Excavating – Digging edge – Tooth or adaptor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-18
2001-06-05
Novosad, Christopher J. (Department: 3671)
Excavating
Digging edge
Tooth or adaptor
C037S455000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240663
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to excavating apparatus and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly provides improved apparatus for removably attaching a wear member, such as an excavating tooth adapter, to the lip portion of an excavating device such as a bucket, dipper or the like.
Large excavating buckets, dippers or the like are typically provided with a series of earth-cutting teeth which are each formed from two primary parts—a relatively large adapter and a relatively small replaceable point. The adapter has a base portion which is connectable to the forward lower lip of the bucket, and a nose portion onto which the tooth point is removably secured by a suitable connecting pin or other connecting structure. Compared to that of the adapter, the useful life of the point is rather short—the adapter typically lasting through five or more point replacements until the tremendous earth forces and abrasion to which the adapter is subjected necessitates its replacement.
Various structures have been previously proposed for removably attaching adapters, and other wear members such as wear shrouds, to excavating lip structures. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,145 to Ruvang a wear shroud having a generally C-shaped cross section is removably attached to the front edge of an excavating bucket lip by first placing the front lip edge in the interior of the wear shroud so that the top and bottom legs of the shroud respectively extend along the top and bottom sides of the lip. A rear end portion of the top shroud leg is then removably secured, using a J-bolt inserted into the top leg after the wear shroud is positioned on the bucket lip, to a base structure welded to the top side of the lip. A nut threaded onto the J-bolt at the rear end of the top shroud leg and facing the welded base structure prevents the forward removal of the installed wear shroud from the bucket lip.
While this particular wear member-to-lip attachment system has proven to be well suited for its intended purpose, it has several limitations and disadvantages. For example, the attachment system requires that the adapter portion of each adapter/tooth point assembly have a relatively high frontal projection area which increases the resistance to penetration of the adapter/tooth point assembly into the material being excavated. Additionally, the adapter-to-lip attachment structure is exposed to the material being excavated, and is thus subject to undesirable abrasion wear. Additionally, the rear portion of the installed adapter tends to promote excavated material “build-up” thereon which, in turn, undesirably decreases the available excavating payload of the bucket.
From the foregoing it can readily be seen that a need exists for improved wear member-to-excavating lip attachment apparatus which will eliminate or at least substantially reduce these limitations and disadvantages. It is to this need that the present invention is directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, an excavating device, representatively an excavating bucket, is provided with a wear protection system extending along a front edge portion of its lower lip plate section. The wear protection system includes a series of specially designed wear members, illustratively excavating tooth adapters, which are mutually spaced apart along the length of the front lip edge portion.
Each wear member has a generally C-shaped configuration with a front portion from which first and second legs rearwardly extend along opposite sides of a cavity removably receiving a part of the front lip edge portion, the first leg of each wear member having an interior area. Illustratively, the first legs of the wear members are top legs thereof and extend rearwardly along the top side of the excavating lip, and the second legs of the wear members are bottom legs thereof and extend rearwardly along the bottom side of the excavating lip.
A series of connection sections are carried on the excavating lip, representatively on its top side, and are spaced apart along its length. Additionally, attachment structures are associated with the wear members, and removably secure them to the excavating lip structure.
Each of the attachment structures has a portion which is (1) supported within the interior area of the top leg of its associated wear member for movement with the wear member onto the front lip edge portion of the excavating lip structure, (2) removably connected to one of connection sections, and (3) forwardly and rearwardly movable relative to the wear member and its associated connection section. Biasing structures are associated with the attachment structures and resiliently bias the wear members rearwardly relative to the front edge portion of the excavating lip structure to impart to the removably installed wear members a self-tightening force relative to the front lip edge portion to automatically compensate for operational wear at the adapter/lip interface area.
In a preferred embodiment of the wear members, the top leg of each wear member has an inner or bottom side, and the interior area of the top leg is defined by a depression extending inwardly through its inner side and opening outwardly through a rear end thereof. The top leg of each wear member has a projecting portion extending into the interior area thereof, and the attachment structure portion includes (1) a body portion disposed forwardly of the projecting portion, (2) a first portion extending rearwardly from the body portion and being slidably interengaged with the projecting portion for forward and rearward movement relative thereto, and (3) a second portion extending rearwardly from the body portion, the second portion being secured to one of the connection sections and being rearwardly movable relative to the projecting portion to move the body portion rearwardly toward the projecting portion. The biasing structure includes a spring structure interposed between the body portion and the projecting portion and being compressible therebetween in response to movement of the body portion toward the projecting portion.
Illustratively, in each of the spaced series of wear members, the projecting portion includes a spaced pair Of bosses having openings extending therethrough, the first portion includes a spaced pair of parallel first and second rods extending rearwardly from the body portion and slidably received in the openings in the spaced pair of bosses, the second portion includes a third rod extending rearwardly from the body portion parallel to and between the first and second rods, and the spring structure includes a pair of coiled compression springs circumscribing the first and second rods between the body portion and the bosses. Preferably, retaining structures carried by the first and second rods captives retain them in their associated boss openings.
Preferably, each of the connection sections has a hole extending therethrough between front and rear side surface portions thereof, and, in each of the attachment structures the third rod has a threaded rear end portion and extends rearwardly through an associated one of the connection section holes. The attachment structure further includes a nut member threaded onto the threaded rear end portion of the nut member and bearing against the rear side surface portion of the associated connection section and maintaining the springs on the first and second rods in compression. Each of the nut members preferably has an axially elongated configuration with a faceted end surface complementarily engaging an associated faceted rear side surface area of the associated connection section.
The specially designed configurations of the attachment structures in their preferred embodiment provides the installed wear members, which are illustratively excavating tooth adapters, with low profile configurations which desirably reduce their projected frontal areas and increase their earth penetration efficiencies.
The wear members are
G. H. Hensley Industries, Incorporated
Konneker & Smith P.C.
Novosad Christopher J.
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