An excavator bucket

Abstract

The present invention relates to an excavator bucket comprising a bucket and a plurality of displaceable teeth 10, which teeth are secured along an edge of the bucket by a securement means, wherein at

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an excavator bucket configured to dig a trench with multiple depth channels in a single pass, using replaceable teeth of varying lengths secured via a dual-stage locking pin mechanism. Background In many societies across the world it is increasingly common to have multiple utilities required to a single location, such as telecommunication cables, water, gas, fire prevention measures, electric and district heating. These utilities would often be carried in an underground trench. However the utilities themselves require different dimensions of trench, cover or hole - being different diameters for example. As a result multiple trenches may be required, or a single trench modified for purpose. Typically this requires a user to dig the trench to a preferred depth and backfill to a higher depth as required for each separate utility trench. This is time-consuming and has economic and environmental costs. Conventional buckets are unable to consistently comply with building regulations and utility installation standards (e.g., NJUG Guidelines, PAS 128) due to their fixed tooth configurations, requiring multiple excavation passes or manual rework. The present invention overcomes these problems. Prior Art CN 109 898 588 (SUN et al) discloses trench excavation equipment for municipal road construction comprises an excavator wherein one side of the excavator is movably provided with a mechanical arm, one side of the mechanical arm is movably provided with a bucket, with a plurality of splicing plates, two sides of the splicing plates are respectively provided with a side plate which is movably arranged on one side of the bucket. CN 219 909 111 (LU et al) discloses an adjustable bucket for ditcher, includes bucket body, extension board and extension board. CN 115 478 573 (ZHANG et al) discloses an expandable excavator bucket comprises a bucket body and is characterized in that a first threaded rod is movably arranged outside the bucket body, one end, inside the bucket body, of the first threaded rod is rotatably connected with a rotating rod, one end, far away from the first threaded rod, of the rotating rod is fixedly provided with an adjusting plate, the adjusting plate is tightly attached to baffle plates on two sides of the bucket body, two first sliding grooves are symmetrically formed in the outer portion of the bucket body, the first sliding grooves are in sliding connection with the adjusting plate, and springs are arranged inside the first sliding grooves. Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an excavator bucket comprising a bucket and a plurality of displaceable teeth, which teeth are secured along an edge of the bucket by a securement means, wherein at least one tooth is a first length and at least one second tooth is a second length to provide a staggered cutting edge on the bucket. In this way the excavator bucket provides a customisable cutting edge for the bucket to dig a trench with customisable channel profiles, allowing different services or utilities to be placed at optimal depths in a single operation, avoiding backfilling or repeated passes. Advantagesouly by having an excavator bucket with a staggered cutting edge, due to teeth of different lengths, a multiple depth trench can be dug by a single pass. The invention allows trench profiles to be pre-configured to comply with building standards and statutory utility depth regulations, reducing excavation error, rework, and safety risk. Distal ends of the teeth provide the leading cutting edges. In preferred embodiments at least part of the cutting edge of each tooth is substantially parallel to the edge of the bucket when the teeth are secured on the bucket by the securement means. In this way the cutting edge of each tooth is extended parallel from the edge of the bucket. Preferably the securement means extends along the edge of the bucket (in an axis along the edge of the bucket) so as to allow securement of teeth at a plurality of locations along the edge. More particularly the securement means for the teeth and the width of the teeth in use allows for the teeth to form a continuous staggered leading edge extending from the edge of the bucket. Each tooth is secured to the edge of the bucket a securement means to allow a user to choose the arrangement of different teeth on the bucket. In a preferred embodiment the securement means comprises a pin and hole configuration, wherein a first hole is provided on a tooth and a second hole is provided on an edge of the bucket so that when the first and second holes are aligned a pin is received therethrough to connect the tooth to the bucket. The pin may be wholly separable from the tooth, and the bucket. In some embodiments the pin comprises an enlarged head so as to be held in place under gravity in use and to not pass through the aligned holes. In a preferred embodiment the pin is a quick release pin. Preferably the