Hole digging device for construction equipment
A hole digging device is configured as an attachment for use in combination with a hydraulic excavator, such as a backhoe, the device including opposed, pivotally connected digging blades. One of the blades includes opposed arms for supporting the device on the distal end of the boom of the hydraulic excavator or backhoe and the other digging blade also includes opposed arms for connection to the piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder for moving the digging blades relative to each other between open and closed positions.
Various pieces of equipment have been developed for digging vertical holes in the earth for construction purposes, such as postholes and holes for receiving foundation pilings and anchoring structures. Although specialized pieces of equipment have been developed for digging vertical holes in the earth, there has been a need for hole digging equipment or devices which may be adapted for attachment to the boom of hydraulic excavating equipment, such as a so-called backhoe apparatus. The provision of such a device as a removable attachment increases the versatility and usefulness of expensive construction equipment, such as hydraulic excavators or so-called backhoes. The provision of a removable hole digging device also eliminates the need for a specialized piece of hole digging equipment which would otherwise be idle when not needed. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a hole digging device, particularly adapted for removable attachment to and use in combination with an excavator apparatus, including, in particular, a hydraulic excavator or backhoe.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a hole digging device is provided which includes opposed digging blades pivotably connected to each other and forming a substantially cylindrical digging device or shovel, not unlike a manual posthole digger, but wherein the digging device is particularly adapted for attachment to the distal end of a movable boom of a hydraulic excavator or the like. The hole digging device includes opposed arms which are fixed to one of the digging blades and are adapted for connection to spaced apart support pin members on the boom of the excavator apparatus. The other digging blade of the device includes a connector for connecting the other blade to an extensible hydraulic cylinder and piston actuator mounted on the boom and otherwise used for manipulating an excavator bucket.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a device which is easily substituted for the hydraulic actuated excavating bucket or backhoe bucket normally connected to the distal end of a movable boom of an excavator apparatus. In this way a hole digging device is provided which does not require separate hole digging equipment, such as the more common motorized auger type hole digger, an expensive piece of equipment which would otherwise sit idle when not needed for digging post, piling or anchor holes, for example.
Still further, instead of requiring two expensive pieces of equipment, one of which might sit idle while the other is in use, the hole digging device of the present invention increases the versatility of an excavator, backhoe or similar apparatus while permitting substitution of the hole digging device for an excavator bucket or other boom mounted attachment. Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the abovementioned advantages and superior features of the invention together with other important aspects thereof upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the description which follows like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawing with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
Referring to
The excavator unit 10 includes a second boom 14 mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the first boom 12 at a pivot connection 14a. Boom 14 is movable to selected working positions with respect to boom 12 by a hydraulic cylinder and piston actuator 16 of conventional design. Referring still further to
In the illustrations of
Referring to
Referring now to the exploded perspective view of
Digging blade 28 is provided with spaced apart, preferably semi-circular, connecting bosses 32 and 34,
Digging blade 28 is provided with longitudinal opposed side edges 28c and 28d disposed generally below the bosses 32 and 34 and short longitudinal side edges 28e and 28f extending above the bosses 32 and 34 and terminating at an upper transverse edge 28g of blade 28. Side edges 28c and 28d are disposed, preferably, at a slight acute angle with respect to longitudinal central axis 21 of digging device 20 so that a tapered or wedge shaped space is formed between edges 28c and 30c and between edges 28d and 30d when cooperating edges 28e and 40a are contiguous and when cooperating edges 28f and 42a are also contiguous or in contact with each other. In other words, edges 28e and 28f form a stop when engaged with edges 40a and 42a when blade 28 is pivoted with respect to blade 30, and comprising an open position of digging device 20.
Blades 28 and 30 are adapted to be connected to each other by respective bearing pins 52 and 54 each having respective cylindrical head portions 52a and 54a. Bearing pins 52 and 54 are cylindrical and are dimensioned to be received within cooperating bearing bushings 56 and 58 of digging device 20. Bushings 56 and 58 are adapted to be disposed in the cooperating bores 48 and 32a and bores 50 and 34a, respectively, for pivotally connecting the digging blades 28 and 30 to each other. Bearing bushings 56 and 58 may, for example, be press fitted into bores 32a and 34a. Pins 52 and 54 are adapted to project within the bores of the bearing bushings 56 and 58 and the heads 52a and 54a welded to the plates 44 and 46, respectively. In this way bearing pins 52 and 54 may pivot within the bearing bushings 56 and 58 as the digging plates 28 and 30 are pivoted with respect to each other for limited movement about a central axis of the coaxially aligned bores 48 and 50 of plates 44 and 46.
