Bracket for reversibly mounting an excavator bucket on an articulated arm

Abstract

There is described a bracket for mounting an excavation bucket on a coupler of an articulated arm. This bracket allows reversible mounting of the coupler of the excavation bucket by providing a rear concavity at a rear portion of the body and a front concavity at a front portion of the body, both oriented rearwardly, which can alternately hold a corresponding hinge shaft of a coupler in either orientation. Abutments at the center of the body (split into a front and rear abutment edges, intersecting) are provided to further retain the coupler in the mounting bracket in either configuration by a receiving a stopper of the coupler, which is circular and may be excentric with respect to another hinge shaft of the coupler. Gripping and un-gripping can thereby be facilitated.

1 . A bracket for reversibly mounting an excavation bucket on a coupler of an articulated arm, the bracket comprising:
 a body;   a rear concavity, the rear concavity rearwardly located and oriented rearwardly with respect to a center of the body;   a front concavity frontwardly located with respect to a center of the body and oriented rearwardly;   a rear abutment edge and a front abutment edge, by a center of the body;   wherein the rear concavity and the front concavity are for alternately receiving one of the hinge shafts of the coupler;   wherein the front abutment edge and the rear abutment edge are for alternately receiving a stopper of the coupler, thus allowing reversible mounting on the coupler on the bracket.   
     
     
         2 . The bracket of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first heel portion formed at a rear portion of the body for receiving a blocking bar of the coupler in the first one of two reversible configurations; and   a second heel portion formed at a front portion of the body for receiving a blocking bar of the coupler in the second one of two reversible configurations.   
     
     
         3 . The bracket of  claim 1 , further comprising a notch at a bottom of the mounting bracket for conforming to a corresponding portion of a bucket assembled with the coupler. 
     
     
         4 . The bracket of  claim 3 , wherein the notch is formed at a bottom of a downward arm, a base thereof located by the second abutment formed at a front portion of the body. 
     
     
         5 . The bracket of  claim 4 , wherein the front concavity is formed by a front arm extending upwardly at the front portion of the body, a base of said front arm comprising the second heel portion. 
     
     
         6 . The bracket of  claim 5 , wherein the rear concavity is formed by a rear arm extending upwardly at the rear portion of the body, a base of said rear arm comprising the first heel portion. 
     
     
         7 . The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein the rear concavity and the front concavity have a same radius of curvature and respectively form an arc-of-circle, the radius of curvature corresponding to a corresponding portion on one of the hinge shafts of the coupler. 
     
     
         8 . The bracket of  claim 7 , wherein the rear abutment edge and the front abutment edge have a same radius of curvature and respectively form an arc-of-circle, both being in contact and joined at an apex. 
     
     
         9 . The bracket of  claim 8 , wherein the rear abutment edge and the front abutment edge have the same radius of curvature as the stopper of the coupler. 
     
     
         10 . A method for reversibly mounting an excavation bucket on a coupler of an articulated arm, the method comprising:
 providing a coupler having a first hinge shaft ending with a stopper at a lateral end of the first hinge shaft, the stopper being circular and being excentric with the first hinge shaft, a second hinge shaft and a blocking bar;   providing a bracket comprising:
 a body extending in a plane; 
 a rear concavity by a rear portion of the body, the rear concavity rearwardly located and oriented rearwardly; 
 a front concavity by a front portion of the body, located frontwardly and oriented rearwardly; 
 a rear abutment edge and a front abutment edge, by a center of the body; 
   in a first configuration of the coupler:
 inserting the second hinge shaft of the coupler in the front concavity; 
 inserting the stopper of the coupler in the rear abutment edge; 
   reversibly mounting the bracket and the coupler into a second reversed configuration by:
 removing the bracket from the coupler; 
 inserting the second hinge shaft of the coupler in the rear concavity; and 
 inserting the stopper of the coupler in the front abutment edge. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 in the first configuration of the coupler:
 abutting the blocking bar of the coupler on a heel portion at a rear portion of the bracket; 
   and in reversibly mounting the bracket and the coupler into the second reversed configuration:
 abutting the blocking bar of the coupler on a heel portion at a front portion of the bracket.