Hydraulic locking mechanism for securing tooth carrying adapters to lips of excavating buckets and the like

A connection for firmly securing an adapter for detachably carrying a replaceable digging tooth at its front end to a lip of an excavating container of excavating equipment, the adapter having an upper leg and a lower leg,

• the connection comprising substantially aligned openings in the legs and the lip, engagement sections of the adapter legs traversing the opening in the lip proximate and forward of an aft end thereof,
• the upper and lower legs of the adapter extending from proximate a front end of the lip at inclined angles relative to the respective upper and lower surfaces of the lip so that the opening in the lip and the openings in the adapter legs are non-contiguous,
• a pressure applying unit arranged inside the openings configured to selectively apply and release a generally horizontally acting force which draws the adapter and the lip towards each other, and
• a wedge arranged in the openings, converging in a vertical direction, and disposed in the openings between a generally vertically oriented surface of the pressure applying unit and an adjacent wall of the opening, the vertically oriented side of the pressure applying unit and the opposing side of the opening defining a generally wedge-shape, vertically converging space configured to receive the wedge,
• the pressure applying unit including at least one power-actuated piston that is extendable and retractable in a generally horizontal direction through the wedge-shaped space for applying the generally horizontally acting force to the upper and lower legs of the adapter which enlarges a horizontal extent of the wedge-shaped space and resiliently elongates the upper and lower adapter legs to place the legs in a stressed state,
• the wedge having a horizontal dimension selected so that when inserted into the enlarged wedge-shaped space while the pressure applying unit applies the horizontally acting force the adapter legs are in their stressed state and so that the adapter legs remain in a stressed state upon a reduction or cessation of the horizontally acting force generated by the pressure applying unit and continue draw the adapter and the lip towards each other and thereby maintain the lip and the adapter in firm, immovable contact with each other.

A connection for firmly securing an adapter for detachably carrying a replaceable digging tooth at its front end to a lip of an excavating container of excavating equipment, the adapter having an upper leg and a lower leg located adjacent respective upper and lower surfaces of the lip,

• the connection comprising substantially aligned openings in the legs and the lip, engagement sections of the adapter legs traversing the opening in the lip proximate and forward of an aft end thereof,
• a C-clamp having a main body extending through the openings and rearwardly extending arms that diverge in an aft direction and define opposing engagement surfaces that are spaced apart to simultaneously contact the engagement sections at locations from respective front and aft ends of the engagement surfaces of the arms while an aft facing side of the main body is spaced from aft ends of the openings in the legs and the lip,
• a pressure applying unit supported by a front end of the opening in the lip for temporarily applying a releasable force against a forward facing surface of the main C-clamp body and inside the openings, the releasable force being sufficient to resiliently deflect the main body in the aft direction to place the main C-clamp body in a stressed state, causing the engagement surfaces of the arms to spread apart and the main body of the C-clamp to move towards the aft end of the openings, and
• a spacer between front ends of the openings and a forward facing side of the main C-clamp body preventing a return of the main C-clamp body to its relaxed, unstressed state upon a reduction or cessation of the releasable force for maintaining the main C-clamp body in a stressed state and the C-clamp remains firmly coupled to the adapter and substantially immovably maintains the adapter properly positioned and oriented on the lip.

A method for replacing a worn adapter configured for carrying a digging tooth at its front end, the adapter being removably mounted on a lip of an excavating container of excavating equipment, the adapter having an upper leg and a lower leg located proximate respective upper and lower surfaces of the lip and an end section between the legs placed over a front edge of the lip, the legs and the lip defining substantially aligned openings and engagement sections of the adapter legs traversing the opening in the lip proximate aft and forward of an aft end thereof,

• the connection being formed by a C-clamp including the main body extending through the aligned openings and arms extending from the main body in an aft direction and engaging the adapter, a wedge-shaped space extending through the openings between an end of the hole and the C-clamp, and a wedge disposed in the wedge-shaped space and engaging opposing sides of the C-clamp and maintaining the C-clamp and the adapter in firm contact with each other in a state in which the main body of the C-clamp is resiliently prestressed and generates a generally horizontally acting force which draws the adapter and the lip towards each other,
• the method comprising
• applying a generally horizontal force against the main body of the C-clamp to increase the amount of prestress in the main body, resiliently enlarge the wedge-shaped space in a horizontal direction and loosen the wedge in the wedge-shaped space relative to the C-clamp,
• withdrawing the wedge from the wedge-shaped space while the generally horizontal force is applied against the main body of the C-clamp, and
• thereafter disengaging the C-clamp from the worn adapter and removing the worn adapter from the lip,
• replacing the worn adapter with a fresh adapter and aligning the openings in the fresh adapter and the lip,
• reengaging the arms of a C-clamp and a portion of the adapter, reapplying the generally horizontal force against the main body of the C-clamp to again prestress the main body of the C-clamp and increase the width of the wedge-shaped space, thereafter inserting a wedge into the wedge-shaped space while the horizontal force is applied against the main body of the C-clamp, and
• thereafter discontinuing applying the generally horizontal force against the main body of the C-clamp so that the wedge continues to apply a generally horizontal force against the main body of the C-clamp to maintain the C-clamp in a prestressed state.