Patent Application
20200248429
This is a non-provisional application, which derives priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/896,823, filed Feb. 14, 2018, titled “MECHANIZED AUGER INTEGRATED INTO BUCKET FOR LATERAL DISCHARGE FROM HIGH LIFT OR RELATED VEHICLE,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The subject matter herein relates generally to a bucket assembly for a construction vehicle having a metering system for metered dispensing of construction material.
A variety of heavy equipment is available for use in construction projects to transport, load, dispense, remove, mix, and/or generally move earth and/or construction materials. Heavy duty vehicles include excavators, backhoe loaders, skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, bulldozers, high lift, tractor, dump truck and the like. Many construction vehicles use a variety of removable attachments, assemblies, and/or accessories designed for performing discrete construction tasks. For example, construction vehicles may include a bucket attachment which can be controlled by an operator of the vehicle to load, transport, remove, and/or move earth and construction materials. Other attachments may include, augers, trenchers, grapples, mixers, spreaders, and the like.
Generally, bucket attachments are used to move large quantities of bulk materials by scooping, lifting, transporting, and dumping the materials from one location to another. For example, in the construction of concrete curbing or road paving, a construction vehicle with a bucket attachment may transfer bulk quantities used for the formation of concrete material or asphalt material from a truck or other location to a hopper machine for mixing into a final prepared material to be used in construction. However, conventional bucket attachments cannot retrieve the prepared construction materials from the hopper and/or dispense the prepared construction material to the designated work site with the control and/or with the precision needed, such as for the formation of a curb or pavement. Rather, the mixed concrete or asphalt is manually transferred, such as shoveling, by laborers from the hopper to the work site in the proper metered amount and at the precise location. The manual labor required in this process is time consuming and hazardous to the laborers in the form of fatigue and injuries.
Accordingly, there is a need for a bucket assembly for a vehicle that includes a metering system.
In one embodiment, an electrical device is provided that includes a bucket assembly for a construction vehicle, having a body with a bottom wall, a rear wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall defining a cavity therein, the first side wall having a discharge outlet. A metering system has an auger moveably attached to the body along a pivot axis within the cavity. The auger has a motor end and a discharge end. A motor engages with the motor end of the auger and is configured for variable movement of the auger about the pivot axis in a first direction for metered dispensing of a construction material through the discharge outlet, and a second direction for controlled mixing of the construction material within the cavity.
In another embodiment, a construction vehicle is provided having a detachable body with a bottom wall, a rear wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall forming a cavity therein, the first side wall having a discharge outlet. An auger pivotally attaches to the body within the cavity along a pivot axis, the auger having a motor end and a distal end opposite the motor end. A variable speed motor connects to the motor end of the auger, the motor being configured for rotational movement of the auger about the pivot axis in a first direction for metered dispensing of a construction material through the discharge outlet, and a second direction for controlled mixing of the construction material within the cavity.
In yet another embodiment, a method of metered dispensing of a construction material with a construction vehicle is provided having the steps of coupling a bucket assembly with the construction vehicle, depositing a construction material into the bucket assembly; and metered dispensing of the construction material. The bucket assembly has a body having a bottom wall, a rear wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall forming a cavity therein, the first side wall having a discharge outlet. A metering system has an auger received within the cavity and moveably attached to the body along a pivot axis, the auger having a motor end and a distal end opposite the motor end. A motor is received within the cavity and engages with the motor end of the auger, the motor being configured for variable movement of the auger about the pivot axis in a first direction for metered dispensing of a construction material through the discharge outlet, and a second direction for controlled mixing of the construction material within the cavity.
Embodiments described herein include construction vehicles that have removable attachments, discharge assemblies, and/or a metering system. For example, the construction vehicle may have a bucket assembly with a metering system and a discharge assembly. The bucket assembly may have a variety of configurations as set forth herein. For example, embodiments may include the metering system having an auger and a variable speed motor configured for mixing and/or metered dispensing of a construction material. Embodiments may also include a discharge assembly having a retractable chute. The metering system and/or discharge assembly may have a variety of configurations as set forth herein. Optionally, the construction material may include any granular material, aggregate material, paving material, soil, sand, mulch, and/or asphalt material or a concrete material.
