Bucket system

Abstract

An excavator bucket includes basket body having a rear wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a top wall and an engagement beam that collectively define a cavity for moving earthen material. The engagement beam is for engaging a machine. The engagement beam may have end corners that are bent inwardly to reduce stress at these locations. The bucket may include specific lip angle ranges and heel ratio ranges that attain a bucket with less lip and bucket wear, reduced digging energy, reduced bucket weight, higher capacity, and increased fill factor percentage.

Description

BUCKET SYSTEMBACKGROUND

[0001] Excavating equipment have long been used in mining and earth moving operations. Buckets coupled to excavating equipment are used for moving earthen material. Buckets dig into the ground or work benches (banks) to fill their containers (e.g., a payload) and then be offloaded, usually into a haul truck to move the earthen material elsewhere for further processing. To provide large payloads and withstand the extreme loading and stresses in modern excavator operations, the buckets themselves are ordinarily massive structures.

[0002] To reduce wear, the buckets are typically provided with a wide variety of wear parts. The bucket and wear parts are exposed to a highly abrasive environment where dirt, rocks, and other debris abrade the wear parts and the excavator bucket as they contact earthen material. Following a period of use, therefore, the excavator bucket system must be subjected to periodic maintenance so that various parts can be inspected, replaced, and / or repaired. In most modern systems, there are many parts that require such inspection, repair, and / or replacement and it takes significant downtime of the operation to complete the needed tasks. Such downtime decreases the production of the excavator operation for a given bucket system.

[0003] Bucket systems vary in shape and configuration for various fields of application. The shape of the bucket may depend on the hydraulic kinematics of the heavy machinery (e.g., a backhoe versus a front loader) or may depend upon the material being moved. To a large extent, the stability and performance of the bucket in operation must come from the construction of the bucket. For example, the larger the bucket, the more yield of earthen material, but the bucket may experience greater wear due to the “heeling” or the dragging of the bottom or back surface of the bucket across the ground. Also, though larger buckets are the norm, going larger does not equate to a higher performing bucket (e.g., increase payload, increase fill factor, increase ease of filling to a prescribed pass match payload, or faster filing to a target payload, and the like), e.g., with a given haul truck size. For example, buckets are designed to be more energy efficient (e.g., reduce emissions per ton of payload moved) by designing a bucket that is a given whole ratio of the haul truck (pass matching) it would be filling (e.g., 3 bucket loads equals a full haul truck) instead of just making a larger capacity bucket. The larger capacity bucket may hold more material (payload) but may be a non-whole ratio of bucket loads to full haul truck or it may decrease the performance of the bucket by increasing energy usage, reducing filling efficiency, and increasing wear intensity.

[0004] So there needs to be trade offs in the design of the bucket to yield a bucket that not only performs at a given standard, but also does not wear quickly due to normal use (e.g., from heel or lip wear or overstress of the fabricated bucket structure). Yet, many bucket designs still follow old or imperfect rules that fail to optimize the bucket digging performance. As a result, many problems still exist in today’s excavator buckets.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present disclosure pertains to an improved excavator bucket system, particularly, though not exclusively, for mining and construction operations.

[0006] In several examples, the excavator bucket is formed with a new construction that permits earthen material to be collected with a higher fill factor, faster fill time, lower dig energy, and / or lower premature wear. The new construction results in a bucket that weighs less and therefore requires less energy to manipulate and use and allows for larger bucket capacities for a given bucket weight.

[0007] In one example, an excavator bucket includes an engagement beam, and a basket body having top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, the engagement beam having at least one inwardly bent corner where the engagement beam interacts with the sidewall.

[0008] In another example, an excavator bucket includes an engagement beam, and a basket body having top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, the engagement beam having a top plate and a bottom plate, and the bottom plate having at least one inwardly bent corner where the engagement beam interacts with the sidewall.

[0009] In a further example, an excavator bucket includes an engagement beam, and a basket body having top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, the engagement beam having a top plate and a bottom plate, and the top plate having at least one inwardly directed projection at at least one corner where the engagement beam interacts with the sidewall.

[0010] In yet a further example, an excavator bucket includes a basket body having a lip, a top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, and a lug having a forwardmost pin aperture, the bucket having a lip to a center of the pin aperture measurement measured from a top surface of the lip that defines a maximum radius boundary of a heel surface of the rear wall, the rear wall having an inner floor surface defining a heel ratio that is between 0.6 and 0.68 of the maximum radius of the heel surface of the rear wall.

[0011] In yet another example, an excavator bucket includes a basket body having a lip, a top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, and a lug having a forwardmost pin aperture, the bucket having a lip to the pin aperture measurement measured from a top surface of the lip that defines a maximum radius of a floor surface of the rear wall, the rear wall having an inner floor surface defining a heel ratio that is between 0.6 and 0.68 of the maximum radius of the heel surface of the rear wall.

[0012] In one example, an excavator bucket includes a basket body having a lip, a top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material,and a lug having a forwardmost pin aperture, the bucket having a lip angle between 27.1 and 28.9 degrees, the lip angle a being defined as the angle measured from a perpendicular to pin aperture to point (PtP) to a top surface of the lip.

