AU2005204264A1

AU2005204264A1 - A ripper boot including an angled ripping tooth

Info

Publication number: AU2005204264A1
Application number: AU2005204264A
Authority: AU
Inventors: James A Calderwood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-08-26
Filing date: 2005-08-26
Publication date: 2007-03-15

Description

13053

ORIGINAL

Complete Specification Applicant: James A Calderwood Title: A ripper boot including an angled ripping tooth LESICAR PERRIN, 49 Wright Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia Address for Service: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to melus: An improved ripper boot including an angled ripping tooth The present invention relates to an improved ripper boot and, in particular, to a ripper boot including an angled ripping tooth for use in cleaving through hard ground. The preferred application of the present invention is in opal mining where hard ground is to be penetrated and ripped in an attempt to locate opal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present inventor is the owner of two co-pending applications relating to ripper boot improvements, namely, Australian provisional patent application no. 2005900858, entitled "An improved ripper boot", which relates to a ripper boot whereby the ripping tooth is replaceable and rotatable, and a further Australian provisional patent application (application no. yet to be assigned) also entitled "An improved ripper boot", and relates to a ripper boot whereby the ripping tooth is replaceable but fixed during operation for improved performance and reduced wear and tear. The contents of these co-pending applications are incorporated by reference herein.

The abovementioned applications relate to a ripper boot for use in operations where extremely hard rock or compacted soil is required to be penetrated and ripped, an example being in the location and extraction of precious stones. The ripper boot includes a carrier which is typically secured to a bulldozer tyne. A replaceable ripping tip is secured to the nose of the carrier to rip through rock, typically to a depth of approximately 300mm at a time. In the case of opal mining, the loosened rock is then pushed away, while spotters check for signs of opal. These ripper boots have proven to be successful in this type of application in that worn ripping teeth are very quickly and easily replaced, and during operation, chatter, wear and tear on the boot, and load on the bulldozer are all reduced.

However the present inventor has discovered that another very important feature in ripping operations is what is known as the angle of attack, that is, the angle at which the ripping boot rips through the ground. In conventional ripping operations, the angle of attack is typically governed by the angle at which the end of the bulldozer tyne extends because it is the tyne that carries the ripper boot. The position of the bulldozer tyne is adjustable, however, its movement is restricted and often a desired angle of attack is not attainable.

The angle of attack has been discovered to be important because when the tooth is ripping at too steep an angle, that is, when the angle between the longitudinal axis of the ripping tooth and the ground surface is too great, the ripper boot will begin to chatter which may result in increased wear and tear on the ripping tooth, metal fatigue and eventual fracture in the ripping tooth. In such circumstances, the load on the bulldozer is also increased which leads to increased fuel consumption. The nose of the ripping tooth tip may also drag when the angle is too steep, and the ripping tooth is prone to being ripped out. In general, where the angle of attack is not correct, the required cleaving effect of the boot is reduced. In fact, it has been found that very small variations in ripping tooth angle can have major effects on the effectiveness of the ripping operation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the aforementioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed a ripper boot of the type adapted to be mounted to a shank of a bulldozer or like equipment, said ripper boot including: a carrier means adapted to be connected to said shank; a ripping tooth supported at a free end of the carrier means such that said ripping tooth extends at a predetermined angle relative thereto.

Preferably said ripper boot includes a mounting portion at the free end of the carrier means, said mounting portion configured to hold said ripping tooth so that it extends at said predetermined angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the carrier means.

In preference the ripper boot is configured so that during use, the ripping tip extends in an upward direction with respect to the carrier means so that the ripping tooth is aligned approximately parallel with the ground surface.

Preferably said predetermined angle is between zero and ninety degrees from the longitudinal axis of the carrier means.

Advantageously said predetermined angle is between zero and ten degrees from the longitudinal axis of the carrier means.

Advantageously said predetermined angle is six degrees from the longitudinal axis of the carrier means.

Thus, the present invention provides a ripper boot whereby the ripping tooth is angled upwardly with respect to the ripper boot carrier so that the angle of attack of the ripping tooth is raised and becomes almost parallel with the ground. In altering the angle of attack in this way, it has been found that the cleaving effect of the boot is increased, chatter and drag of the boot through the ground is reduced which results in less wear and tear and less likelihood of the tooth being ripped out, as well as decreased load on the bulldozer which also reduces fuel consumption.

In preference said mounting portion is in the form of a substantially solid member which extends at said predetermined angle from the free end of the carrier means, said solid member including a female socket aligned centrally along its longitudinal axis for receiving a shaft portion of said ripping tooth.

