Removable pipe arch for dragline buckets

A dragline bucket comprising:

• (a) a back wall;
• (b) a bottom wall;
• (c) opposite side walls connected with said back wall and said bottom wall;
• (d) an open front defined by said bottom and side walls;
• (e) a saddle bracket on an upper front corner of each of said side walls at said front of said bucket, said saddle bracket having an outer plate portion and an inner flange portion spaced from said outer plate portion defining a semi-annular channel providing a pocket on said saddle bracket along the inner face of said outer plate portion, said pocket opening upwardly and said flange having an upwardly opening wedge shaped mouth and a lower circular portion for supporting an end portion of a pipe, said saddle bracket being adapted to removably connect an end portion of a pipe with an upper front corner of an inside face of each said side wall of said bucket;
• (f) a pipe extending between said saddle brackets for coupling said upper front corners of said sides of said bucket together, opposite end portions of said pipe resting in said semi-annular portion of said flange on the inside of each of said saddle brackets;
• (g) an eccentric shaped collar on each opposite end portion of said pipe shaped to fit in said pocket of each of said saddle brackets whereby said pipe end portions are removably supported by said saddle brackets;
• and
• (h) a wedge shaped locking plate having an arc shaped concave lower edge surface shaped to conform to the convex shape of the outer surface of said pipe, said locking plate being engaged in said wedge shaped mouth of said saddle bracket inner flange for holding said pipe in said saddle bracket and said collar on said pipe in said pocket of said saddle bracket.

A removable pipe arch for connecting upper front corners of opposite side walls of a dragline bucket together along a line spaced from a bottom of said bucket at a front end of said bucket, said removable pipe arch comprising:

• (a) a saddle bracket on an upper front corner of each of said side walls at said front of said bucket, said saddle bracket having an outer plate portion and an inner flange portion spaced from said outer plate portion defining a semi-annular channel providing a pocket in said saddle bracket along the inner face of said outer plate portion, said pocket opening upwardly and said flange having an upwardly opening wedge shaped mouth having locking notches and a lower circular portion for supporting an end portion of a pipe, said saddle bracket being adapted to removably connect an end portion of a pipe with an upper front corner of an inside face of each said side wall of said bucket;
• (b) a pipe extending between said saddle brackets for coupling said upper front corners of said sides of said bucket together, opposite end portions of said pipe resting in said lower circular portion of said flange on the inside of each of said saddle brackets;
• (c) an eccentric shaped collar on opposite end portions of said pipe shaped to fit in said pocket of each of said saddle brackets whereby said pipe end portions are removably supported by said saddle brackets;
• and
• (d) a wedge shaped locking plate having an arc shaped concave lower edge surface shaped to conform to the convex shape of the outer surface of said pipe, said locking plate being engaged in said wedge shaped mouth of said saddle bracket inner flange for holding said pipe in said saddle bracket and said collar on said pipe in said pocket defined in said saddle bracket.