CN106436812B - Replaceable tip system for a tine - Google Patents

Abstract

Replaceable ground engaging tools for tines are described. These systems may include a replaceable ground engaging tool having a front elongated portion, a rear elongated portion, a crusher tine having a nose extending from the front elongated portion at an end opposite the rear elongated portion, and a nose coupled to the crusher tine. The system may comprise a pin for attaching the ground engaging tool to the breaker tines. The crusher tine may further comprise a first receiving cavity formed in a first side of the nose and a second receiving cavity formed in a second side of the nose, wherein the first receiving cavity is opposite the second receiving cavity but does not communicate or connect with each other.

Description

Replaceable tip system for a tine

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a mechanical attachment and more particularly to a replaceable tip for a breaker tine.

Background

Earth-working machines, such as excavators, wheel loaders, hydraulic mining shovels, draglines, bucket wheels, dozers, and draglines, for example, are commonly used to excavate or cut earth or rock and/or to move loose work material from one place to another in a worksite. These earth working machines include a variety of earth working devices, such as a rake, a bucket, or a blade, for excavating or moving work material. Such devices may be subject to extreme wear from abrasion and impacts experienced during earth working applications.

To protect these devices from wear and thereby extend the useful life of the devices, various ground engaging tools, such as teeth, blade protectors and other wear components, may be provided to the earth working device in areas where the most damaging bruises and impacts occur. These ground engaging tools may be removably attached to the device with a customized retention system so that worn or damaged ground engaging tools may be quickly removed and replaced with new ground engaging tools.

Many removable ground engaging tool systems have been proposed and used with earth working devices. One example of a wear assembly for excavating equipment is disclosed in U.S. patent No.7, 882, 649 to Carpenter et al. The disclosed wear assembly includes a wear part and a base each having upper and lower stabilizing surfaces that are offset and overlap in thickness to maintain high strength and a stable coupling while reducing the overall thickness of the assembly. Each nose and socket includes a generally triangular front stabilizing end to provide a highly stable front connection between the nose and wear member for vertical and side loading. The lock is movable between holding and releasing positions to accommodate replacement of the wear part if necessary and is secured to the wear part for shipping and storage purposes.

A block handler is a particular type of wheel loader used to move or break up large blocks of rock or other material in a quarry, mining or construction environment. Block handlers are typically front loaders configured in a special arrangement to be able to handle heavy weight blocks, such as by having an added counterweight or high pressure hydraulic pressure. A variety of attachments may be used to handle stones such as crusher tines or forks.

The block handler uses breaker tines to pry loose large blocks of stone. Crusher tines are constructed with particularly thick tines to handle a variety of materials in this demanding application. However, the tips of the crusher tines may be prone to wear during use to crush and move heavy rocks and other materials. Repairing and maintaining existing breaker tines is cumbersome as it requires flame welding of the tines to attach to the main frame. This increases the risk of additional welding stresses and reduces the predicted service life of the breaker tines. In addition, such repairs may be difficult to perform at the customer site due to remote locations or availability of repair equipment.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved ground engaging tool system including locally replaceable crusher tines. Aspects of the present invention may address one or more of these problems and/or disadvantages.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect, the present invention describes a replaceable ground engaging tool system for a breaker tine. The system includes a back frame assembly, a crusher tine coupled to the back frame assembly, the crusher tine including a front elongated portion, a rear elongated portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front elongated portion, a nose extending from the front elongated portion at an end opposite the rear elongated portion, wherein an outer surface of a first side of the nose has a first pin that is frustoconical and a second side of the nose has a second pin that is frustoconical on the outer surface opposite the first pin, the replaceable ground engaging tool coupled to the nose of the crusher tine being replaceable including a front end, a rear end, a top surface, a bottom surface, a nose receiving cavity on the first side opposite the second side and an inner side.

