Excavating – Digging edge – Tooth or adaptor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-18
2001-04-03
Novosad, Christopher J. (Department: 3671)
Excavating
Digging edge
Tooth or adaptor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209238
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 securing 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 secured 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, 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. To permit such removal, it is necessary to gain access to the rear end of the top shroud leg and rearwardly remove the nut from the J-bolt.
This technique securely attaches the wear shroud to a front edge portion of the lip with only the top leg of the shroud being anchored, via the top side lip weld base, to the lip. When a larger wear member, such as an excavating tooth adapter, is to be removably attached to the lip it is typically desirable to additionally anchor a rear end portion of the bottom wear member leg to the lip to increase the strength of wear member attachment. using this J-bolt attachment technique on both of the top and bottom wear member legs would, of course substantially increase the strength with which the wear member was removably held on the bucket lip. However, to decouple the bottom wear member leg from the lip it would be necessary to gain access to the rear end of the bottom wear member leg which is positioned a substantial distance from the front lip edge along the underside of the lip. This requirement to access the rear end of the bottom wear member leg beneath the typically massive bucket lip would undesirably make its decoupling from the bucket lip an awkward, difficult and potentially dangerous task.
It can thus be seen that a need exists for apparatus for removably securing the rear ends of both of the upper and lower leg portions of a wear member, such as an excavating tooth adapter, to a bucket lip in a manner permitting the decoupling of the lower leg from the lip without having to access the rear end of the lower leg. 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, excavating apparatus is provided which includes a lip structure, disposed for example on an excavating bucket, a wear member, representatively an excavating tooth adapter, and specially designed fastening apparatus useable to removably mount the wear member on the lip structure.
The wear member has a generally C-shaped cross section with a front end portion from which top and bottom legs extend along a cavity. In the assembled apparatus a front edge portion of the lip structure is removably received within the cavity, with the top and bottom legs of the wear member respectively extending along the top and bottom sides of the lip structure. A first fastening structure, illustratively including a spring-loaded J-bolt assembly, removably connects a rear end portion of the top wear member leg to the top side of the lip structure rearwardly of its front edge. A second fastening structure removably connects a rear end portion of the bottom wear member leg to the bottom side of the lip structure rearwardly of its front edge.
According to a key aspect of the invention, the second fastening structure has a disconnection portion accessible and loosenable from a front bottom portion of the wear member, disposed forwardly of the rear end portion of the bottom leg, to permit the bottom wear member leg to be disconnected from the bottom side of the lip structure without having to reach under the lip structure to the rear end portion of the bottom wear member leg. This capability of disconnecting the bottom wear member leg from a front portion thereof, as opposed to having to reach clear back to its rear end under the lip structure, makes the overall wear member removal task safer and more convenient.
Preferably, the disconnection portion of the second fastening structure is forwardly movable during loosening thereof, and is illustratively a threaded member—in one representative embodiment of the invention being a nut, and in another representative embodiment of the invention being a bolt. Additionally, at least one of the first and second fastening structures is operative to resiliently bias the front end portion of the installed wear member rearwardly toward the front edge of the excavating lip structure to thereby effect a self-tightening connection of the wear member to the lip.
In accordance with other features of the invention, the excavating apparatus further comprises a base member removable securable to the excavating lip structure with an upper end portion extending above the top side of the excavating lip structure and defining a portion of the first fastening structure, and a lower end portion extending below the bottom side of the excavating lip structure and defining a portion of the second fastening structure. Representatively, the excavating lip structure has an opening disposed therein rearwardly of its front edge and extending between its top and bottom sides, and the base member is removably insertable into this lip structure opening, with the bottom leg of the wear member being releasably interlockable with the lower end portion of the base member. Preferably, the second fastening structure further includes a base clamp member releasably interlockable with the lower end portion of the base member and with the bottom wear member leg in the assembled excavating apparatus, and a securement structure for releasably securing the bottom wear member leg to the base clamp member. The securement structure preferably includes a threaded member extendable from the base clamp member forwardly through a portion of the bottom wear member leg.
In one embodiment of the excavating apparatus, the threaded member is fixedly secured to the base clamp member and has a front end portion, the removal portion is a nut threadable onto the front end portion of the threaded member, and a spring is compressed between the nut and a facing portion of the bottom wear member leg and functions to resiliently bias the front end portion of the wear member toward the front edge of the lip structure.
In another embodiment of the excavating apparatus, the threaded member is a bolt defining the removal portion and having a rear end threadable into the base clamp member, and a front end with a head thereon. A spring member is positioned to be compressed between the head and a facing portion of the bottom wear member leg and resiliently bias the front end portion of the wear member toward the front edge of the lip structure.
In one version ther
GH Hensley Industries, Inc.
Konneker & Smith P.C.
Novosad Christopher J.
LandOfFree
Excavating adapter-to-lip connection apparatus with bottom... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Excavating adapter-to-lip connection apparatus with bottom..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Excavating adapter-to-lip connection apparatus with bottom... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2522013