Ditch digging bucket

A one-pass bucket (130) for use on the end of an actuable arm on a mechanical ditch digging apparatus for digging a ditch in earth parallel to a roadway, the bucket comprising a top wall (132);

• a bottom wall (138);
• a rear wall (134, 136) integral with said bottom wall, said rear wall and said bottom wall defining a curve (a″) extending downwardly and forwardly from a rear edge (132d) of said top wall to an open front end of said bucket;
• a left side curved end wall (140) extending forwardly from a rear edge (140b) of said curved end wall (140) and interconnecting a left end of said top wall (132b) and a corresponding left end (138b) of said bottom wall (138), a coupler mounted on said top wall for coupling said bucket to the arm of the digging apparatus;
• and, a curved end wall (142) opposite said left side wall (140), said right side curved end wall (142) extending forwardly from a rear edge 142b thereof opposite said rear edge (140b), and interconnecting an opposite right end (132c) of said top wall, opposite said left end (132b) of said top wall (132), and an opposite right end (138c) of said bottom wall (138), said right side curved end wall (142) having opposite curved bottom (142e) and top (142d) ends, said left and right side curved end walls (140, 142) diverging forwardly from said rear wall (134);
• said top wall (132), said bottom wall (138) and said left and right side curved end walls (140, 142) having forward edges (132a, 138a, 140a, 142a) defining said open front end (130a) of said bucket (130) for receiving earth;
• each of said left and right side curved end walls defining a convexity (140c, 142c) extending tangentially from, respectively, said left end (138b) and said right end (138c) of the bottom wall (138), each convexity (140c, 142c) tapering rearwardly toward said rear wall (134, 136), and, when viewed in front elevation, said curved end walls (140, 142) extending convexly at said bucket opening (130a), from said bottom wall (138) to said top wall (132), and extending substantially diagonally upwardly therefrom at said rear edges (140b, 142b) of said curved end walls so that said forward edges (140a, 142a) of said curved end walls (140, 142) curve upwardly towards a plane containing said top wall (132) so as to intersect said top wall (132) non-tangentially, and said rear edges (140b, 142b) extend diagonally to intersect said plane of said top wall (132), whereby a round bottom ditch may be formed by rotating one of said curved end walls (140, 142) downwardly relative to said coupler (52) coupling said bucket (130) to the actuable arm of the ditch digging apparatus;
• and
• dragging said one of said curved end walls (140, 142) through the earth longitudinally along a proposed ditch (66) in a single pass, wherein, when said front opening (130a) of the bucket (130) is viewed in front elevation, said bottom wall (138), said rear wall (134, 136), and said left end of said top wall (132b) define a central portion (128) of said bucket having a central longitudinal axis (C′) substantially parallel to and substantially equi-distant between said top and bottom walls (132, 138);
• and, said left and right curved end walls (140, 142), and said left and right ends (132b, 132c) of said top wall (132) define, respectively, left and right portions (126a,126b) of said bucket (130), each said left and right portion having a longitudinal axis (D′) wherein said two longitudinal axes D′ form an oppositely disposed pair of end longitudinal axes, and wherein said central longitudinal axis (C′) and said pair of end longitudinal axes (D′) intersect substantially on corresponding said rear edges (140b, 142b) of their respective said curved end wall (140, 142), and wherein said pair of end longitudinal axis (D′) diverge downwardly from colinearity with said central longitudinal axis (C′), and wherein said curved end walls (140, 142) have, respectively, left and right curved bottom ends (140e, 142e) which intersect said bottom wall (138) each approximately one third of the distance (f/k′) along a length (k′) corresponding the length of said top wall (132), and wherein, when said bucket is viewed in plan view, said curved end walls (140,142) diverge forwardly (angle p) from said rear wall (134) and said forward edge (138a) of said bottom wall (138) and said curved bottom ends (140e, 142e) of said curved end walls (140, 142) extend forwardly of said forward edge (132a) of said top wall (132), and said forward edges (140a, 142a) of said curved end walls (140, 142) slope rearwardly (angle β′), and downwardly (angle π) when viewed in side elevation view, from intersecting said forward edge (138a) of said bottom wall (138), at said curved bottom ends (140e, 142e), to top ends (140d, 142d) of said curved end walls (140, 142) so that the forward edge of said top ends (140d, 142d) of said curved end walls (140, 142) cut back and down to intersect said forward edge (132a) of said top wall (132), and wherein said curved end walls (140, 142), including longitudinal outermost tips (140h, 142h) of said curved end walls (140, 142), extend longitudinally parallel to axis C′ beyond corresponding said left and right ends (132b, 132c) of said top wall (132).