EA039491B1 - Wear member for ground-engaging equipment and wear assembly with said member - Google Patents

Abstract

A wear member for ground-engaging equipment comprises an external surface to contact soil material and a hole for a lock to secure and hold the wear member on a support member of the ground-engaging equipment. A wear assembly for ground-engaging equipment comprises a base secured to the ground-engaging equipment, a wear member for the ground-engaging equipment and a lock configured to contact the wear member.

Description

The present invention relates to earth-moving equipment, in particular to a wear element for earth-moving equipment, as well as to a wear assembly containing the specified element.

Earth-moving equipment such as dredging buckets, dredge cutters, and the like are used for building demolition, mining, excavation, and other similar heavy-duty applications. To protect equipment from wear and/or improve equipment performance, wear parts may be attached to earthmoving equipment. Such wear parts may include tips, adapters, shrouds, movable blocks, and the like.

These wear parts are typically operated under severe conditions and are subjected to high loads and intense wear. Accordingly, wear parts wear out over time and must be replaced, often in less than ideal field conditions.

The retainer is usually used for detachable fastening of the wear element to the base. To do this, the latch must satisfy several inconsistent requirements. The retainer must secure the wearing element to the base with sufficient strength and stability to avoid malfunctions during operation. At the same time, the retainer should facilitate the release and replacement of the wearing element in the field.

Examples of wear parts and their retainers are found in U.S. Patent Nos. US5709043, US6735890, US6871426, US6986216, US6993861, US7121022, US7367144 and US7882649 and Patent Application No. US20110107624. The descriptions of the above and all other publications cited herein are incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes.

Aspects of the present invention relate to wear elements for wear parts of earth moving equipment. Aspects of the present invention also include a wear element and a retainer combined in one integrated component, i. e. the wearing element includes a connected wear body and a latch. Aspects of the present invention also relate individually to retainers, wear elements (eg, tips, adapters, shrouds, etc.) and bases.

The retainers according to at least some examples of the present invention have two positions with respect to the wear element: a first engagement or transport position in which the retainer is attached to the wear element and a second engagement position or mounted position in which the wear element can be attached to the base. . The wear element held in the transport position with certain retainer embodiments is shipped in position ready for installation. Such a wear element can be mounted on a base with a latch in the transport position. No movement of the latch from the transport position is required to initiate the installation procedure. In addition, it is not necessary to remove the latch from the wear member to install the wear member on the base or to remove the wear member from the base.

The locks of the examples of the present invention are also designed to unlock and remove from the wear element in two steps, including a first step of retracting the locking mechanism (e.g., at least partially into the body of the lock) followed by a second step of pivoting the lock itself away from the wear member with to remove the wear element from the base.

Wear elements for earth moving equipment (for example, excavation equipment) according to several examples of the present invention include an installation section for engaging with the base of the equipment (for attaching the wear element to the equipment), while the installation section has a first branch and a second branch opposite the first branch and located at a distance from it to accommodate the base. The first branch of this design includes a first guide and a second guide extending behind to the rear edge of the first branch, while the first and second guides have an outer side surface that rests against mating surfaces on the base. The first and second guides may converge along the axis towards the trailing edge. Such wear elements may also include a hole for accommodating a latch through one of the legs (e.g., between rails), a latch access recess that extends from the hole to one side of the leg, and, optionally, a latch that engages with hole. Optionally, the recess for access to the latch can continue along one of the guides.

Wear elements (eg, shrouds, tips, adapters, movable blocks, etc.) according to some aspects of the present invention include an attachment portion for engagement with the base of the equipment for the purpose of attaching the wear element to the equipment. The fastening portion of the structure of the above example has an inner surface facing the base and an outer surface, and the fastening end defines an area for receiving the retainer, including an opening extending through the fastening end from the outer surface to the inner surface. This hole has a back wall with a support protruding inward into the latch hole to engage and rotate inward to engage the base and hold the wear

- 1 039491 on the equipment and turning outward to release the base and detach the wear element from the equipment. The support may be located near the inner surface of the wear element and at a distance from its outer surface, and the support may extend partially or completely along the back wall of the hole (the support can also extend along the back wall of the hole for a greater distance than the distance it extends in the hole or away from the rear wall). The front wall of the opening (opposite the back wall) of the design of this example has an outer portion extending from the outer surface and an inner portion forming a pocket (e.g., an undercut) recessed forward into the wear member relative to the outer portion and extending toward the inner surface for arranging a blocking portion of the latch to hold the latch in an internal rotated position. Such wear members may also include a retainer that engages the wear member, and optionally this combination of wear member and retainer may be attached to the base of the equipment to form the wear assembly.

Wear elements according to at least several examples of this invention include a lock access recess in their outer surfaces that extend away from the lock mounting hole, generally in a direction between the front and rear walls of the hole (e.g., across holes). For some wear elements, the latch access hole and recess may be provided in the side wall of the wear element, and for other wear elements, the latch access hole and recess may be provided in the top wall or leg of the wear element.

Wear elements according to additional aspects of the invention may include a fastening section for engagement with the base of the equipment (for attaching the wear element to the equipment), while the fastening section has an inner surface facing the base and an opposing outer surface, an opening extending through the fastening section from the outer surface to the inner surface, and a latch built into the hole to move between a locked position, in which the latch contacts the base to hold the wear item on the equipment, and an unlocked position, in which the latch releases the base. This latch according to the example has a latch body, a rotary actuating element, a locking element that moves between the first position for engagement with the wear element in order to hold the latch alternately in the locked and unlocked positions, and the second retractable position in relation to the first position. Optionally, in at least some of the designs of the present invention, the locking element can engage the wear element even in the second (retracted) position when the parts are relatively new and/or unworn, for example so that the latch does not protrude from the wear element. . Optionally, such retainers may also include a resilient element or other structure for biasing the blocking element into the first position.

