Patent Application
20230417028
This disclosure relates generally to mining, excavation and material handling equipment and, in an example described below, more particularly provides for securement of a wear component on an implement.
The forward edge of material handling implements, such as buckets and shovels, etc., is subject to impacts, abrasion and other types of wear and damage. Expendable wear components, such as teeth, shrouds and adapters, can be used to protect a forward edge of a material handling implement. A fastening system used to releasably attach a wear component to an implement should be constructed so that it can reliably withstand the impacts to which it is subjected, as well as wear between the forward edge and the wear component.
It will, therefore, be appreciated that improvements are continually needed in the art of securing wear components on material handling implements. Such improvements are provided to the art by the present disclosure, and these improvements can be realized in a wide variety of different configurations.
Representatively illustrated in
In the example of
The teeth 12 are typically rapidly worn down or otherwise damaged during use of the implement 10, and so the teeth are replaced periodically or when excessive wear is evident. Specially configured adapters 14 releasably secure the teeth 12 to a forward edge of a lip 16 of the implement 10 in this example. In other examples, the teeth 12 may be secured directly to the lip 16.
The teeth 12 and adapter 14 are merely examples of wear components that can be securely and conveniently attached to a material handling implement using the principles of this disclosure. Other examples of wear components include shrouds 18, 20 which protect forward material-engaging edges of the lip 16 and sides of the implement 10. Thus, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to use of any particular types of wear components.
As used herein, the term “forward” is used to indicate a direction in which the implement 10 displaces to engage a material. Thus, a forward edge of the lip 16 would first engage the material, if the forward edge were not protected by the teeth 12, adapter 14 and shrouds 18, 20. The term “rearward” is used to indicate an opposite direction. Thus, in the
Referring additionally now to
As depicted in
In the
A fastening system 32 releasably secures the adapter 14 in position on the lip 16. In this example, the fastening system 32 is similar in some respects to a conventional “Whisler-type” fastening system, but includes unique features that provide for improved securement of the adapter 14 (or other wear component) to the lip 16.
The tooth 12 is releasably secured to the adapter 14 by another fastening system 34. In other examples, the tooth 12 could be integrally formed with the adapter 14, instead of being separately attached to the adapter. Thus, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to use of any particular type of wear component on the lip 16 of the implement 10.
As depicted in
The clamp 36 is received in an opening 46 formed through the lip 16. In this example, the clamp 36 can be installed into the opening 46 and engaged with the profiles 42, 44 in the adapter 14 after the adapter has been positioned on the lip 16.
The fastening system 32 also includes a wedge 48 installed in the opening 46. The wedge 48 has a face 50 that slidingly engages a forwardly facing surface 52 of the clamp 36, and an opposing face 54 that engages a rearwardly facing surface 56 of the opening 46. The faces 50, 54 and surfaces 52, 56 are straight and linear in this example (the face 50 and surface 52 being inclined relative to the face 54 and surface 56), but other forms of faces and surfaces may be used in other examples.
The wedge face 50 in the
The threaded member 60 and the shaft 62 are configured so that they rotate together. For example, the shaft 62 could have a splined or hexagonal exterior shape that complementarily engages internal splines or a hexagonal profile formed in the threaded member 60. In these examples, the splines or hexagonal profiles can permit the threaded member 60 to displace axially along the shaft 62, but prevent relative rotation between the threaded member and the shaft. In other examples, different shapes, profiles or other means may be used to permit axial displacement of the threaded member 60 but prevent relative rotation between the threaded member and the shaft 62.
A biasing device 64 is positioned in the clamp 36 and arranged to exert a downwardly biasing force against the threaded member 60. In this example, the biasing device 64 is in the form of a coiled compression spring which surrounds the shaft 62, but in other examples an elastomeric member, a gas spring, one or more Belleville washers, or another type of biasing device may be used.
In the
If the threaded member 60 is left-hand threaded, then clockwise rotation of the shaft 62 (viewed from above as depicted in
The downwardly biasing force applied to the wedge 48 will tend to advance the wedge further into the opening 46. Due to the incline between the faces 50, 54, the downward biasing force applied to the wedge 48 will cause the face 54 to be increasingly biased against the forward surface 56 of the opening 46, and will cause the clamp surfaces 38, 40 to be increasingly biased against the profiles 42, 44 of the adapter legs 22, 24.
Thus, the adapter 14 is biased rearward relative to the lip 16 due to the compression of the biasing device 64 and the resulting downward biasing force exerted against the wedge 48. Furthermore, the adapter 14 will be continually biased rearward relative to the lip 16 due to the downward biasing force exerted against the wedge 48, even though there is wear between the adapter and the forward edge 30 of the lip.
Referring additionally now to
A downwardly directed biasing force is now exerted against the threaded member 60 and the wedge 48. This biasing force biases the wedge 48 toward further insertion into the opening 46, which causes the adapter 14 to be biased rearward relative to the lip 16.
To release the adapter 14 from the lip 16, the shaft 62 can be rotated in an opposite direction, so that the threaded member 60 displaces downward on the shaft. The biasing device 64 will axially expand, thereby relieving the biasing force exerted against the threaded member 60 and the wedge 48. Further rotation of the threaded member 60 and shaft 62 after the threaded member has bottomed-out in a recess 66 in the clamp 36 may be used to displace the wedge 48 upward from the opening 46.
