The present invention relates to a crusher bucket for material resembling stone and the like, according to the preamble of the main claim. Technological background

Within the technical field of reference and in particular from the current production of the Applicant, buckets are known that are equipped for the collection of material resembling stone or the like such as aggregate, inert materials, manufacturing waste (also from the metallurgical industry) and demolition material, and which are provided internally with crushing means for crushing the collected material.

It is stated that, in this context, the term "bucket" is intended to indicate as a whole any device arranged and intended to be hooked onto the free end of an arm of an operating machine.

An example of a crusher bucket according to the prior art is described in International Patent Application No. PCT/IT02/00555 in the name of the Applicant. In that example, the crushing means arranged in the bucket comprise a pair of jaws facing each other, one movable with respect to the other for compressing and crushing the material present between same. The particular movement executed by the movable jaw with respect to the fixed jaw is obtained by means of the provision of an eccentric connection at a first end of the movable jaw, which effects a first rotary-translational

movement of same about an axis of rotation, and by the provision of a toggle connection with a second, opposed end of the movable jaw, which effects a second rotary-translational motion of same.

The toggle connection comprises a strut interposed in articulation between a main body of the bucket and the second end of the jaw, and which will maintain the correct minimum distance between the jaws at the outlet from the bucket and react against the thrusts generated by the crushing of the stone-like material.

The toggle connection is limitedly adjustable both with reference to the overall distance between the jaw and the main body, by means of the insertion of suitable spacers between the strut and the body, and with reference to the inclination of the strut with respect to the jaw.

The crusher bucket described in the patent application cited above has certainly represented a notable progress compared with previously known buckets; however, some drawbacks have been found which limit the performance thereof, in particular with reference to the efficiency and productive capacity of the bucket. Description of the invention

The principal aim of the present invention is that of providing a crusher bucket for material resembling stone or the like, which is structurally and functionally configured so as to remedy the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the prior art cited.

In particular, the invention proposes to provide a crusher bucket which has a greater efficiency and/or productive capacity. This aim is achieved by the present invention by means of a crusher

bucket produced in accordance with the claims which follow. Brief description of the drawings

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of a preferred exemplary embodiment thereof, described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view, in partial section plane, of a bucket produced according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view in section of the bucket of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in section and on an enlarged scale of a detail of the bucket of Figure 1. Preferred way of implementing the invention

In the drawings, a crusher bucket produced in accordance with the present invention is indicated as a whole by 1.

The bucket 1 is arranged to be connected, via attachment means Ia provided thereon, to the free end of one or more arms of an operating machine (not shown).

The bucket 1 comprises a main body 2, shovel-shaped overall, in which is defined an inlet 3 for the loading of material resembling stone and the like, such as aggregate, inert material, manufacturing waste (also coming from the metallurgical and iron and steel industry) and demolition material, and having a widened cross-section with respect to an opposed outlet 4 for the discharge of the treated material, following the crushing operation. Between the inlet 3 and the outlet 4 is identified a direction of

flow F of the material through the bucket 1.

Mounted in the main body 2 are means for crushing the stone-like material, comprising a first, movable jaw 5 and an opposed second, fixed, jaw 6, integral with the body 2. Both the movable and the fixed jaw 5, 6 include a respective frame 5a, 6a on which are removably provided plates 5b, 6b, suitably grooved and capable of facilitating the crushing thereof.

In each of the jaws 5, 6 a first 7 and a second end 8 are defined, opposed to each other in the direction of flow F, the first ends 7 of the jaws 5 and 6 being positioned at the inlet 3, and the second ends 8 being positioned at the outlet 4. The distance between the first ends 7 of the jaws 5 and 6 determines the maximum dimension of the aggregate that can be loaded into the bucket 1, and is greater than the distance between the second ends 8, which is correlated instead to the maximum dimension of the aggregate desired at the outlet. The bucket 1 also comprises moving means, acting on the first jaw 5 in order to move it away from and towards the second jaw 6 according to a suitable trajectory so as to crush the stone-like material which may be present between the jaws.

The moving means comprise drive means, for example a hydraulic motor 9, housed within the main body 2 and by which, via a belt transmission 10, a shaft 11 is driven in rotation about an axis X. Provided on the shaft 11 is an eccentric 12, coupled to a bearing 13 onto which is slipped a sleeve 14, which is therefore idle with respect to the eccentrics 12. On the outer surface of the sleeve 14 the first jaw 5 is fixed at its first end 7.

The system described above represents an eccentric connection between the first jaw 5 and a member (the shaft 11) rotating about the axis of rotation X. Functionally analogous structures which produce a motion that is similar or has similar effects may of course be provided. The moving means also comprise a toggle connection comprising a strut 15 extending between the main body 2 and the second end 8 of the first jaw 5. The strut 15 is engaged in articulation at the opposed ends both on the body 2 and on the jaw 5, in such a way as to permit a pivoting movement, although of limited amplitude, of the strut with respect to the two members to which it is connected.

In this way, a first axis of articulation Y is defined between the strut

15 and the jaw 5, and a second axis of articulation Z is defined between the strut 15 and the main body 2.

In order to make the description of the operation of the bucket 1 easier, it is further convenient to define a first segment A, linking the axis of rotation X with the first axis of articulation Y of the strut 15 with respect to the jaw 5, and a second segment B, linking the two axes of articulation

Y and Z of the strut 15 with respect to the jaw 5 and to the body 2.

Between the first jaw 5 and the main body 2, resilient means 21, with adjustable loading, are further provided for urging the first jaw 5 against the strut 15.