Additional aspects of the present invention relate to retainers for attaching a wear item to equipment (eg, for attaching wear items of the types described above). Such retainers may include a retainer body including a front support surface for base contact on the equipment and a recess on the rear side for receiving a mating foot in a wear member bore; actuating element movably connected to the latch body; a blocking element movably connected to the actuating element and the latch body so that the movement of the actuating element relative to the latch body ensures the movement of the blocking element between the locked position in which the section of the blocking element extends outward (for example, from the side of the latch body) in the direction of contact with the wear element, and an unlocked position in which the locking element is retracted from the locked position; and, optionally, a biasing element for biasing the locking element towards the locked position.

Locks according to other aspects of the invention may include a lock body having a bearing surface at one end for contact with a base for holding the wear item on the equipment, and a recess at the opposite end for receiving a support on the wear item, around which the lock body will pivot between a locked position. , in which the support surface will contact the base, and the unlocked position, in which the support surface will separate from the base; a locking member movably attached to the lock body to move between a first position where the locking member contacts the wear member and a second position where the lock member retracts from the first position to disengage the wear member; an actuating element rotatably attached to the latch body and movably attached to the locking element so that the initial rotation of the actuating element ensures

- 2 039491 movement of the blocking element relative to the latch body, and subsequent rotation of the actuating element ensured the movement of the latch body relative to the support on the wear element; and, optionally, a biasing element, such as a resilient element, for biasing the locking element into the first position.

In the various types of latches described above, the actuator can rotate in the latching body on a first axis and the locking element can rotate about a second axis between the locked and unlocked positions. The two axes may be parallel and misaligned in some embodiments, and they may not be parallel in other embodiments. If the axes are not parallel, the first axis may deviate from the second axis at an angle of 0-45°, measured in the plane onto which both axes are projected (and in some examples at an angle of 5-35°). An actuator may be provided below the tool and cam to engage with the locking element and translate the actuator towards the locking element to move the locking element between the locked and unlocked positions.

The advantages of the retainers and wear parts of the present invention will become clearer upon examination of the drawings and detailed description.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wear assembly including a wear member and a retainer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a perspective view of the latch of FIG. one;

fig. 3A - 3C - the latch of FIG. 1 in perspective view, top view, and side view, respectively;

fig. 4 is a view of the latch from FIG. 1 disassembled;

fig. 5A and 5B are right perspective and top views of the latch body of FIG. 1, where the retainer body is shown as translucent;

fig. 6A-6C are side, right perspective and top perspective views, respectively, of the latch actuator of FIG. one;

fig. 7A-7C are a left perspective view, a right perspective view, and a plan view, respectively, of the blocking element for the latch of FIG. one;

fig. 8A and 8B are left and right perspective views of the latch of FIG. 1, respectively, where selected fixative components are shown as translucent;

fig. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the combined actuating element and blocking element according to the invention;

fig. 10 is a sectional view of the retainer and wear member of FIG. 1 in combination with the base, but showing the latch when the latch is initially inserted into the wear element;

fig. 11 is a top view of the latch of FIG. 10 either after removal from the wear element or before insertion of the retainer into the wear element in a locked configuration;

fig. 11A is a plan view showing the alternate embodiment of FIG. 9 with a cam configuration different from that shown in FIG. 11, with both cam configurations of FIG. 11 and 11A are shown in phantom;

fig. 12 is a partial sectional view of the retainer and wear member of FIG. 10 together with the base, with the latch in the transport position, and the sectional view is given along the plane indicated by the line 12-12 in FIG. one;

fig. 13 is a partial plan view of the retainer and wear member of FIG. 10 and 12 in the installed configuration in order to completely hold the retainer and the corresponding wear element in the desired location on the base;

fig. 14 is a sectional view of the retainer and wear member of FIG. thirteen;

fig. 15 is a partial top view of the retainer and wear member of FIG. 11 in the unlocked configuration with the locking mechanism retracted but with the detent in position in which the wear element is held on the base;

fig. 16 is a sectional view of the retainer and wear member of FIG. 15 along a plane slightly above the plane of FIG. 12;

fig. 17 is a perspective view of the wear member of FIG. 1 next to the base according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 18 is a perspective view of the wear member and retainer of FIG. 1 with lock in transport position;

fig. 19 is a right side view of the wear member and retainer of FIG. 1 with lock in position;

fig. 20 is a perspective view of the wear member and retainer of FIG. 1 with lock in position;

fig. 21 is a perspective view of the wear member of FIG. 1, including the wear element and retainer of FIG. 2 connected to the base according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 22 is a partial perspective view of the latch of FIG. 1 in locked configuration and in

- 3 039491 installed position in combination with the base of FIG. ten;

fig. 23 is a partial top view of the retainer and base of FIG. 21 in combination with the wear element of FIG. 10, which is shown in phantom;

fig. 24 is a partial plan view of the latch of FIG. 22 in the locked configuration and in the installed position in combination with the base of FIG. ten;

fig. 25 is a partial perspective view of the horizontal portion of the retainer and wear member of FIG. one;

FIGS. 26A and 26B are perspective views of another exemplary latch of the present invention in a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, respectively. Fig. 26C is a plan view and FIG. 26D is a side view of the above latch. Fig 26E - the interaction between the actuating element and the blocking element of the latch. Fig. 26F is a bottom view of the latch actuator. Fig. 26G is an exploded view of the latch. Fig. 26H is a front view of the latch;

fig. 27 is a perspective view of the latch of FIG. 26A - 26H mounted on the tip and base;

fig. 28A is a perspective view of a shell-type wear member engaging the base with a retainer of the type shown in FIG. 26A - 26H. Fig. 28B is a sectional view taken along lines 28B-28B of FIG. 28A. Fig. 28C-28E are top views, sectional views, and bottom views, respectively, of the casing and its latch recess area;

fig. 29A is a perspective view of another hood type wear member engaging the base with a retainer of the type shown in FIG. 26A - 26H. Fig. 29B is a sectional view taken along lines 29B-29B of FIG. 29A. Fig. 29C and 29D are top and bottom views, respectively, of the casing and its latch recess area and boss engagement area. Fig. 29E and 29F - engagement of the casing with other equipment of the wearing element.

