ADAPTER BOARD BOLTED JOINT SURFACE

• US 20190316319A1
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Parzynski, JR., David Bruno, Congdon, Thomas Marshall, Graham, Susan Marie
• Granted Patent: US 10,889,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8152 Attachments therefor, e.g. wear resisting parts, cutting edges E02F3/8155, E02F3/8157 take precedence; teeth per se E02F9/28
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2825 using adapters
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2833 Retaining means, e.g. pins

Abstract

A blade assembly comprises a moldboard defining an upper moldboard free end and a lower moldboard free end, the lower moldboard free end defining a lower curved mounting surface, and an adapter board defining an upper adapter board attachment portion, and a lower tool bit attachment portion. The upper adapter board attachment portion may include a first peak surface and a second peak surface, the first peak surface and the second peak surface forming a first valley therebetween and being configured to contact the lower curved mounting surface.

Claims

1. A blade assembly including a moldboard defining an upper moldboard free end and a lower moldboard free end, the lower moldboard free end defining a lower curved mounting surface for use with a grading machine, the blade assembly comprising:

an adapter board defining an upper adapter board attachment portion, terminating in an upper adapter board free end, and a lower tool bit attachment portion, terminating in a lower adapter board free end,

wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion includes a first peak surface and a second peak surface, the first peak surface and the second peak surface forming a first valley therebetween and being configured to contact the lower curved mounting surface.

2. The blade assembly of claim 1 wherein the first peak surface is disposed adjacent the upper adapter board free end and the second peak surface is disposed adjacent the lower moldboard free end.

3. The blade assembly of claim 2 wherein the adapter board defines a longitudinal axis, a center of mass, a Cartesian coordinate system with a X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and an origin disposed at the center of mass and its X-axis is oriented parallel with the longitudinal axis and the first peak surface and the second peak surface extend predominantly parallel with the longitudinal axis, and the upper adapter board attachment portion defines at least one channel forming the first valley separating the first peak surface and the second peak surface, forming a first rib extending parallel with the X-axis, defining the first peak surface and a second rib extending parallel with the X-axis, defining the second peak surface.

4. The blade assembly of claim 3 wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion defines a first channel disposed below the first peak surface along a direction parallel with the Z-axis, a second channel disposed above the second peak surface along a direction parallel with the Z-axis, and a third channel disposed between the first channel and the second channel along a direction parallel with the Z-axis, forming a third rib disposed beneath the first rib along a direction parallel with the Z-axis, and a fourth rib disposed above the second rib along a direction parallel with the Z-axis.

5. The blade assembly of claim 4 wherein the third rib and the fourth rib extend predominantly along a direction parallel with the X-axis, forming a third peak surface, and a fourth peak surface.

6. The blade assembly of claim 5 wherein the first channel and the second channel extend along the majority of the upper adapter board attachment portion along a direction parallel with the X-axis and upper adapter board attachment portion further comprises a plurality of cross-ribs connecting the third rib to the fourth rib, interrupting the third channel along the X-axis.

7. The blade assembly of claim 6 wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion defines a plurality of bolt holes bounded by the third rib, fourth rib, and the plurality of cross-ribs and the upper adapter board attachment portion is substantially straight.

8. A blade assembly including a moldboard defining an upper moldboard free end and a lower moldboard free end, the lower moldboard free end defining a lower curved mounting surface for use with a grading machine, the blade assembly comprising:

an adapter board defining an upper adapter board attachment portion, terminating in an upper adapter board free end, and a lower tool bit attachment portion, terminating in a lower adapter board free end,

wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion includes a plurality of peaks surfaces defining a plurality of valleys therebtween, the plurality of peak surfaces being differently configured than the lower curved mounting surface.

9. The blade assembly of claim 8 wherein the plurality of peak surfaces are flat surfaces.

10. The blade assembly of claim 9 wherein the flat surfaces are not parallel to each other.

11. An adapter board for use with a blade assembly of a grading machine,

the adapter board comprising:

an upper adapter board attachment portion, terminating in an upper adapter board free end; and

a lower tool bit attachment portion, terminating in a lower adapter board free end,

wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion includes a first flat surface disposed adjacent the upper adapter board free end, a second flat surface disposed beneath the first flat surface, and a third flat surface disposed below the first flat surface and above the second flat surface, the first flat surface and the second flat surface being non-parallel to each other.

12. The adapter board of claim 11 wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion further comprises a fourth flat surface disposed above the second flat surface and below the third flat surface, and the first flat surface, the second flat surface, the third flat surface and the fourth flat surface are non-parallel to each other.

13. The adapter board of claim 12, wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion is substantially straight, forming a rear flat surface disposed beneath the second flat surface, the rear flat surface being non-parallel to the second flat surface.

14. The adapter board of claim 13 the adapter board defines a longitudinal axis, a center of mass, a Cartesian coordinate system with a X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and an origin disposed at the center of mass and its X-axis is oriented parallel with the longitudinal axis and the first flat surface and the second flat surface extend predominantly parallel with the longitudinal axis, and the upper adapter board attachment portion defines at least one channel separating the first flat surface and the second flat surface, forming a first rib extending parallel with the X-axis, defining the first flat surface and a second rib extending parallel with the X-axis, defining the second flat surface.

15. The adapter board of claim 14 wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion defines a first channel disposed below the first flat surface along direction parallel with the Z-axis, a second channel disposed above the second flat surface along a direction parallel with the Z-axis, and a third channel disposed between the first channel and the second channel along a direction parallel with the Z-axis, forming a third rib disposed beneath the first rib along a direction parallel with the Z-axis, and a fourth rib disposed above the second rib along a direction parallel with the Z-axis.

16. The adapter board of claim 15 wherein the third rib and the fourth rib extend predominantly along a direction parallel with the X-axis, forming the third flat surface, and the fourth flat surface.

17. The adapter board of claim 16 wherein the first channel and the second channel extend along the majority of the upper adapter board attachment portion along a direction parallel with the X-axis and the upper adapter board attachment portion includes a plurality of cross-ribs connecting the third rib to the fourth rib, interrupting the third channel along the X-axis.

18. The adapter board of claim 17 wherein the upper adapter board attachment portion defines a plurality of bolt holes bounded by the third rib, the fourth rib, and the plurality of cross-ribs.

19. The adapter board of claim 18 wherein the lower tool bit attachment portion is also substantially straight, forming a “

L”

shaped configuration with the upper adapter board attachment portion, the lower tool bit attachment portion also defining a plurality of tool bit receiving bores.