Wear crutches for linking members

A linking member for use in conjunction with a wear crutch of the type having two opposing guides connected by an intermediate wear body, said wear body having a first or outer, curved surface and a second or inner, curved surface, said outer and inner curved surfaces being located on opposite sides of said body, and whereby said two curved surfaces intersect one another at opposite ends of said body along common edge portions, said common edge portions and said outer surface being located between said guides whereby in use said inner and outer curved surfaces define a wear thickness there between, said linking member including:

• two opposing arms that are interconnected by two intermediate looped end portions and whereby respective inner surfaces of said arms and one or both of said looped end portions define a friction surface, wherein said inner surfaces of said arms diverge outwardly away from said looped end portions, the distance separating the opposing arms being greatest at a mid-portion of the linking member and smallest adjacent said looped end portions such that when the wear crutch is fitted to said linking member the outer surface of the wear crutch bears against said inner surface of one of said looped end portions and the edge portions shall each engage said adjacent arm such that respective edge portions and said adjacent inner surfaces of said opposing arms are substantially flush, and whereby the guides assist in the location of the wear body relative to the said looped end portion that is located there-between.

A linking member for use in conjunction with a wear crutch of the type having two opposing guides connected by an intermediate wear body, said wear body having a first or outer, curved surface and a second or inner, curved surface, said outer and inner curved surfaces being located on opposite sides of said body, and whereby said two curved surfaces intersect one another at opposite ends of said body along common edge portions, said common edge portions and said outer surface being located between said guides whereby in use said inner and outer curved surfaces define a wear thickness therebetween, said linking member including:

• two opposing arms that are interconnected by an intermediate looped end portion and whereby respective inner surfaces of said arms and said looped end portion define a friction surface, wherein said inner surfaces of said arms diverge outwardly from said inner surface of said looped end portion such that when the wear crutch is fitted to said linking member the outer surface of the wear crutch shall bear against said inner surface of said looped end portion and the edge portions shall each engage said adjacent arm such that respective edge portions and said adjacent inner surfaces of said opposing arms are substantially flush, and whereby the guides assist in the location of the wear body relative to said looped end portion that is located therebetween;
• wherein a distance separating the opposing arms is greatest at a mid-portion of the linking member and smallest adjacent the looped end portion.

A crutch displacement apparatus for assisting with the removal of a wear crutch that is mounted on a linking member, said linking member having two opposing arm members that are interconnected by an intermediate looped end portion, and whereby said wear crutch includes two opposing guides connected by an intermediate wear body, said wear body having a first curved surface and a second curved surface, said first and second curved surfaces being located on opposite sides of said wear body, and whereby said two curved surfaces intersect one another at opposite ends of said wear body along common edge portions, said common edge portions and said first curved surface being located between said guides and whereby when said wear crutch is mounted on said linking member said first curved surface bears against said inner surface of said looped end portion and said edge portions each engage a respective one of said opposing arm members in a manner whereby adjacent edge portions and inner surfaces are substantially flush and whereby said guides assist in the location of said wear body relative to said looped end portion that is located there-between, said crutch removal apparatus including:

• displacement support means capable of providing support for at least one linking member during a crutch displacement operation;
• linking member restraining means associated with said support means for preventing movement of the linking member relative to said support means;
• and
• at least one crutch displacement tool associated with said support means and/or said restraining means, said crutch displacement tool being adapted to at least displace the wear crutch that is mounted on the linking member while the linking member is supported by said support means and restrained from movement relative to said support means by said restraining means.

A crutch bedding apparatus for assisting with the bedding of a wear crutch that is already partially located on a linking member, said linking member having two opposing arm members that are interconnected by an intermediate looped end portion, and whereby said wear crutch includes two opposing guides connected by an intermediate wear body, said wear body having a first curved surface and a second curved surface, said first and second curved surfaces being located on opposite sides of said wear body, and whereby said two curved surfaces intersect one another at opposite ends of said wear body along common edge portions, said common edge portions and said first curved surface being located between said guides and whereby when said wear crutch is mounted on said linking member said first curved surface bears against said inner surface of said looped end portion and said edge portions each engage a respective one of said opposing arm members in a manner whereby adjacent edge portions and inner surfaces are substantially flush and whereby said guides assist in the location of said wear body relative to said looped end portion that is located there between, said crutch bedding apparatus including:

• bedding support means for supporting at least one linking member during a crutch bedding operation;
• first linking member engagement means that is adapted to engage either a portion of the linking member or a wear crutch that is associated with the linking member when the linking member is supported on said bedding support means;
• second linking member engagement means that is capable of engaging either another portion of the same linking member and/or a wear crutch associated with said other portion, or another linking member connected to the first linking member and/or a wear crutch associated with that other linking member;
• and
• separating means for increasing the distance separating said first linking member engagement means and said second linking member engagement means whereby in use a force may be applied to the linking member or all of the linking members located between said first and said second linking member engagement means sufficient to bed the wear crutch or all of the wear crutches that are partially located on the linking members by increasing the distance separating said first linking member engagement means and said second linking member engagement means.