The present invention relates to a wear assembly for earthmoving equipment. This application includes examples of the invention in the form of a tip and a casing. However, the invention is not limited to this. For example, aspects of the invention may be applied to other types of wear parts such as intermediate adapters and movable blocks. While the application describes wear assemblies in relation to a dredging bucket, aspects of the invention can be used to attach wear assemblies to other earthmoving equipment such as dredger cutters, chutes, car bodies, etc. The terms top and bottom are generally used interchangeably, as the teeth can take on different orientations during attachment to the earthmoving equipment. The terms front side and back side of wear parts are considered in the context of the main direction of movement of soil material relative to the wear part. For example, in relation to the tip of the tooth system, the term front refers to the tapered edge of the tip, since the main direction of the ground material relative to the tip extends from the tapered edge in the reverse direction to the cavity for receiving the base during a normal plunge operation.

An example of a wear assembly 10 according to embodiments of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The wear assembly 10 includes a wear member 12 and a retainer 14 associated with the wear member 12. As will be described in detail below, the retainer 14 may be physically connected to the wear member 12 and, in a connected state, may be inserted into the retainer recess 16, having a shape that is defined by the wear member 12 and that mates with the shape of the latch 14. This arrangement of the latch 14 in the latch recess 16 is intended to protect the latch from wear.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the wear assembly 10, consisting of the connected wear assembly 12 and the retainer 14, may be sold, transported, stored and/or installed as a single assembly. In this embodiment, the wear member 12 has a working portion 12A in the form of a tapered front edge 12B for penetration into the ground during excavation and a mounting portion 12C with a cavity on the back side for receiving the base. The mounting portion 12C has a latch accommodating zone 16 for accommodating the latch and interacting with the latch, which is designed to releasably fasten the wear member to the base.

The locking mechanism holds the retainer 14 in place within the wear member 12 and preferably prevents the retainer 14 from becoming detached from the wear member 12 and/or being lost or misplaced during transport, storage, and installation of the wear member 12. In another embodiment of the invention, the use of the wear member and the retainer as a whole also reduces the number of parts that must be available. The locking mechanism holds the retainer 14 in place in the wear member 12 for transport and storage of the wear member 12 and further allows the wear member 12 to be installed on an appropriate base, preferably without moving or removing the retainer 14. For example, in some embodiments, the retainer 14 is preferably fixed.

- 4 039491 is attached to the wear element 12 in the first position, so that the latch 14 does not interfere with the installation of the wear element 12 on the base. In other embodiments, or in some cases where the latch 14 has moved within the latch recess 16 during shipping, the locking mechanism allows the latch 14 to move relative to the wear member 12 without falling out of the wear member 12. In these embodiments, the latch 14 preferably moves easily relative to the wear member. element 12 during transportation on the base.

When the wear element 12 with the latch 14 in place is put into service, the latch 14 is easily fully installed by additionally turning a portion of the latch 14, as detailed below, in order to fully install and hold the latch 14 and the corresponding wear element 12 in place on the earth-moving equipment not shown. .

An example of latch 14 is shown in FIG. 2, fig. 3A-3C, and exploded in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the lock 14 includes a lock body 18, an actuator 20, a locking member 22, and a resilient member 24. The resilient member 24 biases the locking member 22 relative to the lock body 18, which tends to hold the locking member 22 in the locked position.

In a preferred design, the latch body 18, which is preferably a one-piece construction, provides for the installation and placement of the actuator 20, the locking element 22 and the elastic element 24, which together form the locking mechanism 26 of the latch 14. The latch body 18 is shown in FIG. 5A and 5B, where some of the internals of the latch body 18 are shown in dotted lines.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6A-6C, the actuating element 20 is installed in a corresponding recess 18R of the latch body 18. The actuating element 20 is generally cylindrical in shape and can be rotated on site. The top surface of the actuator 20 may include a tool space 28 for engagement with a suitable tool 30 to rotate the actuator 20 clockwise or counterclockwise. The tool 30 includes an elongated handle, i. e. a handle having an appropriate length so that the user can apply sufficient torque to the actuator 20 to turn the actuator 20.

For example, the actuator 20 is shown with a tool space 28 in the form of a hexagonal recess. The actuator 20 can be rotated with a socket wrench tool 30 as shown in FIG. 1 However, to facilitate turning of the actuator, among other things, any similar tool location may be used, such as a tool location having a protruding hex head, using a tool that is an open-end wrench or an Allen key, or a hole on the side. actuating element for placing a rod or lever. A pair of holes 21 on the side of the actuating element 20 for receiving a tool for turning the actuating element 20 is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. Similarly, other types of tools may be used, such as impact wrenches or other types of rotators.

The actuator head 20 preferably includes a protrusion 32. The protrusion 32 indicates to the user whether the actuator, and thus the locking mechanism, is in a locked position, an unlocked position, or some intermediate position. In the orientation shown in FIG. 3A-3C, the lug 32 will be on the left side or side of the latch recess 16 in a clockwise direction when the locking mechanism is locked, and the lug 32 will be on the right side or side of the latch recess 16 in a counterclockwise direction, when the lock mechanism is unlocked. The lug 32 also serves to limit the degree of rotation of the actuator 20 and prevents the actuator 20 from turning beyond where the lug 32 contacts the left stop 34 or the right stop 35 formed by the latch body 18. When the locking mechanism is in the locked configuration, the actuating element 20 is rotated clockwise (when viewed from above) until the lug 32 abuts (or abuts) against the left stop 34. In this position, the locking element 22 abuts (or abuts ) in the left stop 44.