In another aspect, the invention describes a breaker tine comprising a front elongate portion, a rear elongate portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front elongate portion, a nose extending from the front elongate portion at an end opposite the rear elongate portion, wherein an outer surface of a first side of the nose has a first pin that is frusto-conical in shape and a second side of the nose has a second pin that is frusto-conical in shape on the outer surface opposite the first pin.

In yet another aspect, the disclosure describes a pin comprising a first end, a second end opposite the first end, wherein the second end is frustoconical, and a bolt-receiving cavity formed in the second end and substantially centered on a longitudinal axis of the pin, wherein the bolt-receiving cavity is threaded on the inner surface, and a top end of the bolt-receiving cavity has a bolt head-receiving portion.

It is contemplated that in certain aspects the invention describes a ground engaging tool system including a back frame assembly, breaker tines coupled to the back frame assembly, the breaker tine including a front elongate portion, a rear elongate portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front elongate portion, a nose extending from the front elongate portion at an end opposite the rear elongate portion, a first plate receiving cavity formed on a first side of the nose, a second plate receiving cavity formed on a second side of the nose, wherein the first plate receiving cavity is opposite to the second plate receiving cavity but does not communicate or connect with each other, the first plate comprises a first knob having a frustoconical shape, wherein the first plate is configured to fit snugly into the first plate-receiving cavity, a replaceable ground engaging tool coupled to the nose of the crusher tine includes nose-receiving cavities on a front end, a rear end, a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing first and second sides, and an inner side.

In a particular aspect, the disclosure describes a replaceable ground engaging tool including a front end, a rear end, a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side opposite a second side, a nose-receiving cavity on an interior side, and a projection extending outwardly from an exterior surface of the first side of the ground engaging tool, wherein a lock opening extends through the projection, wherein a width of the front end of the ground engaging tool extending from the first side to the second side is greater than 1.5 times a height of the rear end of the ground engaging tool extending from the top surface to the bottom surface of the ground engaging tool.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a plate comprising a base, a top, a knob having a frustoconical shape located on an outer surface, a seat located between the top and the base, wherein the top is thicker than the base in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the knob.

Further and alternative aspects and features of the present principles will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the systems and methods disclosed herein can be embodied in other and different aspects, and can be modified in various respects. Furthermore, it is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the scope of the appended claims.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a ground engaging tool system according to one aspect of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a portion of a tine according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows the breaker tine of FIG. 2 with a pin located in the pin receiving cavity in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the pin with cavity shown in FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a pin in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of a ground engaging tool according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of the tine and ground engaging tool as shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 8 illustrates a top view showing a portion of a tine and ground engaging tool in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 9 illustrates a front perspective view of the ground engaging tool illustrated in fig. 6, according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 7, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a ground engaging tool having a board receiving cavity in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a plate disposed in the plate-receiving cavity illustrated in FIG. 11, according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 12, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of a first plate according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates a top view of the first plate illustrated in FIG. 14, according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates a ground engaging tool system with a knob integrated into the tine, according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates a top view of the tines with the knob illustrated in FIG. 16 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 18 illustrates a side view of the tines with the knob illustrated in FIG. 16 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 19 illustrates a top view of the tine of FIG. 16 with the ground engaging tool illustrated in FIG. 6, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 20 illustrates a side view of the tine of FIG. 16 with the ground engaging tool illustrated in FIG. 6, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 21 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 19, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numbers refer to like components, there is shown a ground engaging tool system 100 having a frame 101, tines 102 and a ground engaging tool 104. The ground engaging tool system 100 is configured to be attached to a machine (not shown). The machine may be a "long haul" vehicle, such as a truck, or may be any other type of machine capable of performing some type of operation associated with an industry (e.g., mining, construction, farming, transportation, or any other industry known in the art). For example, the machine may be an off-road truck, an earth moving machine, such as a block handler, a front end loader, a forklift, or the like. The ground engaging tool system 100 may be any type of assembly that includes tines, such as a breaker tine assembly or a forklift assembly. Tines 202 may be any type of tines, such as crusher tines or forklift tines. The ground engaging tool system 100 may have more than one tine 102, such as in a forklift configuration, for example, may have two tines 102.

