GB2312888A

GB2312888A - Bucket for excavation and compaction

Info

Publication number: GB2312888A
Application number: GB9707012A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Mark Barden
Original assignee: Caterpillar Inc
Current assignee: Caterpillar Inc
Priority date: 1996-05-08
Filing date: 1997-04-07
Publication date: 1997-11-12
Also published as: GB9707012D0; DE19719153A1

Description

2312888 COMPACTOR BUCKET This invention relates generally to construction

machines and more particularly to the use of a single machine for excavating and compacting material with a portion of the bucket being used for the compacting process.

Backhoes and hydraulic excavators are utilized for a wide variety of operations, such as ditching and trenching for utility lines, building foundations, laying pipelines, and the like. Generally, the excavation area must be compacted in order to avoid settling of the area which could lead to the disturbance of lines, pipes, and so on. The compacting may be accomplished in a single step, however, compacting in layers seems to be a preferred method of compacting. The practice of compacting an excavation area historically involved a person using a manual walk behind compactor unit. Due to the potential for cave-ins during this process and the burden of stopping operation to compact the layers, it became advantageous to develop a method of compacting the excavation area by combining the compacting equipment with a pre-existing attachment, such as a bucket.

An example of a hydraulic bucket-compactor for a backhoe is disclosed in US-A-4,698,926. The bucket compactor enables the operator of the backhoe to place and compact material with the backhoe eliminating the need for an extra piece of equipment. A vibrator compactor has its drive unit positioned within the bucket and a leg extending from the drive unit through an opening in the bucket heel wall. A compactor is attached to the leg exterior of the bucket and is controlled from the cab of the backhoe. The backhoe is used to pick up and place the soil in the desired location and then the leg of the compactor is used to compact the soil. The positioning of the compactor, however, within the bucket decreases the bucket load capacity by taking up a significant amount of space.

2 Additionally, the design of the leg outside the bucket requires significant manufacturing costs due to the intricacy of the feature. More importantly, the hydraulic lines for the compactor drive unit are not protected from the compacting material and are exposed to potential dangers, such as wear and destruction.

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of excavating and compacting material with a single construction machine is disclosed. The machine has a pair of articulated arms and a bucket assembly with a receiving portion and a strengthening portion. The bucket assembly is pivotably attached to an end of one of the pair of articulated arms and supports a drive unit of a compactor therein. The method includes utilizing the receiving portion of the bucket assembly for moving material from a fill location to a compacting location. Then, positioning the bucket assembly over the compacting location. Next, activating the drive unit of the compactor and, finally, positioning a flat portion of the bucket assembly against the material for compaction thereof.

In another aspect of the present invention, a bucket assembly is used with a construction machine with a pair of articulated arms. The bucket assembly includes a bucket with a substantially flat outer portion. The bucket is pivotably attachable to an end of one of the pair of articulated arms and has a receiving portion and a strengthening portion. A compactor has a drive unit and is positioned externally from the receiving portion. The compactor is operatively associated with the bucket. Means are provided for activating the-drive unit of the compactor so that the bucket vibrates and the flat portion thereof may be used as a compacting surface.

The present invention compacts material through the use of a compactor drive unit located externally from a receiving portion of a bucket. A flat portion of the bucket is used as the compacting surface and is operatively associated with the compactor drive unit to provide a 3 simple and easy compacting method capable of eliminating the need for more than one machine.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial view of a construction 5 machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial side view of a bucket assembly of the construction machine embodying the present invention; and Fig. 3 is an enlarge partial front view of the bucket assembly.

A construction machine 10 is shown in Fig. 1. The construction machine 10 shown is a backhoe, however, it should be understood that any suitable construction machine, such as an excavator may be used. The construction machine 10 includes a support frame 14 attached to a pair of axles 18 mounting a set of wheels 22. A cab assembly 26 is supported on the frame 14. A pair of stabilizers, one of which is shown at 30, are movably attached to the frame 14 rearwardly from the cab assembly 26. A pair of articulating arms 34 are pivotally connected to the frame 14. The articulating arms include a boom 38 and a stick 42 which extend from the rear of the cab assembly 26 a predetermined distance. A bucket assembly 46 is pivotally attached to the end of the boom 38 through a series of connection pins 52.

Referring more specifically to Figs. 2 and 3, the bucket assembly 46 includes a hinge plate 56 with a pair of ears 58, each of which has a plurality of openings 60 therethrough. The connection pins 52 are slidably received within the openings 60 for securing the bucket assembly 46 to the boom 38. A steel walled bucket 64 is integrally connected to the hinge plate 56 and has a predetermined load capacity 68 related to the operation to be performed. The bucket 64 has a curved wrapper plate 72 which has a bottom portion 76 diverging upwardly in a flared U-shape to def ine a pair of legs 80, 84 which have a f lat outer surf ace 86. One of the pair of legs 80 connects with the hinge 4 plate 56. The wrapper plate 72 bends inwardly a predetermined distance toward the bottom portion 76 at an end portion 88 of the one of the pair of legs 80 to define a strengthening portion 92. A pair of side plates 96, 100 are fixedly connected to the wrapper plate 72 to define a material receiving portion 104 adjacent the strengthening portion 92. A separation plate 108 is connected to the hinge plate 56 at one end and to a lip 112 of the strengthening portion 92 at an opposite end to define a space 116. The separation plate 108 is positioned across the length between the pair of ears 58 substantially across the length of the bucket 64 and isolates the space 116 from the material receiving portion 104.