quick release pin includes a locking spring that is part of a dual-stage locking detent mechanism. Preferably the pin includes a primary spring-loaded ball detent mechanism. The sprung ball acts to retain the pin in position once inserted through aligned holes in both the tooth and bucket edge as the ball projects from the pin at a distance greater than the diameter of the holes. The pin has a secondary locking feature in the form of a manually operated rotating shaft within a sleeve. This shaft is rotated so that the shaft moves along the channel defined by the sleeve. The shaft moves in a first direction when the sleeve is rotated in a first direction (towards a distal end of the shaft) and the shaft moves in a second direction when the sleeve is rotated in a second direction (away from a distal end of the shaft). The spring loaded balls are associated with the distal end of the shaft so that the sprung balls can be arranged in a first position in which the balls can be depressed within the sleeve when force is applied so that the pin can be removed, and a second position in which the balls project through openings in the sleeve wall and a prevented from being depressed by presence of the shaft so that the pin is locked in place. The secondary locking feature prevents unintended removal due to vibration, impact, or operator error. This quick release mechanism advantageously provides a user controlled locking mechanism, which must be intentionally unlocked by rotating the shaft, providing enhanced safety and reliability particularly in demanding excavation operations. In some preferred embodiments the teeth each have a groove for receipt of the edge of the bucket, providing two overlapping limb that define the groove and that pass over upper and lower faces of the bucket edge. In a preferred embodiment the groove is arranged centrally with respect to an upper and lower surface of the tooth. In an embodiment in which each tooth has a groove, each of the two limbs may each have two first holes for receiving the pin so that the pin passes through the top limb, through the edge of the bucket and through the lower limb. In some embodiments of the excavator bucket the teeth are tapered towards a distal end, so that the distal end of a tooth is sharper or more pointed than a med-region of the tooth to enhance ease of cutting into the ground. It is appreciated that the end of the bucket may also be tapered to form a cutting edge without the requirement of teeth, thereby providing multi functionality of the excavation bucket. In some embodiments the teeth are tapered towards a proximal end that connects to the bucket. In this way the external profile where the proximal end of the teeth join the bucket is a substantially smooth and not an angled corner or recess that would catch excavated earth and may disrupt formation of the trench. Preferably each tooth has a flat surface that includes the securement means (holes). Ideally the region of the tooth with the flat upper and lower surfaces has a uniform thickness. It is appreciated that this flat region may include the groove. The flat surface may be arranged between the tapered distal end and the tapered proximal end that includes the groove so that the tooth is substantially trapezoidal. In some embodiments of the excavator bucket the plurality of teeth have a plurality of leading edge profiles or material compositions, allowing for accommodation of plural types of ground in use, and according to local user preference. In some embodiments the teeth are colour coded to indicate wear. For example parts of the tooth may be formed from different colour material so that when a tip of a tooth has worn to a certain level a different colour is presented and a user knows to change the tooth. In one embodiment, the teeth may be selected and arranged to correspond with statutory depth requirements for multiple underground services, such as electricity, gas, water, and telecoms. The invention enables a trench profile that aligns with PAS 128, NJLIG Volume 1, or equivalent local trenching standards. The bucket system of the present invention is configured to comply with typical UK and EU trenching standards for utility installations, including guidance from the National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG). The multi-depth cutting arrangement enables precise trench profiles accommodating gas, electric, and water mains at varying depths without over-digging or backfilling, reducing both spoil and rework. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of excavating using the excavator bucket having the steps of: affixing a plurality of teeth of first and second lengths to the edge of the bucket: using the securement means to affix the teeth to the edge of the bucket; using the excavator bucket to perform a single excavation pass through the ground to form a trench with a plurality of channels of different depths corresponding to teeth lengths. