Patent Grant
9139975
This disclosure relates generally to machine buckets, and more particularly, to performance enhancing machine buckets.
A machine, such as an excavator, may be equipped with a bucket to perform operations at a work site. Such operations may include, for example, penetrating material in the ground or in a pile to prepare building sites, loading material into trucks or onto conveyors, making cuts through hillsides, and digging trenches. The level of performance achieved by an excavator operator using the excavator may depend, at least partially, on one or more parameters of the bucket and the relationship of those parameters to the characteristics of the material through which the bucket is passed to load it. Using a bucket having parameters matched to the material being operated on with the bucket may provide a level of performance that significantly differs from the level achieved while performing similar operations using another bucket that has one or more different parameters.
In accordance with one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a machine bucket. The machine bucket includes a wrapper forming a portion of a receptacle for holding material. The wrapper includes a curved upper portion defining an arc. The curved upper portion arc may have a central angle value (θU) of between approximately 109.5° and 110.5°. The wrapper also includes a curved lower portion defining an arc. The curved lower portion arc may have a central angle value (θL) of between approximately 44.5° and 45.5°.
In accordance with another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a machine bucket. The machine bucket includes a torque tube having an outer surface. The machine bucket also includes a support plate coupled to the torque tube. The support plate includes a bottom surface lying in a first plane. The machine bucket further includes a cutting edge including a cutting edge tip. The machine bucket also includes a wrapper between the support plate and the cutting edge. The machine bucket may further include a depth (D′) to length (L′) ratio of between approximately 0.69 and 0.72. The length (L′) extends in a second plane from the cutting edge tip to a portion of the outer surface of the torque tube. The portion of the outer surface is located where the first plane intersects the outer surface of the torque tube. The depth (D′) equals a maximum distance between the second plane and the wrapper, taken substantially perpendicularly from the second plane.
In accordance with another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a machine bucket. The machine bucket includes a top section. The top section includes a support plate and a torque tube coupled to the support plate. The machine bucket also includes a bottom section including a cutting edge. The machine bucket further includes a middle section including a wrapper. The wrapper extends between the torque tube and the cutting edge. The wrapper includes an upper portion coupled to the support plate, a lower portion coupled to the cutting edge, and a curved heel portion between the upper portion and the lower portion. An angle (θT) between the upper portion and the lower portion may have a value of approximately 25°. An angle (θ1) between the tip of the tip of the cutting edge and a line perpendicular to the lower portion that passes through the center of an upper pin bore in the support plate may have a value of approximately 35°. The machine bucket may also include a depth (D′) to length (L′) ratio of between approximately 0.69 and 0.72. A distance between a tip of the cutting edge and a portion of an outer surface of the torque tube, the portion of the outer surface lying in a first plane containing a bottom surface of the support plate, may define the length (L′). A maximum distance between a second plane containing the length (L′) and the wrapper, taken substantially perpendicularly from the second plane, may define the depth (D′).
As shown in
Middle section 14 includes a wrapper 40 having a first end 41 substantially straight upper portion 42 coupled to support plate 18, a substantially straight lower portion 44, a second end 47, and a curved heel portion 46 extending between the substantially straight upper and lower sections 42 and 44. Substantially straight lower portion 44 is coupled to a cutting edge 30 of bottom section 16. For example, cutting edge 30 may be welded to second end 47 of wrapper 40. Cutting edge 30 is configured to engage and penetrate material. Bottom section 16 may also include one or more tooth assemblies 32. Tooth assemblies 32 may be coupled to cutting edge 30, and each tooth assembly may include a tooth 34 and a tooth holder 36.
Bucket 10 also includes a first side section 48 (shown in
A number of bucket parameters are identified in
As shown in
Tip forward angle θ1 is equal to an angle formed between a tip forward line 60 and a line 62. Tip forward line 60 extends from a center of upper pin bore 26 to the tip of bottom section 16, such as the tip of tooth 34. Line 62 extends substantially perpendicularly from substantially straight lower portion 44 of wrapper 40 and through the center of upper pin bore 26. It should be understood that the term “plane” may be substituted for the term “line” with respect to the lines used to define the parameters of bucket 10.