[0013] In yet another example, an excavator bucket includes a basket body having top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, and a lug having a forwardmost pin aperture, the bucket having a lip to a center of the pin aperture measurement measured from a top surface of the lip, the rear wall having an inner floor surface defining a heel ratio that is between 0.6 and 0.68 of the maximum radius of the heel surface of the rear wall, and further including a lip angle between 27.1 and 28.9 degrees, the lip angle being defined as the angle measured from a perpendicular to pin aperture to point (PtP) to a top surface of the lip.

[0014] In one example, an excavator bucket including a basket body having top wall, a pair of sidewalls defining a width there-between, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, and a width-wise engagement beam having at least one inwardly bent corner where the engagement beam interacts with each respective sidewall.

[0015] In another example, an excavator bucket including a basket body having top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, and an engagement beam having at a central portion adjacent two respective corner portions, the corner portions being connectable with a respective sidewall, wherein the two corner portions include a first inwardly bent corner adjacent a second inwardly bent corner.

[0016] In a further example, a corner portion of a torque beam includes a first end connectable with a respective sidewall, a second end connectable with a portion of the torque beam, a first inwardly bent corner adjacent to the first end, and a second inwardly bent corner adjacent the first inwardly bent corner and adjacent to the second end.

[0017] In yet another example, a connection lug anchor including a body sized and shaped to be connected with a central portion of an engagement beam on a first side and an end portion of the engagement beam on a second side opposite the first side, an exterior surface having a top surface to connect with a lug, and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface; wherein at least one of the exterior and interior surfaces includes a rib projecting perpendicular from the respective exterior or interior surface.

[0018] To gain an improved understanding of the advantages and features of disclosure, reference may be made to the following descriptive matter and accompanying figures that describe and illustrate various configurations and concepts related to the disclosure.FIGURE DESCRIPTIONS

[0019] The foregoing Summary and the following Detailed Description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an excavator bucket having a first example of a torque beam.

[0021] Figure 2 is a side view of the bucket of Figure 1 .

[0022] Figure 3 is a front view of the bucket of Figure 1 .

[0023] Figure 4 is a top view of the bucket of Figure 1 .

[0024] Figure 5 is a back perspective view of the bucket of Figure 1 .

[0025] Figure 6 is an exploded view of the bucket of Figure 1 .

[0026] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the bucket with portions removed.

[0027] Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken along line 8-8 in Figure 1 .

[0028] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a torque beam of the bucket of Figure 1 .

[0029] Figure 10 is an exploded view of the torque beam of Figure 9.

[0030] Figure 11 is a side view of the torque beam of Figure 9.

[0031] Figure 12 is a perspective view of another example of an excavator bucket having a second example of a torque beam.

[0032] Figure 13 is a top view of the bucket of Figure 12.

[0033] Figure 14 is a perspective view of the torque beam of the bucket of Figure 12.

[0034] Figure 15 is a front view of the torque beam of Figure 14.

[0035] Figure 16 is a cross sectional view taken along line 16-16 in Figure 14.

[0036] Figure 17 is a bottom perspective view of the torque beam of Figure 14.

[0037] Figure 18 is an exploded view of the torque beam of Figure 14.

[0038] Figure 19 is a side view of the connection lug anchor of Figure 19.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The present disclosure pertains to a new and improved excavator bucket and lip system which provides enhanced performance. The new design enables earthen material to be collected with greater penetration, reduced filling times, higher capacity, less digging energy, higher payload, fill factor percentages, and less wear as compared to conventional excavator operations. While the present inventive design is particularly well suited for large excavator mining operations where the bucket has a capacity of 20 cubic yards or more, its aspects can also provide some benefits to other operations, such as in construction. The inventive aspects of the present disclosure are described in this application in relation to a few exemplary excavator bucket designs but are usable in a wide variety of bucket configurations. Further, in this application, relative terms are at times used, such as front, rear, up, down, horizontal, vertical, etc., for ease of the description. Nevertheless, these terms are not considered absolute; the orientation of an excavator bucket can change considerably during operation.

[0040] With reference to Figures 1-6, an excavator bucket 1 in accordance with the present disclosure includes a basket body 10 and a torque beam or engagement beam or also called a support beam 1 1 . The engagement beam 11 is for engaging with a machine. Each of the basket body 10 and the engagement beam may include or may be plate or cast steel members. The basket body 10 includes a top wall 12, sidewalls 14 that face one another, a lip 20, and a rear wall 16 to define a bucket cavity 18 for receiving and collecting the earthen material in an excavating operation. The walls are joined to one another by welding or an alternative joining process. For example, full penetration butt welds are used at the joint between the rear wall 16 and the lip 20. All structural walls, beams, plates, and castings work together to provide strength and stiffness to the bucket 1. In some forms, the structural walls are connected to one another directly and form the whole interior cavity 18 of the basket body 10.

[0041] As one example, the top wall 12 is illustrated as rectangular with a slight curve near a rear edge 44. The top wall 12 may include an outside surface 40 that includes lug doubler plates 86 that situate a lug plate therein. The top wall 12 extends further rearward than the rear wall 16, but other configurations are possible. The top wall 12 includes a forward edge 22 that is adjacent the engagement beam 1 1 for attachment. The top wall 12 may be a component of the rear wall 16 as illustrated or separate.