Illustrative aspects of the invention provide a mechanically attached Ground Engaging Tool (GET)104 (fig. 1) for a chunk breaker tine. The ground engaging tool may be a replaceable tip or wear cap for the tine, which may be easily removed and replaced in the field. The use of such a ground engaging tool increases the useful life of the tine and provides for easy replacement of parts that may exhibit increased wear.

Any dimensions cited herein are of course merely exemplary. In other aspects, other dimensions may be used and may vary in any form suitable for the application.

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view showing a ground engaging tool system 100 according to one aspect of the present invention. In the aspect illustrated in fig. 1, a ground engaging tool system 100 having a frame 101, tines 102, and a ground engaging tool 104 are illustrated. Tines 102 may be coupled to frame 101, and tines 102 may have an elongated body with a front elongated portion 103 and a rear elongated portion 105. In one aspect of the invention, the front elongated portion 103 may extend from the rear elongated portion 103 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rear elongated portion 105, and likewise, the rear elongated portion 105 may extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front elongated portion 103.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a section of a tine according to an aspect of the invention. The front elongated portion 103 may have a nose 106 at the end opposite the rear elongated portion 105. The nose 106 may have a first side 109 opposite the second side 111 and a top surface 113 opposite the bottom surface 115, where the top surface 113 and the bottom surface 115 converge in a direction opposite the rear elongated portion 105 toward the tip 107 of the nose 106.

In certain aspects, a first pin receiving cavity 119 can be formed in the first side 109 of the nose 106 and a second pin receiving cavity 139 can be formed in the second side 111 of the nose 106. As shown in fig. 2, it is contemplated that in some aspects, the first pin receiving cavity 119 may extend only partially into the first side 109 of the nose 106 and not through the nose 106 to the second side 111. In the same form, in some aspects, second pin-receiving cavity 139 (fig. 3) does not extend through nose 106 to first side 109. In one aspect, the first pin receiving cavity 119 and the second pin receiving cavity 139 may be cylindrical.

FIG. 3 shows the tine of FIG. 2 with a pin in the pin receiving cavity, according to one aspect of the invention. In certain aspects, a first pin-receiving cavity 119 located on the first side 109 of the nose 106 may be positioned relative to a second pin-receiving cavity 139 located on the second side 111 of the nose 106 such that a longitudinal axis of the first pin-receiving cavity 119 is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the second pin-receiving cavity 139. In one aspect, the longitudinal axes of the first pin-receiving cavity and the second pin-receiving cavity are not in communication or contact with each other. In the aspect shown in FIG. 3, two pins 08 and two pin-receiving cavities 119 and 139 are used. However, in other aspects, any number of pins 108 and pin-receiving cavities 119 and 139 may be used, such as aspects having one pin and one receiving cavity, or aspects having four pins and four receiving cavities, for example. As used herein, the term pin may refer to a pin or a knob.

The pin 108 may be inserted into the pin receiving cavities 119 and 139 where the pin 108 may be held in place by any suitable method, such as by gluing or using threads. It is also contemplated that in some aspects, the pin 108 may be held in place by friction between its outer surface and the inner surfaces of the pin-receiving cavities 119 and 139.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the pin with cavity shown in FIG. 3, according to one aspect of the present invention. The pin 108 may have a first end 143 and a second end 145, wherein the second end 145 may be frustoconical. A bolt-receiving cavity 121 may be formed in the second end 145, where the bolt-receiving cavity 121 may be substantially centered on a longitudinal axis of the elongated body of the pin 108. A bolt (not shown) may be inserted into the bolt receiving cavity 121, where the bolt receiving cavity 121 may be threaded on an inner surface to allow the bolt to be over-threaded into the bolt receiving cavity 121. In one aspect, when the pin 108 is disposed in the pin receiving cavity, a bolt may be inserted into the bolt receiving cavity 121 to facilitate extraction of the pin from the pin receiving cavity. When fully inserted, the head of the bolt may rest on a bolt head receiving portion 142 (fig. 5) at the top end of the bolt receiving cavity 121. To remove the pin 108 from the pin receiving cavity, a wrench, pliers, or other tool may be used to grasp and pull the bolt to extract the pin 108.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a pin in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In one aspect of the invention shown in FIG. 5, the outer width (L1) of pin 108 may be about 50-70mm, the height (L2) of the portion of the pin from the bottom of the pin to the beginning of the conical portion may be about 70-90mm, the height (L3) of the conical portion may be about 20-40mm, and the width (L24) may be about 46-66 mm. For example, the width (L1) of the pin 108 may be 60mm, the height (L2) of the portion of the pin from the bottom of the pin to the beginning of the conical portion may be about 80mm, the height (L3) of the conical portion may be 30mm, and the width (L24) may be 56 mm.