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the Figures in which: Brief Description of Figures Figure 1 shows an isometric view of a first embodiment of an excavator bucket according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows an isometric view of the embodiment of the excavator bucket shown in Figure 1, with a different arrangement of teeth; Figure 3 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment of the excavator bucket as shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment of the excavator bucket as shown in Figure 2; Figure 5 shows an exploded isometric view of the embodiment of the excavator bucket shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a reverse exploded isometric view of the embodiment of the excavator bucket shown in Figure 1; Figure 7 shows an isometric view of a second narrower embodiment of the excavator bucket according to the present invention; Figure 8 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment of the excavator bucket shown in Figure 7; Figure 9 shows an exploded isometric view of the embodiment of the excavator bucket shown in Figure 7; Figure 10 shows a reverse exploded isometric view of the embodiment of the excavator bucket shown in Figure 7; Figure 11 shows a sketch of different types of teeth for use with the embodiment of the excavator bucket shown in Figure 1 or 7; and Figures 12A and 12B show an example of the locking pin Detailed Description of Figures With reference to the figures there are shown embodiments of an excavator bucket 199 comprising a bucket 100 and one or more displaceable tooth 99. The teeth are secured on the edge 11 of the bucket by a securement means 1. In particular reference to the embodiment shown in Figure 1, there is an excavator bucket 199, in a format standardly known in the art. The excavator bucket 199 has a bucket 100 that is formed in a galvanised steel and comprises a rearward extending hitch 13 for connection to the excavator arm (not shown). The bucket 100 has two opposing sides 14 and a rear scooped blade 12. The edge 11 of the bucket 100 is a uniform thickness with flat upper and lower surfaces. The edge 11 tapers to form a tip 11A as is known in the art. The tip 11A can be a cutting edge if no teeth are present. A securement means 1 is formed by pins 21 received through a first hole 22 on a tooth 99 and second corresponding hole 23 on the edge 11. The pins are cylinders of stainless and / or hardened steel which are passed through the holes 22, 23 to hold the teeth 99 on the bucket 100. A plurality of holes 23 spaced along the edge 11 of the bucket 100. The second holes 23 pass through the edge 11 orthogonally with respect to the upper and lower surfaces. These second holes 23 are located along the edge 11 of and before the tapering to the tip 11 A. The array of teeth 10 each have a leading edge 4 which is the cutting edge. The leading edge 4 in Figures 1 to 10 is parallel with respect to the edge 11 of the bucket 100. In Figures 11A to 11D are some examples of different teeth 99 that have a least part of a cutting edge 4A that will be parallel to the edge 11 when in use, but also have parts of the cutting edges 4B that are not parallel to the edge 11. The teeth 99 in Figures 1 to 10 are each rectangular in plan view, with a proximal tapered edge 2 and a groove 24 defined by two limbs 24A, 24B (see Figures 6 and 9) into which the tip 11A and edge 11 is received. Each tooth 99 has two first holes 22, one on the upper limb 24A and one on the lower limb 24B. The holes 22 are aligned to receive the pin 21. In this way the teeth 99 fit over and onto the edge 11 of the bucket 100, and the holes 22 (on the tooth), 23 (on the edge) are aligned. The tooth 99 includes an upper limb 24A and a lower limb 24B, which form a receiving groove 24 that fits over the bucket edge 11. The front edge (distal end of the tooth) 4 is tapered to a point from both top face and bottom face, so as to more effectively aid in cutting and scooping away material in a small area. As the teeth 99 are easily replaceable narrower or sharper distal ends can be provided as any breakage or damage can be easily overcome by replacing the tooth. The rear edge (proximal end of the tooth) 2 tapers towards the bucket 100, also from top and bottom faces, so as to provide a reduced profile (smooth profile) for the row of teeth 10 at the region where the teeth engage with the bucket 100, thereby reducing damage or snag hazard and increasing ease of bucket emptying. Between the tapered distal and proximal ends of the teeth there is provided a flat section 3 through which the hole 22 passes. The flat section 3 is on the non-tapered part of the limbs 24A, 24B. Each pictured tooth 99 is trapezoidal. The pictured embodiments of the excavator bucket 100 comprises a plurality of teeth lengths on a single bucket arranged adjacent to one another to provide a staggered cutting edge. The teeth are a continuous extension or augmentation of the edge 11 of the bucket 100, so as to allow for the precise cutting or scooping of a trench to a plurality of depths. This enables creation of different depths for different services or utilities within the same trench, without any requirement to backfill the trench to increase material to acquire a preferred depth. The bucket 100 may be formed from hardened or galvanised structural steel suitable for heavy-duty excavation. The