A first throat line 64 extends between a tip of cutting edge 30 and an outer surface of torque tube 20. The position of first throat line 64 may be found by drawing a line that extends from the tip of cutting edge 30 to torque tube 20, the line being tangential to an outer surface of torque tube 20 and terminating at the tangent point. Length L is equal to a length of first throat line 64. Depth D is equal to a length of the longest line extending perpendicularly from first throat line 64 to wrapper 40.
A second throat line 66 extends between a tip of cutting edge 30 and a portion of torque tube 20. The portion of torque tube 20 is a point where a line defining a lower surface of support plate 18 intersects an outer surface of torque tube 20. Length L′ is equal to a length of second throat line 66. Depth D′ is equal to a length of the longest line extending perpendicularly from second throat line 66 to wrapper 40.
As shown in
A first end 88 of substantially straight upper portion 42 coincides with first end 41 of wrapper 40. A second end 90 of substantially straight upper portion 42 coincides with first end 96 of curved upper portion 70. Second end 90 of substantially straight upper portion 42 (and first end 96 of curved upper portion 70) may be located where a substantially curved portion of wrapper 40 is encountered when moving from first end 41 to second end 47 of wrapper 40. It should be understood that substantially straight upper portion 42 may be slightly curved and/or have one or more slightly curved regions. These slightly curved regions may be more curved than the entirely straight region, but less curved than any region of curved heel portion 46. For example, substantially straight upper portion 42 may include a slightly curved transition region proximate its second end 90 as substantially straight upper portion 42 transitions into curved upper portion 70. In such a transition region, the radius of curvature of substantially straight upper portion 42 decreases when moving toward curved upper portion 70. Second end 90 of substantially straight upper portion 42 (and first end 96 of curved upper portion 70) may be located where the radius of curvature of substantially straight upper portion 42 ceases to decrease.
A first end 92 of substantially straight lower portion 44 coincides with second end 47 of wrapper 40. A second end 94 of substantially straight lower portion 44 coincides with first end 100 of curved lower portion 68. Second end 94 of substantially straight lower portion 44 (and first end 100 of curved lower portion 68) may be located where a substantially curved portion of wrapper 40 is encountered when moving from second end 47 to first end 41 of wrapper 40. It should be understood that substantially straight lower portion 44 may be slightly curved and/or have one or more slightly curved regions. These slightly curved regions may be more curved than a straight region, but less curved than any region of curved heel portion 46. For example, substantially straight lower portion 44 may include a slightly curved transition region proximate its second end 94 as substantially straight lower portion 44 transitions into curved lower portion 68. In such a transition region, the radius of curvature of substantially straight lower portion 44 decreases when moving toward curved lower portion 68. Second end 94 of substantially straight lower portion 44 (and first end 100 of curved lower portion 68) may be located where the radius of curvature of substantially straight lower portion 44 ceases to decrease.
Second ends 98 and 102 of curved upper portion 70 and curved lower portion 68 coincide. Curved upper portion 70 has a radius of curvature approximating upper wrapper radius R2. Curved lower portion 68 has a radius of curvature approximating lower wrapper radius R1. First end 96 of curved upper portion 70 may be located at the first point on wrapper 40 where wrapper 40 has the radius of curvature approximating upper wrapper radius R2, when moving from first end 41 to second end 47 of wrapper 40. First end 100 of curved lower portion 68 may be located at the first point on wrapper 40 where wrapper 40 has the radius of curvature approximating lower wrapper radius R1, when moving from second end 47 to first end 41 of wrapper 40. Second end 98 of curved upper portion 70 (and second end 102 of curved lower portion 68) may be located at the point on wrapper 40 where the radius of curvature of wrapper 40 changes from approximating upper wrapper radius R2 to approximating lower wrapper radius R1.
