Cutting tooth for strip mining apparatus

A replaceable cutting tooth for the cutting head of a mining machine or the like, said cutting head including a cutting arm for shifting said tooth through a cutting path of travel and said cutting arm having a plurality of inwardly facing side walls defining a tooth receiving receptacle therein and structure defining a first cutting arm retaining pin receiving channel, comprising:

• a base portion having opposed, generally parallel first and second side walls and generally arcuate top and bottom walls interconnecting said side walls, said top and bottom walls intersecting with each other to define a forwardmost cutting edge;
• an insert portion operably connected to and extending rearwardly from said base portion, including--
• a pair of opposed insert portion sidewalls depending from said base portion sidewalls to coextensively define cutting tooth sidewalls;
• structure defining a first cutting tooth retaining pin receiving channel extending between said insert portion sidewalls, and oriented generally perpendicular to said path of travel;
• opposed insert portion top and bottom walls interconnecting said insert portion sidewalls, and oriented generally perpendicular to said path of travel;
• structure defining a first insert portion cavity opening to said insert portion top wall, and a second insert portion cavity opening to said insert portion bottom wall;
• first and second resilient, elastomeric members received within said first and second insert portion cavities respectively, said resilient members projecting beyond the surface of said insert portion in abutting relationship with the sidewealls of said cutting arm tooth receiving receptacle for providing said insert portion with a resilient, shock absorbing force fit within said cutting arm receptacle;
• and
• a first retaining pin removably received within said first cutting tooth retaining pin receiving channel and said first cutting arm channel for removably locking said cutting tooth within said cutting arm tooth receiving receptacle.