teeth 99 are preferably made from cast manganese steel or forged high-carbon steel, ensuring high wear resistance. The pins 21 are manufactured from heat-treated stainless steel with a diameter of approximately 16 mm and a length of 95 mm, featuring a machined locking sleeve and detent assembly. Teeth may be manufactured using lost-wax casting or CNC-machining processes. Different teeth 99 types or styles, are represented without limitation in Figures 11A, B,C D. These Figures show examples of different teeth that may be used. The teeth have not been modified to have the securement means required for the present invention. For example, the apertures shown are not suitable for the securement means as there is no receiving groove. Figures 11 A, 11C and 11D are examples of chisel / rock teeth suitable for general purpose digging in medium to hard soil conditions, or heavy duty teeth, being more robust versions of the chisel teeth, designed for heavy duty applications and more abrasive conditions. Figure 11A is a chisel tooth with a tapered straight cutting edge and with reinforced side ribs. Figure 11B is an example of a twin tiger tooth, ideal for penetrating hard-packed or rocky soil, or for providing better penetration for very hard or frozen ground. Single point tiger teeth may be used. Figure 11C is an abrasion tooth. Figure 11D is a heavy duty tooth with a solid reinforced body and shorter tip. Other types of teeth include abrasion teeth designed with extra wear material and a hard-facing surface to resist wear in highly abrasive conditions such as sand and gravel; and rock penetrator teeth, which are heavy duty teeth designed for breaking and penetrating hard rock and frozen ground. Figures 12A and 12B show an example of a locking pin 21. The pin 21 features a dualstage locking detent system formed by a shaft 30 that moves along a sleeve 31 when the shaft 30 is rotated. The shaft 30 is guided via a helical track or cam path 37. This path 37 can be defined by shaping to the external surface of the shaft 30 and / or to the internal face of the sleeve 31. An indication of the shaping 37 of the surfaces is shown in the drawings by line as an example of a helical path. The sleeve 31 has sprung balls 32 arranged to extend through openings 33. The sprung balls 32 are sprung so that they a biased to project the balls 32 through the openings 33. The shaft 30 has a waist region 34. When the waist region 34 is aligned with the sprung balls 32 the balls can be pushed (depressed) into the sleeve 31 as the waist 34 creates a void 35 as shown in Figure 12A. This allows the pin 21 to be removed through the holes 22A, 22B, 23. When the shaft 30 is moved along the sleeve 31 so that the waist 34 is not aligned with sprung balls 32, the sprung balls are held outwards through the openings 33 in the sleeve 31 and cannot be pushed into the sleeve as shown in Figure 12B. This locking pin 21 forms a spring-loaded ball detent wherein the balls 32 initially snap into place once passed through the holes 22A, 22B, 23. The position of the shaft 30 and thereby the waist 34 controls whether the sprung balls 32 can be depressed into the sleeve 31 (Figure 12A) or if the balls 32 are locked in place and the pin can therefore not be removed (Figure 12B). The shaft 30 is rotated by holding a pin head 36 to move the shaft 30 relative to the sleeve 31, so that the shaft 30 moves towards the distal end of the sleeve 31 so that the sprung balls are forced and held outwards as shown in Figure 12B. To remove the pin 21, the user manually rotates the shaft 30 by holding and turning the pin head 23 in the opposite direction to align the waist 34 on the shaft 30 with the openings 33 so that the sprung balls 32 can return to within the sleeve 31 when force is applied and a user then pulls the pin 21 out through the holes 22A, 22B, 23 which compresses the detent mechanism (sprung balls 32). This enables tool-less insertion and removal, even in field conditions with limited access. The pin head 36 has a larger diameter than the sleeve 31 so that the pin 21 cannot pass through the holes 22A, 22B, 23. The springs associated with the balls 32 are not shown in the drawings. To install the tooth 99, the operator aligns the tooth groove 24 with the bucket edge 11 so that the holes 22A, 22B, and 23 align. The locking pin 21 is inserted manually from one side until the spring detent 32 engages. The shaft 30 is then rotated to lock the sprung balls 32 in place to prevent backout. To remove, the user rotates the shaft 30 to position the waist 34 so that there is a void 35 into which the balls 32 depress and withdraws the pin 21. This allows fast field servicing without special tools. Teeth can be swapped individually to suit trenching profiles. The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of protection as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An excavator bucket comprising a bucket and a plurality of displaceable teeth, which teeth are secured along an edge of the bucket by a securement means, wherein at least one tooth is a first length and at least one second tooth is a second length to provide a staggered cutting edge on the bucket.

