Dipper assembly and parts thereof
AssigneeMainetec Pty Ltd
InventorsStephen John Mounsey, Brett Ashley Hampson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dipper assembly and parts thereof for use with a mining shovel includes: a dipper body having a back wall and an open dipper bottom; a dipper door pivotally coupled to the back wall of the dipper body and moveable between open and closed positions relative to the open dipper bottom; and a latch assembly for releasably securing the door in the closed position. The latch assembly includes a latch keeper and a latch member for engaging the latch keeper. The latch keeper is associated with the dipper body proximate the open dipper bottom and the latch member is coupled to the dipper door. The latch member includes at least one roller to assist the latch member in engaging and disengaging with the latch keeper and to reduce wear on the latch member.
Claims17
A latch assembly for use with a dipper assembly of a mining shovel, the latch assembly comprising:
- (a) a latch keeper configured to be associated with a dipper body proximate an open dipper bottom of the dipper body;
- (b) a latch member configured to be coupled to a dipper door for engaging with the latch keeper and releasably securing the dipper door in a closed position closing the open dipper bottom, the latch member comprising:
- (i) an outer surface;
- (ii) an opposed inner surface configured to face the dipper door;
- (iii) a pair of opposed side edges;
- (iv) an upper end edge;
- (v) an opposed lower end edge;
- and
- (vi) a recessed portion defined in the lower end edge, the recessed portion defined between two opposed side edge portions protruding downwardly from the lower end edge;
- (c) a roller assembly mountable within and at least partially accommodated by the recessed portion of the latch member, the roller assembly comprising at least one roller configured to assist the latch member in disengaging with the latch keeper and to at least partially reduce wear on the latch member;
- and
- (d) a shield portion adapted to be received in the recessed portion together with the roller assembly, the shield portion configured to be partially coupled around the at least one roller of the roller assembly and extend between the opposed side edge portions and extend down from the lower end edge of the inner surface of the latch member so as to at least partially shield the roller assembly from fines and other debris from the dipper body from clogging the at least one roller and preventing rotation of the at least one roller when the latch member is disengaging from the latch keeper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.