Mining shovel with improved center gudgeon bottom retainer

Apparatus such as a mining shovel said apparatus comprising

• a carbody supported for movement over the ground, said carbody including an upwardly facing carbody upper surface, a downwardly facing carbody lower surface, and a cylindrical bore which extends between said upper and lower surfaces and which is centered on a vertical axis, and said lower surface having therein a counterbore surrounding said cylindrical bore,
• a cylindrical center gudgeon which is housed in said cylindrical bore and which includes an upper portion extending above said carbody upper surface, a lower portion extending below said carbody lower surface, and a generally cylindrical outer surface having therein a groove which defines a plane perpendicular to said axis and which is aligned with said counterbore,
• a retainer including a plurality of ring segments housed in said groove and in said counterbore,
• a revolving frame assembly rotatable about said upper portion of said center gudgeon, and
• means rotatably supporting said revolving frame assembly above said carbody upper surface.

Apparatus such as a mining shovel said apparatus comprising

• a carbody supported for movement over the ground, said carbody including an upwardly facing carbody upper surface, a downwardly facing carbody lower surface, and a cylindrical bore which extends between said upper and lower surfaces and which is centered on a vertical axis, and said lower surface having therein a counterbore which is concentric with said cylindrical bore and which is defined by a horizontal, annular counterbore upper surface extending outwardly from said cylindrical bore, and by a cylindrical, inwardly facing counterbore outer surface which is concentric with said cylindrical bore and which extends downwardly from said counterbore upper surface,
• a cylindrical center gudgeon which is housed in said cylindrical bore and which includes an upper portion extending above said carbody upper surface, a lower portion extending below said carbody lower surface, and an outer surface having therein a groove defined by a horizontal, downwardly facing groove upper surface forming a portion of an annulus, a horizontal, upwardly facing groove lower surface forming a portion of an annulus, and an outwardly facing groove inner surface forming a portion of a cylinder concentric with said cylindrical bore, said groove upper surface being coplanar with said counterbore upper surface, and said center gudgeon also including a flat defined by a vertical, planar surface forming a chord of the cylinder defined by said groove inner surface,
• a retainer including a plurality of ring segments housed in said groove and in said counterbore, each of said segments having a generally rectangular cross section and including a segment upper surface engaging said groove upper surface and said counterbore upper surface, and a segment lower surface engaging said groove lower surface, said ring segments being welded end-to-end, and said retainer also including a key having a vertical, planar key inner surface engaging said center gudgeon flat and facing the ends of two of said ring segments, said key also having a horizontal key upper surface engaging said counterbore upper surface, and a key outer surface which defines a portion of a cylinder concentric with said cylindrical bore and which engages said counterbore outer surface, and said key being welded to said carbody so that said key is stationary relative to said carbody and prevents rotation of said center gudgeon relative to said carbody,
• a revolving frame assembly rotatable about said upper portion of said center gudgeon, and
• means rotatably supporting said revolving frame assembly above said carbody upper surface.