Wear assembly for an excavating bucket

• US 7,526,886 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ESCO Group LLC (WEIR Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: ESCO Corporation (WEIR Group PLC)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Carolyn, Metschan, Phil, McClanahan, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Beach; Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US11/877,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 37450-460
• US Class Current: 37/457
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2841 resilient
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2883 Wear elements for buckets or implements in general

Abstract

A wear assembly for protecting the digging edge of a bucket which includes a wear member having a lock-receiving hole in one leg and an upstanding rib along the other leg. The rib extends axially along the leg to be received into a slot in a base fixed to the lip of the bucket. The rib has a rear end that engages the base to hold the rear end of the rib between the base and the lip. The wear member further includes an interior surface that has a front portion formed with a curve to wrap around the digging edge and a plurality of stabilizing surfaces. The lock has a latch and a threaded wedge received into the passage to move the latch to its holding position to maintain the lock in the assembly during use.

Claims

1. A wear assembly for a lip of an excavating bucket comprising

a base fixed to the lip and including a first bearing surface,

a wear member including a front working portion and a rear mounting portion, the rear mounting portion including a second bearing surface, and

a lock to be received between the first and second bearing surfaces to secure the wear member to the lip, the lock including a body having a passage with an open inlet end, a latch attached to the body for movement between a holding position and a release position, and a wedge having a leading end and a trailing end, the passage including a first thread formation and the wedge including a second thread formation that engages the first thread formation, the wedge tapering toward the leading end and being movably received into the passage of the body through the inlet end, the wedge engaging the latch to move the latch from the release position to the holding position as the leading end of the wedge is moved farther into the passage away from the inlet end, and the wedge being rotated to move the wedge in the passage.

2. A wear assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the second thread formation is formed by a helical groove on the wedge.

3. A wear assembly in accordance with claim 2 wherein a resilient material is provided within the helical groove to engage the first thread formation and resist loosening of the wedge.

4. A wear assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the trailing end of the wedge includes a tool-engaging formation for engaging a tool to rotate the wedge.

5. A wear assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the latch is pivotally secured to the body.

6. A wear assembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein the latch includes a resilient retainer that engages the wedge to resist loosening of the wedge.

7. A lock for securing a wear member to excavating equipment comprising a body including a passage with an open inlet end, a latch attached to the body for movement between a holding position and a release position, and a wedge having a leading end and a trailing end, the passage including a first thread formation and the wedge including a second thread formation that engages the first thread formation, the wedge tapering toward the leading end and being movably received into the passage of the body through the inlet end, the wedge engaging the latch to move the latch from the release position to the holding position as the leading end of the wedge is moved farther into the passage away from the inlet end, and the wedge being rotated to move the wedge in the passage.

8. A lock in accordance with claim 7 wherein the second thread formation if formed by a helical groove on the wedge.

9. A lock in accordance with claim 8 wherein a resilient material is provided within the helical groove to engage the first thread formation and resist loosening of the wedge.

10. A lock in accordance with claim 7 wherein the trailing end of the wedge includes a tool-engaging formation for engaging a tool to rotate the wedge.

11. A lock in accordance with claim 7 wherein the latch is pivotally secured to the body.

12. A lock in accordance with claim 11 wherein the latch includes a resilient retainer that engages the wedge to resist loosening of the wedge.

13. A lock for securing a wear member to excavating equipment comprising:

a body including a passage with an open inlet end and at least one helical ridge segment;

a wedge axially received into the passage of the body through the inlet end, the wedge having (i) a leading end and a trailing end and tapering toward the leading end, (ii) a helical groove engaging the helical ridge segment in the passage, and (iii) a tool-engaging formation for rotating the wedge in the passage to axially move the wedge in the passage by the engagement of the groove and the ridge; and

a latch pivotally attached to the body for movement between a holding position and a release position, the latch having a front surface with a projection for engaging a stop on the wear member to hold the lock in place during use and a rear surface to engage the wedge and be pressed by the wedge into the holding position.

14. A lock in accordance with claim 13 wherein the wedge further includes a resilient material in the helical groove to engage the helical ridge segment and resist loosening of the wedge.

15. A lock in accordance with claim 13 wherein the latch includes a resilient retainer that engages the wedge to resist loosening of the wedge.

16. A lock in accordance with claim 13 wherein the rear surface of the latch includes a recess into which the wedge is received.