If an additional moment is applied to the actuator 20 when the lug 32 contacts the left stop 34 or the right stop 35 (or other parts of the latch), this moment is transmitted to the body 18 of the latch. This transfer torque can be generated by rotating the lock body 18 relative to the wear member 12. For example, moving the tool 30 clockwise will rotate the actuator 20 clockwise and then rotate the lock housing 18 clockwise to move the lock 14 into the mounting position. Movement of the tool 30 counterclockwise will rotate the actuator 20 counterclockwise and will then rotate the lock body 18 counterclockwise so that the lock 14 can be removed in two steps. As detailed below, these two

- 5 039491 steps include: (1) rotation of the actuating element 20 around the executive axis of rotation (axis A) to provide the first retraction of the locking mechanism when the locking mechanism rotates around the locking axis of rotation (axis B), followed by (2) rotation of the of the latch 14 generally about the locking axis of rotation (axis C), although the movement of the latch body 18 is preferably not a strictly rotary movement.

It is contemplated that the two-step release is especially useful when the lock mechanism has been contaminated with gravel and fine soil particles (eg, dirt and other debris that enters the latch 14 and the latch recess 16 during operation of the equipment). In particular, a significant length (i.e. initial length) of rotation during counterclockwise rotation only results in retraction of the locking mechanism, so significant leverage is created with very little movement of the locking mechanism. which may have been compressed or sealed inside the locking mechanism during extreme service. Upon completion of the first stage of rotation with initial crushing or loosening of the connection of small particles, subsequent rotation leads to rotation of the entire retainer.

The underside of the actuating element 20 includes a cam 36 protruding downward from the underside of the actuating element and offset by the rotational actuating A of the actuating element 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The eccentric action of the cam 36 is provided by offsetting the cam 36 relative to the axis of rotation A of the actuator A. The offset cam 36 may be particularly useful in clearing the lock mechanism of gravel or soil particles while the actuator 20 is turning. Other not shown embodiments may include a cam recessed into other surfaces of the actuating element or protruding from these surfaces.

The cam 36 preferably includes a bottom flat side 37. The cam 36 may further include a flange 38 that extends horizontally from the bottom edge of the cam 36. While the formation of the shape and surface of the cam may vary, the cam 36 preferably (mostly) has a circular section like flange 38. Where displacement of cam 36 would otherwise cause flange 38 to protrude beyond the circumference of actuator cylinder 20, that portion of flange 38 is truncated substantially so that the flange is aligned and mated with curvature of the actuating element 20 with the formation of the edge surface 42 of the Cam. In some designs, the cam 36 may also be somewhat D-shaped or semi-cylindrical (eg, with a straight edge).

When the protrusion 32 of the actuator 20 moves between the stops formed by the left stop 34 and the right stop 35, the actuator cam 36 acts on the blocking element 22 and rotates the blocking element about the blocking axis of rotation B between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration.

In the locked configuration shown in FIG. 2, when the protrusion is near the stop 34, the blocking element 22 is biased by the elastic element 24 against the left wall 44 of the blocking stop in the latch body 18, as most clearly shown in FIG. 4. The blocking element 22 can be stopped by engagement with the cam 36 and not by the wall 44 of the stop. The right wall 46 of the blocking stop is also shown in FIG. 4, but it should not act as a stop when the movement could be caused by the contact of the lug 32 with the stop 35 or by the full compression of the elastic element 24. the blocking element 22 around the blocking axis B, which is offset from the actuating axis A of rotation. Continued rotation of the actuating element 20 causes the blocking element 22 to rotate about the blocking axis B with compression of the elastic element 24 until the protrusion 32 of the actuating element 20 comes into contact with the stop 35 (see Fig. 4).

In a preferred design, the locking element 22 tapers to a rounded end 22A (FIGS. 7A-7C) which is placed in a counter recess 18N (FIGS. 5B) to form a center of rotation or pivot bearing. The locking element 22 optionally may include a vertically oriented through hole through which a pin can pass, which serves to secure the locking element 22 to the body 18 of the latch. If such a pin is provided, the pin preferably aligns with the locking rotation axis B and serves as the pivot point for the locking element 22. Other designs can also be used to allow and facilitate rotation of the locking element 22 about the locking rotation axis B.

As shown in FIG. 7A-7C, the locking element 22 includes a flat surface 47 that faces the underside 37 of the cam 36. The flat surface 47 is delimited on one side by a side wall 48 (optionally a vertical wall), with the vertical wall 48 being pushed by the cam 36. The latch 14 may include one or more elements to assist in holding the actuator 20. The actuator 20 must be rotatable, but the actuator 20 must not be removable and separable from the latch 14. For example, a cam

- 6 039491 may include a flange 38 and the side wall 48 may include a top flange 49 that defines a horizontal channel 50 along the side wall 48. The horizontal channel 50 may mate with the flange 38 of the cam 36 so that the actuator 20 is held in latch 14 and could not move in the vertical direction (ie due to the displacement of the elastic element 24). Other retainers not shown in the figures may be used for various elements, such as a roller pin or spring pin passing through one or more holes in the blocking element 22, which can be connected to a portion of the latch body 18, or a roller pin passing through the body 18 a latch that can be connected to a groove in the actuating element 20.

In FIG. 8A and 8B show the actuating element 20, the blocking element 22 and the resilient element 24 assembled inside the latch body 18. With reference to FIG. 6B, 7A, 8A and 8B, the underside 37 of cam 36 rests against flat surface 47 and flange 38 of cam 36 engages horizontal channel 50, if any.