Alternatively said mounting portion is in the form of a substantially solid member which extends along the same longitudinal axis as said carrier means, said solid member including a female socket aligned along said predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the solid member and carrier for receiving a shaft portion of said ripping tooth.

Preferably the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is adapted to be fixedly supported within the female socket in a configuration which allows said ripping tooth to be replaced when a head portion thereof becomes worn.

Preferably the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is fixedly secured within the female socket of the carrier means by way of an interference fit.

Preferably the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is tapered such that a free end thereof has a smaller cross-sectional size to that of the opposed end adjacent the ripping tooth head portion.

In preference the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is of a square cross-section having slightly rounded edges.

Preferably the ripper boot includes a secondary means of securing the ripping tooth within the female socket whereby the shaft portion of the ripping tooth and the solid member include respective channels extending transversely therethrough, said channels adapted to coaxially align when the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is secured within the female socket, to thereby allow for insertion of a retaining pin.

In preference the head portion of the ripping tooth includes an outwardly extending shoulder adapted to facilitate removal of the ripping tooth from within the socket portion of the carrier means.

Alternatively said carrier means includes an ejection hole extending from said hollow portion to said female socket so that said replaceable tooth may be ejected from said chamber by pushing said tooth by way of said hollow portion and said ejection hole.

Preferably said carrier means includes a hollow portion having a pair of oppositely positioned retaining holes that conform in size and location to retaining holes in said shank so that a removable retaining means conformed to said retaining holes for holding said carrier means on said shank may be inserted therethrough.

In preference the head portion of the ripping tooth includes a tip of high tensile metal such as tungsten.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 illustrates a rear perspective view of an improved ripper boot in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a front perspective view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional top view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 1; Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 1; Figure 5 illustrates an exploded cross-sectional top view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 1; Figure 6 illustrates a schematic side view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 1 when the boot is connected to a bulldozer tyne, and shown in broken lines is a conventional ripper boot arrangement; Figure 7 illustrates a cross-sectional top view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 1 including a retaining pin; Figure 8 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 1 including a retaining pin; Figure 9 illustrates a cross-sectional top view of an improved ripper boot in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 9; Figure 11 illustrates a cross-sectional top view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 9 including a retaining pin; (-i Figure 12 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the improved ripper boot of Figure 9 including a retaining pin; and 5 Figure 13 illustrates a bulldozer including an improved ripper boot mounted to the bulldozer tyne in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.

The present invention relates to an improved ripper boot 10 as illustrated in Figures 1- 6. The improved ripper boot 10 includes a carrier 12, and a replaceable ripping tooth 14 which extends at a predetermined angle with respect to the carrier 12. In operation, the carrier 12 is placed over and conformed to fit with a ripper boot tyne 16 of a bulldozer 18 or other earth moving machinery, as is shown in Figure 13. The various components of the bulldozer 18 are not described herein because bulldozers such as these are well known in the art, and apart from the ripper boot tyne 16, the remaining components do not perform any function insofar as the present invention is concerned.

The carrier 12 is held in place by utilisation of a pair of opposed retaining holes located in the rear hollow portion 22 of the carrier 12 which, in conjunction with a retaining pin 24, is designed to attach the carrier 12 of the ripper boot 10 to the available tyne 16. It is to be understood that the carrier 12 may be conformed to fit any available ripper boot shank, and that any desired attachment means other than the retaining pin 24 and opposed retaining holes 20 may be used.

The ripper boot carrier 12 also includes a substantially solid portion 26 at its front.

This solid portion 26 provides mass and assists in the ripping mechanism to some degree.

Primarily, the solid portion 26 provides a female socket or bore 28 adapted to fixedly house a replaceable ripping tooth 14. The bore 28 is of a square cross-section and includes longitudinal walls that taper inwardly such that the cross-sectional size of the bore 28 adjacent the hollow portion 22 is less than that adjacent the tooth end. All four edges of the socket 28 are rounded off for additional strength.

Shown in broken lines in Figure 6 is a conventional ripper boot arrangement 29.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that where the solid portion of the conventional ripper boot 29 extends in the same longitudinal direction as that of the carrier portion, the solid portion 26 of the ripper boot 10 of the present invention is angled upwardly with respect to the carrier 12 when fully assembled. In having an upwardly angled solid portion 26, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the ripping tooth 14 once inserted will also be angled with respect to the carrier 12.