It should be understood that the radius of curvature of curved upper portion 70 and/or curved lower portion 68 may vary slightly. For example, the radius of curvature of curved upper portion 70 may be a first value in one region of curved upper portion 70, and a second value, slightly different from the first value, in another region of curved upper portion 70. Similarly, it is also contemplated that the radius of curvature of curved lower portion 68 may have a first value in one region of curved lower portion 68, and a second value, slightly different from the first value, in another region of curved lower portion 68. For example, curved upper portion 70 may include a transition region proximate its second end 98, where curved upper portion 70 transitions into curved lower portion 68, and curved lower portion 68 may include a transition region proximate its second end 102 where curved lower portion 68 transitions into curved upper portion 70. In the transition region of curved upper portion 70, the radius of curvature of curved upper portion 70 slightly increases in the direction of curved lower portion 68. In the transition region of curved lower portion 68, the radius of curvature of curved lower portion 68 slightly decreases in the direction of curved upper portion 70. Second end 98 of curved upper portion 70 and second end 102 of curved lower portion 68 may be located, for example, at a point on curved heel portion 46 having a radius of curvature midway between the radius of curvature of curved upper portion 70 (outside its transition region) and the radius of curvature of curved lower portion 68 (outside its transition region).
Referring to
Floor length A is equal to the length of substantially straight lower portion 44 of wrapper 40. Floor angle θF is equal to an angle between line 62 and a line 84 extending between a center of upper pin bore 26 and the point at which substantially straight lower portion 44 of wrapper 40 meets curved lower portion 68.
Side bar angle θ2 is shown in
Examples of bucket 10 are described below.
Bucket 10 may have a value for tip radius RT of approximately 1,482 mm, a value for tip forward angle θ1 of approximately 34.5°, a value for depth D of approximately 770 mm, a value for length L of approximately 1,233 mm, a value for the ratio of D/L of approximately 0.625, a value for depth D′ of approximately 781 mm, a value for length L′ of approximately 1,091 mm, a value for the ratio of D′/L′ of approximately 0.716, a value for lower wrapper radius R1 of approximately 725 mm, a value for upper wrapper radius R2 of approximately 320 mm, a value for the radius ratio of R2/R1 of approximately 0.44, a value for upper radius angle θU of approximately 110°±0.5°, a value for lower radius angle θL of approximately 45°±0.5°, a value for hinge support plate angle θT of approximately 25°, a value for floor length A of approximately 231 mm, a value for floor angle θF of approximately −1.9°, and a value for side bar angle θ2 of approximately 53.6°.
Bucket 10 may have a value for tip radius RT of approximately 1,578 mm, a value for tip forward angle θ1 of approximately 35°, a value for depth D of approximately 830 mm, a value for length L of approximately 1,289 mm, a value for the ratio of D/L of approximately 0.644, a value for depth D′ of approximately 821 mm, a value for length L′ of approximately 1176 mm, a value for the ratio of D′/L′ of approximately 0.698, a value for lower wrapper radius R1 of approximately 795 mm, a value for upper wrapper radius R2 of approximately 331 mm, a value for the radius ratio of R2/R1 of approximately 0.42, a value for upper radius angle θU of approximately 110°±0.5°, a value for lower radius angle θL of approximately 45°±0.5°, a value for hinge support plate angle θT of approximately 25°, a value for floor length A of approximately 248 mm, a value for floor angle θF of approximately 2.0°, and a value for side bar angle θ2 of approximately 51.9°.
Bucket 10 may have a value for tip radius RT of approximately 1,661 mm, a value for tip forward angle θ1 of approximately 35°, a value for depth D of approximately 872 mm, a value for length L of approximately 1,363 mm, a value for the ratio of D/L of approximately 0.640, a value for depth D′ of approximately 861 mm, a value for length U of approximately 1,239 mm, a value for the ratio of D′/L′ of approximately 0.695, a value for lower wrapper radius R1 of approximately 836 mm, a value for upper wrapper radius R2 of approximately 345 mm, a value for the radius ratio of R2/R1 of approximately 0.41, a value for upper radius angle θU of approximately 110°±0.5°, a value for lower radius angle θL of approximately 45°±0.5°, a value for hinge support plate angle θT of approximately 25°, a value for floor length A of approximately 301 mm, a value for floor angle θF of approximately 2.0, and a value for side bar angle θ2 of approximately 52°.
