Wear assembly

• US 8,312,650 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ESCO Group LLC (WEIR Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: ESCO Corporation (WEIR Group PLC)
• Inventors: McClanahan, Robert, Briscoe, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US13/173,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 37452-460, 374/46, 374/48, 374/50, 403/379, 403/374, 403/316, 403/298, 403/374.1, 403/379.4
• US Class Current: 37/452
• 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: Y10T 403/7069 Axially oriented

Abstract

In a wear assembly for securing wear members to excavating equipment, a spool is used with a wedge to hold the wear member in place. The spool is formed with at least one laterally extending arm at its upper end in lieu of an axial arm such as used in a conventional C-shaped spool. In this way, the spool can be easily supported in the assembly as the wedge is installed. The spool does not fall through the opening and no special care is needed to prevent it from falling. The spool also holds itself in place when the wedge is driven into the passage. As a result, installation of the wear assembly is easier and less hazardous. In addition, the lateral support reduces the risk that the spool will suffer spreading.

Claims

1. A wear member for attachment to a lip of an excavating bucket wherein the lip has an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one through-hole extending through the lip, the through-hole opening in each of the inner and outer surfaces and having a shoulder defined between the inner and outer surfaces, the wear member comprising a front end to contact materials to be gathered into the bucket during excavating, an inner leg to extend along the inner surface of the lip, the inner leg including an inner surface to set against the inner surface of the lip, an opposite outer surface, and a hole extending through the inner leg that generally aligns with the through-hole in the lip when the wear member is placed on the lip to receive a lock to hold the wear member to the lip, an outer leg to extend along the outer surface of the lip, the outer leg being shorter than the inner leg and ending forward of the through-hole, a recess in the inner leg to each lateral side of the hole, each recess opening in the hole and in the outer surface of the inner leg to receive laterally projecting arms of the lock, and a bearing surface in each recess to contact the respective arm of the lock so that the wear member is held to the lip.

2. A wear member in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of the bearing surfaces is inclined away from the lip in a rearward direction.

3. A wear member in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of the bearing surfaces is inclined in the rearward direction at a uniform slope.

4. A wear member in accordance with claim 1 wherein a gap is defined between the inner and outer legs to receive the lip, and the gap is open laterally to accommodate the lateral extension of the lip beyond the wear member.