The angle of the solid portion 26 is shown in the drawings to be quite substantial, however, through experimentation it has been found that an angle of approximately 6 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the carrier body is optimal. At this angle, the outer surface of the ripping tooth becomes aligned approximately parallel with the ground surface. It has been found that when the tooth is positioned at this angle, the boot cleaves through the ground more efficiently than hitherto known ripper boot arrangements resulting in reduced chatter, reduced wear and tear on the tooth, and reduced load on the bulldozer. It is to be understood that the angle at which the solid portion 26 extends with respect to the carrier 12 may be made to vary depending on the required operation.

The replaceable ripping tooth includes a head portion 30 and a shaft 32. The shaft 32 of the replaceable ripping tooth 14 is correspondingly shaped with the female socket 28 of the carrier 12, that is, it too includes tapered walls and is of a square cross-sectional shape having rounded corners. This allows the shaft 32 to be fixedly secured within the female socket 28 by way of an interference fit. As those skilled in the art would realise, an interference fit is extremely strong and will not permit any rotation at all of the replaceable ripping tooth 14 and ensures that no particles enter between the wall of the shaft 32 and the abutting wall of the female socket 28. In preference, the socket 28 is cast so as to ensure that its dimensions correspond with those of the shaft 32.

Once the tooth is fixed within the socket 28, the head portion 30 extends longitudinally outwards from the solid portion 26 of the boot and therefore tapers at substantially the same angle as the solid portion 26. The head portion 30 of the tooth is designed not to extend too far outwards from the carrier 12 so as to ensure it is not damaged or broken off during the ripping process. Mounted to the end of the replaceable ripping tooth 14 is a pointed tip 34 made of any high tensile strength material, such as tungsten for example. The tip 34 may simply be welded to the replaceable ripping tooth 14. A high tensile tip 34 ensures that even the hardest rock may be penetrated and that problems associated with existing ripper boot tips which become easily worn are minimised.

In order to ensure that the replaceable ripping tooth 14 is always fixed within the carrier 12 during use, a secondary locking means may also be used, preferably in the form of a retaining pin 36. Illustrated in Figures 7-8 is a ripper boot 10 including such a retaining pin 36. The tooth 14 includes a semicircular groove 37 extending transversely across a lower side thereof such that when it is fully inserted into socket 28, the groove 37 becomes co-axially aligned with an aperture 38 which extends transversely through the solid portion 26 of the carrier 12. Once aligned, the retaining pin 36 may simply be inserted through the aligned holes to lock the tooth in place.

It is envisaged that an interference fit is adequate in maintaining the tooth fixed within the socket, but a secondary locking means such as this may be used if required. The pin may be of the compressible type whereby prior to insertion, its cross section must be compressed so that following insertion it expands to provide a tighter fit. All other aspects of the ripper boot in figures 7-8 are identical to those in the previous figures.

Removal of the ripping tooth 14 from the carrier 12 may be accomplished in a number of ways. The tooth 14 includes a protrusion or shoulder 39 extending outwards from the head portion 30 of the tooth 14 which is adapted to facilitate removal of the tooth 14. The shoulder 39 may be engaged by an appropriate tool and pried off when the tooth has become worn following prolonged use. Alternatively, the ripping tooth 14 may be removed by way of insertion of a push rod (not shown) or other similar object through the hollow portion 22 of the carrier 12. As those skilled in the art would appreciate, when the ripping tooth 14 is locked within the female socket 28, such action will force the ripping tooth 14 from the female socket 28.

It is to be understood that the configuration of the ripping tooth 14 may vary. In this case, the pointed tip 34 includes a double inward taper before terminating into a point. This feature, combined with the high tensile properties of the tip 34, ensures that even the hardest rock may be penetrated with minimal slip and that problems associated with existing ripper boot tips which become easily worn are alleviated. But other types of tips may be used such as single taper tips, or curved tips as is shown in some of the drawings. Further, the crosssectional shape of the ripping tooth shaft 32 and carrier bore 28 need not be square but may be any other shape such as triangular or circular, provided an interference fit is still achievable.

Existing ripper boots may be modified to include the features of the ripper boot 10 of the present invention. A saw cut may be made at the junction between the carrier 12 and the solid portion 26 of a conventional ripper boot whereby the saw cut is made at a desired angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the carrier. Then, when a solid portion is welded to the angled end of the carrier 12, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the solid portion 26 will extend at an angle corresponding with the angle of the cut. Conventional ripper boot solid portions, for example, those which do not include replaceable tips, could also be attached to the angled end of the carrier 12.