Examples of bucket 10 described above possess performance enhancing geometries, especially when used with materials that tend to adhere to the interior surface of the bucket. Differences between the examples demonstrate that some variability of the values for bucket parameters is contemplated. For example, values may vary depending on the desired overall size of bucket 10, and/or parameters associated with the linkage assembly used to coupled bucket 10 to a machine, the characteristics of the material being moved, and combinations thereof.
The performance enhancing characteristics of a bucket 10 may come as a result of the values of its parameters. The parameters of bucket 10 are identified in
Further, the tip forward angle value θ1 of approximately 35° may provide the machine operator with line of sight into at least a portion of a receptacle 56 of bucket 10. This may provide the machine operator with the ability to visually determine, during filling, whether bucket 10 is fully filled with material or has additional capacity for material. Thus, the machine operator may avoid wasting time trying to fill a fully filled bucket with additional material or performing operations with only partially filled buckets. Accordingly, by using bucket 10, cycle times may decrease, fuel may be conserved, and overall costs may be reduced.
Bucket 10 may have values for depth D′ and length L′ that produce a ratio of D′/L′ in a range of approximately 0.69 to 0.72. Maintaining this ratio of D′/L′ ensures that depth D′ and length L′ are proportional to each other. This proportionality strikes a balance between two considerations. The first consideration being the ease by which material enters into and exits from bucket 10; and the second consideration being the amount of material that can be loaded into bucket 10 per cycle. If a bucket has a ratio of D′/L′ that exceeds the desired range due to the depth D′ being too large relative to length L′ (or the length L′ being too small relative to the depth D′), the bucket may have sufficient capacity, but may operate inefficiently. One reason for this is that if the length L′ of the bucket is smaller than the length L′ of bucket 10, the opening by which material enters into and exits out of the bucket will be smaller than the opening by which material enters into and exits out of bucket 10. The smaller opening makes the bucket more difficult to load and unload than bucket 10. Particulate materials (e.g. soil or the like) that tend to adhere to itself and to the bucket will also be more likely to adhere to the interior surface of the bucket with a smaller bucket opening. Further, if the depth D′ of the bucket is larger than the depth D′ of bucket 10, the material entering into the bucket must travel across a greater distance before reaching the back of the bucket during filling than would be the case with bucket 10, and must also travel back across that greater distance during dumping. The added travel time for material entering into and exiting out of bucket 10 may drive up cycle times. The additional bucket depth will also provide additional interior surface area for materials to adhere to the bucket, increasing material carryback and reducing the bucket's effective capacity
If a bucket has a value for the ratio of D′/L′ that falls below the desired range of 0.69 to 0.72 due to the depth D′ being too small relative to length L′ (or the length U being too large relative to the depth D′), the bucket may be loaded and unloaded quickly, but may be lacking in terms of capacity. The bucket may be easier to dump and load than bucket 10 due to the size of the opening associated with having a relative large length L′, but less material will be dumped and loaded for each pass with the bucket than with bucket 10 due to the reduced capacity associated with having a relative small depth D′. Furthermore, the effective capacity of the bucket is reduced if the material filling the bucket adheres to its interior surfaces. By keeping the value for the ratio of D′/L′ in desired range of 0.69 to 0.72, a balance between ease of loading and dumping, bucket capacity, and effective bucket capacity may exist for bucket 10, thus helping to avoid the inefficiencies described above.
Bucket 10 may have a value for upper radius angle θU in a range of approximately 110°±0.5°. Having the upper radius angle θU in the desired range provides bucket 10 with a curved profile that produces a clearance between an outer surface of a wrapper 40 of bucket 10 and material engaged by bucket 10 during movement of bucket 10. The clearance may help reduce wear on the outer surface of wrapper 40. Without the clearance, wrapper 40 would rub against material more frequently and/or with greater force, thus accelerating wear. Because these parameters also affect the interior shape of the bucket, they have an influence on the ability of the bucket to efficiently dump material that may tend to adhere to the interior surface of the bucket and reduce its effective capacity and the efficiency of its operation.