[0042] The rear wall 16 is the floor of the basket body 10 and may be concave as in the illustrated example, but other arrangements are possible. In another example, a rear wall 16 may include lower transition zone (no curvature), a lower angle (where the wall 16 begins to curve), and an upper angle (where the curve flips and swings back in a forward direction). The illustrated rear wall 16 includes corner plates 34 that are angled inward in a rearward direction opposite the longitudinal digging direction F. As best seen in Figure 6, the corner plates 34 start near the lip 20 with a small chamfer to nest within the bottom corner radius of the lip. The corner plates 34 are adjacent the sidewalls 14 for attachment. The rear wall 16 includes a back surface or heel 36.

[0043] Referring to Figure 2, a pin to lip radius RMaxis measured from a center of the forward most pin aperture 45 of either the lug plate 52 or the thrust plate 53 to the top surface the lip 20 (any of the four illustrated thrust or lug plates 52, 53 can be used for the measurement), such that RMax is perpendicular to the lip 20 or as close to the center as can be accomplished (e.g. with an offset) if the perpendicular measurement cannot go straight to the center of the pin attachment. RMSX represents the maximum curvature the heel 36 may be before it begins to interfere with the bank or ground during a normal bucket curl. As the bucket 1 loads, the heel 36 of the bucket 1 will tend to contact the ground or bank. RMax is the radius boundary beyond which the heel 36 interferes with the ground or bank in a normal dig cycle and wear starts to rapidly increase as the boundary radius is approached and crossed. Anything beyond RMaxmakes the bucket 1 even more vulnerable to heel 36 wear, but as the heel 36 increases so does the capacity of bucket 1. As illustrated, the floor 37 of the rear wall 16 is less than RMax. In the illustrated example,radius Ri of the floor 37 is measured from a center along the R^ax line. If the curvature of Ri is changing (e.g., elliptical) and still centered in the RMSX line, then Ri is the largest radius measured from the RMax line. If the curvature of rear wall 16 is such that Ri does not center on the RMax line, then an offset can be used. In that case, Ri center location is either forward or rearward of the RMax line, but never defined as beyond the back edge of the lip. As the R1 center location is moved to an offset that is rearward, it will generate increased heel wear. As Ri approaches RMax then the potential for premature wear increases. The ideal ratio of - Rmax also known as a heel ratio is between 0.6 and 0.68, with the illustrated heel 36 ratio being 0.68, e.g., R1 is 68% of Rwiax. As the ratio increases, the fill factor percent (%) and capacity increases, but damage to the heel 36 increases as well. The preferred aforementioned range of the heel ratio provides a balance for bucket capacity (e.g., SAE volume), filling payload, and potential heel damage (e.g., premature wear). By making Ri less than RMax, this reduces wear, improves the ease of bucket use and digging versatility, and can improve the weight to SAE volume ratio of the bucket 1 through other parameters like lip angle. The improved weight to SAE volume ratio of the bucket 1 means that more payload is moved per unit energy and is therefore more energy efficient.

[0044] The sidewalls 14 may extend generally perpendicular or in a linear fashion from the engagement beam 1 1 and the rear wall 16. In the illustrated example, the sidewalls 14 are generally D-shaped and each include a side plate 30 or wing plate 28. The wing plates 28 project forward from side plate 30 and attach to the lip 20. In the illustrated example, wing and / or side plates 28.30 attach to lip top surface 32. The wing plates 28 define most or the entirety of the front ends of sidewalls 14. The wing plates 28 may include upper and lower portions. The wing plates 28 are preferrable protected by wing shrouds 26 or other protective wear part.

[0045] The sidewalls 14 in this example have a curved rearward side edge 24 that curves rearwardly from a location proximal a lower end 21 and curves back toward a rearward upper end 26. The curved rearward side edge 24 may substantially align with the curvature of the rear wall 16 or diverge as illustrated (Figure 2). In the illustrated example, the curve of the curved rearward side edge 24 transitions steadily with consistent changes in direction from the lower end 21 , but other configurations are possible. The side walls 14 may include a projection to attach to the top wall 12 that extends beyond the rear wall floor portion. Wear parts are shown overlapping the bucket body to protect from wear. For example, bottom corner wear plates 34, or wear strips 38 are located on the outside of the basket body 10 to provide additional wear resistance to the basket body, for example, against abrasive wear.

[0046] A front 58 of the bucket is open and bounded by the engagement beam 1 1 , the lip 20, and the sidewalls 14. The lip 20 may simply extend across the width of cavity 18 between sidewalls 14 or may also curve upward at its ends 21 to form the front, bottom portions of the sidewalls. Excavating shrouds 23, teeth 25, and wings 26 of various designs are shown mounted along the lip to improve digging and protect the lip and wing plates 28.

[0047] Earthen material passes front 58 to enter cavity 18 (Fig. 1). In a conventional bucket, the mass of earthen material being gathered is forced generally inward by the lip and sidewalls, where it thereafter tends to fall toward the bottom of the bucket and rear wall. The earthen material is generally driven upward and inward as it is collected into the bucket. As the bucket fills, later collected material is driven upward over the material already collected such that it tends to form a heap peaking closer to the front opening 58 than the rear wall 16. The lip 20 runs across the width W of bucket 1 (i.e., a portion of lip 20 between sidewalls 14) with its teeth 25 and shrouds 23 forming a certain surface area which is first forced into the ground at the outset of a digging operation.

