US 2011/0030248 A1Published application

Tooth assembly and related method for releasably coupling a tooth to an adapter

AssigneeH&L Tooth Company

InventorsCharles Clendenning, Russell N. Drake, Brian L. Launder

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Abstract

A tooth assembly including an adapter and a tooth. The adapter has a nose portion with a first predetermined configuration. The tooth is assembled onto the adapter nose portion by relative longitudinal movement. The tooth defines a blind cavity having a second predetermined configuration and opening to a rear of the tooth. The second predetermined configuration defined by the tooth cavity is greater than the first predetermined configuration defined by the adapter nose portion such that a space is provided between the adapter nose portion and the blind cavity when the adapter and tooth are arranged in operable combination relative to each other. A securement member releasably maintains the tooth and the adapter nose portion in operable combination relative to each other. The securement member fills the space defined between the tooth cavity and the adapter nose portion to resist longitudinal movement between the tooth and the adapter nose portion. A related method for releasably coupling a tooth to an adapter is also disclosed.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A tooth assembly having a longitudinal axis, said tooth assembly comprising:

a tooth having upper and lower slanted walls and a rearwardly opening socket formed therein, with said socket having a first cross-sectional configuration defined by said tooth which is larger toward an open end of said socket than toward the closed end of said socket, with the first cross-sectional configuration of said socket being at least partially defined by a pair of opposed sides laterally separated by a predetermined distance, and with at least one side of said tooth socket having a generally planar configuration;
an adapter having a nose portion configured to be longitudinally received and accommodated within the socket defined by said tooth, with said adapter nose portion having a second cross-sectional configuration which proximate the first cross-sectional configuration of the socket defined by said tooth, with the second cross-sectional configuration of said adapter nose portion being at least partially defined by two laterally spaced side walls, and with the lateral spacing between the side walls of the nose portion of said adapter being less than the predetermined distance separating the opposed sides of the socket defined by said tooth such that, when the adapter nose portion is arranged in operable combination with said tooth, a relief is defined between confronting surfaces on the tooth socket and the adapter nose portion, and wherein said adapter nose portion further defines a recess for laterally accommodating a free ended lock carried by said tooth and projecting toward the longitudinal axis of said tooth assembly whereby releasably coupling said tooth and adapter in operable combination relative to each other;
and
a securement member insertable into the relief defined between the confronting surfaces on the tooth socket and the adapter nose portion so as to fill said relief and urge the tooth in a lateral direction relative to the adapter nose portion thereby forcibly maintaining the lock carried by said tooth securely within the recess in the adapter whereby inhibiting longitudinal translation of said tooth relative to the adapter nose portion as long as said lock is retained within the recess defined by the nose portion of the adapter.

1 more element

A tooth assembly having a longitudinal axis, said tooth assembly comprising:

an adapter with a nose portion having top and bottom angled surfaces converging toward a free end of the nose portion of said adapter and a pair of sides which are laterally separated by a first predetermined distance, and with said adapter nose portion further defining a recess opening to both sides of the nose portion of said adapter;
a tooth assembled onto the nose portion of said adapter by relative longitudinal movement, said tooth having an upper wall and a lower wall converging toward a forward end of the tooth and a blind cavity opening to a rear of said tooth, with said blind cavity having top and bottom angled surfaces which proximate the respective top and bottom angled surfaces on the nose portion of said adapter and a pair of side surfaces, extending between said top and bottom angled surfaces of the blind cavity, and which are laterally separated by a second predetermined distance, with said second predetermined distance being greater than said first predetermined distance, and wherein one side surface of said blind cavity has a generally planar configuration;
a free ended lock on the tooth extends toward the longitudinal axis of said tooth assembly and aligns with the recess in the adapter nose portion when said adapter and tooth are longitudinally assembled in operable combination relative to each other;
and
a securement member insertable between and in bearing contact with a side of the adapter and an adjacent side surface defining the cavity in the tooth such that said lock positively and releasably maintains the lock on the tooth within the recess in the adapter so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the tooth and adapter relative each other.