Fig. 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of a ground engaging tool according to an aspect of the present invention. Ground engaging tool 104 may have a front end 123 opposite rear end 125, a top surface 129 opposite bottom surface 129, and a first side 131 opposite second side 133. It is contemplated that the ground engaging tool 104 may have a ground engaging surface on the outside and a nose receiving cavity 114 on the inside. In one aspect, the ground engaging surface can be a tip 135 (fig. 7). The width of the ground engaging tool 104 extending from the first side 131 to the second side 133 may be greater than the height of the rear end 125 extending from the top surface 127 to the bottom surface 129 of the ground engaging tool 104. In an illustrative aspect, as shown in fig. 20-21, the width (L13) of the tip 135 of the ground engaging tool 104 extending from the first side 131 to the second side 133 may be greater than 1.5 times the height (L15) of the rear end 125 extending from the top surface 127 to the bottom surface 129 of the ground engaging tool 104.

Returning to fig. 6, the projections 118 may extend outwardly from an outer surface of the first side 131 of the ground engaging tool 104. The lock opening 120 may extend through the protrusion 118, where the protrusion 118 may be capable of receiving the lock 110 (fig. 7). In some aspects, the lock opening 120 and the receiving slot 124 may be formed in the inner side of the side wall of the ground engaging tool 1104 where the lock opening 120 may extend through the projection 118 and the receiving slot 124. The receiving groove 124 may be recessed from the surface of the side wall and can extend between the rear end 125 of the ground engaging tool 104 to the lock opening 120. As the ground engaging tool 104 is slid onto the nose 106 of the tine 102, the receiving slot 124 is able to receive the pin 108, where the pin 108 is then inserted into the groove 140 of the lock 110 (as shown in fig. 10). In some aspects, a second protrusion may be disposed on the second side 133.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the tines and ground engaging tool portion illustrated in FIG. 6 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In fig. 7, the ground engaging tool 104 is shown coupled to the tines 102 by a lock 110. In certain aspects, the lock 110 can be rotatably positioned in the lock opening 120 to rotate between an unlocked position and a locked position. Locking groove 116 is shown at the top of lock 110, which is capable of receiving a tool (e.g., a ratchet, etc.) to rotate lock 110 to a closed or locked position.

Fig. 8 illustrates a top view of the tines and ground engaging tool portion illustrated in fig. 6 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In the aspect shown in fig. 8, ground engaging tool 104 is shown coupled to tines 102.

Fig. 9 illustrates a front perspective view of the ground engaging tool illustrated in fig. 6, according to an aspect of the present invention. In the aspect shown in fig. 9, the top surface 127 is shown opposite the bottom surface 129. In certain aspects, the top surface 127 can converge toward the bottom surface 129 at a tip 135. Fig. 9 also shows a front perspective view of the protrusion 118 with the lock opening 120 shown in the first side 131.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 7, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In fig. 10, pin 108 is shown disposed in pin receiving cavity 119 of tine 102. The lock 110 is shown positioned within a lock opening 120 of the ground engaging tool 104 and disposed on the pin 108. A groove 140 may be positioned at the bottom of the lock 110 to receive the pin 108. In one aspect, the locking groove 116 can receive a tool (e.g., a ratchet, etc.) that can rotate the lock 110 about the pin 108. The lock 110 may be rotated so that access to the groove 140 is blocked and the pin 108 cannot slide out of the groove 140. In this position, the lock 110 is in the locked position and the retaining pin 108 is located in the groove 140 of the lock 110 to retain the ground engaging tool 104 to the nose 106 of the tine 102.

