The present disclosure relates generally to a hammer work tool and, more particularly, to a hammer work tool having a multi-position retention collar.
Power hammers, such as hydro-mechanical hammers, typically have an actuation system and a tool assembly that includes a work tool and a retention system for holding the work tool within the hammer. In many power hammers, the actuation system drives a piston against a first end of the work tool (e.g., using a working fluid, such as compressed air or a hydraulic fluid), thereby providing a force on the work tool for breaking up work material, such a rock, concrete, etc. To prevent the work tool from being forced out of the hammer during operation, the retention system typically includes one or more components that engage certain features of the work tool to provide a hard stop in the direction of tool actuation.
One problem associated with conventional work tools is that the features of the work tool that engage the retention system of the hammer can create weak points in the tool's structure. For example, during operation, these weak points receive high impact forces by engagement with the retention system under force of the pistons. The geometry of the work tool's retention features can induce stress concentrations near these features during operation, which can lead to the sudden or eventual failure (e.g., breakage) of the work tool. In some situations, a work tool may fail long before its useful life is consumed, thereby incurring a wasteful cost.
One type of tool retention system is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,495 to Pillers II (the '832 patent) that issued on Nov. 16, 2010. The '495 patent discloses a tool assembly of a hydraulic hammer having a housing and a chamber defined in the housing for housing a piston and a work tool. The work tool includes a shaft, a retaining flange, and a tip. The shaft passes through a tool retention member having a central aperture with a diameter smaller than the flange to limit the stroke travel of the tool during operation. The housing includes an engaging structure having a socket portion with four projections for receiving a plug portion of the work tool. The plug portion of the work tool includes four lugs that engage beneath the projections when the plug portion is inserted into the socket portion and rotated with respect to the socket portion. A tool stop is included in the socket portion to indicate when sufficient rotation has been achieved. Two set screws are used to secure the plug portion to the socket portion for preventing relative rotation of the work tool with respect to the housing.
While the system of the '495 patent may be effective to secure a work tool within a hydraulic hammer, it may not be usable with different types of hammer designs or work tool designs.
The disclosed hammer work tool is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a work tool for a hammer. The work tool may include a first terminal end having a planar surface, and a second terminal end opposite the first terminal end and including a tool tip. The work tool may further include a shank between the first and second terminal ends and including a proximal first shank portion and a distal second shank portion coaxially aligned. The work tool may further include a collar between the first and second shank portions. The collar may include a rectangular portion forming lateral sides of the collar, each of the lateral sides including a planar surface that extends in a direction along an axis of the work tool. The collar may further include a flange having a diameter greater than a diameter of the shank and greater than a length of a lateral side of the rectangular portion.
In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a hammer. The hammer may include a housing defining a chamber and a work tool configured to reciprocate within the chamber. The work tool may include a proximal first terminal end and a distal second terminal end opposite the first terminal end, the second terminal end including a tool tip. The work tool may further include a shank between the first and second terminal ends and including a first shank portion and a second shank portion coaxially aligned. The work tool may further include a collar between the first and second shank portions, the collar including a rectangular portion forming lateral sides of the collar, and a flange having a diameter greater than a diameter of the shank and greater than a length of a lateral side of the rectangular portion. The flange may include a plurality of curved surfaces, each curved surface being aligned with a respective one of the lateral sides of the collar. The hammer may further include a pair of parallel retention pins supported by the housing, each retention pin being positioned to support the collar via contact with a respective one of the lateral sides of the collar.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a work tool for a hammer. The work tool may include a first terminal end having a planar surface, and a second terminal end opposite the first terminal end and including a tool tip. The work tool may further include a shank between the first and second terminal ends and including a proximal first shank portion and a distal second shank portion coaxially aligned. The work tool may further include a collar between the first and second shank portions. The collar may include a rectangular portion forming lateral sides of the collar, each of the lateral sides including a planar surface that extends in a direction along an axis of the work tool. The collar may further include a flange having a diameter greater than a diameter of the shank and greater than a length of a lateral side of the rectangular portion. The flange may include a proximal side having a proximal surface, and a distal side having a plurality of curved surfaces, each of the plurality of curved surfaces including a concave portion and being aligned with the planar surface of one of the lateral sides of the collar. The tool tip may include one of a chisel, a moil point, a percussion buster, a blunt tool, a ramming tool, a tamping plate, and a cutter.
