Positionable bucket attachment
View Patent ↗A positionable bucket attachment is a device that allows the digging bucket on a machine such as an excavator to be pivoted at different angles without removing the bucket from the machine. The device may be located between the distal end of the digging arm and the bucket itself. The device provides a pivoting plate that functions as a reversible quick coupling and may be approximately eighteen inches tall, fourteen inches wide, and twelve inches deep. Adjustments in pivoting angle are made with a bolt that will fit in one of fourteen different holes arranged in a circular pattern. The device may allow a user to flip the bucket up to one-hundred-eighty-degrees or cam it to dig at different degrees.
1 . An attachment for a digging machine, the attachment configured to be installed between a dipper arm of the digging machine and a bucket, the attachment comprising:
an angle coupler mechanism including an upper round plate and a lower round plate disposed beneath the upper round plate, the upper round plate and the lower round plate being rotatable relative to one another about a lower rotating means, the upper round plate including a first plurality of angle coupler alignment holes and the lower round plate including a second plurality of angle coupler alignment holes, the first plurality of angle coupler alignment holes and the second plurality of angle coupler alignment holes being arranged to be selectively alignable with one another; and, at least two lower securing means selectively receivable through aligned ones of the angle coupler alignment holes to secure a selected rotational position of the angle coupler mechanism;
a cam adapter mechanism secured to a top surface of the upper round plate, the cam adapter mechanism including an outer cam plate and an inner cam plate that are movable relative to one another about an upper rotating means, the outer cam plate and the inner cam plate including a plurality of cam alignment holes arranged to be selectively alignable with one another, and at least two upper securing means selectively receivable through aligned ones of the cam alignment holes to secure a selected cam configuration of the cam adapter mechanism;
a top plate secured to the cam adapter mechanism; upper connection structure coupled to the top plate and configured to removably secure the attachment to the dipper arm; and lower connection structure coupled to the lower round plate and configured to secure the bucket to the attachment; and,
wherein the selected rotational position of the angle coupler mechanism defines a bucket angle travel path and the selected cam configuration of the cam adapter mechanism defines a bucket cam travel path.
2 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the lower rotating means comprises a bearing, bolt, or rivet and the upper rotating means comprises an axle, shaft, bearing, or bolt, wherein the lower securing means and the upper securing means comprise bolts or pins, and wherein the attachment is configured such that operational features of the digging machine including a boom, one or more hydraulic cylinders, an engine, and cab controls remain operational and unaffected by installation and use of the attachment.