The present disclosure relates to the field of machines that perform work on a material such as earth moving machines and the like. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a ground engaging tool adapter that can hold tools onto the lips of excavating buckets and the like.
During normal use on machines such as mining machines including electric rope shovels, ground engaging tool adapters may experience stresses in their legs that straddle the lips of excavating buckets and the like. It is not uncommon for these components to see extremely high loads due to severe operating or material conditions. Typically, when this occurs, the legs of the adapters may fall off the bucket or the like. This can lead to undesirable downtime for the machine while these parts are replaced.
A tool adapter for attaching a tool to a work implement using a retaining mechanism is provided that includes a body that defines a pocket that defines an abutment or reinforcement surface. The body may also include a nose portion that is configured to facilitate the attachment of a tool, a first leg that includes a side surface, a second leg that includes a side surface, a throat portion that connects the legs and nose portion together, wherein at least one leg defines an aperture that is configured to receive a retaining mechanism. The first and second legs and the throat portion also define a slot that includes a closed end and an open end. The slot may define a direction of assembly onto a work implement and the abutment surface may face toward the direction of assembly and the minimum distance measured from the abutment surface to the throat measured in the direction of assembly is less than the minimum distance from the aperture to the throat measured in the direction of assembly.
A tool adapter for attaching a tool to a work implement using a retaining mechanism is provided that includes a body that includes a protrusion that extends from a side surface of a leg that defines an abutment or reinforcement surface. The body may also include a nose portion that is configured to facilitate the attachment of a tool, a first leg that includes a side surface, a second leg that includes a side surface, a throat portion that connects the legs and nose portion together, wherein at least one leg defines an aperture that is configured to receive a retaining mechanism. The first and second legs and the throat portion also define a slot that includes a closed end and an open end. The slot may define a direction of assembly onto a work implement and the abutment surface may face toward the direction of assembly and the minimum distance measured from the abutment surface to the throat measured in the direction of assembly is less than the minimum distance from the aperture to the throat measured in the direction of assembly.
A tool adapter assembly for use with a work tool that includes a lip is provided. The assembly may include a tool adapter for attaching a tool to a work implement using a retaining mechanism is provided that includes a body that defines a reinforcement surface. The body may also include a nose portion that is configured to facilitate the attachment of a tool, a first leg that includes a side surface, a second leg that includes a side surface, a throat portion that connects the legs and nose portion together, wherein at least one leg defines an aperture that is configured to receive a retaining mechanism. The first and second legs and the throat portion also define a slot that includes a closed end and an open end. The slot may define a direction of assembly onto a work implement and the abutment surface may face toward the direction of assembly and the minimum distance measured from the reinforcement surface to the throat measured in the direction of assembly is less than the minimum distance from the aperture to the throat measured in the direction of assembly. The assembly may further include a stop member that is at least partially complimentary configured to mate with the reinforcement surface.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:
Cartesian coordinate systems are provided in the drawings.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which 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. In some cases, a reference number will be indicated in this specification and the drawings will show the reference number followed by a letter for example, 100a, 100b etc. It is to be understood that the use of letters immediately after a reference number indicates that these features are similarly shaped and have similar function as is often the case when geometry is mirrored about a plane of symmetry. For ease of explanation in this specification, letters will often not be included herein but may be shown in the drawings to indicate duplications of features discussed within this written specification.
Any play between the lip 104 and the adapter 106 is removed by the retaining mechanism 124 that includes a cam member or wedge 132 that pushes back on forward facing sloped surfaces 134 located near the rear of the adapter 106 proximate the aperture 122 for the retaining mechanism. The pushing action is caused by rotating the spool 136 that causes it and its holding member 138 to travel downwards into the aperture until contact is made between the front face 140 of the holding member 138 and the front face 126 the aperture 122, while at the same time the wedge member 132 contacts the adapter 106 and pushes the adapter back until the radius 128 of the front edge 110 of the lip 104 contacts the throat 116 of the adapter 106.
During a load cycle on the tool and adapter during operation, forces are transferred from the tool or tip to the adapter nose. These forces tend to cause the legs of the adapter, which usually straddle the lip of the bucket or the like on the top and bottom sides, to spread apart.
