Tilt bucket assembly for an excavator

Abstract

An assembly for an excavator includes a bucket having coupling flanges spaced apart from each other. The coupling flanges extend upwardly from a top wall of the bucket and laterally between side plates of the bucket. Each coupling flange has an aperture. The assembly also includes a linkage assembly coupled to the bucket and configured to tilt the bucket relative to an arm of the excavator. The linkage assembly includes: a top mount configured to be fixedly releasably coupled to the arm of the excavator; a shaft fixedly coupled to the top mount and received in each of the apertures such that the bucket is pivotally coupled to the shaft; a drive lug coupled to and depending from the shaft between the coupling flanges; and a linear actuator coupled to the bucket and the drive lug to pivot the bucket about the shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tilt bucket assembly for an excavator comprising:
 a bucket having:
 first and second coupling flanges spaced apart from each other, the first and second coupling flanges extending upwardly from a top wall of the bucket and extending laterally between first and second side plates of the bucket to define a compartment therebetween, the first coupling flange defining a front wall of the compartment and the second coupling flange defining a rear wall of the compartment, the first coupling flange having a first coupling flange aperture and the second coupling flange having a second coupling flange aperture aligned with the first coupling flange aperture; and 
   a linkage assembly coupled to the bucket, the linkage assembly being configured to be releasably coupled to an arm of the excavator and to tilt the bucket relative to the arm of the excavator, the linkage assembly comprising:
 a top mount configured to be fixedly releasably coupled to the arm of the excavator; 
 a shaft fixedly coupled to the top mount, the shaft being received in and extending between the first coupling flange aperture of the bucket and the second coupling flange aperture of the bucket such that the bucket is pivotally coupled to the shaft; 
 a drive lug configured to be fixedly coupled to and depend from the shaft at a first position between the first and second coupling flanges of the bucket; and 
 a linear actuator having a first end coupled to the top wall of the bucket and a second end fixedly coupled to the drive lug, the linear actuator being movable between a retracted position and an extended position to pivot the bucket about an axis of the shaft. 
   
     
     
         2 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator is contained within the compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 1  further comprising one or more protective covers configured to couple to the first and second coupling flanges and cover the shaft, the drive lug and the linear actuator. 
     
     
         4 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second end of the linear actuator is coupled to the drive lug at a position between the first coupling flange and the second coupling flange. 
     
     
         5 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive lug includes:
 a mounting portion configured to fixedly couple the drive lug to the shaft; and   a distal portion configured to fixedly couple the drive lug to the linear actuator.   
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the mounting portion of the drive lug has an aperture configured to receive and surround the shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the mounting portion of the drive lug comprises a u-shaped portion to be received by a squared-portion of the shaft. 
     
     
         9 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 1  further comprising one or more side covers coupled to the first coupling flange and the second coupling flange, the one or more side covers being configured to cover at least a portion of the linear actuator. 
     
     
         10 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator is a hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
         11 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the linkage assembly includes:
 first and second drive lugs configured to be fixedly coupled to and depend from the shaft at respective first and second positions between the first and second coupling flanges of the bucket; and   first and second linear actuators each having a first end coupled to the top wall of the bucket and a second end fixedly coupled to one of the first and second drive lugs, the first linear actuator being movable between a retracted position and an extended position to pivot the bucket in a first direction about the axis of the shaft and the second linear actuator being movable between a retracted position and an extended position to pivot the bucket in a second direction about the axis of the shaft.   
     
     
         12 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second linear actuators are contained within the compartment. 
     
     
         13 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 11  further comprising one or more protective covers configured to couple to the first and second coupling flanges and cover the shaft, the first and second drive lugs and the first and second linear actuators. 
     
     
         14 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the second end of the first linear actuator is coupled to the first drive lug at a first position between the first coupling flange and the second coupling flange, and the second end of the second linear actuator is coupled to the second drive lug at a second position between the first coupling flange and the second coupling flange. 
     
     
         15 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the first position and the second position are spaced apart from each other along the axis of the shaft. 
     
     
         16 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first drive lug and the second drive lug include:
 a mounting portion configured to fixedly couple the drive lug to the shaft; and   a distal portion configured to fixedly couple the drive lug to the second end of one of the linear actuators.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the mounting portion of the first drive lug and the second drive lug comprises a u-shaped portion to be received by a squared-portion of the shaft. 
     
     
         19 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 11  further comprising one or more side covers coupled to the first coupling flange and the second coupling flange, the one or more side covers being configured to cover at least a portion of the first and second linear actuators. 
     
     
         20 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second linear actuators are each hydraulic cylinders. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The tilt bucket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes a set of grooves extending longitudinally along the axis of the shaft, and the top mount has at least one aperture with a profile shaped to receive the grooves to fixedly couple the shaft to the top mount.