Wear assembly for an excavator

• US 7,299,570 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ESCO Group LLC (WEIR Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: ESCO Corporation (WEIR Group PLC)
• Inventors: Briscoe, Terry L., Emrich, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beach; Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US11/226,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 374/51, 374/50, 374/54, 374/55, 374/56
• US Class Current: 37/455
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2833 Retaining means, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2883 Wear elements for buckets or implements in general
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/04163 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/163 Soft switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/0019 by energy recovery or adiabatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/009 Resonant driver circuits

Abstract

A wear assembly for attaching a wear member to a support structure that includes a wear member and a lock. The wear member includes a pair of legs to straddle the support structure, each with a hole that aligns with a hole in the support structure for receiving a lock to hold the wear member in place. Each hole includes a recess with an engagement surface facing generally away from the support structure for receiving portions of the lock. The lock includes a wedge provided with a thread formation that threadedly engages a second thread formation in the aligned holes so that rotation of the wedge axially drives the wedge.

Claims

1. A wear member for attachment to a lip of an excavating bucket comprising a front working portion projecting forward of the lip and a pair of rearward extending legs adapted to straddle the lip, each said leg having an inner surface to face the lip, an opposite outer surface, a rear wall extending generally transverse to the inner surface, a slot opening in the inner surface and the rear wall to receive a boss fixed to the lip, and a hole extending through the leg and opening in the inner and outer surfaces to receive a lock to hold the wear member to the lip, each said hole including a recess adjacent the outer surface for receiving and anchoring a portion of the lock, and each said recess being partially defined by a face positioned between the inner and outer surfaces of the respective leg and facing generally away from the lip, wherein said faces of said recesses are generally parallel to each other.

2. A wear member in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hole is defined at least in part by a front wall portion and a rear wall portion, and the recess is formed in the rear wall portion.

3. A wear member in accordance with claim 2 wherein the slot is defined only between the hole and the rear wall.

4. A wear member In accordance with claim 2 wherein the wear member is an adapter and the front working portion includes a nose for mounting a point.

5. A wear member in accordance with claim 1 wherein the slot is defined only between the hole and the rear wall.

6. A wear assembly for attaching a wear member to a lip of an excavating bucket, the wear assembly comprising:

a wear member having a front working portion and a leg, the leg extending rearward over a surface of the lip and including a rear wall and a slot;

a boss having a main member received in the slot and an abutment member to abut the rear wall of the leg;

an insert to form an abutting surface between the rear wall of the leg and the abutment member of the boss; and

a lock to releasably secure the wear member to the boss.

7. A wear assembly In accordance with claim 6 wherein the insert is releasably secured to one of the rear wall of the leg or the abutment member.

8. A wear assembly in accordance with claim 6 wherein the insert is formed of a softer material than the abutment member.

9. A wear assembly for attaching a wear member to a lip of an excavating bucket having at least one through-hole, the wear assembly comprising:

a boss fixed to the lip rearward of the through-hole;

an insert positioned along a front end of the through-hole, the insert including one arm extending forward from the through-hole along each of an inner surface and an outer surface of the lip, and a body positioned in the through-hole interconnecting the arms,

a wear member having a front working portion and a pair of legs to straddle the lip, each said leg extending rearward over a surface of the lip and including a slot to receive the boss and a space to receive one said arm of the insert, the space being defined in part by side surfaces that contact said one arm for support against side loading; and

a lock to releasably secure the wear member to the boss.

10. A wear assembly for attaching a wear member to a lip of an excavating bucket having at least one through-hole, the wear assembly comprising:

a boss fixed to the lip rearward of the through-hole;

an insert positioned along a front end of the through-hole, the insert including at least one arm extending forward from the through-hole along a surface of the lip, wherein the arm extends substantially the distance between the through-hole and a front edge of the lip,

a wear member having a front working portion and a leg, the leg extending rearward over a surface of the lip and including a slot to receive the boss and a space to receive the arm of the insert, the space being defined in part by side surfaces that contact the arm for support against side loading; and

a lock to releasably secure the wear member to the boss.