In an exemplary aspect, lock 110 and retainer bushing 112 may be configured to be seated in an inner surface of lock opening 120 in a manner that can allow lock 110 to rotate at least partially about a lock rotation axis relative to retainer bushing 112. As the ground engaging tool 104 is slid onto the nose 106, the pin 108 is inserted into the groove 140 of the lock 110. As best shown in fig. 10, retainer bushing 112 may seat directly against an inner surface of lock opening 120, and lock 110 may seat against an inner surface of retainer bushing 112. Retainer bushing 112 may be made of rubber or plastic, and lock 110 may be made of metal, such as steel. Retainer bushing 112 may be a C-skirt that extends around lock 110. In some aspects, the skirt may extend only around a portion of the lock 110. Retainer bushing 112 may be configured to mate with an inner surface of lock opening 120. For example, the retainer bushing 112 may include an outer surface having a frustoconical portion configured to mate with a corresponding frustoconical portion of the inner surface in the lock opening 120. Lock opening 120 may be configured such that when retainer bushing 112 is seated in lock opening 120, rotation of retainer bushing 112 relative to the lock rotation axis is substantially prevented.

FIG. 11 illustrates a ground engaging tool system 200 having board receiving cavities 230 and 250 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. Fig. 11 illustrates an aspect having a plate configuration where the nose 206 of tine 202 is able to receive plates 208 and 212 (fig. 12) rather than pin 108 in other aspects of the invention. In some aspects, the nose 106 of tine 202 includes a plate receiving cavity 230 formed in a side of nose 206. The plate-receiving cavity 230 may extend from the top surface 213 of the nose 206 to the bottom surface 215 of the nose 206. It is contemplated that board receiving cavity 230 may be a first board receiving cavity and may be positioned opposite second board receiving cavity 250, where first board receiving cavity 230 is located on first side 209 and second board receiving cavity 250 is located on second side 211.

The board receiving slot 230 may include a top recessed portion 233, a bottom recessed portion 232, and a flange 231 parallel to the top surface 213 of the nose 206. In some aspects, a flange 231 may be formed between the top recessed portion 233 and the bottom recessed portion 232 such that the top recessed portion 233 may extend further into the first side 209 of the nose 206 in a direction toward the second side 211 than the bottom recessed portion 232. Similarly, bottom recessed portion 232 of plate-receiving cavity 230 may then be shallower in a direction toward second side 211 than top recessed portion 233. In one aspect, top recessed portion 233 of plate-receiving cavity 230 may be wider in a direction toward tip 207 of nose 206 than bottom recessed portion 232.

FIG. 12 illustrates a plate disposed in the plate-receiving cavity illustrated in FIG. 11, according to an aspect of the present invention. First plate 208 may be configured to fit into first plate-receiving cavity 230, and second plate 212 may be configured to fit into second plate-receiving cavity 250. The plates 208 and 212 may also include a top 240, a bottom 241, a seat 242 (fig. 14), and a knob 221. The knob 211 may be frustoconical and function similar to the top end of the pin 108, where the knob 221 is capable of engaging the ground engaging tool 104 and the lock 110. Other shapes of the knob 221 may also be used. In one aspect, the bottom portion 241 of the first plate 208 is narrower in a direction parallel to the first side 209 of the nose 206 than the top portion 240. As used herein, the term knob may refer to a knob or a pin.