2. An excavator bucket according to claim 1 wherein the securement means extends in an axis along the edge of the bucket to allow securement of separate teeth at a plurality of locations along the edge.

3. An excavator bucket according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the securement means comprises a pin received through at least one first hole on one tooth and a corresponding second hole on the edge of the bucket to connect the tooth to the bucket.

4. An excavator bucket according to claim 3 wherein the pin is wholly separable from the tooth.

5. An excavator bucket according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the pin is wholly separable from the bucket.

6. An excavator bucket according to claim 3, 4 or 5 wherein the pin comprises an enlarged head to prevent passage through the holes.

7. An excavator bucket according to any of claims 3 to 6 wherein the securement means comprising a quick-release pin with a spring-loaded detent.

8. An excavator bucket according to claim 7 including a secondary manually-operated locking sleeve configured to prevent unintentional disengagement of the sprung loaded detent during operation.

9. An excavator bucket according to any preceding claim wherein a first end of each tooth has a groove for receipt of the edge of the bucket.

10. An excavator bucket according to any preceding claim wherein the teeth are tapered towards a distal end.

11. An excavator bucket according to any preceding claim wherein the teeth are tapered towards a proximal end that connects to the bucket.

12. An excavator bucket excavator bucket according to any preceding claim wherein part of each tooth has a flat surface that includes the securement means.

13. An excavator bucket according to claim 12 wherein the part of each tooth with the flat surface has a uniform thickness.

14. An excavator bucket according to claims 10, 11, 12 and 13 wherein each tooth is substantially trapezoidal.

15. An excavator bucket according to any preceding claim wherein the plurality of teeth have a plurality of leading edge profiles.

16. An excavator bucket according to any preceding claim wherein the plurality of teeth have a plurality of material compositions.

17. An excavator bucket according to any preceding claim wherein the cutting edge of the teeth is parallel the edge of the bucket.

18. An excavator bucket according to any preceding claim wherein the teeth are colour coded to indicate wear.

19. A method of excavating using the excavator bucket according to any of the preceding claims having the steps of: affixing a plurality of teeth of first and second lengths to the edge of the bucket: using the securement means to affix the teeth to the edge of the bucket; using the excavator bucket to perform a single excavation pass through the ground to form a trench with a plurality of channels of different depths corresponding to teeth lengths.IntellectualPropertyOfficeApplication GB2511963.7Search report under Section 17 of the Patents Act 1977Date search completed: 25 September 2025Claims searched: 1-19International classificationSubclass and subgroup Valid from e02f9 / 28 01 / 01 / 2006Field of searchWorldwide search of patent documents classified in the following areas of the IPC:E02FDatabases used in the preparation of this search report:SEARCH-PATENTDocuments considered to be relevantPatent literatureCategory Relevant claims Document of relevance X 1-19 GB 1437607 A (GREAT), See page 2 line 115 to page 3 line 5Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Officewww.gov.uk / ipoNon-patent literatureCategory Relevant Document of relevance claimsCategoriesLetter or symbol Description X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step.Y Document indicating lack of inventive step, if combined with another document of the same category. & Member of the same patent family. A Document indicating technological background. P Document published on or after the priority date but before the fling date of the present application. E Earlier application published on or after the filing date of the present application.

Images