Clam bucket attachment

A clam bucket attachment for mounting on the crowd of a backhoe, comprising:

• (a) A cable boom having a flange means at one end for attachment to the crowd, said cable boom extending from the end of the crowd;
• (b) a front sheave rotatably carried by the free end of said cable boom and a rear sheave spaced from said front sheave and rotatably carried by said cable boom forward of said flange means;
• (c) a bucket support carried by said cable boom and further comprising a pair of pivot brackets in spaced, generally parallel relationship extending from said cable boom;
• a pivot bracket plate connecting said pivot brackets;
• a first collar upward standing from said pivot bracket plate between said pivot brackets;
• a bucket support plate beneath and adjacent said pivot bracket plate for carrying a clam bucket;
• a second collar attached to said bucket support plate and extending upwardly and concentrically through said first collar;
• and a support cap secured to the top of said second collar above said first collar, whereby said bucket support plate and said second collar are rotatable with respect to said pivot bracket plate and said first collar, and the clam bucket is rotatable with respect to said cable boom;
• and
• (d) a cable having one end secured to the piston of a hydraulic cylinder attached to the crowd of the backhoe, said cable wound around said front sheave and said rear sheave and through said support cap, said first and second collar and said bucket support plate, and the opposite end of said cable secured to the clam bucket, whereby extension and retraction of the hydraulic cylinder opens and closes the clam bucket, respectively.