[0048] It is important for the excavator bucket to be able to dig into and penetrate the ground. To maximize production, it is desirable forthe bucket to penetrate into the earthen material (bank or ground). Penetration is the distance into a material (e.g., bank) before a designated digging load threshold is achieved. Penetration is attributed to the wear components, ground-engaging tools, or ground-engaging teeth 25 on the lip 20. The teeth 25 are attached to the lip 20 at a certain angle, e.g., the lip angle p. Penetration is also influenced by the lip angle a orientation in a bucket plus the angle of attack that a lip progresses through a digging cycle. Bucket and lip wear can also be substantially increased with a low lip angle a or low angle of attack.

[0049] Referring back to Figure 2, a pin to point (PtP) line is measured from the center of the forwardmost attachment pin aperture to the forwardmost tip T of a new tooth 25 (e.g., a central location tooth). The forwardmost tip T of the point is found by taking a longitudinal axis A in the install / removal direction of the tooth 25. The longitudinal axis A is usually centrally located through a nose of an adapter of the tooth 25. At the tip T where the PtP line meet, a perpendicular line P is created. The lip angle a is measured from the top surface 32 of the lip 20 to the line P. The top surface 32 of the lip 20 may include a trailing edge, but the line should be measured from the planar component or best estimate thereof of the lip 20 to include the top of the trailing edge of the lip. The illustrated lip angle is 27.1 degrees; the lip angle is preferably within a range of 27.1 to 28.9 degrees. Using the preferred range of lip angles can improve performance of the bucket by increasing payload, fill factor percentage, and / or bucket capacity. The fill factor percentage being a percentage of the bucket capacity or SAE volume. The preferred lip angle range increases payload by reducing the resistance of material going into the bucket, increasing the penetration of the lip going into the bank, thus allowing more material to go into the bucket in the same digging cycle. Further, the illustrated lip angle improves the lip and bucket performance by reducing dig energy, reducing lip and bucket wear, and reducing lip loading.

[0050] The combination of the preferred heel ratio and the preferred lip angle ranges reduce premature wear by decreasing the heel ratio and increasing the lip angle, e.g., wear increases as the heel ratio increases and the lip angle decreases. The aforementioned preferred lip angleand heel ratio ranges can increase payload, reduce bucket weight (which in turn can reduce the energy required), reduce bucket wear, and increase fill factor percentage and bucket capacity.

[0051] Referring to Figures 9-1 1 , the illustrated torque engagement beam 1 1 includes a beam body 62, lug plates 52, thrust plates 53, and rock deflection plates 54. The rock deflection plates 54 are located at a forward end of the engagement beam 1 1 and are attached to respective lug and thrust plates 52, 53. The rock deflection plates 54 run in parallel with the engagement beam body 62 and deter damage to the engagement beam 11 from excavated material. An access portal may be located in or on, or perhaps at one or both ends of the torque beam 11 . The access portals may provide access and inspection to the interior of the cast beam and / or the attachment of sensors.

[0052] The engagement beam 11 may be assembled from a plurality of cast pieces in varying lengths, with the weld joints between the cast pieces being located in areas of low stress to minimize failure of the joints. For example, welds may be eliminated from the connection point between the lugs and the beam body as the lugs are preferably formed of a single cast piece with the beam body. This is beneficial as the connection point between lugs and the engagement beam body are areas of high stress. In some forms the engagement beam 1 1 may be removable or replaceable.

[0053] The engagement beam 11 extends between the side walls 14 to span the width W and is located directly opposite the lip 20 on top of the bucket 1 . The beam body 62 is generally D- shaped and includes a top plate 50 and a bottom plate 60 supporting and located below the top plate 50. The top plate being a downwardly directed U-shape and bottom plate 60 being substantially planar. The beam body 62 includes an internal surface 47 defining a hollow section 49 extending centrally therethrough. The internal surface 47 includes an inner surface 41 of top plate 50 and a top surface 44 of the bottom plate 60. In the illustrated embodiment, the floor surface 44 is planar, but other configurations are possible. The inner surface 41 may include a radius or radii of curvature, and the radius of curvatures may include different radii of curvature.

[0054] The top plate 50 is illustrated as a plurality of portions 50a, 50b, 50c, but other configurations are possible. For example, the top plate 50 may be a singular piece. The portions 50a, 50b, 50c may be joined to each other and the bottom plate 60 and the side walls 14 by welding. The portions 50a, 50c respectively form the sides of the top plate 50 between the portion 50b and the respective side walls 14 (Figure 7). The portions 50a, 50c include an inwardly extending projection 65a, 65c on at least one corner 66, 68 adjacent to the respective side wall 14. Other configurations are possible, e.g., the projection(s) may be on the rear end(s) of portions 50a, 50c or both end corners of portions 50a, 50c. The projections 65a, 65c may each be triangularly shaped. The projections each includes an inclined surface 67a, 67c. Though the inclined surfaces 67a, 67c are generally planar they could be formed with curves or multiple surfaces, such as broad convex or concave shapes curving about axial and / or transverse axesor any combination with planar surfaces thereof. The inclined surface is envisioned to be between 25-60 degrees off a horizontal, but others are possible. This arrangement will increase the torque beam’s polar moment of inertia and reduce stress level to the torque beam 11 .