Referring further to
In response to actuation of the hydraulic cylinder actuator 18 to extend its piston rod 18e, viewing
The construction and operation of the digging device 20 is believed to be understandable to those skilled in the art based on the foregoing description. Conventional engineering materials may be used to form the components of the digging device 20, such as high strength steel for essentially all of the components except for the bearing bushings 56 and 58, which may be formed of a suitable compatible bearing material, such as bronze or even, possibly, a self lubricating polymer, such as nylon.
Although a preferred embodiment of a digging device for connection to an excavator boom has been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A post hole digging device in combination with an excavator apparatus including a moveable boom, said device comprising:
- opposed digging blades pivotally connected to each other to form a generally cylindrical hole upon being forced to penetrate the earth;
- a pair of opposed arms connected to one of said blades for connecting said device to said boom of said excavator apparatus; and
- the other of said blades including means for connection to an actuator mounted on said boom for moving said blades relative to each other between device open and closed positions.
2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said one blade includes opposed recesses and said other blade comprises opposed bosses projecting from opposed side edges of said other blade and adapted for receipt within said recesses, respectively, and said device includes opposed pivot members for supporting said blades with respect to each other for pivotal movement of said other blade with respect to said one blade.
3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein:
- said one blade includes support members secured to said one blade adjacent said recesses for supporting said pivot members, respectively.
4. The combination set forth in claim 3 including:
- bearing bushings disposed in said bosses on said other blade and adapted for receiving said pivot members and for supporting said blades with respect to each other for pivotal movement.
5. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein:
- said blades comprise cooperating portions of respective side edges for limiting pivotal movement of said blades with respect to each other between an open position for penetration of said blades into the earth and a closed position for retrieving a quantity of earth trapped between said blades.
6. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said arms include spaced apart pin receiving bores formed therein for connecting said device to said boom by spaced apart support pin means disposed on said boom and disposed in said bores in said arms, respectively.
7. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said means for connection on said other blade comprise spaced apart arms including means for connecting said other blade to said actuator.
8. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said other blade includes a concave arcuate relieved upper edge portion to provide cylindricity of said hole when said device is retrieved from said hole.
9. A post hole digging device in combination with an excavator apparatus including a moveable boom, said device comprising:
- opposed digging blades pivotally connected to each other to form a generally cylindrical hole upon being forced to penetrate the earth;
- opposed spaced apart arms connected to each of said blades for connecting said device to said boom and to an actuator, respectively, of said excavator apparatus; and
- opposed pivot pins for supporting said blades with respect to each other for pivotal movement of one blade with respect to the other blade.
10. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein:
- said one blade includes opposed recesses and said other blade comprises opposed bosses projecting from opposed side edges of said other blade and adapted for receipt within said recesses, respectively.
11. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein:
- said one blade includes support members secured to said one blade adjacent said recesses for supporting said pivot pins, respectively.
12. The combination set forth in claim 11 including:
- bearing bushings disposed in said bosses on said other blade and adapted for receiving said pivot pins, respectively.
13. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein:
- said blades comprise cooperating portions of said side edges for limiting pivotal movement of said blades with respect to each other between a device open position, for penetration of said blades into the earth and a device closed position for retrieving a quantity of earth disposed between said blades.
14. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein:
- said arms on one of said blades include spaced apart pin receiving bores for connecting said device to said boom by spaced apart support pin means.
15. A post hole digging device in combination with an excavator apparatus including a moveable boom, said device comprising:
- opposed digging blades connected to each other to form a generally cylindrical hole upon being forced to penetrate the earth;
- opposed spaced apart arms connected to each of said blades for connecting said device to said boom and to an actuator mounted on said boom, respectively;
- one of said blades includes opposed recesses and the other of said blades comprises opposed bosses disposed within said recesses, respectively;
- opposed pivot pins for supporting said blades with respect to each other for pivotal movement of one blade with respect to the other blade; and
- bearing bushings disposed in said bosses on said other blade and adapted for receiving said pivot pins, respectively.
16. The combination set forth in claim 15 wherein:
- said blades comprise cooperating portions of said side edges for limiting pivotal movement of said blades with respect to each other between a device open position for penetration of said blades into the earth and a device closed position for retrieving a quantity of earth disposed between said blades.
17. The combination set forth in claim 15 wherein:
- said arms on one of said blades include spaced apart pin receiving bores for connecting said device to said boom by spaced apart support pin means.
18. The combination set forth in claim 15 wherein:
- said other blade includes a concave arcuate relieved upper edge portion to provide cylindricity of said hole when said device is retrieved from said hole.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 21, 2005
Publication Date: Dec 21, 2006
Inventor: Stephen Crow (Point, TX)
Application Number: 11/157,241
International Classification: E02F 3/96 (20060101);