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 9, actuator 51 may include a cam 52 that shares a common axis of rotation with actuator 51, cam 52 having a substantially semi-cylindrical cross section. The locking mechanism is designed such that the flat side 52f of the cam 52 (see FIG. 11A) contacts the vertical wall 53 of the locking element 54. As in the previous embodiment, turning the actuator 51 causes the cam 52 to displace the locking element 54 to the elastic element (for example, to the element 24).

As shown in FIG. 7A-7C, the locking element 22 includes an engagement surface 55 and a locking tooth 56, wherein the locking element 22 is configured such that when the locking element 22 is in contact with or adjacent to the left wall 44 of the locking stop, the surface the engagements 55 and the locking tooth 56 extend outward (for example, from the detent body 18 side) in the direction of contact with the wear element, as shown in FIG. 2 and 3A. However, by rotating the actuating element approximately 75° in a counter-clockwise direction around the actuating axis A of rotation (using an appropriate tool 30), eccentric rotation of the offset cam 36 causes the cam 36 to move the blocking element 22 inward towards the elastic element 24, compressing the elastic element 24 and at the same time retracting the engagement surface 55 and the locking tooth 56 inwardly towards the latch body 18 (at least the retraction is performed by a sufficient amount from the outward position in order to perform the required operations).

The elastic element 24 deforms sufficiently so that the locking element 22 can be recessed into the elastic element when the actuating element 20 rotates into the unlocked configuration. However, the resilient element 24 may be chosen to have greater or lesser degrees of resiliency so that even if the actuating element 20 remains in the locked configuration, shifting the latch body 18 into position in the latch recess 16 causes the locking the element 22 will be recessed into the resilient element 24. Thus, the latch body 18 can be moved into position in the recess 16 for the wear element latch 12 while the latch 14 remains locked, for example, by turning the latch 14 to the desired position using the tool 30 .

For example, when a new wear element 12 is prepared for transport, a new latch 14 may be installed in the latch recess 16 as shown in FIG. 10. Further, a tool 30 of the type shown in FIG. 1 is placed in place 28 under the tool and rotated clockwise as shown in FIG. 11 arcuate arrow. This forces the latch 14 to move to the first or unlocked position as shown in FIG. 12. Locking member 22 retracts toward resilient member 24 when latch 14 is moved from the unset position (and through the mounting position shown in FIG. 10) to the first or initial set position. The retainer will be securely held within the wear member in this position for transport and/or storage. Specifically, the resilient member 24 applies sufficient force to the locking member 22 so that, in the case where the latch 14 is in the first position, it becomes difficult to move the latch 14 relative to the wear member 12, i.e. the blocking member 22 is pressed against the corner surface 65 of the support 64 to prevent movement of the latch 14 in the inward direction, and the tooth 56 is pressed against the curved portion 71 of the recess to hinder the movement of the latch 14 in the outward direction. The latch 14 does not move without the use of an appropriate tool or the application of significant external force.

In addition, the presence of the latch 14 in the first position does not prevent the installation of the wearing element on the corresponding base. It should be noted that such a base 58 is shown in FIG. 10. However, the base 58 is not required to install or hold the latch 14 in the first position and is shown in FIG. 10 for reference in relation to other parts of the present description.

The latch 14 is designed to fasten the wear element 12 to the base 58, when the fixed

- 7 039491 Sator 14 rotates from the first or unlocked position in FIG. 12 to the second or locked position as shown in FIG. 13 and 14. Base 58 may be an integral part of a piece of earthmoving equipment (or other earthmoving equipment), or the base may be attached to such equipment (eg, adapter) by welding or other mechanical attachment. The base 58 is shaped to securely fasten the wear member 12 and includes an opening or recess 60 sized to accommodate at least a portion of the lock body 18 in the recess when the lock is moved to a second or locked position (e.g., when the lock body is fully inserted into the recess 16 for the latch).

The latch 14 preferably includes a connecting structure or fastener 62 which cooperates with a mating support member 64 formed in the proximal wall of the latch recess 16 . The fastener 62 and support 64 are designed such that the latch 14 can be set in place by the interaction of the fastener 62 with the mating foot 64, and the latch 14 can be rotated into the latch recess 16, in general, about the locking axis C of rotation (see Fig. Fig. 2) to move the latch body 18 into the recess 60 of the base, as shown in Fig. 14. The fastener 62 and support 64 are preferably designed to facilitate rotation of the latch 14 about axis C. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the fastener 62 corresponds to a groove that cooperates with the support 64 corresponding to a vertical protrusion formed in the proximal wall of the recess for the latch ( see Fig. 10 and 12). Although not preferred, the groove may be formed on the wear element and the ridge on the retainer.

