Dragline apparatus and bucket

A dragline bucket comprising:

• (a) a pair of transversely-spaced sidewalls extending between a forward end and a rearward end of said bucket, said sidewalls being transversely interconnected by a bottom wall and a rear wall, said bottom wall terminating forwardly in a lip adapted to be equipped with excavating teeth, each of said sidewalls having a drag rope connection point adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (b) said bucket having at least one rear hoist line connection point located adjacent to said rearward end of said bucket, and at least one front hoist line connection point located adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (c) said rear hoist line connection point and said front hoist line connection point being operably liftable by respective front and rear hoist lines independently of each other;
• (d) said bucket having an average loaded center of gravity, located between said forward end and said rearward end of said bucket and spaced above said bottom wall, said front hoist line connection point being located nearer to said loaded center of gravity than is said rear hoist line connection point.

A dragline bucket comprising:

• (a) a pair of transversely-spaced sidewalls extending between a forward end and a rearward end of said bucket, said sidewalls being transversely interconnected by a bottom wall and a rear wall, said bottom wall terminating forwardly in a lip adapted to be equipped with excavating teeth, each of said sidewalls having a drag rope connection point adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (b) said bucket having at least one rear hoist line connection point located adjacent to said rearward end of said bucket and liftable by a rear hoist line, and a pair of transversely-spaced front hoist line connection points located adjacent to said forward end of said bucket and liftable by a front hoist line;
• (c) said front hoist line connection points being operably liftable by said front hoist line independently of tension in said rear hoist line;
• (d) said front hoist line connection points being located near respective top edges of said sidewalls.

A dragline bucket comprising:

• (a) a pair of transversely-spaced sidewalls extending between a forward end and a rearward end of said bucket, said sidewalls being transversely interconnected by a bottom wall and a rear wall, said bottom wall terminating forwardly in a lip adapted to be equipped with excavating teeth, each of said sidewalls having a drag rope connection point adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (b) said bucket having at least one rear hoist line connection point located adjacent to said rearward end of said bucket, and at least one front hoist line connection point located adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (c) said front hoist line connection point being operably liftable by a front hoist line independently of tension in said drag rope;
• (d) said bucket having an average loaded center of gravity, located between said forward end and said rearward end of said bucket and spaced above said bottom wall, said rear hoist line connection point being located below said loaded center of gravity.

A dragline bucket comprising:

• (a) a pair of transversely-spaced sidewalls extending between a forward end and a rearward end of said bucket, said sidewalls being transversely interconnected by a bottom wall and a rear wall, said bottom wall terminating forwardly in a lip adapted to be equipped with excavating teeth, each of said sidewalls having a drag rope connection point adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (b) said bucket having at least one rear hoist line connection point located adjacent to said rearward end of said bucket, and at least one front hoist line connection point located adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (c) said front hoist line connection point being operably liftable by a front hoist line independently of tension in said drag rope;
• (d) said bucket having an average loaded center of gravity, located between said forward end and said rearward end of said bucket and spaced above said bottom wall, said front hoist line connection point being located nearer to said loaded center of gravity than is said rear hoist line connection point.

A dragline bucket comprising:

• (a) a pair of transversely-spaced sidewalls extending between a forward end and a rearward end of said bucket, said sidewalls being transversely interconnected by a bottom wall and a rear wall, said bottom wall terminating forwardly in a lip adapted to be equipped with excavating teeth, each of said sidewalls having a drag rope connection point adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (b) said bucket having at least one rear hoist line connection point located adjacent to said rearward end of said bucket and liftable by a rear hoist line, and a pair of transversely-spaced front hoist line connection points located adjacent to said forward end of said bucket and liftable by a front hoist line;
• (c) said front hoist line connection points being operably liftable by said front hoist line independently of tension in said drag rope;
• (d) said front hoist line connection points being located near respective top edges of said sidewalls.

A dragline bucket comprising:

• (a) a pair of transversely-spaced sidewalls extending between a forward end and a rearward end of said bucket, said sidewalls being transversely interconnected by a bottom wall and a rear wall, said bottom wall terminating forwardly in a lip adapted to be equipped with excavating teeth, each of said sidewalls having a drag rope connection point adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (b) said bucket having at least one rear hoist line connection point located adjacent to said rearward end of said bucket, and at least one front hoist line connection point located adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (c) said rear hoist line connection point and said front hoist line connection point being operably liftable by respective front and rear hoist lines independently of each other;
• (d) said bucket having a hitch assembly adjacent to said forward end of said bucket which includes both said drag rope connection point and said front hoist line connection point;
• (e) said bucket having an average loaded center of gravity, located between said forward end and said rearward end of said bucket and spaced above said bottom wall, said rear hoist line connection point being located below said loaded center of gravity.

A dragline bucket comprising:

• (a) a pair of transversely-spaced sidewalls extending between a forward end and a rearward end of said bucket, said sidewalls being transversely interconnected by a bottom wall and a rear wall, said bottom wall terminating forwardly in a lip adapted to be equipped with excavating teeth, each of said sidewalls having a drag rope connection point adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (b) said bucket having at least one rear hoist line connection point located adjacent to said rearward end of said bucket, and at least one front hoist line connection point located adjacent to said forward end of said bucket;
• (c) said rear hoist line connection point and said front hoist line connection point being operably liftable by respective front and rear hoist lines independently of each other;
• (d) said bucket having an average loaded center of gravity, located between said forward end and said rearward end of said bucket and spaced above said bottom wall, said rear hoist line connection point being located below said loaded center of gravity and said front hoist line connection point being located above said loaded center of gravity.