US3641689A — Hydraulically actuated clamshell buckets

Claim 1

Independent Claim 213 words

A clamshell bucket comprising a supporting head, complementary bowl sections each having side cutting lips with upper ends, which lips meet along a generally upright line intermediate the length of the bucket when it is closed, said upper ends of the lips being pivotally supported from said head on spaced transverse pivot axes for opening and closing movement of the bucket, and each bowl section having an upper outer edge spaced laterally outwardly from and generally parallel to said pivot axes, only a single fluid-pressure-operated cylinder disposed over one of the bowl sections and pivotally connected at one end to one of said sections at a location intermediate the length of the bucket and between the pivot axis of said bowl section with the head and the upper outer edge of said bowl section and closer to said pivot axis than to said outer edge, and a piston rod projecting from the pivoted end of said cylinder and pivotally connected to the other bowl section between the pivot axis of said other bowl section with the head and the upper outer edge of said other bowl section and closer to said lastmentioned pivot axis than to said outer edge, said cylinder being within one of the bowl sections when the bucket is open.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 213 words

A clamshell bucket comprising a supporting head, complementary bowl sections each having side cutting lips with upper ends, which lips meet along a generally upright line intermediate the length of the bucket when it is closed, said upper ends of the lips being pivotally supported from said head on spaced transverse pivot axes for opening and closing movement of the bucket, and each bowl section having an upper outer edge spaced laterally outwardly from and generally parallel to said pivot axes, only a single fluid-pressure-operated cylinder disposed over one of the bowl sections and pivotally connected at one end to one of said sections at a location intermediate the length of the bucket and between the pivot axis of said bowl section with the head and the upper outer edge of said bowl section and closer to said pivot axis than to said outer edge, and a piston rod projecting from the pivoted end of said cylinder and pivotally connected to the other bowl section between the pivot axis of said other bowl section with the head and the upper outer edge of said other bowl section and closer to said lastmentioned pivot axis than to said outer edge, said cylinder being within one of the bowl sections when the bucket is open.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

A clamshell bucket as claimed in claim 1 in which the end of the cylinder which is opposite its pivoted end is free and projects over and in a general direction toward the upper outer edge of the adjacent bowl section when the bucket is closed.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 65 words

A clamshell bucket as claimed in claim 1 in which there is equalizer means interconnecting the bowl sections for insuring uniform motion during operation, which means includes: an arm projecting from one bowl section to a location intermediate the pivot axes for the two bowl sections, an arm projecting upwardly from the other bowl section, and an obliquely extending equalizer link pivotally connecting said arms.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 24 words

A clamshell bucket as claimed in claim 3 in which the arms project from the pivot axes between the bowl sections and the head.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 105 words

A clamshell bucket as claimed in claim 1 in which there is guard means supported from the head at the top of the bucket when the latter is closed, which guard means is intermediate the width of the bucket and below the piston rod and cylinder, said guard means extending from adjacent the upper outer edge of one bowl section when the bucket is closed to a position adjacent the upper outer edge of the other bowl section and being within the confines of the bucket when the latter is open in a position just below the cylinder to protect it and the piston rod.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 30 words

A clamshell bucket as claimed in claim 5 in which said guard means extends axially of the piston rod, and has a portion which is inverted V-shape in cross section.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 122 words

A clamshell bucket as claimed in claim 1 in which the pivotal supports between the bowl sections and the head include spaced parallel transverse shafts at the upper ends of the cutting lips of the bowl sections, which are nonrotatably associated with the sections, in which there is an arm rigidly connected at its inner end to and projecting from the shaft of one bowl section and having an end located intermediate the spaced parallel transverse shafts, an arm rigidly connected at its inner end and projecting from the shaft of the other bowl section, and an equalizer link pivotally connecting the outer end of said last arm with the end of said first-mentioned arm at said location between said transverse shafts.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 177 words

A clamshell bucket comprising a supporting head, complementary bowl sections pivotally supported by said head for opening and closing movement, means consisting of a single fluid-pressure-operated cylinder having an extensible piston rod for operating said bowl sections, with said cylinder extending longitudinally of the bucket over the top thereof and intermediate its width when the bucket is closed, and cleaning means comprising an open rectangular frame having end portions positioned to scrape the bottoms of the bowl sections, and having side portions positioned to scrape the sides of the bowl sections, the bottoms of the bowl sections being described by radii of the pivots for the bowl sections, guard means intermediate the width of the cleaner frame, said guard means being supported intermediate its length by the head and having ends which are supported by end portions of the cleaner frame, said fluid pressure operated cylinder being within one of the bowl sections when the bucket is open, with the guard means positioned below the fluid-pressure-operated cylinder and its piston rod to protect the latter from dirt.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 177 words

A clamshell bucket comprising a supporting head, complementary bowl sections pivotally supported by said head for opening and closing movement, means consisting of a single fluid-pressure-operated cylinder having an extensible piston rod for operating said bowl sections, with said cylinder extending longitudinally of the bucket over the top thereof and intermediate its width when the bucket is closed, and cleaning means comprising an open rectangular frame having end portions positioned to scrape the bottoms of the bowl sections, and having side portions positioned to scrape the sides of the bowl sections, the bottoms of the bowl sections being described by radii of the pivots for the bowl sections, guard means intermediate the width of the cleaner frame, said guard means being supported intermediate its length by the head and having ends which are supported by end portions of the cleaner frame, said fluid pressure operated cylinder being within one of the bowl sections when the bucket is open, with the guard means positioned below the fluid-pressure-operated cylinder and its piston rod to protect the latter from dirt.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-02-14	1975-08-16	1976-02-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-02-14	1979-08-16	1980-02-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-02-14	1983-08-16	1984-02-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Hydraulically actuated clamshell buckets

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