When properly positioned, the front or far side 66 of the latch body 18 will be positioned against the mating counter surface 68 of the opening 60, and the force that would otherwise bias the wear member 12 outward and away from the base 58 brings the far side 66 and the counter force into contact. surface 68, effectively locking the wear member 12 in place on the base 58. At the same time, the latch body 18 is held in the latch recess 16 by contact between the engagement surface 55 and the shoulder 70 of the latch recess 16, as shown in FIG. 14. The geometry of the latch 14 and the latch recess 16 and in particular the latch body 18 and the blocking element 22 with respect to the support 64 and shoulder 70 is such that the latch 14 tends to self-lock. The only way to move the latch 14 beyond the support 64 and the shoulder 70 is to reverse the rotation of the blocking element 22 so that the latch 14 can move out of the recess 16 when rotated. , and not to move the blocking element 22 in the direction of the unlocked position. This makes the latch 14 a particularly reliable latch, even when subjected to extreme stresses under load.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the geometries of the latch 14 and the wear element 12 are chosen such that if a force is applied to the latch 14 that would otherwise displace the latch from the wear element 12 (for example, movement of the wear element 12 under load, the presence of small particles, etc.), the structure of the support 64 will move the retainer 14 forward in the recess for the retainer, in turn increasing the engagement between the engagement surface 55 and the shoulder 70. In other words, the presence of the support 64 serves to hold the retainer 14 in position. The movement of the latch 14 in the forward direction (i.e., with the removal of the groove 62 from the support 64) is counteracted by the far side 66 abutting against the opposing surface 68. The movement of the latch 14 in the outward direction is counteracted by the blocking element 22. which is in the middle position and prevents separation see Fig. 16). The groove 62 and the support 64 also cooperate to resist twisting of the latch 14. In the transport position, the latch 14 is also restrained from moving outward by the protrusion 64 located in the groove 62, the locking tooth 56 is located at the curved section 71 of the recess, and the front wall 57 of the locking element 22 is pressed to the front wall 59 of the recess 16 for the latch. Twisting of latch 14 in this position is limited by lug 64 in slot 62 and the close proximity of the boundary walls of recess 16 for latch and latch 14. 64 and shoulder 70, and any movement of latch 14 that reduces interaction with element 64 or shoulder 70 will necessarily improve interaction with the other of these elements.

Although retainer 14 securely holds wear member 12 in place even after heavy use, retainer 14 can be easily removed regardless of the presence of sand, gravel, or other fine particles in the locking mechanism or in a compacted form around the retainer for ease of removal or replacement. of the wear element 12. Removal of the latch 14 is performed by first moving the tool 30 counterclockwise by about 75°, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 15. During this first stage of movement, the actuating element

- 8 039491 is rotated until the protrusion 32 comes into contact with the right stop 35. This rotation forces the cam 36 to press the locking element 22 against the elastic element 24 and at the same time remove the engagement surface 55 and the locking tooth 56 inwardly against the latch body 18, as shown in FIG. 16 by moving the latch 14 from the locked position to the unlocked position.

Although the engagement surface 55 and locking tooth 56 no longer secure the retainer 14 within the retainer recess 16, the retainer 14 may still resist removal due to the presence of gravel or fines that may accumulate in or around the retainer 14. However, by applying additional force to the tool 30, the latch 14 as a whole can rotate back to the first or unlocked position within the latch recess 16, as described above with reference to FIG. 12 by rotating the lock body 18 counterclockwise about an approximate locking axis of rotation C, generally formed by the engagement of the fastener 62 with the support 64 (see FIGS. 2 and 4 for an approximate locking axis of rotation C). This second stage of movement results in movement of the tool 30 by about 30° further, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10 in order to rotate the tool 30 completely in two steps by approximately 105° together with the movement of the tool 30. The lock 30 could alternatively be rotated further and, if necessary, could simply be removed from the wear element 12 (at least for wear elements with significant wear). In addition, depending on the strength of the elastic element 24, the movement of the latch body 18 may take place before the contact of the protrusion 32 with the stop 35.

With reference to FIG. 4, it should be noted that the locking rotation axis C is substantially offset from the actuating rotation axis A and the locking rotation axis B. In addition, the exact position of the locking axis C of rotation during installation of the latch may differ from this position during removal of the latch, depending on the particular configuration of the fastener 62, support 64, or both of these components. The C-axis of rotation can also move dynamically during insertion and/or removal operations. In the example shown, latch 14 is first positioned at an angle to wear member 12, and fastener 62 is positioned partially on support 64. inside the surface of the support 64. When the latch 14 is removed, the outer wall defining the slot for the fastener 62 is pressed against the corner 65 of the latch recess 16 and acts as a pivot point for turning the latch 14 outward. The use of different axes of rotation for insertion and removal makes it easier to remove the retainer in the presence of compacted small particles.

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 11A, a similar latch can be used which includes the actuating element 51 and the blocking element 54 of FIG. nine.

As described above, the blocking element 22 can be released by compressing the elastic element 24 even when the actuating element 20 is in the locked position. When the latch is rotated to the first position, the locking tooth 56 loosens and moves into the latch recess while the engagement surface 55 remains outside the latch recess 16 as shown in FIG. 12. When the latch 14 is in the first position, it is secured to the wear member 12 when contact between the locking tooth 56 and the curved recess portion 71 prevents the latch 14 from exiting the latch recess 16. In other words, further rotation of the latch 14 into the latch recess 16 is prevented by the engagement surface 55 at the side 59 of the wear element 12, and furthermore, the locking tooth 56 prevents the latch from turning towards its full exit from the latch recess 16. The first position of latch 14 is well suited either for transporting a wear element with an integral latch or for mounting a wearing element with an integral latch.

When the resilient element 24 of the latch 14 allows movement and return of the blocking element 22, the latch 14 can be displaced to the first position while in the locked configuration by rotating the locked latch 14 to the first position using an appropriate tool 30, or, for example, using a gentle blow with a hammer. , or with a lever. Likewise, the latch 14 can be displaced from the first position to the second position using an appropriate tool 30, with a gentle hammer blow, or with a lever. This can be particularly advantageous in the absence of a powered tool, for example in the field.

In an embodiment of the invention, the wear assembly 10, which includes the wear assembly 12 and the retainer 14, may be sold and/or transported with the retainer 14 attached to the wear element in the first or shipping position, which prevents the retainer 14 from being lost or incorrectly installed. , while the retainer can be easily completely

- 9 039491 Renew by further turning the lock 14 to loosen the blocking element 22 and move the engagement surface 55 against the near wall 70 and fully engage the lock 14 in the second or installed position. The latch 14 could be set to a second position for transport and/or storage, but is preferably held in the first position so that no adjustment of the latch 14 is required to accommodate the wear member 12 on the base 58.