Further, as shown in fig. 12, when the first plate 208 is seated within the plate-receiving cavity 230, a top 240 of the first plate 208 may be flush with the side walls 209 and the top surface 213 of the nose 206. Additionally, the bottom 241 may be flush with the bottom surface 215 when the first plate 208 is seated within the plate-receiving cavity 230. Likewise, when the second plate 212 is seated within the plate-receiving cavity 250, the second plate 212 may be flush with the side wall 211, the top surface 213, and the bottom surface 215. In the aspect shown in fig. 12, two plates 208 and 212 are used, as well as two plate-receiving cavities 230 and 250. However, in other aspects, any number of plates 208 and plate-receiving cavities 230 and 250 may be used, such as aspects having one plate and one plate-receiving cavity, or aspects having four plates and four plate-receiving cavities, for example.

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 12, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In fig. 13, the first plate 208 is shown within the first plate-receiving cavity 230 and the second plate 212 is shown within the second plate-receiving cavity 250. The first plate 208 is shown having a seat 242, the seat 242 being disposed on the flange 231 of the first plate-receiving cavity 230. Thus, a flange 231 may be formed between the top recessed portion 233 and the bottom recessed portion 232 such that the top recessed portion 233 may extend further into the nose 206 toward the second plate-receiving cavity 250 than the bottom recessed portion 232. Similarly, the second plate 212 is shown having a seat 262, the seat 262 being disposed on the flange 251 of the second receiving cavity 250. Thus, flange 251 may be formed between top recessed portion 253 and bottom recessed portion 252 such that top recessed portion 253 may extend further into nose 206 toward first plate-receiving cavity 230 than bottom recessed portion 252.

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of a first plate according to an aspect of the present invention. In certain aspects, the plate 208 may include a knob 221. The knob 221 may be frustoconical or may be similar to the pin 108 described above and may be capable of engaging the ground engaging tool 104 and the lock 110. As the ground engaging tool 104 is slid onto the nose 206, the receiving slot 124 can receive the knob 221, which knob 221 is then inserted into the recess 140 of the lock 110. In one aspect of fig. 14, the first plate 208 is shown having a seat 242, the seat 242 being disposed between the top portion 240 and the bottom portion 241 of the first plate 208 such that the top portion 240 is thicker than the bottom portion 241. In other aspects, other plate configurations and thicknesses may be used.

FIG. 15 illustrates a top view of the first plate illustrated in FIG. 14, according to one aspect of the present invention. The length (L4) of the top 240 adjacent to the portion of the knob 221 may be about 60-90mm and the width (L5) of the knob 221 may be about 30-50 mm. In one aspect, the maximum thickness (L6) of the first plate 208 may be about 45-65mm and the thickness (L7) of the top 240 may be about 20-40 mm. The plate 208 may have a first tapered protrusion 244 and a second tapered protrusion 245, the height of which (L8) may be about 10-20mm, and the angle α may be about 40-80 degrees. For example, the length (L4) of the top 240 adjacent to the knob 221 portion may be 74mm, the width (L5) of the knob 221 may be 40.0mm, the maximum thickness (L6) of the first plate 208 may be 57.5mm, the thickness (L7) of the top 240 may be 27.5mm, the height (L8) of the tapered protrusion 245 may be 14.4mm, and the angle α may be 60 degrees. As shown in fig. 12, the tapered protrusions 244 and 245 of one aspect of the invention may be referred to as a dovetail configuration, and a joint may be formed on the plate (208, 212) by one or more of the tapered protrusions 244 and 245, the plate (208, 212) forming an interlock with a corresponding plate receiving cavity (230, 250) within the nose 206 of the tine 202.

Fig. 16 illustrates a ground engaging tool system 300 according to an aspect of the present invention with the knob 321 integrated into the tines 302. Tine 302 may have a nose 306 with a first side 309 opposite a second side 311 and a top surface 313 opposite a bottom surface 315. In certain aspects, the top surface 313 and the bottom surface 315 can converge toward the tip 307 of the nose 306. The tip 307 may extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the forward elongated portion 103. As shown in fig. 16, the knob 321 may extend outward from the first side 309. It is contemplated that knob 321 may be formed as part of tine 302 in the form of a single piece of material (e.g., formed during the casting process). In other aspects, the knob 321 may be attached to the nose 306 by other processes, such as welding.

