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  Actuator device, particularly for an orange-peel bucketUSPTO Application #: 20060230649Title: Actuator device, particularly for an orange-peel bucket Abstract: An actuator device, in particular for an orange-peel bucket, having a support, a hydraulic jack provided with a liner and a rod movable along an actuating axis, and a joint hinging in the jack to the support; the joint is provided with inner passages to feed oil to the jack without outer flexible pipes. (end of abstract) Agent: Woodcock Washburn LLP - Philadelphia, PA, US Inventor: Enzo Gusella USPTO Applicaton #: 20060230649 - Class: 037444000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Excavating, Scoop Or Excavating And Transporting Container, Scoop Or Bucket Structure, Per Se The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060230649. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority to Italian Application No. T02005A 000043, filed Jan. 27, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to an actuator device, particularly for an orange-peel bucket. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Many hydraulically operated machines are equipped with hydraulic actuators. For example, the booms of excavators, loaders and cranes mounted on trucks may be equipped with orange-peel buckets for loading, raising and moving material. Orange-peel buckets can comprise a plurality of shovels whose upper ends are hinged to a central supporting column. The shovels turn on their respective horizontal axes under the action of hydraulic jacks which oscillate between an open position and a closed position. [0004] The jacks are hinged to the central supporting column, or to another support, so as to turn during the opening and the closing of the shovels. The jacks are fed with pressurised oil by means of flexible pipes which are fastened at their ends to the liners of the jacks themselves. [0005] The solutions described above are not very satisfactory, because the oil feeding pipes are relatively cumbersome. They hinder the assembly of possible jack protection panels and cause orange-peel bucket assembly complexity because they require a layout that ensures deformation during operation and also accounts for rotation of the jacks without falling under a predetermined minimum value for the curvature ratio of the pipes themselves. [0006] Furthermore, the oil feeding pipes are relatively close to the orange-peel bucket shovels, which introduces relatively high risks of accidental breakage of the pipes themselves. The pipes may rupture during loading, transporting and/or unloading of the material. In this regard, proposed standards contemplate automatic protection valves downstream of the pipes. The valves close the oil outlets from the jacks if pressure drops due to oil leakage from the pipes. This maintains the jacks in fixed positions and thereby prevents material from falling from the orange-peel bucket, which safeguards the surrounding working environment. Such automatic stop valves are undesirable however because they introduce localised loss of load in the oil flow to and from the jacks during normal operating conditions, with consequent undesired increase of oil temperature. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] It is the object of the present invention to provide an actuator device, in particular for an orange-peel bucket, which allows to simply and cost-effectively solve the aforementioned problems. [0008] According one embodiment of the present invention, an actuator device is provided, in particular for an orange-peel bucket, comprising: [0009] supporting means, [0010] a jack operable by means of an operative fluid and comprising a liner and a rod movable with respect to said liner along an actuating axis; [0011] a joint for coupling the axial end of either said rod or said liner to said supporting means turnably about at least one rotation axis; [0012] channelling means for feeding said operative fluid to said jack; [0013] characterized in that said channelling means comprise at least one passage made through said joint. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a non-limiting exemplary embodiment, in which: [0015] FIG. 1 is a lateral schematic view of an orange-peel bucket equipped with a preferred embodiment of the actuator device according to the present invention; [0016] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a magnified vertical cross-section of the actuator device of the orange-peel bucket of FIG. 1; [0017] FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 and shows a variant of the actuator device of FIG. 1; and [0018] FIGS. 4 and 5 are related to further variants of the actuator device of FIG. 2, schematically shown in cross-section according to a cross-section plane orthogonal to the vertical cross-section plane of FIGS. 2 and 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS Continue reading... Full patent description for Actuator device, particularly for an orange-peel bucket Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Actuator device, particularly for an orange-peel bucket patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Actuator device, particularly for an orange-peel bucket or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Mini earth scraper Next Patent Application: Bucket or scoop with adjustable capacity Industry Class: Excavating ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Actuator device, particularly for an orange-peel bucket patent info. 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