As described above in relation to the displacement of the latch 14 in the first or transport position, the latch 14 can be moved further into the installed position using the appropriate tool 30 or other means. While retainer 14 is preferably combined with wear member 12 prior to transport, storage, and installation of wear member 12, retainer 14 may optionally be kept separate and installed only after wear member 12 has been placed on the base.

As stated above, the wear member 12 and the retainer 14 of the present invention can advantageously be transported together when the retainer 14 is in the first position. In addition, the design of the latch 14 is made completely in one piece and does not require special tools. To remove the wear element, the design of the latch 14 provides for the creation of the first torque for the initial removal of the blocking element 22 relative to the blocking axis B of rotation, and then the torque is transferred to another axis of rotation (for example, axis C), which facilitates the release and / or removal of the latch 14. The locking tooth 56 is designed to engage the proximal wall of the latch recess and hold the latch 14 in the first or transport position for as long as the locking tooth 56 and the proximal wall exist and are not worn.

In FIG. 12 and 18 show the wear assembly 10 of FIG. 1 in the first position when the locked latch 14 is partially inserted into the latch recess so that it is held by the front side 57 of the locking member 22 and the locking barb 56, while in FIG. 19 and 20 show the retainer 14 inserted into the recess for the retainer of the wear element 12 and locked in position. In FIG. 21 shows the wear element 12 with the latch 14 in position in an exemplary embodiment of a base in the form of an adapter 72 to form a wear assembly 73 assembly. The movement of the latch 14 (and in particular the latch body 18) relative to the wear element 12 can be facilitated, in at least several examples of the present invention, by the interaction of the surface 90 of the latch body 18 (FIG. 3C) with the surface 92 of the wear element 12 ( 1) (for example, the surface 92 of the wear element 12 may support the surface 90 of the retainer body 18 during sliding and rotational movement of the retainer body 18 relative to the wear element 12).

For the purpose of explanation, in FIG. 22 shows the latch 1 in the second or installed position with the base 58 and without wear element 12. For comparison, FIG. 23 shows the latch 14 in the second or installed position, together with the base 58 and with the wear element 12, which is shown in phantom. In FIG. 24 shows the latch 14 in the installed position together with the base 58. In FIG. 25 shows a sectional view of the latch 14 together with the wear element 12.

Preferably, a single retainer 14 is used to secure the wear member to the base. However, a pair of retainers (eg, one on each side) may be used, which may be useful for large components such as intermediate adapters.

In FIG. 26A-26H show various views of another example of a retainer 114 of the present invention. To indicate the same or similar elements in FIG. 26A-26H use similar reference numbers to those used in the previous figures, but in FIG. 26A26H, row 100 is used (for example, if an element is designated XX in FIGS. 1-25, the same or similar element may be designated 1XX in FIGS. 26A-26H). A detailed description of the same or similar elements may be omitted, abbreviated, or at least shortened to some extent in order to avoid unnecessary repetition. The latch 114 in FIG. 26A-26H operates similarly to latch 14 of FIG. 1-25, including rotational installation and removal, but its construction differs to some extent, as will be described in detail below.

In FIG. 26A and 26B show perspective views of the latch 114 in the locked (FIG. 26A) and unlocked (FIG. 26B) states. In FIG. 26C is a plan view and FIG. 26D is a side view of latch 114. FIG. 26E shows the actuator 120 engaging the locking element 122, without the latch body 118. In FIG. 26F shows a bottom view of the actuator 120, including a view of the cam 136 and its flattened side surface 142. FIG. 26G is an exploded view of latch 114 showing various components. In FIG. 26H is a front view of latch 114.

The first difference of the latch 114 of FIG. 26A-26H from latch 14 described above relate to the design and layout of actuator 120. FIG. 2 and 4 show the actuating axis A of rotation, the locking axis B of rotation and the locking axis C of rotation of the latch 14, which are parallel

- 10 039491 are flat or substantially parallel (eg, vertical in the orientations shown). This is not a requirement. Conversely, in the latch 114 shown in FIG. 26D, the actuator 120 is oriented at an angle relative to the vertical (in the orientation shown) such that the actuator rotation axis A is tilted relative to the locking rotation axis B and/or the locking rotation axis C. Although this angle may vary, in some examples of the invention, the angle α between the actuating axis A and the locking axis B is 0-45° and is measured in the plane onto which both axes are projected (for example, as shown in Fig. 26D), while in some examples the angle α is 2-40°, 5-35°, 8-30° or even 10-30°. Similarly, in this illustrative example, the angle between the actuating axis A and the fixing axis C is 0-45° and is measured in the plane onto which both axes are projected (for example, as shown in Fig. 26D), while in some examples the angle is 2- 40°, 5-35°, 8-30° or even 10-30°. In the example of latch 14 of FIG. 1-25, the angle α between axes A and B and axes A and C is approximately 0°. In a specific example of the tilt latch of this aspect of the invention, latch 114 of FIG. 26A-26H has an angle α of about 15° (eg, for use with the housing of FIGS. 28A-28E), and in another exemplary design, the angle α is about 30° (eg, for the housing of FIGS. 29A-29F). As shown in FIG. 26D, angle α is oriented such that axis A extends away and outward from retainer 114 (and also away from wear member 112 to which it is attached (see FIG. 27) as it points upward from tool location 128 .