The dimensions referenced in fig. 18-21 are exemplary and may be incorporated into tine 302, as well as other aspects as shown in fig. 1-3 and 7-11 (incorporated into tine 102), and also fig. 12-14 (incorporated into tine 202).

FIG. 17 illustrates a top view of the tine of FIG. 16 with the knob, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. As shown in fig. 17, the maximum width of the nose 306 in a direction parallel to the tip 307 (L9) may be significantly thinner than the minimum width of the forward elongated portion 303 in a direction parallel to the tip 307 (L22). In one aspect, the maximum width (L9) of the nose portion 306 may be about 230-260mm and the minimum width (L22) of the forward elongated portion 303 may be about 280-320 mm. For example, the maximum width (L9) of the nose portion 306 may be about 246mm, and the minimum width (L22) of the forward elongated portion 303 may be about 300 mm.

FIG. 18 illustrates a side view of the tine of FIG. 16 with the knob, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. As shown in fig. 18, the maximum thickness of the nose 306 in a direction perpendicular to its top surface 313 (L10) can be significantly thinner than the minimum thickness of the front elongated portion 303 of the tine 302 in a direction perpendicular to its top surface 317 (L21). In an exemplary aspect, the maximum thickness (L10) of the nose 306 may be 120 mm. The height (L12) of the tip 307 may be about 20-30mm, the length (L11) of the nose 306 may be about 210-230mm, and the minimum thickness (L21) of the front elongated portion 303 may be about 190-220 mm. For example, the height (L12) of the tip 307 may be 26mm, the length (L11) of the nose 306 may be 220mm, and the minimum thickness (L21) of the front elongated portion 303 may be about 210 mm.

FIG. 19 illustrates a top view of the tine shown in FIG. 16 with the ground engaging tool system shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with an aspect of the invention. In some aspects, the width (L13) of the tip 135 of the ground engaging tool 104 may be about 280-320mm, and the width (L14) of the ground engaging tool 104 between the outermost edges of the projections 118 may be about 360-400 mm. For example, the width (L13) of the tip 135 of the ground engaging tool 104 may be about 300mm, and the width (L14) of the ground engaging tool 104 between the outermost edges of the projections 118 may be about 380 mm. In other aspects, the width of the tip 135 (L13) can be wider than the width L14.

FIG. 20 illustrates a side view of the tine shown in FIG. 16 with the ground engaging tool shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with an aspect of the invention. In one aspect, the height (L17) of the tip 135 of the ground engaging tool 104 may be about 10-20mm and the length (L16) of the bottom side 129 may be about 320-350 mm. The height (L15) of the rear end 125 of the ground engaging tool 104 may be approximately 185 and 205 mm. For example, the height (L17) of the tip 135 of the ground engaging tool 104 may be approximately 16mm, the length (L16) of the bottom side 129 may be approximately 335mm, and the height (L15) of the rear end 125 of the ground engaging tool 104 may be approximately 195 mm.

FIG. 21 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 19, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The thickness (L18) of the ground engaging tool 104 above the nose 306 may be about 20-30 mm. In certain aspects, where the ground engaging tool 104 is coupled to the nose 306, the distance (L19) between the tip 307 of the nose 306 and the point where it converges by the top surface 127 and the bottom surface 129 of the ground engaging tool 104 may be about 110 and 120 mm. In one aspect, the top surface 127 and the bottom surface 129 of the ground engaging tool 104 may converge at the tip 135, and the distance indicated at L20 may be approximately 20-40 mm.

For example, in the aspect of fig. 21, the thickness (L18) of the ground engaging tool 104 over the nose 306 may be about 25mm, and the distance (L19) between the tip 307 of the nose 306 and the point where it converges by the top surface 127 and the bottom surface 129 of the ground engaging tool 104 may be about 115 mm. In an exemplary aspect, the top surface 127 and the bottom surface 129 of the ground engaging tool 104 may converge at the tip 135, wherein the height of the tip 135 may be about 16mm and the distance denoted as L20 may be about 29 mm.

