US 2026/0243064 A1Published application

Retention System for a Lip Assembly of an Excavating Container

OwnerRobert S. Bierwithinventor

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Abstract

A retention device is provided herein and broadly includes a retaining mechanism, an expander mechanism, and an extractor mechanism. The retention device configured to be inserted into a keyway created by the overlap of a lip and a wear component of an excavating container in order to rigidly and securely fasten the wear component to the lip by a remote operator. The retaining mechanism supports the retention device within the keyway during assembly. The expander mechanism pushes against a C-clamp to create a gap therebetween to permit full insertion of a wedge within the gap. The extractor mechanism aids in remote disassembly by asserting a force against the keyway to pull the retention device out the keyway. The retention device permits an operator to be positioned at a safe distance while the retention device in under significant working fluid pressure.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A retention device configured to be inserted within a keyway formed through both a wear component and a lip of a lip assembly of an excavating container to hold the wear component to the lip, the retention device comprising:

a body having an outer periphery;
a retaining mechanism having a retaining member configured to selectively extend from the body beyond the outer periphery in an extended arrangement and selectively retract in a retracted arrangement;
an expander mechanism having an expander rod extending from and movable with an expander piston reciprocally arranged within an expander piston bore formed within the body, the expander piston bore is in fluid communication with an expander fluid coupling via an expander fluid passage through which a pressurized fluid can be selectively introduced into the expander piston bore to move the expander piston and the expander rod so that a distal free end of the expander rod can be further extended from the body in a first direction beyond the outer periphery;
and
an extractor mechanism having an extractor extending beyond the outer periphery and is connected to and movable with an extractor piston reciprocally arranged within an extractor piston bore formed within the body, the extractor piston bore is in fluid communication with an extractor fluid coupling via an extractor fluid passage through which the pressurized fluid can be selectively introduced into the extractor piston bore to move the extractor piston and extractor relative to the body in a second direction transverse to the first direction.

2 more elements

a retainer having a keyway engagement portion and being configured to move between a retainer extended position and a retainer retracted position relative to a retention device body and configured to support the retention device body by the keyway engagement portion with the retainer in the retainer extended position;
an expander having a C-clamp engagement portion at an expander distal end and being configured to be actuated between an expander extended position and an expander retracted position relative to the retention device body and configured to produce a C-clamp compression force with the expander in the expander extended position;
and
an extractor having an extractor keyway engagement portion and being configured to be actuated between an extractor extended position and an extractor retracted position relative to the retention device body, the extractor is configured to produce a keyway extraction force with the retaining member moving to the retainer retracted position.

1 more element

A method of exchanging a wear component on a lip assembly comprising:

aligning a lip keyway of a lip with the top keyway and the bottom keyway of an adaptor to form a keyway:
inserting a retention device into the keyway in a fastening process with a keyway engagement portion of a retainer moved into a retainer extended position with the keyway engagement portion resting atop the top keyway so that the retention device is supported within the keyway;
inserting a C-clamp into the keyway so that the top leg is atop a top engagement surface of the lip keyway and the bottom leg is positioned below a bottom engagement surface of the lip keyway;
inserting a bifurcated wedge into the keyway and positioning the bifurcated wedge between the retention device and the C-clamp;
activating the retention device by introducing a working fluid under pressure therein causing an expander to extend toward the C-clamp so that a distal end of the expander extends through the bifurcated wedge to apply a force on the C-clamp moving the C-clamp away from the retention device against a spring force of the C-clamp, thus creating a gap between the retention device and the C-clamp sufficient for the bifurcated wedge to drop into a fully inserted configuration;
and
deactivating the retention device by releasing pressure of the working fluid such that the distal end of the expander no longer applies the force to the C-clamp, wherein the gap is maintained by the bifurcated wedge.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.