[0055] The bottom plate 60 is substantially rectangularly shaped, but other configurations are possible. The bottom plate 60 includes ends 72, 73 that are adjacent the side walls 14 and joined thereto. At at least one corner 72a, 73a of the bottom plate 60 (and preferably at opposite front ends), the bottom plate bends inwardly creating an inclined surface 76a, 76b. The inclined surface 76a, 76b is ramped to be substantially aligned with the inclined surface 67a, 67c of the respective projection 65a, 65c. A straight section 74a, 74c behind the inclined corner 72a, 73a will allow the bottom torque beam plate 60 to transition to the rear wall 16 smoothly to avoid complicated welding operation and reduce the fabrication cost. Similar inclined portions could also be provided at the rear end corners. Plate 60 could also be a forward portion of top wall 12 or rear wall 16.

[0056] The bent portions of torque beam 1 1 provides additional structural support at the ends where it interfaces with the side wall 1 1 to reduce the risk of cracking in these locations. The additional support at this location allows the bucket to eliminate the need for gussets 100 in the upper corners 102a, 102b of the bucket cavity 18 or reduce the size of the gussets used. The removal or reduced weight of the gusset 100 in the corners 102a, 102b of the bucket increases the bucket capacity, reduces material lost, and reduces the overall weight of the bucket, therein reducing the overall energy required to utilize the bucket. The corner gussets also allow for a positive front opening angle to be maintained in the center of the connection module, thus eliminating pockets of air being captured during material filling.

[0057] Each lug and thrust plate 52, 53 includes a front and rear bore 45, 55 to allow the lug and thrust plates 52, 53 to be attached to the machine (e.g., an excavator machine). The lug and thrust plates 52, 53 are perpendicular to the direction of the beam body 62. In some forms, the beam body 62 and lug and thrust plates 52, 53 are fully cast, may be a combination of casting and plate, orthe lug and thrust plates may be cast as a portion of the beam body. In the illustrated embodiment, two lug plates 52 and two thrust plates 53 are shown, however it is understood that the beam body 62 may be cast or otherwise formed with any combinations thereof to match the machine hook-up geometry, including only having a pair of lug plates 52. Each lug and thrust plates 52, 53 include a respective tail 82, 83 which extends rearward and protrudes outward from the beam body 62. In the illustrated example, the tails 82, 83 extend to align with the top wall 12 and to situate there into a recess 84 in the lug doubler plate 86 (Figure 6). In other examples, the tails may extend further and follow the shape of the heel 36. The lug and thrust plates 52, 53 are configured and arranged to be adapted to correspond to different basket shells and / or engagement beams, , e.g., one lug or thrust plate may be removed or both lug or thrust plates may not be necessary. In the illustrated embodiments, the tails 82, 83 are substantially triangular-shaped in that it includes sides: one side abuts the top wall 12 (i.e. , the bucket side 57), and one side extends from the lug or thrust plate 52, 53 to the top wall 12 (i.e., the free side 56). The sides 56, 57 that abut the other beam 1 1 components may be coupled respectively to the lug or thrust plates 52, 53 and the top wall 12 by welding or any other suitable coupling arrangement (e.g., the tails and lug and thrust plates may be cast as a single piece with either the entire beam body 62 or components thereof).

[0058] The lug plates 52 each preferably provides a support that extends through the hollow section 49. In this way, the at least one lug plate 52 provides strength and rigidity to the beam body 62. Different embodiments of supports suit a variety of different needs, e.g., the thrust plates 53 may also pass through the hollow section 49 in some configurations.

[0059] With reference to Figures 12-13, an excavator bucket 101 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown and substantially similar to the excavator bucket 1 and torque beam 11 discussed above, with the exception of the following differences. The features of the excavator bucket 101 are labeled similar to bucket 1 with a shift in reference numbers by a 100. The excavator bucket 101 includes a basket body 1 10 and a torque beam, engagement beam, connection beam, or also called a support beam 1 1 1. At least several components of a torque beam 1 11 are cast and some are plate, as will be further discussed below. The engagement beam 1 11 is for engaging with a machine to connect the bucket to an earth working machine. The engagement beam 1 1 1 connects with a top wall 1 12 and the pair of side walls 1 14 of the bucket 101.

[0060] Sidewalls 114 may extend generally perpendicular or in a linear fashion from the engagement beam 1 11 and a rear wall 116. In the illustrated example, the sidewalls 1 14 are generally D-shaped and each include a side plate 130 and / or wing plate 128. The wing plates 128 project forward from side plate 130 and attach to the lip 120 and attach to torque beam 11 1 on the opposite side.