2 more elements

A tooth assembly having a longitudinal axis, said tooth assembly comprising:

an adapter with a nose portion having a base portion adapted to be secured to excavating equipment and a forwardly extending nose portion having a first predetermined configuration defined, at least partially, by at least one generally planar surface;
a tooth assembled onto the nose portion of said adapter by relative longitudinal movements, said tooth defining a blind cavity opening to a rear of said tooth, with the blind cavity having a second predetermined configuration, with the second predetermined configuration being larger than said first predetermined configuration such that, when said adapter nose portion and said tooth are arranged in operable combination relative to each other, a space is defined between a confronting surfaces on the blind cavity of said tooth and the nose portion of said adapter;
a lock on said tooth for releasably maintaining said tooth and the adapter nose portion in operable combination relative to each other, with said lock projecting toward the longitudinal axis of said tooth assembly and extending into a recess defined on the adapter nose portion when said adapter nose portion and said tooth are arranged in operable combination relative to each other;
and
a securement member is insertable in a direction extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tooth assembly such that a portion of said securement member at least partially fills the space defined between the confronting surfaces on the blind cavity of said tooth and the nose portion of said adapter and positively urges the lock into the recess defined in the adapter nose portion whereby resisting longitudinal movement between the tooth and the adapter nose portion as long as said securement member is arranged between said adapter nose portion and said tooth.

2 more elements

A tooth assembly having a longitudinal axis, said tooth assembly comprising:

an adapter with a nose portion having a base portion adapted to be secured to excavating equipment and a forwardly extending nose portion having a first predetermined configuration;
a tooth assembled onto the nose portion of said adapter by relative longitudinal and lateral movements, said tooth defining a blind cavity opening to a rear of said tooth, with the blind cavity having a second predetermined configuration defined by at least one side extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tooth assembly, and with the second predetermined configuration being larger than said first predetermined configuration such that, when said adapter nose portion and said tooth are arranged in operable combination relative to each other, a space is defined between said at least one side on the tooth cavity extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tooth assembly and a confronting surface on the nose portion of said adapter;
and
a securement member insertable in a direction extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tooth assembly such that a portion of said securement member at least partially fills the space defined between said at least one side on the tooth cavity extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tooth assembly and a confronting surface on the nose portion of said adapter to positively urge the tooth in a direction whereby allowing the remaining configurations on the adapter nose portion and tooth cavity to resist longitudinal movement between the tooth and the adapter nose portion as long as said securement member is arranged between said adapter nose portion and said tooth.

1 more element

A method for releasably coupling a tooth to an adapter on a ground engaging implement, wherein said tooth has an upper wall and a lower wall converging toward a free end of the tooth and a rearwardly opening socket formed therein, with said tooth defining a first predetermined configuration for said socket, and with the predetermined configuration of said socket being at least partially defined by a pair of laterally spaced side surfaces on said tooth, and wherein said adapter has a nose portion adapted to be longitudinally received and accommodated within the socket defined by said tooth, with the nose portion of said adapter having a second predetermined configuration which complements but is smaller than said the predetermined configuration defined by said tooth socket, and with the second predetermined configuration on said adapter being at least partially defined by a pair of laterally spaced sides on the adapter nose portion, and wherein, when the adapter nose portion and tooth are arranged in operable combination relative to each other, a space is provided between the adapter nose portion and the tooth socket, with said method comprising the steps of:

inserting a securement member between one side of the adapter nose portion and a confronting side surface on said tooth socket such that at least a portion of said securement member bears against the socket and the confronting side surface of the tooth socket whereby shifting the tooth laterally relative to the adapter nose portion to inhibit longitudinal translation of the tooth relative to the adapter as long as said securement member is retained between said tooth and the nose portion of the adapter.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.