Back to results
US 12,595,636 B2Granted
Back-drag bucket accessory
AssigneeBourgault Machines Inc.
InventorsGerard F. Bourgault, Kevin Punk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bucket for a loader includes a main body and a pair of swing plates pivotably coupled to the main body for defining an exterior collection space for gathering material from the ground surface when operating the bucket in a back-dragging mode. Each swing plate is pivotable relative to the main body between a first position and a second position. When in the first position, the swing plate lower edge is raised above an outer surface of the bottom wall. When in the second position, the swing plate protrudes past the outer surface of the bottom wall, with inwardly directed faces of the swing plates cooperating with an outer surface of a bottom wall of the main body to partially enclose an exterior collection space when back-dragging.
Claims17
A bucket for a loader comprising:
- a main body defining an interior collection space for collecting material from a ground surface when operating the bucket in a forward collection mode, the interior collection space bounded at least in part by a bottom wall having a front edge, a back wall extending upward from a rear edge of the bottom wall, and a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls, the bottom wall and back wall each extending laterally between the side walls, and the bottom wall extending horizontally along the sidewalls from the rear edge to the front edge for bounding the interior collection space from below;
- and
- a pair of swing plates pivotably coupled to respective outboard sides of the main body at respective pivot joints located proximate the front edge of the bottom wall of the main body, each swing plate having a swing plate lower edge extending rearward from a lower edge front end proximate and below the respective pivot joint to a lower edge back end, and each swing plate having a swing plate top edge extending rearward from a top edge front end proximate and above the respective pivot joint to a top edge back end, and each swing plate having a swing plate back edge extending between the lower edge back end and the top edge back end;
- each swing plate pivotable relative to the main body between a first position and a second position, wherein
- when in the first position, the swing plate lower edge of the swing plate is raised above an outer surface of the bottom wall to facilitate aligning the bottom wall with the ground surface when operating the bucket in the forward collection mode, and
- when in the second position, the swing plate protrudes past the outer surface of the bottom wall for aligning the swing plate lower edge with the ground surface when the bottom wall is inclined relative to the ground surface and the front edge is moved backward along the ground surface when operating the bucket in a back-dragging mode, with inwardly directed faces of the swing plates cooperating with the outer surface of the bottom wall to partially enclose an exterior collection space opposite the interior collection space.
3 more elements
A bucket for a loader comprising:
- a main body defining an interior collection space for collecting material from a ground surface when operating the bucket in a forward collection mode, the interior collection space bounded at least in part by a bottom wall having a front edge, a back wall extending upward from a rear edge of the bottom wall, and a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls, the bottom wall and back wall each extending laterally between the side walls, and each sidewall has having a bottom edge extending along the bottom wall from the rear edge to the front edge of the bottom wall;
- and
- a pair of swing plates pivotably coupled to respective outboard sides of the main body at respective pivot joints located proximate the front edge of the bottom wall of the main body, each swing plate having a swing plate lower edge extending rearward from a lower edge front end proximate and below the respective pivot joint to a lower edge back end, and each swing plate having a swing plate top edge extending rearward from a top edge front end proximate and above the respective pivot joint to a top edge back end, and each swing plate having a swing plate back edge extending between the lower edge back end and the top edge back end;
- each swing plate pivotable relative to the main body between a first position and a second position, wherein
- when in the first position, the swing plate lower edge of the swing plate is raised above an outer surface of the bottom wall to facilitate aligning the bottom wall with the ground surface when operating the bucket in the forward collection mode, and
- when in the second position, the swing plate protrudes past the outer surface of the bottom wall for aligning the swing plate lower edge with the ground surface when the bottom wall is inclined relative to the ground surface and the front edge is moved backward along the ground surface when operating the bucket in a back-dragging mode, with inwardly directed faces of the swing plates cooperating with the outer surface of the bottom wall to partially enclose an exterior collection space opposite the interior collection space.
3 more elements
A bucket for a loader comprising:
- a main body defining an interior collection space for collecting material from a ground surface when operating the bucket in a forward collection mode, the interior collection space bounded at least in part by a bottom wall having a front edge, a back wall extending upward from a rear edge of the bottom wall, and a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls, the bottom wall and back wall each extending laterally between the side walls, and wherein the bottom wall is generally planar and alignable parallel with the ground surface for the forward collection mode;
- and
- a pair of swing plates pivotably coupled to respective outboard sides of the main body at respective pivot joints located proximate the front edge of the bottom wall of the main body, each swing plate having a swing plate lower edge extending rearward from a lower edge front end proximate and below the respective pivot joint to a lower edge back end, and each swing plate having a swing plate top edge extending rearward from a top edge front end proximate and above the respective pivot joint to a top edge back end, and each swing plate having a swing plate back edge extending between the lower edge back end and the top edge back end;
- each swing plate pivotable relative to the main body between a first position and a second position, wherein
- when in the first position, the swing plate lower edge of the swing plate is raised above an outer surface of the bottom wall to facilitate aligning the bottom wall with the ground surface when operating the bucket in the forward collection mode, and
- when in the second position, the swing plate protrudes past the outer surface of the bottom wall for aligning the swing plate lower edge with the ground surface when the bottom wall is inclined relative to the ground surface and the front edge is moved backward along the ground surface when operating the bucket in a back-dragging mode, with inwardly directed faces of the swing plates cooperating with the outer surface of the bottom wall to partially enclose an exterior collection space opposite the interior collection space.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.