Caterpillar introduces side discharge bucket

discharge bucket
The side discharge buckets are designed for use with skid steer, multi-terrain, compact track and compact wheel loaders.

Caterpillar’s new side discharge bucket collects loose materials, like mulch or topsoil, and then discharge their contents via a belt-type conveyor from adjustable openings on either side of the bucket.

The new buckets are designed for use with skid steer loaders, multi-terrain loaders, compact track loaders and compact wheel loaders.

A rotating agitator works to keep material flowing to the conveyor.

The volume of material discharged is controlled by adjusting the conveyor speed and door opening controls. The discharge bucket is suitable for various applications, including agriculture, construction, landscaping, road maintenance and material handling.

The conveyor

The rubber conveyor belt features a heavy duty, raised chevron tread design and is equipped with an adjustable tensioning device.

As well, two externally mounted and reversible, hydraulic motors power the conveyor directly, eliminating any intermediate drive mechanisms.

The buckets include specially designed openings in its floor to allow any material remaining in the bucket to escape, preventing material build-up beneath the conveyor. Side discharge buckets designed for consistent use in sand, or other heavy materials, include an internal baffle to reduce belt strain.

High-torque motor

The agitator assembly, directly powered by a third, high-torque hydraulic motor, functions to reduce material bridging in the bucket to ensure consistent material flow to the conveyor. Furthermore, agitator paddles are available in sand and sawdust configurations. The sand style features a straight design that exerts added force to push through dense material, and the sawdust type features an aggressive design that uses prongs to assist in breaking up material and reducing weight on the conveyor.

Discharge bucket doors

The manually adjustable discharge bucket doors, one on each side of the bucket, regulate the volume of material released.

The doors are built with thick-plate reinforcement for durability. As an added safety feature for Cat’s side discharge buckets, a welded, serrated step allows for entering and exiting the cab.

Cat’s new skeleton buckets are built with steel gussets that are welded between the outermost rods in the bucket floor and the sides of the bucket.

Skeleton buckets

Caterpillar has also unveiled new skeleton buckets.

Used primarily to separate rocks and large debris from soil and sand, Cat’s skeleton buckets feature heavy duty construction and are suitable in a number of industries, including agriculture, construction, land clearing, demolition, landscaping and scrap handling.

Designed for use with skid steer loaders, multi-terrain loaders, compact track loaders and compact wheel loaders, the skeleton buckets incorporate a number of structural elements that ensure efficient operation and long-term durability.

In basic construction, skeleton buckets use heavy steel rods, 31.75 mm in diameter on 95-mm centres, to form the floor and back of the bucket.

Thick plates with rectangular openings form the sides of the bucket, and a rectangular frame, fabricated of heavy duty steel and incorporating two steel plate rock dams, strengthens the back of the attachment.

The rock dams serve to retain material, reducing spillage and increasing production.

For added durability, steel gussets are welded between the outermost rods in the bucket floor and the sides of the bucket.

The forward ends of the rods in the bucket floor are secured in a heavy-duty support beam positioned between — and welded to — the bucket sides. This beam not only provides support for the attachment, but allows the bucket to also be used for grading.

Welded to the forward tips of the rods and support beam are heavy steel tines that enhance breakout force by initially separating rock and debris from soil more effectively than a solid cutting edge