A combined crutch displacement and crutch bedding apparatus for assisting with the removal and replacement of a wear crutch that is mounted on a linking member and the subsequent bedding of a replacement wear crutch that is already partially located on the linking member, said linking member having two opposing arm members that are interconnected by an intermediate looped end portion, and whereby said wear crutch includes two opposing guides connected by an intermediate wear body, said wear body having a first curved surface and a second curved surface, said first and second curved surfaces being located on opposite sides of said wear body, and whereby said two curved surfaces intersect one another at opposite ends of said wear body along common edge portions, said common edge portions and said first curved surface being located between said guides and whereby when said wear crutch is mounted on said linking member said first curved surface bears against said inner surface of said looped end portion and said edge portions each engage a respective one of said opposing arm members in a manner whereby adjacent edge portions and inner surfaces are substantially flush and whereby said guides assist in the location of said wear body relative to said looped end portion that is located there-between, said combined crutch displacement and crutch bedding apparatus including:

• displacement support means capable of providing support for at least one linking member during a crutch displacement operation;
• linking member restraining means associated with said support means for preventing movement of the linking member relative to said support means;
• at least one crutch displacement tool associated with said support means and/or said restraining means, said crutch displacement tool being adapted to at least displace the wear crutch that is mounted on the linking member while the linking member is supported by said support means and restrained from movement relative to said support means by said restraining means;
• bedding support means for supporting at least one linking member during a crutch bedding operation;
• first linking member engagement means that is adapted to engage either a portion of the linking member or a wear crutch that is associated with the linking member when the linking member is supported on said bedding support means;
• second linking member engagement means that is capable of engaging either another portion of the same linking member and/or a wear crutch associated with said other portion/or another linking member connected to the first linking member and/or a wear crutch associated with that other linking member;
• and
• separating means for increasing the distance separating said first linking member engagement means and said second linking member engagement means whereby in use a force may be applied to the linking member or all of the linking members located between said first and said second linking member engagement means sufficient to bed the wear crutch or all of the wear crutches that are partially located on the linking members by increasing the distance separating said first linking member engagement means and said second linking member engagement means.

An improved linking member and a crutch displacement apparatus for assisting with the removal of a wear crutch that is mounted on the linking member, including:

• a linking member having two opposing arm members that are interconnected at one end by an intermediate looped end portion and at an opposing end by a second end portion;
• a wear crutch having two opposing guides connected by an intermediate wear body, said wear body having a first curved surface and a second curved surface, said first and second curved surfaces being located on opposite sides of said wear body, and whereby said two curved surfaces intersect one another at opposite ends of said wear body along common edge portions, said common edge portions and said first curved surface being located between said guides and whereby when said wear crutch is mounted on said linking member said first curved surface bears against said inner surface of said looped end portion and said edge portions each engage a respective one of said opposing arm members in a manner whereby adjacent edge portions and inner surfaces are substantially flush and whereby said guides assist in the location of said wear body relative to said looped end portion that is located there-between;
• a crutch removal apparatus having displacement support means capable of providing support for said linking member during a crutch displacement operation;
• linking member restraining means associated with said support means;
• and
• at least one crutch displacement tool associated with said support means and/or said restraining means, whereby said crutch displacement tool is in engagement with said wear crutch and said restraining means is in engagement with said second end portion of said linking member.

An improved linking member and a crutch bedding apparatus for assisting with the bedding of a wear crutch that is partially located on the linking member, including:

• a linking member having two opposing arm members that are interconnected at one end by an intermediate looped end portion and at an opposing end by a second end portion;
• a wear crutch having two opposing guides connected by an intermediate wear body, said wear body having a first curved surface and a second curved surface, said first and second curved surfaces being located on opposite sides of said wear body, and whereby said two curved surfaces intersect one another at opposite ends of said wear body along common edge portions, said common edge portions and said first curved surface being located between said guides and whereby when said wear crutch is mounted on said linking member said first curved surface bears against said inner surface of said looped end portion and said edge portions each engage a respective one of said opposing arm members in a manner whereby adjacent edge portions and inner surfaces are substantially flush and whereby said guides assist in the location of said wear body relative to said looped end portion that is located there-between;
• first linking member engagement means;
• second linking member engagement means;
• bedding support means for supporting said linking member during a crutch bedding operation, and
• separating means for increasing the distance separating said first linking member engagement means and said second linking member engagement means, and whereby said wear crutch is engaged with either said first linking member engagement means or said second linking member engagement means while said second end portion is operatively connected to which ever linking member engagement means that is not engaged with said wear crutch.

A chain that includes:

• a linking member having two opposing arms that are interconnected by two intermediate looped end portions wherein said opposing arms diverge outwardly away from said looped end portions, the distance separating said opposing arms being greatest at a mid-portion of said linking member and smallest adjacent said looped end portions, whereby respective inner surfaces of said opposing arms and an inner surface of one of each of said looped end portions define a friction surface;
• and
• a wear crutch having two opposing guides connected by an intermediate wear body, said wear body having a first curved surface and a second curved surface, said first and second curved surfaces being located on opposite sides of said wear body, and whereby said two curved surfaces intersect one another at opposite ends of said wear body along common edge portions, said common edge portions and said first curved surface being located between said guides whereby in use said second and first curved surfaces define a wear thickness there-between and said first surface bears against said inner surface of the said looped end portion having a friction surface, said edge portions shall each engage a respective one of said opposing arms in a manner whereby adjacent edge portions and inner surfaces are substantially flush, and whereby said guides assist in the location of said wear body relative to said looped end portion that is located there between.