The coupling between the strut 15 and the body 2 and jaw 5 respectively, is provided by the ends of the strut 15 being received in seats

16 provided on the body 2 and on the jaw 5. In a first embodiment, illustrated in the appended drawings, the

ends 17 of the strut have a substantially square profile with chamfered edges, while the seats 16 have an analogous square profile with increased dimensions with respect to those of the ends 17, such that the play existing between the articulation members is sufficient to allow the desired pivoting movement. In this way it is possible to avoid lubrication of the articulations, in so far as there is no rubbing between the contact surfaces, but rather a rolling of the end of the strut on the base of the seat 16.

Preferably, each seat 16 is formed by a channel of C-shaped section, supported laterally by a pair of containment plates 18 and, at the bottom, by respective cross-members 19a and 19b. Blocks 22 are fixed to the jaw 5 to prevent the lateral escape of the strut 15.

The cross-members 19a, 19b are of such dimensions as to control the stresses transmitted through the strut 15 and are conveniently extended from one side to the other respectively of the main body 2 and of the jaw 5, in order to discharge such stresses onto the sides of those components.

In particular, the cross-member 19a is fixed, at its ends, onto reinforcing plates 20 fitted on the sides of the main body 2, and which, in their turn, abut on a longitudinal member 23 of the bearing structure of the body 2.

In a second embodiment, not shown in the appended drawings, the articulation between the strut 15 and the body 2 or jaw 5 is obtained by means of a spherical coupling, provided by configuring the ends 17 of the strut 15 and, correspondingly, the seats 16, as a hemisphere. Naturally, the possibility also exists of varying the length of the strut

15, either by the use of spacers or by substituting the strut as a whole. In this way it is possible to adjust the distance between the ends 8 of the jaws 5 and 6, influencing the final particle size of the processed material. In an alternative embodiment not shown, provision is suitably made for the seats 16 on the body 2 and/or on the first jaw 5 to be more than one in number, so as to permit the insertion of the strut 15 according to different inclinations, thus also bringing about, in addition to a variation in the distance between the ends 8 of the jaws, trajectories of the first jaw 5 that are altogether different. According to a principal characteristic of the present invention, the angle C formed by the segment A passing through the axes of rotation X and the first axis of articulation Y, with the segment B passing through the axes of articulation Y and Z, is greater than 90°, that is, it is an obtuse angle. Preferably the angle is between 120° and 140°. The operation of the bucket 1 according to the invention is as follows.

The stone-like material to be crushed is collected by the bucket 1 through the inlet 3 and conveyed along the direction of flow F towards the jaws 5 and 6. The first jaw 5 is set in motion by actuating the hydraulic motor 9 which, via the belt transmission 10, sets the shaft 11 in rotation about the axis of rotation X.

Through the effect of the eccentric connection described above, the sleeve 14, and therefore the end 7 of the first jaw 5, is subjected to a first rotary-translational movement with respect to the axis X, substantially

comparable to a movement of revolution about said axis.

In order to facilitate the sliding of the stone-like material along the direction F, the rotation of the shaft 11, and therefore of the sleeve 14, should take place in a precise direction, in the example of Figure 1 in the anti-clockwise direction indicated by the arrow. Otherwise, the movement of the first jaw 5 with respect to the second, fixed jaw, would tend to hinder the access of the material to be crushed between the jaws.

The overall movement of the first jaw 5 is determined by the combination of this first movement with a second rotary-translational movement defined by the toggle connection interposed between the second end 8 of the jaw 5 and the main body 2. The presence of such a connection in fact provides a precise link to the first axis of articulation Y, which, at any moment, is free only to pivot about the second axis of articulation Z. Owing to the specific structural configuration of the toggle connection of the bucket according to the invention, forming an angle greater than 90° between the segment A and the segment B defined above, the result obtained is that along with the movement of the end 7 of the first jaw 5 closer to the second jaw 6, there is a simultaneous movement also of the second end 8 of the first jaw 5 closer to the fixed jaw 6. Similarly, along with the movement further away of the first end 7 there is a concomitant movement away also of the second end 8.

In this way a more homogeneous movement overall to and fro between the first and the second jaw is obtained, rendering more efficient the crushing of the stone-like material present between same.

It should be noted that in the buckets according to the prior art, the strut, although with adjustable inclination, is however positioned in such a way that the angle between the segments A and B defined above is less than 90°. With this configuration, however, the resultant movement of the first jaw had the effect that the movement of the first end 7 of the movable jaw 5 closer to the second jaw 6 entailed the movement away of the second end 8, with the consequent loss of efficiency and of productive capacity.

It should further be noted that, with the configuration of the invention, the stresses transmitted through the strut 15 are greater with respect to the known configuration, but that they are effectively reacted either by the jaw 5 or by the main body 2 owing to the provision of the cross-members 19a, 19b and of the reinforcing plates 20.

The invention thus achieves the aims proposed, further providing numerous advantages with respect to the prior art of reference, including a significant increase in the productive capacity of the bucket. A second important advantage obtained consists in the fact that, owing to the more homogeneous movement executed by the movable jaw, the tendency towards compression of the crushed material or material being crushed within the bucket is reduced considerably. This allows more efficient processing, even of moist, or earthy, or generally bituminous materials, with marked resilient characteristics, such as asphalts.

For the same reason, it is further possible to process relatively long members made of reinforced concrete, without the metal component thereof obstructing the flow of the material towards the outlet. Altogether,

therefore, an important saving is obtained in terms of work preparatory to the actual crushing.

Last but not least, it is possible to obtain a material having a finer particle size.