Protective wear sleeve for cutting element

A protective wear sleeve for a cutting tool assembly comprising:

• a solid body having a first portion and a second portion, the body having a central bore, the central bore defining a central axis;
• the first portion being a shaft portion having a forward end and a rearward end;
• the second portion being a radial collar integral with the forward end of the shaft portion, the radial collar having a ring support surface that faces at least partially in an outward radial direction;
• the forward end of the shaft portion and the radial collar together defining a tooth support surface that faces generally in a forward direction, the tooth support surface having an outer diameter;
• and
• at least one wear ring disposed on the ring support surface, the least one wear ring extending around the radial collar, the at least one wear ring having a hardness greater than that of the radial collar and having an outer diameter greater than that of the outer diameter of the tooth support surface.

An apparatus comprising:

• a holding block having a protective wear sleeve opening;
• a cutting tooth having a support flange and a shank;
• and
• a protective wear sleeve including:
• a solid body having a first portion and a second portion, the body having a central bore for receiving the shank of the cutting tooth, the central bore defining a central axis;
• the first portion being a shaft portion having a forward end and a rearward end;
• the second portion being a radial collar integral with the forward end of the shaft portion, the radial collar having a ring support surface that faces at least partially in an outward radial direction;
• the forward end of the shaft portion and the radial collar together define a tooth support surface that faces in a forward direction, the tooth support surface being configured to encase a back side of the support flange of the cutting tooth;
• and
• at least one wear ring disposed on the ring support surface, the at least one wear ring extending around the radial collar, the at least one wear ring having a hardness greater than that of the radial collar and having an outer diameter greater than that of an outer diameter of the tooth support flange;
• and
• wherein the protective wear sleeve is press fit into the protective wear sleeve opening of the holding block, and the cutting tooth being secured in the central bore of the protective wear sleeve and being rotatable around the central axis of protective wear sleeve.