Although in
It may now be fully appreciated that the above disclosure provides significant advancements to the art of securing a wear component on a material handling implement. In an example described above, engagement between the threaded member 60 and the teeth 58 enables a biasing force to be transmitted from the biasing device 64 to the wedge 48 to thereby bias the wedge further into the opening 46 and bias the adapter 14 rearward relative to the lip 16.
The above disclosure provides to the art a fastening system 32 for securing a wear component (such as, a tooth 12, adapter or shroud 18, 20) to a lip 16 of a material handling implement 10. In one example, the fastening system 32 can comprise a clamp 36 configured to engage profiles 42, 44 formed in respective legs 22, 24 of the wear component, a wedge 48 having opposing first and second faces 50, 54, the first face 50 being configured to engage the clamp 36, and the second face 54 being configured to engage a surface 56 of an opening 46 formed through the lip 16, a shaft 62, an externally threaded member 60 rotatable by the shaft 62, and a biasing device 64 that exerts an axially biasing force against the threaded member 60.
The threaded member 60 may be axially displaceable relative to the shaft 62. The threaded member 60 may be displaceable relative to the clamp 36 along the shaft 62.
The wedge first face 50 may comprise teeth 58 engaged with the threaded member 60. Each of the wedge first and second faces 50, 54 may be linearly extending, straight and inclined relative to each other.
Rotation of the shaft 62 may simultaneously compress the biasing device 64 and bias the wedge 48 into the lip opening 46. Compression of the biasing device 64 may cause the wedge 48 to be biased into the lip opening 46.
The above disclosure also provides to the art a method of securing a wear component (such as, a tooth 12, adapter or shroud 18, 20) to a lip 16 of a material handling implement 10. In one example, the method can comprise: positioning the wear component on the lip 16; installing a clamp 36 into an opening 46 formed through the lip 16; engaging opposing inwardly facing surfaces 38, 40 of the clamp 36 with profiles 42, 44 formed in respective legs 22, 24 of the wear component; installing a wedge 48 into the opening 46, a first face 50 of the wedge 48 engaging the clamp 36 and an opposing second face 54 of the wedge 48 engaging a surface 56 of the opening 46; and rotating a shaft 62 in the clamp 36, thereby compressing a biasing device 64 in the clamp 36 and exerting a biasing force that biases the wedge 48 into the opening 46.
The rotating step may include rotating an externally threaded member 60 that engages teeth 58 formed on the wedge first face 50. The compressing step may include displacing the threaded member 60 axially along the shaft 62.
The compressing step may include displacing the threaded member 60 relative to the clamp 36. The exerting step may include biasing the clamp 36 in a rearward direction relative to the lip 16. The exerting step and the compressing step may be performed simultaneously.
The exerting step may include biasing the wedge second face 54 against the surface 56 of the opening 46.
A fastening system 32 for securing a wear component (such as, a tooth 12, adapter or shroud 18, 20) to a lip 16 of a material handling implement 10 described above can comprise a clamp 36 having opposing inwardly facing surfaces 38, 40 configured to engage profiles 42, 44 formed in respective legs 22, 24 of the wear component 10, a wedge 48 having opposing first and second faces 50, 54, the first face 50 having a series of teeth 58 formed therein, and the second face 54 being configured to engage a surface 56 of an opening 46 formed through the lip 16, a shaft 62 positioned in the clamp 36, an externally threaded member 60 rotatable by the shaft 62, and the threaded member 60 being engaged with the wedge teeth 58, and a biasing device 64 that exerts an axially biasing force against the threaded member 60.
Although various examples have been described above, with each example having certain features, it should be understood that it is not necessary for a particular feature of one example to be used exclusively with that example. Instead, any of the features described above and/or depicted in the drawings can be combined with any of the examples, in addition to or in substitution for any of the other features of those examples. One example's features are not mutually exclusive to another example's features. Instead, the scope of this disclosure encompasses any combination of any of the features.
Although each example described above includes a certain combination of features, it should be understood that it is not necessary for all features of an example to be used. Instead, any of the features described above can be used, without any other particular feature or features also being used.
It should be understood that the various embodiments described herein may be utilized in various orientations, such as inclined, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., and in various configurations, without departing from the principles of this disclosure. The embodiments are described merely as examples of useful applications of the principles of the disclosure, which is not limited to any specific details of these embodiments.
The terms “including,” “includes,” “comprising,” “comprises,” and similar terms are used in a non-limiting sense in this specification. For example, if a system, method, apparatus, device, etc., is described as “including” a certain feature or element, the system, method, apparatus, device, etc., can include that feature or element, and can also include other features or elements. Similarly, the term “comprises” is considered to mean “comprises, but is not limited to.”
Of course, a person skilled in the art would, upon a careful consideration of the above description of representative embodiments of the disclosure, readily appreciate that many modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, and other changes may be made to the specific embodiments, and such changes are contemplated by the principles of this disclosure. For example, structures disclosed as being separately formed can, in other examples, be integrally formed and vice versa. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of the invention being limited solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.