As can be seen from
Looking now at
The adapter 202 shown in these figures includes a body 208 that defines Cartesian coordinate system or X, Y, and Z directions. The body 208 includes a nose portion 210, a first leg 212 that includes a side surface 214, a second leg 216 that includes a side surface 218, a throat portion 220 that connects the legs 212, 216 and nose portion 210 together and at least one leg that defines an aperture that is configured to receive a retaining mechanism 206. For this embodiment, both legs 212, 216 define an aperture 222 that is configured to receive the retaining mechanism 206. Furthermore, the aperture 222 is shown to be a slot having an elongated shape in the direction of assembly of the adapter onto a work implement. Also, the nose is configured to have a boss 240 or other feature that facilitates the attachment of a tool or tip to the adapter. All of these features are also present in
However, the body 208 of the adapter 202 also includes or defines an abutment surface 226. For this embodiment, the body 208 of the adapter 202 includes a protrusion 227 that extends from the side surface 214, 218 of a leg 212, 216 and the abutment surface 226 is actually on the rearward facing surface of that protrusion, that is to say that the abutment surface faces toward the direction of assembly 230. As best seen in
As best seen in
Focusing on the adapter 202 and stop member 236 of
Returning to
On the other hand,
Turning the reader's attention now to
For this embodiment as shown, the first and second legs 212, 216 and the throat portion 220 define a slot 228 that includes a closed end and an open end. The slot defines a direction 230 of assembly onto a work implement, which is shown to be the Y direction. The X direction would run essentially parallel to the lip of a work implement to which the adapter would be attached. The minimum distance 234 measured from the abutment surface to the throat measured in the direction (Y) of assembly is less than the minimum distance 237 from the aperture to the throat measured in the direction (Y) of
As shown abutment surface is substantially perpendicular to the direction (Y) of assembly. As used herein, reference to a substantial value of an angle means that it is within 5 degrees of that angle, which may be equivalent to a draft angle that many of the components such as the adapter might have in order to facilitate removal of the part from a mold or casting apparatus. Also as shown, the abutment surface 226 is a rearward abutment surface meaning that it faces in the Y direction.
The protrusion 227 has a predetermined height in the Z direction, width, in the Y direction, and depth in the X direction. Alternatively, the height, width and depth may be expressed as a thickness in the X, Y and Z directions. The thickness 246 of the protrusion 227 measured along the Y direction may be at least 40 mm, and may be preferably at least 60 mm. The thickness 248 of the protrusion 227 measured along the X direction may be at least 20 mm, and more preferably at least 40 mm. The thickness 250 of the protrusion in the Z direction may be at least 40 mm, and more preferably at least 60 mm. The shape and size of these thicknesses and the protrusion may be modified as needed depending on the application.
In most cases, the side surface 214, 218 of a leg 212, 216 is configured to act as a side abutment surface 242. Otherwise, the depth of the protrusion in the X direction would have to be great enough so that a stop member could be far way enough to avoid touching the side surface of the leg of the adapter body. When the side surface of the leg is a side abutment surface, it is often substantially perpendicular to the X direction but not necessarily so.
Looking at
Any abutment surface discussed herein may form an acute or obtuse angle with any Cartesian plane as needed or desired. Such an example is given later with respect to
Looking now at
Similarly, the stop member 236 includes a front abutment surface 264 that is configured to complimentary match the rear abutment surface 226 of the adapter 202. It should be noted that any type of surface may be used as an abutment surface as described herein, including but not limited to, undulating, flat or straight, compound angled, etc. The “U” shape of the stop member 236 creates a nest or recess 266 that is suitable for use with a plug or fillet weld 268, to attach the weldment to the lip of a work implement. Alternatively, the weldment could be attached using fillet welds 270 that touch the back side surfaces 272 that straddle the recess 266 and that touches the rear face 274 of the weldment. Or, some combinations of these welds may be used. The configuration of this stop member minimizes its profile such that it is shielded by the side protrusion of the adapter, limiting its contact with work material such as rocks and the like, which decreases its wear and may prolong its life. Furthermore, this configuration minimizes the amount of material needed to make the weldment, reducing cost.
