Excavator bucket for underwater use

Abstract

An excavator bucket has several embodiments adapted for use underwater. A first embodiment includes a front lip and a heel section, with suction ports through the heel section. Another embodiment includes a grated or skeleton bucket with apertures communicating with a suction hopper having suction ports. Yet another embodiment includes a drum grate rotating inside a fitted shroud offset from and conforming to a swept volume of the rotating grate, with the shroud having suction ports, and another embodiment includes a first hopper with rotating arbors forming a crushing screen, communicating with a second suction hopper having one or more suction ports.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An excavator bucket for underwater use, having:
 a first side section and a second side section, a curved heel section, and a top section joining the first side section, the second side section, and the curved heel section,   a lip joining said heel section opposite said top section, said lip also joining said first side section and said second side section, such that a perimeter comprising
 an edge of said top section, an edge of said first side section, an edge of said second side section, and an edge of said lip 
   defines a scoop plane and a mouth of said excavator bucket,   a first tube having an outside diameter and attached within said excavator bucket substantially perpendicular to said scoop plane, said first tube having its axis at a distance within two outside diameters of said first side section and said top section,   a second tube having an outside diameter and attached within said excavator bucket substantially perpendicular to said scoop plane, said second tube and having its axis within two outside diameters of said second side section and said top section, and   said heel section further comprising at least one aperture adapted for connection to a suction hose.   
     
     
         2 . The excavator bucket of  claim 1 , further comprising a plate occluding at least a portion of said first tube. 
     
     
         3 . The excavator bucket of  claim 1 , further comprising a plate occluding at least a portion of said second tube. 
     
     
         4 . The excavator bucket of  claim 1 , further comprising a vibratory mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . An excavator bucket for underwater use, having:
 a perforated trough membrane spanning between cheeks at both its ends,   a shroud membrane spaced apart from and conforming to said perforated trough membrane,   a perimeter wall connecting a perimeter of said perforated trough membrane to a perimeter of said shroud membrane, and   said shroud membrane further comprising at least one aperture.   
     
     
         6 . The excavator bucket of  claim 5 , wherein said aperture in said shroud membrane is adapted for connection to a suction hose. 
     
     
         7 . The excavator bucket of  claim 5 , wherein said perimeter wall further comprises at least one aperture. 
     
     
         8 . The excavator bucket of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of said cheeks further comprises at least one aperture. 
     
     
         9 . The excavator bucket of  claim 5 , further comprising a vibratory mechanism. 
     
     
         10 . An excavator bucket for underwater use, having:
 a hopper section connected to   a drum section closed by an end wall opposite said hopper section, said end wall of said drum section further comprising at least one aperture adapted for attachment for a suction hose, and   a rotating perforated barrel having an open end and a closed end, rotationally coupled within said drum section.   
     
     
         11 . The excavator bucket of  claim 10 , wherein said drum section further comprises at least one aperture proximate to said hopper section within 15% of a length of said drum section. 
     
     
         12 . The excavator bucket of  claim 10 , further comprising a vibratory mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . An excavator bucket for underwater use, having:
 a hopper section defining a crushing plane and an axis perpendicular to said crushing plane,   at least one rotatable arbor operating in said crushing plane,   said rotatable arbor defining an axis of rotation and comprising a plurality of plates spaced apart along said axis of rotation,   said rotatable arbor further comprising at least one radially extending eccentric protuberance, and   an enclosure extending from said hopper,   said enclosure further comprising at least one aperture.   
     
     
         14 . The excavator bucket of  claim 13 , wherein said hopper section further comprises at least one aperture. 
     
     
         15 . The excavator bucket of  claim 13 , wherein said aperture in said enclosure is adapted for connection to a suction hose. 
     
     
         16 . The excavator bucket of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of said plates comprises a perimeter shape selected from the set of shapes consisting of:
 a circle, an ovoid, a cardioid, a regular polygon, an irregular polygon, an epicycloid, and an epitrochoid.   
     
     
         17 . The excavator bucket of  claim 13 , further comprising a vibratory mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The excavator bucket of  claim 13 , wherein said rotatable arbor resides at least partially within said enclosure.