# US 8,770,311 B2 · Ripper shank assembly

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,770,311 B2
- Document ID: US8770311B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/629,210
- Filed: 2012-09-27
- Published: 2013-04-04
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2011-09-30
- Assignees: Caterpillar Inc.
- Applicants: Caterpillar Inc.
- Inventors: Emily J. Rivera; Clifford O. Jeske; Murray A. Smith; Craig Harder
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770311B2

## CPC

- E02F 9/2875: {Ripper tips}
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)

## Abstract

A ripper shank assembly including a ripper shank and a ripper tip mounted to a front end of the ripper shank. The ripper tip includes an upper surface with a first ridge extending upward from the upper surface. The ripper shank assembly further includes a ripper shank protector mounted to a front edge of the ripper shank rearward of the ripper tip, the ripper shank protector including a second ridge on a center face of the ripper shank protector, wherein a portion of the second ridge adjacent a front end of the ripper shank protector has a height greater than a height of the first ridge.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A ripper shank assembly, comprising:
a ripper shank;
a ripper tip mounted to a front end of the ripper shank, the ripper tip including
a first bulge in a side surface of the ripper tip,
a first lock cavity in the first bulge,
a first rotating lock in the first lock cavity, the first lock securing the ripper tip to the ripper shank; and
a ripper shank protector mounted to a front edge of the ripper shank rearward of the ripper tip, the ripper shank protector including
a first protector mount, the first protector mount including:
a mounting slot on an inside of the ripper shank protector
a second bulge in a side surface of the ripper shank protector,
a second lock cavity in the second bulge, and
a second rotating lock in the second lock cavity; and
a second protector mount, the second protector mount including an open-ended slot configured to be lowered onto a first mounting projection extending from the ripper shank,
wherein the ripper shank protector is configured to pivot about the first mounting projection to allow the mounting slot to slide over a second mounting projection on the ripper shank and the second rotating lock to secure the ripper shank protector to the ripper shank.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ripper shank assembly of claim 1, wherein the first lock and the second lock have substantially the same configurations such that they can be used interchangeably in the first lock cavity and the second lock cavity.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ripper shank assembly of claim 1, wherein the first bulge tapers inward as it extends away from the first lock cavity toward the front end of the ripper shank assembly.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The ripper shank assembly of claim 3, wherein the second bulge is elongated in a direction extending at least partially toward the front end of the ripper shank assembly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The ripper shank assembly of claim 4, wherein the second bulge tapers inward as it extends toward the front end of the ripper shank assembly.

### Claim 6

Ripper shank assembly components for installation on a ripper shank, comprising:
a ripper tip configured to be mounted to a front end of a ripper shank, the ripper tip including
a first bulge in a side surface of the ripper tip,
a first lock cavity in the first bulge,
a first rotating lock in the first lock cavity, the first lock configured to secure the ripper tip to the ripper shank; and
a ripper shank protector configured to be mounted to a front edge of the ripper shank rearward of the ripper tip, the ripper shank protector including:
a first protector mount, the first protector mount including:
a mounting slot on an inside of the ripper shank protector
a second bulge in a side surface of the ripper shank protector,
a second lock cavity in the second bulge, and
a second rotating lock in the second lock cavity; and
a second protector mount, the second protector mount including an open-ended slot configured to be lowered onto a first mounting projection extending from the ripper shank,
wherein the ripper shank protector is configured to pivot about the first mounting projection to allow the mounting slot to slide over a second mounting projection on the ripper shank and the second rotating lock to secure the ripper shank protector to the ripper shank.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The ripper shank assembly components of claim 6, wherein the first lock and the second lock have substantially the same configurations such that they can be used interchangeably in the first lock cavity and the second lock cavity.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The ripper shank assembly components of claim 6, wherein the first bulge tapers inward as it extends away from the first lock cavity toward the front end of the ripper shank assembly.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The ripper shank assembly components of claim 8, wherein the second bulge is elongated in a direction extending at least partially toward the front end of the ripper shank assembly.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The ripper shank assembly components of claim 9, wherein the second bulge tapers inward as it extends toward the front end of the ripper shank assembly.