operating a multipurpose bucket comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing the bucket, which comprises a front section and a rear section rotatably coupled with the front section such that the bucket is configured to transition from a closed position to an open position, wherein the rear section comprises a main panel that extends between a lower portion and an upper portion of the bucket, wherein the bucket additionally comprises a single actuator positioned within a centrally positioned pocket formed in the rear section, wherein the pocket extends forward of the main panel, and wherein the pocket opens in a rearward direction to present a cavity at a back side of the bucket in which the actuator is positioned;
- (b) shifting, via the single actuator, the bucket from the closed position to the open position;
- and
- (c) shifting, via the single actuator, the bucket from the open position to the closed position,
- wherein the bucket comprises a shaft extending along the width of the bucket, wherein actuation of the shaft causes the bucket to perform said shifting of steps (b) and (c),
- wherein the actuator is operably connected with the shaft via a lever arm, wherein a first end of the lever arm is connected to the actuator, wherein a second end of the lever arm is connected to the shaft, and wherein the lever arm is rotatably connected to a top of the bucket at a position between the first and the second end of the lever arm.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.