Wedge arrangements and related means for mounting means, base members, and bits, and combinations thereof, for mining, road working, or earth moving machinery

A base member for use in a mounting means-base member combination wherein the mounting means has a wedge fit within said base member, said base member comprising:

• an element having a tapered cavity therein, said tapered cavity extending through a substantial portion thereof, said tapered cavity being adapted to receive a portion at least of a correspondingly tapered mounting means, said element being arranged to surround that portion of said tapered mounting means which has said wedge fit therein, said element having means associated therewith to aid in preventing rotation of said mounting means portion within said cavity and to urge said mounting means portion into full seated position within said cavity.

A mounting means for use in a mounting means-base member combination wherein the mounting means has a wedge fit within said base member, said mounting means comprising:

• a first portion provided with a shank receiving perforation adapted to receive the shank of a bit having a cutting end at one end thereof, said shank receiving perforation extending within at least a substantial length of said first portion;
• a second portion adapted to be received within a tapered cavity provided in said base member, said tapered cavity extending through a substantial portion of said base member, said second portion being tapered so as to have a wedge fit within said tapered cavity, a portion at least of said second portion being adapted to be surrounded by said base member when so seated in said cavity;
• and means on said mounting means for engagement by a retaining means which urges said mounting means into full seated position within said cavity, said first portion extending beyond said tapered cavity to provide clearance for said wedge fit.

A knock-out arrangement for ejecting a bit from a wedged-together bit holder-base member combination including means to retain said bit holder within said base member and to urge said bit holder into full seated position within said base member to establish a wedge fit, said bit holder having a shank receiving perforation therein extending within at least a substantial length thereof and the bit having a shank received in the perforation and a cutting end extending outside of said perforation, said knock-out arrangement comprising:

• a bore extending through said combination to said shank receiving perforation, and a plunger-like element in said bore extending towards said shank receiving perforation and adapted to be moved into said perforation to engage and eject said shank.

A knock-out arrangement for ejecting a bit from a bit holder, said bit holder having a shank receiving perforation therein extending within at least a substantial length thereof and the bit having a shank received in the perforation and a cutting end extending outside of said perforation, said knock-out arrangement comprising:

• a bore extending in said bit holder to said shank receiving perforation, a plunger-like element located wholly within said bore and extending towards said shank receiving perforation and adapted to be moved into said perforation to engage and eject said shank, and eject means for actuating said plunger-like element, said eject means being connected to said bit holder.

A combination of a mounting means and a base member, said combination being for use in mining, road planing or earth moving equipment in which said combination is itself fixed against rotation about its axis, said mounting means having a shank receiving perforation to receive the shank of a bit having a cutting end at one end thereof, said perforation extending within at least a substantial length of said mounting means, the improvement which comprises:

• a tapered portion on said mounting means, said base member having a correspondingly tapered cavity extending through a substantial portion thereof, said base member completely surrounding that part of said tapered portion which is seated in said tapered cavity, and said tapered portion being seated within said tapered cavity with a wedge fit which is 360.degree. in scope whereby to impede relative movement between said mounting means and said base member;
• and a retaining means to hold said tapered portion in its seated position within said tapered cavity;
• said mounting means having an extension extending through the bottom of said tapered cavity and beyond said base member and said retaining means comprising a threaded portion on said extension and a nut on said threaded portion in engagement with said base member.

A knock-out arrangement for ejecting a bit from a bit holder, said bit holder having a shank receiving perforation therein extending within at least a substantial length thereof and the bit having a shank received in the perforation and a cutting end extending outside of said perforation, said knock-out arrangement comprising:

• a bore extending in said bit holder to said shank receiving perforation, a plunger-like element in said bore extending towards said shank receiving perforation and adapted to be moved into said perforation to engage and eject said shank, and eject means for actuating said plunger-like element, said eject means comprising an extension on said plunger-like element remote from said perforation and normally protruding from said bit holder through said base member so as to be accessible from outside of said base member.