The metering system 200 includes an auger 202 moveably attached within the cavity 112 of the body 102 along a pivot axis 204. The auger 202 includes a shaft 204 having a motor end 206 and a distal end 208 opposite the motor end 206. A continuous blade 210 extends along the shaft 204 in a rotational or screw configuration. Optionally, the blade 210 may have other blade configurations. In operation, the configuration of the blade 210 provides for mixing of the construction materials and metering of the construction materials from the cavity 112 to the discharge assembly 300.
The metering system 200 includes a motor 220 received within the cavity 112 proximate the second side wall 110 and engaged with the motor end 206 of the auger 202. The motor 220 may be configured for variable movement of the auger 202 about the pivot axis 204 in a first direction for metered dispensing of a construction material through the discharge outlet 114, and a second direction for controlled mixing of the construction material within the cavity 112. For example, the motor 220 pivots the auger 202 in a clockwise rotation so that the blade 210 biases or conveys the construction material generally lateral direction towards the second side wall 110. Alternatively, the motor 220 pivots the auger 202 in a counter-clockwise rotation that biases or conveys the construction material in a generally lateral direction towards the first side wall 108. In an embodiment the motor 220 may be an electrical motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like.
Optionally, the metering system 200 includes reduction gearing 222 operatively associated with the motor 220 for variable speed control of the auger 202 in the first direction and in the second direction. For example, the motor 220 with reduction gearing 222 may operate at two or more variable speeds to discharge the construction material through the discharge outlet 114 at two or more metered flows. Optionally, the metering system 200 includes a housing 230 having a width W2 proximate the second side wall 110 and surrounding the motor 220 and the reduction gearing 222. The housing 230 is configured to isolate the motor 220 and reduction gearing 220 from contact with the construction material. Optionally, the metering system 200 includes a generally vertical mount 240 attached to the first side wall 108 and extending across the discharge opening 114. The mount 240 is configured to pivotally secure the distal end 208 of the auger 202. The discharge outlet 114 may include a sleeve 242, for reinforcement purposes, and to guide the construction material being discharged, through the force of the auger 202.
Optionally, the chute 302 may include a mount 320 surrounding the discharge outlet 114 of the body 102. The mount 320 includes a pair of side mounts 322, having at least one gripping area 324 on either side, and which can support corresponding extending pins 326 of the chute 302 within their integral slots 328 when suspending the chute 20 in place. The chute 302 can be easily installed, or lifted and removed, as can generally be understood. In any event, as the construction material, is directed by the auger 202 through the discharge outlet 114, the chute, through its downwardly sloped floor 308, precisely directs the construction material to a predetermined location and at a metered amount.
In operation, the auger 202 can be turned in either direction, either for directing the construction material to the left side of the bucket assembly 100, for dispensing, or the auger 202 may be turned in an opposite direction, for mixing the bulk materials or ingredients within the cavity 112 of bucket assembly 100, before they are dispensed from the bucket assembly 100. All of these can be controlled by the operator, who may initiate the operations of the bucket assembly 100, in the usual manner of their usage and application, and can also actuate the operations of the auger 202, for either turning in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, depending upon whether mixing or dispensing is to be performed, during the operations of the development. When the construction vehicle 10, moves forward, the body 102 can pick up the various materials, the bucket assembly 100 may be pivoted, for transferring the material to the back of the bucket assembly 100, where the auger 202 can then be used to either achieve mixing, or eventually dispensing, of the material from the bucket assembly 100 in the manner as previously described.
Optionally, the bucket assembly 400 includes a storage compartment 410 located along an upper portion 412 of the body 102. The storage compartment 410 may be configured to receive and store various items related to operation and maintenance of the bucket assembly 400, such as, tubes, tools, accessories, and the like. For example, the storage compartment 410 may be a cylindrical tube 414 that extends along the length of the upper edge of the rear wall 106. The cylindrical tube 414 defines a compartment and a removeable or moveable access door 416 located at and end of the tube. In alternate embodiments, the storage compartment 410 can have other shapes and/or configurations, such as rectangular, oval, triangular, and the like. In addition, the storage compartment 410 may extend along only a partial portion of the body 100. In addition, the storage compartment 410 may be positioned at other positions on the body 100, such as horizontal or vertically along any portion or edge of the bottom wall 104, the rear wall 106, the first side wall 108, and/or the second side wall 110.
The bucket assembly 400 may also include a housing access panel 420 configured provide access to the housing 230 and the internal components therein, such as, the motor 220 and the reduction gearing 222 (
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments and are by no means limiting and are merely exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means-plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure.