Figures 9-10 illustrate a ripper boot 40 according to a second aspect of the present invention. The ripper boot 40 differs from the ripper boot 10 of the first embodiment in that rather than the solid portion 26 of the boot being angled, it extends longitudinally with respect to the carrier 12 as was the case in the ripper boots of the co-pending patent applications. In this case though, a raised angle of attack is achieved by having a female socket 28 cast at a predetermined angle through the solid portion 26 of the boot so that the ripping tooth 14 may extend outwards therefrom at that angle. For the purpose of brevity, the same reference numbers have been used.

Again, the angle is such that in use, the ripping tooth 40 will extend in an upwards direction with respect to the ground surface. The benefits of having a raised angle of attack as provided by this second embodiment of the invention, or one which is approximately parallel to the ground surface, have been described above. Figures 11-12 show the ripper boot including a retaining pin for additional support as described previously. Again, existing ripper boots may be modified to include an angled ripping tooth 40 according to this second embodiment by making a straight saw cut at the junction between the carrier 12 and the solid portion 26 and simply replacing the solid portion with one that has an angled bore cast therethrough.

Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

In any claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including", i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Dated this 26 August 2005 James A Calderwood By his Patent Attorneys LESICAR PERRIN

Claims

1. A ripper boot of the type adapted to be mounted to a shank of a bulldozer or like equipment, said ripper boot including: a carrier means adapted to be connected to said shank; a ripping tooth supported at a free end of the carrier means such that said ripping tooth extends at a predetermined angle relative thereto.

2. A ripper boot as in claim 1 wherein said ripper boot further includes a mounting portion at the free end of the carrier means, said mounting portion configured to hold said ripping tooth so that it extends at said predetermined angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the carrier means.

3. A ripper boot as in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the ripper boot is configured so that during use, the ripping tip extends in an upward direction with respect to the carrier means so that the ripping tooth is aligned approximately parallel with the ground surface.

4. A ripper boot as in claim 3 wherein said predetermined angle is between zero and ninety degrees from the longitudinal axis of the carrier means.

A ripper boot as in claim 3 wherein said predetermined angle is between zero and ten degrees from the longitudinal axis of the carrier means.

6. A ripper boot as in any one of the above claims wherein predetermined angle is six degrees from the longitudinal axis of the carrier means.

7. A ripper boot as in any one of the above claims wherein said mounting portion is in the form of a substantially solid member which extends at said predetermined angle from the free end of the carrier means, said solid member including a female socket aligned centrally along its longitudinal axis for receiving a shaft portion of said ripping tooth.

8. A ripping boot as in any one of claims 1-6 wherein said mounting portion is in the form of a substantially solid member which extends along the same longitudinal axis as said carrier means, said solid member including a female socket aligned along said predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the solid member and carrier for receiving a shaft portion of said ripping tooth.

9. A ripping boot as in any one of the above claims wherein the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is adapted to be fixedly supported within the female socket in a configuration which allows said ripping tooth to be replaced when a head portion thereof becomes worn.

10. A ripping boot as in any one of the above claims wherein the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is fixedly secured within the female socket of the carrier means by way of an interference fit.

11. A ripping boot as in any one of the above claims wherein the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is tapered such that a free end thereof has a smaller cross-sectional size to that of the opposed end adjacent the ripping tooth head portion.

12. A ripping boot as in any one of the above claims wherein the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is of a square cross-section having slightly rounded edges.

13. A ripping boot as in any one of the above claims wherein the ripper boot includes a secondary means of securing the ripping tooth within the female socket whereby the shaft portion of the ripping tooth and the solid member include respect channels extending transversely therethrough, said channels adapted to co-axially align when the shaft portion of the ripping tooth is secured within the female socket, to thereby allow for insertion of a retaining pin.

14. A ripping boot as in any one of the above claims wherein the head portion of the ripping tooth includes an outwardly extending shoulder adapted to facilitate removal of the ripping tooth from within the socket portion of the carrier means.

A ripping boot as in any one of claims 1-13 wherein said carrier means includes an ejection hole extending from said hollow portion to said female socket so that said replaceable tooth may be ejected from said chamber by pushing said tooth by way of said hollow portion and said ejection hole.

16. A ripper boot as in any one of the above claims wherein said carrier means includes a hollow portion having a pair of oppositely positioned retaining holes that conform in size and location to retaining holes in said shank so that a removable retaining means conformed to said retaining holes for holding said carrier means on said shank may be inserted therethrough.

17. A ripper boot as in any one of the above claims wherein the head portion of the ripping tooth includes a tip of high tensile metal such as tungsten.