Bucket, blade, liner, or chute with visual wear indicator
AssigneeRockland Manufacturing Company
InventorWilliam K. PRATT
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bucket or blade including a main body having one or more wear indicators. The one or more wear indicators can be inspected and monitored to determine the extent or degree of wear of one or more wear surfaces of the main body of the bucket or blade. Also, a liner having one or more wear indicators configured for use with a bucket, blade, dump truck, or chute of a rock crusher. Also, one or more wear indicators configured for use with a chute of a rock crusher.
Claims34
A visual wear indicator device for use on a tractor or heavy equipment, comprising:
- a tractor or heavy equipment part or component having a wear layer with a wear surface, the part or component having an opening or hole partially extending through a thickness of the part or component and ending below the wear surface;
- a visual wear indicator installed or affixed within the opening or hole of the part or component, the visual wear indicator configured to allow a user to visually inspect the the part or component to determine an extent or level of wear of the part or component,
- wherein the wear indicator device is configured so that the wear indicator becomes exposed when the wear layer on the part or component wears down to the visual wear indicator to indicate that the part or component needs repair or replacement.
A wear indicator liner for a bucket, blade, chute, or truck bed, the liner comprising:
- a removable wear plate configured to fit into a load bearing cavity of a bucket, blade, chute, or truck bed, the wear plate having a wear layer with a wear surface, the wear plate having one or more openings or holes partially extending through a thickness of the wear plate and ending below the wear surface;
- and
- one or more visual wear indicators installed or affixed to the one or more openings or holes in the wear plate,
- wherein an inner end of the wear indicator becomes exposed when the wear layer having the wear surface on the wear plate wears down to the inner end of one or more wear indicators to indicate that the wear plate needs repair or replacement.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A method of making a visual wear indicator for use on a wear surface or liner of a tractor or heavy equipment, comprising:
- forming an opening or hole partially extending through a thickness of a tractor or heavy equipment part or component and ending below a wear surface of the part or component;
- installing or affixing a visual wear indicator within the opening or hole,
- wherein the visual wear indicator is configured so that the wear indicator becomes exposed when the wear layer on the part or component wears down to the visual wear indicator to indicate that the part or component needs repair or replacement.
A visual wear indicator system, comprising:
- a part or component having a wear layer with wear surface on a tractor or heavy equipment;
- an opening or hole partially extending through a thickness of the part or component and ending below a wear surface of the part or component;
- a visual wear indicator installed or affixed within the opening or hole,
- wherein the visual wear indicator is configured so that the wear indicator becomes exposed when the wear layer on the part or component wears down to the visual wear indicator to indicate that the part or component needs repair or replacement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.