[0061] Referring to Figures 14-18, the illustrated torque beam 1 1 1 includes a beam body 162 having corner shoulders 150a, 150c, and a central portion 150b, and connection lug anchors 150d, thrust plates 152, central thrust plates 153, and rock deflection plates 154. The rock deflection plates 154 are illustrated as being attached to respective outer lug plates 152 and the connection lug anchor 150d. The rock deflection plates 154 encircle pin apertures 145, 155 and deter damage to the engagement beam 11 1 from excavated material. An access portal may be located at one or both ends of the torque beam 1 11. The access portals may provide access and inspection to the interior of the cast beam and / or the attachment of sensors.

[0062] The engagement beam 1 11 extends between the side walls 1 14 to span the width and is located directly opposite the lip 120 on top of the bucket 101 (Figure 12). The beam body 162 is generally D-shaped and includes a top surface 150 and a bottom surface 160 as a solid unit. The front of the beam body 162 is illustrated as convex, but other configurations arepossible. The top surface 150 being a downwardly directed U-shape and bottom surface 160 being substantially planar. The bottom surface 160 is substantially rectangularly shaped, but other configurations are possible (Figure 15).

[0063] The beam body 162 is illustrated as a plurality of portions: at least one shoulder 150a, 150c, a central portion 150b, and at least one connection lug anchor 150d, but other configurations are possible (Figure 17). In one example, the central portion 150b, shoulder portions 150a, 150c, and connection lug anchors 150d may be cast. In other examples, the central portion 150b is made from plate as discussed above including a top and bottom plate to form the central portion. The portions 150a, 150b, 150c, 150d may be joined to each other by welding or other means. In the illustrated example, a weld backing strip 151 is used at the connection side locations (Figure 16). In other configurations of the torque beam 1 11 , the shoulder portions 150a, 150c and a central portion 150b may connect directly without the connection lug anchors. The examples discussed herein reduces bucket weight at a potential for reduced cost of manufacturing, and most importantly the design flexibility to adjust the position of the lug and thrust plates relative to the connections of the earth working equipment. This flexibility is needed to adapt for the ideal bucket geometry as the ore density, lip width, heel clearance, and bucket capacity may all change to suit different needs or machines. Further, the connection lug anchors and shoulder portions improve geometry at high stress locations (e.g. blends 166, 168, and 177) to lower stress, and remove welds from high stress locations and replace them with cast material.

[0064] The shoulder portions 150a, 150c respectively form the sides between the connection lug anchors (or central portion 150b) and the respective side walls 114 (Figure 12). The bent shoulder portions 150a, 150c of the torque beam 1 1 1 provide additional structural support at the ends where it interfaces with the side wall 1 14 to reduce the risk of cracking in these locations when the shoulder portion is cast. The bent shoulder portion 150a, 150c also raise the torque beam, which in turn, increases bucket capacity. The shoulder portions 150a, 150c include a downwardly inclined surface 165a, 165c in between a flat bottom surface 160 and at least one corner 166, 168. The downwardly inclined surface 165a, 165c is illustrated as being triangularly shaped as a bottom surface 173 converges rearwardly but may extend straight rearward or other shapes may be formed. The corner 166, 168 being adjacent to an inward facing planar surface 169a, 169c that connects with the respective side wall 14. The corner surface 166, 168 is illustrated as extending straight rearwardly to form bottom surface 174 but may include curved or angled surfaces as it extends back. The bottom surface 173 of the inclined surface 165, 165c and / or bottom surface 174 of the corner 166, 168 may converge to a rearward chamfer 172. The chamfer 172 may be concave to allow for easy connection with the top wall 1 12 of the bucket 101. The additional support created by the corner 166, 168 allows the bucket 101 to eliminate the need for gussets (e.g., further supports) in the corners of the bucket cavity 1 18. The removalof the gusset increases the bucket capacity, reduces material lost, and reduces the overall weight of the bucket 101 , therein reducing the overall energy required to utilize the bucket. The corners 166, 168 and downwardly inclined surfaces 165a, 165c may be inclined downwardly across the width W’ and inclined upwardly as the surface extends rearwardly to allow for more capacity, but other configurations are possible. In other examples, the corners 166, 168 may connect directly with the side walls 114. Though the surfaces 165a, 165c, 166, 168, 169a, 169c are generally illustrated as planar, they could be formed with curves or multiple inclined surfaces, such as broad convex or concave shapes curving about axial and / or transverse axes or any combination with planar surfaces thereof. The surfaces 165a, 165c, 166, 168 are envisioned to be between 25-60 degrees, more specifically the inclined surface 165a, 165c is 25 degrees off the horizontal and the corners 166, 168 are 55 degrees off the horizontal, but other configurations are possible. The inward facing planar surface 169a, 169c may extends to a rearward end of the torque beam but is illustrated as ending about the center of the torque beam. The arrangement of the torque beam including the cast shoulder reduces the beam weight, while increasing digging fuel efficiencies, improves material properties, reduces stress, eliminates welds in high stress locations, increases bucket capacity, and increases reliability and fatigue capability. The cast shoulder portions 150a, 150c allow for shoulder trimming to accommodate narrower inside lip widths, which allows for more versatility for lip manufacturing designs.