A drive unit 130 for a compactor 134 of any suitable design is positioned within the space 116 and is mounted to the separation plate 108 at a mounting face 138. The drive unit 130 is positioned externally from the material receiving portion 104 and is operatively associated with the bucket 64. A gasket 144 made from a vibratory isolating material, such as rubber, polyur.ethane, or any other suitable material, is positioned between the mounting face 138 and the compactor 134. Hydraulic lines, shown at 152, are connected to the drive unit 130 to communicate hydraulic oil f rom a main pump (P) of the backhoe 10 to the compactor 134. The hydraulic lines 152 extend from the main pump (P) and are attached to the articulating arms 34 in any suitable manner for connection with the drive unit at a connecting end 158 within the space 116. The connecting end 158 of the hydraulic lines 152 extends through the wrapper plate 72 at the one of the pair of legs though an opening 162 therein. The connecting end 158 is isolated from the material receiving portion 104. A control valve 170 is installed on the backhoe 10 for remote or manual operation. The control valve 170 includes a means 174 for activating the drive unit 130, such as an electronic switch selective between an on and off position.

It should be understood that any other suitable type of activating means may be used.

Industrial Applicability

In operation, the material receiving portion 104 of the bucket 64 attached to the backhoe 10 is used in a normal manner for excavation. Material, such as a mixture of dirt, sand, rocks, or the like, is uncovered during the excavation process and must be replaced. The material receiving portion 104 is capable of carrying and depositing replacement material into the excavation area. Once deposited into the excavation area, the bucket 64 of the backhoe 10 may be used to compact the material without the use of a separate compacting machine.

The flat outer surface 86 of the one of the pair of legs 84 of the wrapper plate 72 is positioned substantially flush against the replacement material. The operator selectively positions the switch 174 to the on position to initiate the operation of the drive unit 130 of the compactor 134. The vibration created by the drive unit 130 is sufficient to cause the flat outer surface 86 to compact the replacement material.

Additionally, the vibration created by the drive unit 130 can be used during the excavation process to aid in penetration of hard material. The vibration of the compactor 134 sufficiently vibrates the bucket 64 so that hard material in contact with the bucket 64 may be loosened during digging.

The placement of the drive unit 130 within the space 116 and in isolation from the material receiving portion 104 of the bucket 64 protects the drive unit 130 from the material therein. Additionally, the space 116 is a pre-existing area of the bucket 64. Therefore, the mounting of the drive unit 130 within the space 116 does not diminish the load capacity of the material receiving portion 104. Furthermore, the position of the drive unit 130 allows the hydraulic lines 152 to be connected 6 externally from the material receiving portion 104 protecting them f rom the material in a similar manner as the drive unit 130.

In view of the above, the use of a flat portion of a bucket as a compacting surface in association with a bucket mounted compactor drive unit provides a simple means to compact material with only one attachment. The placement of the compactor drive unit within an existing space in isolation from a material receiving portion of the bucket maintains the total load capacity of the bucket while protecting the drive unit from the material therein.

7

Claims

1. A method of excavating and compacting material with a single construction machine having a pair of articulated arms and a bucket assembly having a receiving portion and a strengthening portion, the bucket assembly being pivotably attached to an end of one of the pair of articulated arms and supporting a drive unit of a compactor therein, the method comprising the steps of:

utilizing the receiving portion of the bucket assembly for moving material from a fill location to a compacting location; positioning the bucket assembly over the compacting location; activating the drive unit of the compactor; and positioning a flat portion of the bucket assembly against the material for compaction thereof.

2. A method according to claim 1, further including the steps of: establishing a load capacity for the receiving portion of the bucket assembly; and positioning the drive unit of the compactor externally from the receiving portion of the bucket so that the load capacity of the receiving portion is not diminished.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, further including the step of: positioning the drive unit of the compactor totally within the strengthening portion of the bucket assembly in isolation from the receiving portion of the bucket assembly.

4. A bucket assembly for use with a construction machine having a pair of articulated arms, the assembly comprising: a bucket having a substantially flat outer portion and being pivotably attachable to an end of one of the pair of articulated arms, the bucket having a receiving portion and a strengthening portion; a compactor having a drive unit positioned externally from the receiving portion and being operatively associated with the bucket; and means 8 for activating the drive unit of the compactor so that the bucket vibrates and the flat portion thereof may be used as a compacting surface.

5. A bucket assembly according to claim 4, wherein the drive unit of the compactor ispositioned within the strengthening portion of the bucket.

6. A bucket assembly according to claim 4, including a hinge plate fixedly attached to the bucket and the strengthening portion being enclosed by a plate assembly fixedly attached to the bucket at one end and to the hinge plate at an opposite end to def ine a space therein.

7. A bucket assembly according to claim 6, wherein the drive unit of the compactor is positioned within the space and is f ixedly attached to the plate assembly in a manner which substantially isolates the drive unit of the compactor from the receiving portion of the bucket.

8. A method of excavating and compacting material substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A bucket assembly substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.