Device for picking and separating rocks

A rock picking apparatus that removably attaches to a front end of a primary moving vehicle, comprising:

• a forward dumping bucket including a back plate adapted for attachment to the front end of the vehicle, a base plate spaced from the back plate, a pair of side plates connected to the back plate and the base plate, and a plurality of spaced, parallel, elongated steel bars extending in a substantially horizontal plane between the base plate and the back plate;
• the back plate, the base plate, the pair of side plates, and the steel bars defining a bucket storage area which is closed at a rear end thereof by the back plate and which is open at a front end thereof;
• a carriage pivotally attached to an upper bracket which is mounted at an upper end of the bucket such that said carriage is able to pivot between open and closed positions relative to the bucket, the carriage including a pair of side walls spaced from each other by a back wall and a base bracket extending between the side walls;
• a plurality of angled grate forks attached to the base bracket and extending in a direction generally toward the back plate of the bucket when the carriage is in the closed position;
• a rotating reel rotationally supported by, and extending between, the pair of side walls, the rotating reel including at least one tooth mounting bracket having a plurality of teeth attached thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom;
• hydraulic means connected to the bucket and the carriage for actuating the carriage between the open and the closed positions;
• and
• drive means connected to the reel for rotating the reel.

A rock picking apparatus that removably attaches to a front end of a primary moving vehicle, comprising:

• a forward dumping bucket including a back plate adapted for attachment to the front end of the vehicle, a base plate spaced from the back plate, a pair of side plates connected to the back plate and the base plate, and a plurality of spaced, parallel, elongated steel bars extending in a substantially horizontal plane between the base plate and the back plate;
• the back plate, the base plate, the pair of side plates, and the steel bars defining a bucket storage area which is closed at a rear end thereof by the back plate and which is open at a front end thereof;
• a plurality of angled grate forks attached to a center support member mounted on the base plate, said grate forks being angled so as to extend in a direction generally toward the back plate of the bucket, and said center support member being configured so as to form a raised ridge upon the base plate;
• a rotating reel rotationally supported by, and extending between, the pair of side plates, the rotating reel including a tooth mounting bracket having a plurality of teeth attached thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom and angle leg members disposed at opposite ends of the tooth mounting bracket, said teeth being offset from said grate forks so that the teeth pass between the grate forks when the reel rotates, and a mounting pin extending from each angle leg member, each said side plate including a mounting pin opening which receives a respective one of said mounting pins, said mounting pins being secured by a mounting pin clamp bolted to each said side plate;
• reversible drive means connected to the reel for rotating the reel, said drive means comprising a reversible hydraulic motor attached to a rear sprocket wheel, a front sprocket wheel fixedly attached to one of said mounting pins, and a chain looped around the rear sprocket wheel and the front sprocket wheel;
• and
• a protective operating shield attached to the bucket for protecting an operator of the primary moving vehicle.

A rock picking apparatus that removably attaches to a front end of a primary moving vehicle, comprising:

• a forward dumping bucket including a back plate adapted for attachment to the front end of the vehicle, a base plate spaced from the back plate, a pair of side plates connected to the back plate and the base plate, and a plurality of spaced, parallel, elongated steel bars extending in a substantially horizontal plane between the base plate and the back plate;
• the back plate, the base plate, the pair of side plates, and the steel bars defining a bucket storage area which is closed at a rear end thereof by the back plate and which is open at a front end thereof;
• a carriage pivotally attached to a bracket which is mounted at an upper end of the bucket for pivoting movements between open and closed positions relative to the bucket, the carriage including a pair of side walls spaced from each other by a back wall and a base bracket extending between the side walls;
• a plurality of angled grate forks attached to the base bracket and extending in a direction generally toward the back plate of the bucket when the carriage is in the closed position;
• a rotating reel rotationally supported by, and extending between, the pair of side walls, the rotating reel including a center shaft portion, at least one cross bar integrally connected to the center shaft portion and supporting at least one tooth mounting bracket, said at least one tooth mounting bracket having a plurality of teeth attached thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom, said teeth being offset from said grate forks so that the teeth pass between the grate forks when the reel is rotated;
• a mounting pin extending from each end of said center shaft portion, each said side wall of the carriage including a mounting pin opening which receives a respective one of said mounting pins, said mounting pins being secured by a mounting pin clamp bolted to each said side wall;
• lifting means connected to the bucket and the carriage for actuating the carriage between the open and the closed positions, said lifting means comprising a turnbuckle assembly at a first end thereof connected to a mounting bracket on one of said side plates and having a turnbuckle assembly at a second end thereof connected to a mounting bracket on one of said side walls;
• and
• reversible drive means connected to the reel for rotating the reel, said reversible drive means attached to a rear sprocket wheel, a front sprocket wheel fixedly attached to one of said mounting pins, and a chain looped around the rear sprocket wheel and the front sprocket wheel.