Yet another embodiment of a stop member 236′ in the form of a weldment is illustrated by
Alternatively, the angled surface 310 of the pocket 302 may only provide clearance so that a corner of the stop member does not limit its contact with the rear abutment surface. This angle also allows for the provision of a more generous blend 314 between the angled surface and the rear abutment surface, which reduces stresses when a load is applied to the rear abutment surface. It can also be seen that the blend connects the angled surface to the abutment surface. In such an embodiment, the side surface of the leg may serve as a side abutment surface.
Similar to the protrusion 227 described above for other embodiments, the pocket has a predetermined height H in the Z direction, width W, in the Y direction, and depth D in the X direction. The width of the pocket measured along the Y direction may be at least 40 mm, and may be preferably at least 130 mm. The depth of the pocket measured along the X direction may be at least 20 mm, and more preferably at least 40 mm. The height of the pocket in the Z direction may be at least 40 mm, and more preferably at least 60 mm. The shape and size of the pocket and surfaces that define it may be modified as needed depending on the application.
Also, the relative placement of the pocket relative to the clearance pocket, throat and transition portion that blends the clearance pocket into the slot that is defined by the legs and throat is the same as that described above with respect to embodiments that include the protrusion. The minimum distance 316 from the rear abutment surface to the throat in the Y direction is less than the minimum distance 318 from the aperture of the legs to the throat.
In the field, it is problematic when a tool adapter stops working. This may incur a significant cost to a mining, construction, or other economic endeavor. At the same time, it may be prohibitively expensive to replace all the systems that use the tool adapter, work implements and associated lip construction, and tool retaining mechanisms shown in
First, the method for modifying a work tool assembly includes the step of providing a work implement that includes a lip 104 including a front edge 110 and an aperture 122 therethrough, a tool adapter assembly that includes a retaining mechanism 124, a stop member 236, and a tool adapter 202 that defines an aperture 222 and includes legs 212, 216, an abutment surface 226, and a throat 220. These requisite parts may be provided in a number of ways. This includes situations where one or more components are manufactured, sold, bought, are already present in the field, etc.
The method further comprises the steps of sliding the legs 212, 216 of the tool adapter 202 onto the lip until the throat of the adapter is proximate the front edge or actually contacts the front edge and the apertures 122, 222, of the lip and tool adapter are at least partially aligned (see step 400 of
Doing the steps in this order has the added benefit of allowing the abutment surfaces of the adapter to be in their proper position with the throat of the adapter being pressed against the front edge of the lip of the work implement. Then when the stop member is attached, its abutment surfaces will be precisely aligned with those of the adapter and be in the proper position to provide adequate support. Alternatively, the stop member may be attached to the lip before the tool adapter but this requires accurate measurement of the position of the stop members which may be difficult, especially in the field. Fixtures may make this feasible in a manufacturing environment. In any case, the abutment surface may be positioned between the throat and the aperture of the adapter along the direction of assembly of the adapter as has been previously described but this may not be always the case.
The step of attaching the stop member may include welding the stop member to the lip (step 406). Or, it may include fastening the stop member to the lip (step 408) for reasons already explained with reference to
It is also contemplated that the stop members may be directly cast into the lip. This may eliminate the need of attaching stop members after the lip has been fabricated or cast. Also, replaceable wear pads may be placed on the stop members to form the abutment surfaces. This may necessitate another assembly or disassembly step of bolting the wear pad onto the stop member.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the apparatus and methods of assembly as discussed herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention(s). Other embodiments of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the various embodiments disclosed herein. For example, some of the equipment may be constructed and function differently than what has been described herein and certain steps of any method may be omitted, performed in an order that is different than what has been specifically mentioned or in some cases performed simultaneously or in sub-steps. Furthermore, variations or modifications to certain aspects or features of various embodiments may be made to create further embodiments and features and aspects of various embodiments may be added to or substituted for other features or aspects of other embodiments in order to provide still further embodiments.
Accordingly, it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention(s) being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.