US 5,331,754 AGranted

Resilient, ratcheted wedge and spool retaining structure for an excavation tooth

AssigneeGH Hensley Industries, Inc.

InventorJohn A. Ruvang

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An elongated resilient wedge and spool retaining structure longitudinally extends through generally aligned openings formed in a replaceable excavating tooth point, and an adapter nose portion received in a tapered socket within the tooth point, to captively hold the tooth point in place on the adapter nose. The retaining structure includes a tapered spool member having an enlarged side portion received in the tooth socket and blocking removal of the spool member, and a tapered wedge member driven into the tooth and adapter openings to a position in which longitudinally extending series of ratchet teeth on facing sides of the spool and wedge members are intermeshed and releasably lock the structure in place within the tooth and adapter assembly. A recess formed in a nontoothed side of the wedge member receives a locking member that forcibly bears against a surface portion of the adapter nose opening and is movable into the recess in a manner compressing a plurality of elastomeric members therein. The elastomeric members are maintained in compression and exert resilient reactive forces that simultaneously act to draw the adapter nose into the tooth socket and forcibly hold the spool and wedge member ratchet teeth in intermeshed engagement with one another. A removal tool may be driven into a longitudinal passage extending through the retaining structure, centrally through the intermeshed series of ratchet teeth, to laterally separate the wedge member from the spool member and thereby facilitate the removal of the installed wedge member.

Claims21

Dependent claims

For use in captively retaining a replaceable tooth point on an adapter portion of an excavating tooth and adapter assembly in which the adapter portion is removably received in a tapered socket within the tooth point, the tooth point and the adapter portion received therein having generally aligned openings extending therethrough, a resilient wedge and spool retaining structure comprising:

an elongated spool member longitudinally insertable into the tooth point and adapter portion openings, said spool member having:
first and second ends,
a first side on a longitudinally intermediate portion of which a lateral projection is formed, said lateral projection being receivable in the tooth point socket to block longitudinal removal of the inserted spool member from the tooth point and adapter portion openings,
a second side opposite said first side, said second side extending from said first end to said second end and being longitudinally inclined relative to said first side, and
a longitudinally extending series of first ratchet teeth formed on said second side, each of said first ratchet teeth being transverse to the length of said spool member;
an elongated wedge member having:
first and second ends,
a locking side having a recess formed therein and having an inner side surface,
a spool engagement side opposite said locking side, said spool engagement side extending between said first and second ends of said wedge member and being longitudinally inclined relative to said locking side, and
a longitudinally extending series of second ratchet teeth formed on said spool engagement side, each of said second ratchet teeth being transverse to the length of said wedge member;
a locking member received in said recess and projecting outwardly beyond said locking side, said locking member being movable in said recess toward and away from said inner side surface thereof;
and
at least one resilient member intersecured between said locking member and said inner side surface of said recess and operative to resiliently resist movement of said locking member toward said inner side surface of said recess,
said wedge member being drivable into the tooth and adapter openings, subsequent to the operative insertion of said spool member therein, to intermesh said first and second ratchet teeth and forcibly engage said locking member with a surface portion of the adapter portion opening in a manner maintaining said at least one resilient member in compression to thereby create resilient reactive forces in said wedge and spool retaining structure which simultaneously act to draw the adapter portion into the tooth socket and forcibly hold said first and second ratchet teeth in intermeshed engagement.

11 more elements

An excavating tooth and adapter assembly comprising:

a replaceable tooth point having a socket opening extending forwardly through a rear end thereof and being circumscribed by a laterally outer wall portion of said tooth point, and an aligned pair of connector openings formed through opposed sections of said laterally outer wall portion;
an adapter having a forwardly projecting nose portion received in said socket opening and bearing against a side surface portion thereof, said nose portion having a connector opening extending transversely therethrough and positioned between said tooth point connector openings in general alignment therewith;
and
an elongated resilient wedge and spool retaining structure longitudinally extending through said tooth point and nose portion connector openings, said wedge and spool retaining structure captively and removably retaining said tooth point on said adapter nose portion and including:
an elongated spool member longitudinally extending through said tooth point and adapter nose connector openings and having (1) first and second ends, (2) a rear side with opposite end portions bearing against rear surface portions of said tooth point connector openings, and an outwardly projecting longitudinally intermediate portion received in said socket opening and blocking longitudinal removal of said spool member from said tooth point and adapter nose connector openings, (3) a front side extending between said first and second ends and being longitudinally inclined relative to said rear side, and (4) a longitudinally extending series of first ratchet teeth formed on said front side, each of said first ratchet teeth being transverse to the length of said spool member,
an elongated wedge member longitudinally extending through said tooth point and nose portion connector openings, forwardly of said spool member, said wedge member having (1) first and second ends, (2) a front side having a recess formed therein and having an inner side surface, (3) a rear side extending between said first and second ends of said wedge member and being longitudinally inclined relative to said front side of said wedge member, and (4) a longitudinally extending series of second ratchet teeth formed on said rear side of said wedge member, each of said second ratchet teeth being transverse to the length of said wedge member, said series of first and second ratchet teeth being in an intermeshed engagement with one another and inhibiting longitudinal removal of said wedge member from said tooth point and adapter nose portion connector openings,
a locking member received in said recess, projecting forwardly beyond said front side of said wedge member, and being movable through said recess toward said inner side surface thereof, and
at least one resilient member intersecured between said locking member and said inner side surface of said recess, said at least one resilient member being compressed between said locking member and said inner side surface of said recess and exerting reactive forces acting to draw said adapter nose portion into said tooth point socket opening and to forcibly hold said series of first and second ratchet teeth in intermeshed engagement with one another.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.