[0065] Referring to Figures 17-19, a connection lug anchor 150d is connected with a lug plate 152 on an exterior surface 171 and to a central portion 150b on one side and a shoulder portion 150a, 150c on its opposite side. The connection lug anchor 150d is D-shaped to align with the size and shape of overall beam body 162, e.g., the central portion 150b. The connection lug anchor 150d includes an internal surface 147 defining a hollow section 149 extending centrally therethrough that aligns with an overall exterior surface 171 . The connection lug anchor 150d is illustrated as situated between the central portion 150b and the respective shoulder portion 150a, 150c, but other configurations may be possible, e.g., a single connection lug anchor utilized. The width of the connection lug anchor 150d can be adjusted based on the specific connections needed for attachment with equipment. The internal surface 147 includes an inner surface 143 inclining upwardly as it extends rearwardly to meet with a second inner surface 142 that inclines downwardly as it extends rearwardly, and a floor surface 144 that is planar, but other configurations are possible. The internal surface 147 may include a radius or radii of curvature, and the radius of curvatures may include different radii of curvature. The internal surface 147 of the connection lug anchor 150d may include a central rib 141 that circumscribes at least a portion of the inner surface 147 and projects inwardly into the hollow section 149, but other configurations are possible, e.g., without a central rib. As the torque beam 1 1 1 can flex, expand, and collapse in cross section during use, the central rib 141 is located in a critical area to reduce the flex stress of the torque beam. The connection lug anchor 150d may further include a second rib 177 thatcircumscribes at least a portion of the exterior surface 171 and is situated perpendicular to the exterior surface 171. In the illustrated example, the second rib 177 is situated about the front and top of the connection lug anchor 150d only, but other configurations are possible, e.g., a complete circumference. The ribs 141 , 177 are centrally located on their respective surfaces, but other configurations may be possible, e.g., offset from center. The central ribs 141 , 177 represent a support that extends through the hollow section 149. The ribs 141 , 177 create a cross or T- shape in cross section with the exterior surface 171 and the interior surface 151 (Figure 16). The second central rib 177 is a staging for attachment with lug plates 152. In other embodiments, the lug plate 152 may be cast with the connection lug anchor 150d.

[0066] In the illustrated embodiment, two lug plates 152 and two thrust plates 153 are shown, however it is understood that any combinations thereof may be necessary to match the desired machine hook-up geometry, e.g., one lug or thrust plate may be removed or both lug or thrust plates may not be necessary. The lug plates 152 and thrust plates 153 are an outer projecting fin extending front to back in a perpendicular direction to the torque beam 162 and having transverse to the lug plate direction (parallel with the torque beam 1 1 1) front and rear bores 145, 155 to allow the bucket 101 to be attached to a machine (e.g., an excavator machine). In the illustrated example, the lug plates 152 and the thrust plates 153 are each similarly shaped in plate material. The connection lug anchor may be cast, so there may be a combination of casting and plate, or the lug plate 152 may be cast as a portion of the connection lug anchor 150d. Likewise, the thrust plates 153 may be cast with the central portion 150b. The lug and thrust plates 152, 153 have a lower surface 180 that is sized and shaped to be fit over the exterior surface 171 of the connection lug anchor 150d and the central portion 105b. Each lug and thrust plates 152, 153 include a respective tail 182, 183 which extends rearward and protrudes outward from the beam body 162. The lug and thrust plates 152, 153 are configured and arranged to be adapted to correspond to different basket shells and / or engagement beams. On the front end of the lug and thrust plates 152, 153 is a front portion 159 that is illustrated as J-shaped, but other configurations are possible. Assembled, the front portion 159 in the illustrated example shown in Figure 19, wraps underneath the connection lug anchor 150d and is connects to the bottom surface 160. The front portion 159 extends further than the central rib 177 in the illustrated example, but other configurations are possible. It is foreseen that the front portion 159 may be separated into several parts connected together as needed for the torque beam front end geometry fabrication.

[0067] Buckets in accordance with the present disclosure are able to fill more quickly, require less energy, reduce bucket and lip wear, increase the payload of each digging stroke, reduce fill times, have a lower ratio of steel weight to payload weight, higher percentage fill factor percentage, a larger bucket capacity, and / or are more economical. Mines are also able to implement more prolonged times between scheduled maintenance due to less wear on the heel or lip, and a focus of wear intensity on the GET, rather than the bucket or lip.

[0068] While the aspects of the present disclosure are particularly well suited for use in large excavator mining operations, certain benefits can still be achieved by incorporating these aspects into other excavator bucket operation albeit in a more limited way. Excavator bucket operations for dredge or certain phosphate mining operations where the material is mined as a slurry will gain some benefits by including aspects of the disclosure. However, due to the presence of the water, the filling benefits of using the aspects of the present disclosure may be limited. The various features of the present disclosure are preferably used together in an excavator bucket, but each feature may be used stand-alone. These configurations used in combination can increase ease of operation and maximize performance. Nonetheless, the various features can be used separately or in limited combinations to achieve some of the benefits of the disclosure.

[0069] The disclosure is disclosed above and in the accompanying figures with reference to a variety of configurations. The purpose served by the disclosure, however, is to provide an example of the various features and concepts related to the disclosure, not to limit the scope of the disclosure. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the configurations described above without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

Claims1 . An excavator bucket comprising: a basket body having top wall, a pair of sidewalls defining a width there-between, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, a width-wise engagement beam having at least one inwardly bent corner where the engagement beam interacts with each respective sidewall.