Industrial applicability

Typically, crusher tines may be attached to a block handler to move blocks of stone or other material in a crushed quarry, mining or construction environment. The block handler may use breaker tines to pry loose large blocks of stone. For example, a block processor with breaker tines may be used in a marble quarry environment where marble slabs are cut from a mountain side. In this case, the sheet is cut in a direction perpendicular to the ground, wherein the cuts cannot penetrate completely, leaving the sheet slightly attached to the rock face on the mountain. A block handler with crusher tines may then insert the tips of the crusher tines into the cut and pry the sheet material on the hill. The cut is typically only about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick, so in this case the tip of the ground engaging tool of the breaker tine should be thin enough (e.g. at L17 in fig. 20) to fit into this cut. Due to the extreme forces involved in this operation, the ground engaging tools of the crusher tines may be susceptible to wear or damage. The easy replacement nature of the ground engaging tool of the present invention alleviates the need to replace the entire breaker tine when its tip is worn or damaged. The tines, ground engaging tool, pin and plate may be made of metal, such as steel, but in other aspects may be made of any material suitable for the application.

To install the ground engaging tool 104 on the nose 106 of the tine 102 using the pin receiving cavities (119, 139) or the plate receiving cavities (230, 250), the pins 108 or plates (208, 212) are first inserted into their respective receiving cavities. In aspects in which the knob 321 is integral with the tines, as seen in fig. 17-19, such insertion of a pin or plate may not be required. The ground engaging tool 104 with the lock 110 is then inserted over the nose 106 of the tine 102 with the frusto-conical end of the pin 108 or knob (221, 321) inserted into the lock 110. The lock 110 is then turned (e.g., using a ratchet or other suitable tool) to lock the ground engaging tool 104 onto the nose 106 of the tine 102. To remove the ground engaging tool 104 from the nose 106 of the tine 102, the process is reversed.

It should be understood that the above description provides examples of the disclosed systems and techniques. However, it is contemplated that the details of other embodiments of the invention may differ from the above examples. All references to the invention or examples thereof are intended to reference the particular example being discussed at this time and are not intended to imply any more general limitation as to the scope of the invention. All language of distinction and disparagement with respect to certain features is intended to indicate a lack of preference for those features, but not to exclude such from the scope of the invention entirely, unless otherwise indicated.

Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims (6)

1. A ground engaging tool system, comprising:

a back frame assembly;

a crusher tine coupled to the back frame assembly, the crusher tine comprising:

a front elongated portion;

a rear elongated portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front elongated portion;

a nose extending from the front elongated portion at an end opposite the rear elongated portion;

wherein an outer surface of a first side of the nose has a first pin that is frustoconical and an outer surface of a second side of the nose opposite the first side has a second pin that is frustoconical;

a first pin-receiving cavity formed in a first side of the nose and a second pin-receiving cavity formed in a second side of the nose, wherein the first pin-receiving cavity and the second pin-receiving cavity are opposite to each other but do not communicate; and

a replaceable ground engaging tool coupled to the nose of the crusher tine and comprising:

a front end;

a back end;

a top surface;

a bottom surface;

a first side opposite the second side; and

a nose receiving cavity on the inner side.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pin having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is frustoconical.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the pin further comprises a bolt-receiving cavity formed in the second end and substantially centered on a longitudinal axis of the pin.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the bolt-receiving cavity is threaded on an inner surface of the pin and a top end of the bolt-receiving cavity has a bolt head-receiving portion.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground engaging tool further comprises a projection extending outwardly from an outer surface of the first side of the ground engaging tool, wherein a lock opening extends through the projection to the nose receiving cavity.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a width of the front end of the ground engaging tool extending from the first side to the second side is greater than 1.5 times a height of a rear end of the ground engaging tool extending from the top surface to the bottom surface of the ground engaging tool.

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