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Machine 10 may include a hydraulic supply system (not shown in
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Work tool 24 may further include a shank 50 between first and second terminal ends 42 and 46. In some embodiments, shank 50 may be a cylindrical section of work tool 24 defining a portion of a length of work tool 24. In other embodiments, shank 50 may be or include portions that are cylindrical, rectangular (e.g., square), hexagonal, and/or octagonal, etc. Shank 50 may include multiple components or sections provided at different locations of work tool 24. For example, shank 50 may include a proximal first shank portion 52 and a distal second shank portion 54. In some embodiments, first and second shank portions 52 and 54 have the dame diameter. In other embodiments, first and second shank portions 52 and 54 have different diameters, for example, to accommodate other features of hammer 12, to affect the overall weight of work tool 24, or for another reason. First and second shank portions 52 and 54 may be separated by other components of work tool 24. For example, collar 40 may be located between first and second shank portions 52 and 54 (i.e., first and second shank portions may be separated by collar 40). First and second shank portions 52 and 54 may also be coaxially aligned, for example, with respect to a central axis (“axis”) 56 of work tool 24. Shank 50 may further include a transition section 58 between collar 40 and second shank portion 54. Transition section 58 may be a portion of shank 50. In the example of
With reference to
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Each of the plurality of curved surfaces 76 may be separated from adjacent curved surfaces 76 by second corner radius portions 80. Second corner radius portions 80 may be contoured to reduce the size of collar 40 from the diameter D5 of flange 62 to the length L of lateral side 64 (referring to
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During operation, as work tool 24 breaks through work material, cracks and crevices may form in the work material, which may be easy for work tool to slide into under its own weight and the forces of piston 30. When work tool is driven into such a crack or crevice, a rotational torque can be applied to work tool 24 as a result of reaction forces generated by the reengagement of work tool 24 with work material. Such torque may urge work tool 24 to rotate within hammer 12. Each retention pin 34 may be configured to engage a length of a respective one of the lateral sides 64 (referring to
The disclosed hammer work tool finds potential application in power hammers, such as hydraulic hammers, pneumatic hammers, breakers, etc., where a work tool used with the hammer may break or wear over time. The disclosed hammer work tool finds particular applicability with construction and demolition application in which a work tool may break or be worn quickly or unevenly due to the type of work material being broken up or the orientation of the hammer during operation.
For example, during operation of hammer 12, work tool 24 may sustain significant stress with each hammer blow as work tool 24 is stopped on retention pins 34 an tool stop 38. Breakage of work tool 24 due to this stress can be reduced by collar 40. That is, work tool 24 may be strengthened by collar 40, thereby reducing the likelihood that work tool will fail near its engagement point with retention pins 34. In contrast to other work tools that utilize features within a narrow neck to engage retention pins, work tool 24 includes additional material to provide strength and support to the work tool 24. Additionally, curved surfaces 76 and concave radius portions 88 may be configured to add further strength to collar 40 and work tool 24 to reduce stress concentrations, distribute load, and reduce the likelihood of failure. Collar 40 may also resist wear induced by torque on work tool 24 that is generated when work tool slips through and reengages work material. For example, the planar surfaces 66 of each side 64 of collar 40 may provide a larger surface area for contacting retention pins, which provides a greater area to counteract torque on work tool 24. In this way, unwanted rotation is prohibited, and the wear rate of work tool 24 can be reduced in those areas.
Further, the rectangular shape of rectangular portion 60 of collar 40 may be configured to allow users to rotate work tool 24 by 90 degrees or 180 degrees when work tool becomes dull, is unevenly worn, or has sustained wear near the area where it engages retention pins 34. For example, during operation, tool tip 48 can become unevenly worn when hammer 12 is maintained in a certain orientation for a certain period of time or when the work material is very hard. With conventional work tools, the user may, in some situations, be able to rotate the work tool by 180 degrees and continue working with the less-worn portion of the work tool. In contrast, work tool 24 includes a rectangular portion 60 of collar 40 that enables a user to rotate work tool by 90 degrees in either direction (e.g., clockwise or counter clockwise) in addition to 180 degrees. In this way, the user can simply remove retention pins 34, rotate the work tool 24, and reinsert retention pins 34, and continue working without completely changing work tool 24. In this way, fewer work tools may be discarded before their full useful life has expired. This can lead to significant cost savings and reduce waste.
One skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed hammer work tool could be utilized in relation to other types of hammers or other situations where a work tool is inserted into a machine and driven for using the work tool to break up work material. For example, the disclosed hammer work tool may be applicable to handheld pneumatic hammers, electric hammers, other types of power hammers.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the hammer work tool of the present disclosure. Other embodiments of the hammer work tool will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the hammer work tool disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.