Providing bucket 10 with a value for lower radius angle θL in a range of approximately 45°±0.5° helps to ensure that for bucket 10, capacity is not sacrificed for the sake of providing the clearance between the outer surface of wrapper 40 and material engaged by bucket 10. For example, if a bucket's upper radius angle θU is increased beyond the desired range, and/or the bucket's lower radius angle θL is decreased below the desired range, the bucket's receptacle may become increasingly tighter, reducing the bucket's capacity for holding material, making loading and dumping the bucket more difficult, and increasing the tendency of material to adhere to the interior surface of the bucket. If a bucket's lower radius angle θL is increased beyond the desired range, and/or the bucket's upper radius angle θU is decreased below the desired range, that bucket's capacity may increase, but the clearance between the outer surface of wrapper 40 and the material may be reduced, thus increasing the wear on bucket 10. Keeping the values for the upper radius angle θU and the lower radius angle θL in their desired ranges may balance bucket capacity with bucket clearance as well as reducing the tendency of adherent material in the bucket lowering the bucket capacity and reducing the efficiency of the bucket.
Bucket 10 may have a value for a ratio of upper wrapper radius R2 to lower wrapper radius R1 of between approximately 0.41 to 0.45. Maintaining the desired ratio ensures that lower wrapper radius R1 and upper wrapper radius R2 are proportional to each other. This proportionality helps to ensure that bucket 100 has a shape with the above-described clearance, that bucket 10 has sufficient depth to reduce material spillage, the shape reduces the tendency for adherent materials from sticking to the interior surface of the bucket, and that cutting edge 30 of bucket 10 is positionable to penetrate material efficiently without generating forces on the top and bottom surfaces of cutting edge 30, when engaging material, that reach levels that may cause machine 10 to stall, hinder movement of bucket 10 to its desired position, unbalance machine 10, or cause any other inefficiencies.
Bucket 10 may have a value for hinge support plate angle θT of approximately 25°. A bucket's hinge support plate angle θT may have an effect on its capacity and the ratio of D′/L′. If a bucket's hinge support plate is fixed about the position 200 shown in
Bucket 10 may also have a value for side bar angle θ2 of approximately 52 to 54°. Providing a side bar angle θ2 at approximately 52° may help enhance the ability of bucket 10 to penetrate material, while ensuring that bucket capacity will not have to be de-rated in accordance with ISO standards. For example, if the side bar angle θ2 is decreased, such a change may allow bucket 10 to penetrate material more easily. However, such a change may also require that bucket 10 be de-rated in accordance with ISO standards that take the side bar angle θ2 into account when rating bucket capacity. On the other hand, if the side bar angle θ2 is increased, such a change may make it more difficult to penetrate material with bucket 10, which may hurt efficiency. The side bar angle θ2 of approximately 52° ensures that bucket 10 will not be de-rated, and configures side bars 53 and 54 of bucket 10 such that they can efficiently penetrate material. Alternatively, bucket 10 may have a value for side bar angle θ2 of approximately 54°, while still achieving the above-outlined benefits, if other bucket parameters have values making the side bar angle θ2 of approximately 54° the proper value for ensuring that bucket 10 will not be de-rated and can efficiently penetrate material
Bucket 10 may also have a value for floor angle θF of between approximately 1.9° and 2.1°. A floor angle θF below the desired range may give bucket 10 increased capacity, but may reduce some of the clearance between the outer surface of wrapper 40 and the material engaged by bucket 10. This reduction in clearance may make it more difficult to curl bucket 10, and may accelerate wear on bucket 10. Conversely, altering bucket 10 to have a floor angle θF that exceeds the desired range may reduce the capacity of bucket 10, allowing less material to be moved per cycle, but may also provide additional clearance between wrapper 40 and material. Keeping the floor angle θF value in the desired range may provide the clearance between the outer surface of wrapper 10 without sacrificing capacity. A value for floor angle θF of between approximately 1.9° and 2.1°, in combination with other parameters for the bucket, may improve the performance of the bucket when adherent materials are being moved using the bucket.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the disclosed buckets without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, other embodiments of the disclosed buckets will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
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| Entry |
|---|
| Diagram and Table of Prior Art Bucket Parameters #1. |
| Diagrams and Tables of Prior Art Bucket Parameters #2. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130323000 A1 | Dec 2013 | US |