2. The excavator bucket of claim 1 , wherein the engagement beam includes a top plate and a bottom plate, and the bottom plate having at least one inwardly bent corner where the engagement beam interacts with the sidewall.

3. The excavator bucket of claim 1 , wherein the engagement beam includes a top plate and a bottom plate, and the top plate having at least one inwardly directed projection at at least one corner where the engagement beam interacts with the sidewall.

4. An excavator bucket comprising: a basket body having top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, and an engagement beam having at a central portion adjacent two respective corner portions, the corner portions being connectable with a respective sidewall, wherein the two corner portions include a first inwardly bent corner adjacent a second inwardly bent corner.

5. The excavator bucket of any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a lug being situated perpendicular to the top wall, the lug having a forwardmost pin aperture.

6. The excavator bucket of claim 5, wherein the bucket includes a lip to a center of the pin aperture measurement measured from a top surface of the lip that defines a maximum radius boundary of a heel surface of the rear wall, the rear wall having an inner floor surface defining a heel ratio that is between 0.6 and 0.68 of the maximum radius of the heel surface of the rear wall.

7. The excavator of claim 5, wherein the excavator bucket includes a lip angle between 27.1 and 28.9, wherein the lip angle is defined as the angle measured from a perpendicular line from the pin aperture to a top surface of the lip.

8. The excavator bucket of any one of claims 1-7, wherein at least the two corner portions are cast.

9. The excavator bucket of any one of claims 4-8, further comprising at least one connection lug anchor situated between the central portion and a corner portion.

10. The excavator bucket of claim 9, wherein the at least one connection lug anchor is cast.1 1 . The excavator bucket of claim 9, wherein the at least one connection lug anchor includes a rib about at least a portion of an exterior surface.

12. The excavator bucket of claim 9, wherein the at least one connection lug anchor is hollow with an interior surface, the interior surface includes a rib that circumscribes the interior surface.

13. The excavator bucket of claim 9, wherein the at least one connection lug anchor includes a second rib about at least a portion of an exterior surface.

14. The excavator bucket of any one of claims 4-13, wherein the first inwardly bent corner is angled 25-60 degrees from the horizontal.

15. The excavator bucket of any one of claims 4-14, wherein the second inwardly bent corner is angled 25-60 degrees from the horizontal.

16. The excavator bucket of any one of claims 4-15, wherein the first and second inwardly bent corners converge to a chamfer at a rear of the engagement beam.

17. A corner portion of a torque beam comprising: a first end connectable with a respective sidewall; a second end connectable with a portion of the torque beam; a first inwardly bent corner adjacent to the first end; and a second inwardly bent corner adjacent the first inwardly bent corner and adjacent to the second end.

18. A connection lug anchor comprising: a body sized and shaped to be connected with a central portion of an engagement beam on a first side and an end portion of the engagement beam on a second side opposite the first side; an exterior surface having a top surface to connect with a lug; and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface; wherein at least one of the exterior and interior surfaces includes a rib projecting perpendicular from the respective exterior or interior surface.

19. The connection lug anchor of claim 18, wherein the at least one connection lug anchor is cast.

20. The connection lug anchor of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the exterior surface includes a rib projecting perpendicular from the top surface.

21. The connection lug anchor of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the interior surface includes a rib projecting perpendicular to the interior surface.

22. The connection lug anchor of claim 21 , further comprising a second rib projecting perpendicular from the respective interior or exterior surface.

23. The connection lug anchor of claim 18, further comprising a lug being situated perpendicular to a top surface of the exterior surface, the lug having a forwardmost pin aperture.

24. The connection lug anchor of claim 23, wherein the connection lug anchor and the lug are cast as a single piece.

25. An excavator bucket comprising: a basket body having a lip, a top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, and a lug situated perpendicular to the top wall,the lug having a forwardmost pin aperture, the bucket having a lip to a center of the pin aperture measurement measured from a top surface of the lip that defines a maximum radius boundary of a heel surface of the rear wall, the rear wall having an inner floor surface defining a heel ratio that is between 0.6 and 0.68 of the maximum radius of the heel surface of the rear wall.

26. The excavator of claim 25, wherein the bucket having a lip angle between 27.1 and 28.9 degrees, wherein the lip angle being defined as the angle measured from a perpendicular line from the pin aperture to a top surface of the lip.

27. An excavator bucket comprising: a basket body having a lip, a top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that collectively define a cavity for gathering earthen material, and a lug situated perpendicular to the top wall, the lug having a forwardmost pin aperture, the bucket having a lip angle between 27.1 and 28.9 degrees, wherein the lip angle being defined as the angle measured from a perpendicular line from the pin aperture to a top surface of the lip.

28. The excavator bucket of claim 27, wherein the bucket having a lip to a center of the pin aperture measurement measured from a top surface of the lip that defines a maximum radius boundary of a heel surface of the rear wall, the rear wall having an inner floor surface defining a heel ratio that is between 0.6 and 0.68 of the maximum radius of the heel surface of the rear wall.

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