Method of replacing a worn excavating tooth point

A method of replacing the worn point of an excavating tooth having the point releasably pinned to the side of an adapter wherein said adapter is a relatively elongated unitary metal body having a forwardly projecting nose at one end, said nose being defined by upper and lower walls flanked by slightly forwardly convergent sidewalls, said adapter nose having a plurality of helical thread means projecting outwardly thereof, said adapter having a shank portion rearwardly of said nose for mounting said adapter on excavating equipment, at least one of said nose sidewalls forward of said shank portion being equipped with a vertical extending, outwardly facing slot having a generally rectangular cross section, said worn point being a generally wedge shaped, relatively elongated unitary metal body having a digging edge at its forward end and a socket extending forwardly from its rear end, said socket having interior walls conforming to said nose side, upper and lower walls and said thread means, at least one of said point sidewalls having an integral projection extending rearwardly of the point rear end, said projection having an upper wall and a vertically extending, inwardly facing slot having a generally rectangular cross section with said nose and point slots being generally aligned and with elongated pin means mounted in said aligned slots, said pin means having a generally square cross section defined by forward, rear inner and outer sidewalls, said forward wall being equipped with integral, longitudinally extending twist-resistive rib means, said rib means being confined between said point projection and said nose one sidewall, the upper end of said pin means being equipped with flange means projecting laterally outwardly of said pin means outer sidewall, and said flange having a bottom wall bearing against said worn point upper wall of said projection, the method comprising:

• exerting a force on an end of said pin means to drive said pin means vertically and continuing to exert said force until said pin means is completely removed from said aligned slots,
• rotating said worn point on said thread means sufficient to permit longitudinal translation of said point on said nose,
• removing said worn point from said nose and providing a new point also having a projection providing an upper wall and a vertically extending, inwardly facing slot, installing said new point thereon by first longitudinal and thereafter rotational movement relative to said nose to generally align the slots of said adapter and said new point,
• reinstalling a new pin means in the aligned slots of said adapter and said new point with said new pin means again having longitudinally extending rib means for confinement between said point and adapter and a flange projecting laterally outwardly of said new pin means outer sidewall, and
• exerting a downward force on said reinstalled new pin means upper end to drive said rib means into guiding engagement with said nose and point and to place the bottom wall of said flange in bearing engagement with said upper wall of said new point projection.