Bucket and a ground moving apparatus including the bucket

Abstract

A bucket ( 10 ) for moving ground material is disclosed. The bucket ( 10 ) comprises a load section ( 14 ) for receiving ground material at least partially defining an open mouth ( 17 ) through which ground material enters and is discharged from the bucket ( 10 ) in use. The load section ( 14 ) may comprise a frame ( 22 ) defining a three-dimensional internal frame space having a removeable plate ( 24, 26, 28 ) mounted on the frame and extending across the frame opening. The removable plate ( 24, 26, 28 ) may be configured to complement the frame opening and have a peripheral edge that is snugly received within the frame opening and is welded to the frame ( 22 ) around its peripheral edge. The removable plate ( 24, 26, 28 ) may be welded to the frame ( 22 ) with a continuous weld that extends around the full peripheral edge of the removable plate. The removeable plate ( 24, 26, 28 ) may be separable from the frame ( 22 ) by breaking the weld to the frame around its peripheral edge so that it can be replaced with another plate.

1 . A bucket for moving ground material, the bucket comprising:
 a load section, for receiving ground material, at least partially defining an open mouth through which ground material enters and is discharged from the bucket in use, the load section comprising:   a frame defining a three-dimensional internal frame space, and forming at least one frame opening bounding the internal frame space, the at least one frame opening having a removeable plate mounted on the frame and extending across the frame opening;   wherein the removable plate is configured to complement the frame opening and has a peripheral edge coupled to the frame by a weld; and   wherein the removable plate is separable from the frame by separation comprising breaking the weld, to allow replacement of the removable plate by another removable plate.   
     
     
         2 . A bucket according to  claim 1 , wherein the removable plate is configured so that its peripheral edge is positioned adjacent to the frame or in contact with the frame, and the removable plate is welded to the frame around peripheral edge of the removable plate. 
     
     
         3 . A bucket according to  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral edge is snugly received within the frame opening, and the weld comprises a continuous weld around the full peripheral edge of the removable plate forming a continuous and uninterrupted bucket surface. 
     
     
         4 . A bucket according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one frame opening comprises a plurality of frame openings, and the load section comprises a respective said removeable plate mounted across each respective frame opening. 
     
     
         5 . A bucket according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises two side frame sections, one on each side of the load section, and each side frame section comprises a continuous side frame member that surrounds and defines a said frame opening with a said removable plate extending across the frame opening. 
     
     
         6 . A bucket according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a support frame section extending between two side frame sections, and the support frame section defines at least one said frame opening, with said removable plate extending across the frame opening and welded at its peripheral edge to the support frame section. 
     
     
         7 . A bucket according to  claim 6 , wherein the support frame section comprises at least two support frame members extending transverse to the side frame sections from one side frame section to the other side frame section. 
     
     
         8 . A bucket according to  claim 6 , wherein the support frame section defines no more than two said frame openings, the or each said frame opening having a removeable plate mounted on the frame and extending across the frame opening. 
     
     
         9 . A bucket according to  claim 1 , wherein the load section is configured with a substantially box-like configuration and forms an open top. 
     
     
         10 . A bucket according to  claim 9 , wherein the load section comprises a base having four sides and a wall extends up from the base along three sides thereof, and a fourth side extending up from the base is open and provides at least part of the mouth. 
     
     
         11 . A bucket according to  claim 6 , wherein the mouth is positioned between the two side frame sections, and the bucket further comprises a scraper mounted on the frame at or adjacent to the mouth. 
     
     
         12 . A bucket according to  claim 9 , further comprising a re-usable handling section that is configured for being operatively coupled to an external bucket handling arrangement on a ground machine for manoeuvring the bucket, wherein the handling section is fabricated separately from the load section and mounted on the load section, and the load section can be separated from the handling section when worn, and replaced with another load section. 
     
     
         13 . A bucket according to  claim 12 , wherein the handling section comprises a top plate mounted to the frame and extending across the open top of the load section. 
     
     
         14 . A bucket according to  claim 13 , wherein the top plate has a peripheral edge, and the handling section comprises a skirt extending down from the peripheral edge of the top plate, and the open top of the load section is received within the skirt. 
     
     
         15 . A bucket according to  claim 14 , wherein the handling section is welded to the load section along a length of the skirt, and the load section is separable from the handling section by separation comprising breaking the weld. 
     
     
         16 . A bucket according to  claim 15 , wherein the handling section is welded to the load section along an external weld line on an outer surface of the load section, and an internal weld line on an inner surface of the handling section. 
     
     
         17 . A bucket according to  claim 14 , wherein the handling section is fixed to the load section by a line of fastening elements extending along a length of the skirt, and the load section is separable from the handling section by separation comprising removing the fastening elements. 
     
     
         18 . A ground moving machine comprising:
 a support;   an articulating member extending from the support; and   a bucket according to  claim 1  mounted on an end of the articulating member remote from the support.   
     
     
         19 . A method of servicing a bucket according to  claim 1 , the method including:
 detecting when a removeable plate is damaged and requires replacement;   separating the removeable plate from the frame by breaking the weld; and   attaching another removeable plate to the frame by welding it to the frame.   
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein detecting when a removeable plate is damaged comprises visually observing excessive deformation or failure of the removeable plate, and said detecting is carried out by an operator of a ground machine on which the bucket is mounted. 
     
     
         21 . A bucket for moving ground material, the bucket comprising:
 a load section for receiving ground material, the load section at least partially defining an open mouth through which ground material enters and is discharged from the bucket in use, the load section comprising:   a frame defining a three-dimensional internal frame space, and forming at least one frame opening bounding the internal frame space, the at least one frame opening having a removeable plate mounted on the frame and extending across the frame opening,   wherein the removable plate has a peripheral edge and is mounted to the frame around the peripheral edge of the removeable plate, and   wherein the load section and the removable plate are configured for removal of the removable plate after the removable plate has been substantially damaged in use, by demounting from the frame, to allow replacement by another removable plate.   
     
     
         22 . A bucket according to  claim 21 , wherein the removable plate is mounted to the frame by affixing the removeable plate to the frame around the peripheral edge of the removeable plate, and wherein the load section and the removable plate are configured for removal of the removable plate, after the removable plate has been substantially damaged in use, by detaching the peripheral edge of the removeable plate from the frame.