In FIG. 26D shows a front view of the latch 114 in perspective of a plane parallel to axes B and C and parallel to the plane of the straightened side surface 142 of the cam 136 (described in detail below). In FIG. 26H shows a side view of the latch 114 from a point oriented at 90° from the point from which the view of FIG. 26D is given (i.e., in perspective of a plane parallel to axes B and C and perpendicular to the plane of the straightened side surface 142 of the cam 136). With this orientation, the executive axis A is oriented at an angle y with respect to the axes B and C (which are located vertically in this view). Although this angle may vary, in some examples of this invention, the angle γ between the actuating axis A and the locking axis B (and the fixing axis C) is 0-15° and is measured in the plane onto which both axes are projected (for example, as shown in Fig. 26H), while in some examples the angle γ is 0.5-12°, 1-10° or even 1.5-8°. In the example of latch 14 of FIG. 1-25, the angle α between axes A and B and axes A and C, as viewed from this point, is 0° or about 0°. In some specific examples of the tilt latch of this aspect of the invention, the latch 114 of FIG. 26A-26H has an angle γ of about 5°. As shown in FIG. 26H, angle γ orients axis A such that it extends toward axis C (as well as towards fastener 162) and away from axis B as it points upward from tool location 128; in other words, the actuator axis is tilted outward and backward. This feature of the A-axis angle γ helps to provide a straighter and/or more horizontal trajectory for the cam 136 relative to the blocking element 122 during rotation of the latch 114 about the actuating axis compared to an outwardly inclined actuating element.

The latch 114 has other design changes compared to the latch 14, such as, among other things, the orientation of the actuating axis A at a more well-defined angle relative to the other axes B and C. For example, as best seen in FIG. 26C and 26D, the top surface of the latch body 118 includes an inclined surface 118A in a portion including a recess into which the actuator 120 is inserted (the top surface of the latch body 18 was flat or substantially flat, for example, as shown in FIG. 3A and 3C), this feature creates some potential advantages of this design of the latch 114. For example, since the actuating axis A extends outward and away from the latch 114 and away from the wear element 112 to which it is attached, the axis of the driven tool 130 also extends outward and away from the latch 114 away from the wear member 112 as the power tool engages the tool seat 128. This slope may provide more room for the operator to engage tool 130 with lock 114 and more room to rotate tool 130 to secure or release wear member 112 from base 158.

In addition, the inclination feature allows some modifications to be made to the recess 116 for the wear member retainer 112. This can be seen, for example, by comparing FIG. 1 and 27. In the example of FIG. 1, tool 30 engages tool space 28 in a substantially vertical direction (in the orientation shown). Thus, with this arrangement, the inner rear wall 16B at the top portion 16A of the latch recess 16 extends more vertically into the wear member 12 (or even at an angle into the interior of the wear member 12) based on the orientation shown in FIG. 1 (and thus extends further into the lateral edge of the wear member 12 in the transverse direction D). In other words, the inner rear wall 16B extends in a direction substantially parallel to a vertical plane passing through the center line of the wear member 12 (at

- 11 039491 based on the orientation shown in FIG. 1), or even at an inward angle to the centerline of the wear member 12. In some designs, to provide sufficient tool access, the inner back wall 16B may be inclined and may extend 10-30° laterally (and toward the centerline ) wear element 12.

By tilting the top surface portion 118A of the latch body 118, the latch recess 116 does not have to extend as deep into the wear member 112 in the lateral direction D as shown in FIG. 27 with respect to the upper portion 116A of the retainer recess 116. In this design example, the inner back wall 116B at the top portion 116A of the latch recess 116 continues in a non-vertical direction (based on the orientation shown in FIG. 27). In other words, the inner back wall 116B extends outwardly at an angle with respect to a vertical plane passing through the center line of the wear member 112 (based on the orientation shown in FIG. 27) and/or away from that center line. This angle may be in the ranges described above in relation to the angle α. This inclination of the latch recess 116 at the entry portion of the tool 130 allows additional material and thickness of the wear element to be obtained at the location of the latch, which can increase the life of the wear element and/or reduce the number of faults.

The distinctive feature regarding the tilt of the actuator 120 also leads to changes in other areas of the exemplary latch design 114. The actuator 120 includes a lip 132 extending laterally from its upper surface and a cam 136 extending downward from its lower surface. The cam 136 includes a bottom side 137 and a flange 138. Although the bottom side 137 and the top surface of the flange 138 (which engages the blocking member 122 as described below) may be parallel to each other, this is not a requirement. . For example, the top surface of the flange 138 may be angled upwardly toward the actuator 120 as the top surface extends from the outer side edge toward the center, such as up to 5° if desired. One side of the bottom surface 137 includes a flattened side edge 142 to provide a substantially semi-circular shape to the bottom surface 137. As shown in FIG. 26D and 26E, the lower surface 137 of the cam and the upper surface 138A of the flange 138 of this design 120 may be parallel or substantially parallel with the upper surface 120A of the actuator (and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the actuator axis A). Thus, the bottom surface 137 and the top surface 138A are not oriented at right angles to the locking axis B and the locking axis C.

The locking element 122 includes modifications to various surfaces in order to provide structural changes to the actuator 120. Like the locking element 22, the locking element 122 includes a locking tooth 156 and other locking elements that act in the same or similar manner as the elements of the blocking element. 22 described above. However, the elements of the blocking element 122 engaging with the cam 136 are somewhat different from the elements of the blocking element 22. For example, as shown in FIG. 26D, 26E, and 26G, the blocking member 122 includes a main surface 147, a side wall 148 (e.g., vertical or substantially vertical) extending from the main surface 147, and a top shelf 149 that extends along the side wall 140 and forms channel 150. The channel 150 extends from the main surface 147 along the wall 148 and ends at the upper inclined wall 151. The angle of the upper wall 151 of the channel 150 relative to the upper shelf 149 (angle β) (and / or relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis B and / or axis C ) may be in the ranges described above in relation to the angle α.

During operation, when the actuating element 120 is in the locked position (see, for example, FIG. 26A), the straightened side edge 142 of the Cam 136 is placed in the channel 150 formed in the blocking element 122 (and, optionally, the straightened side edge 142 can contact or be located next to the wall 148 of the channel 150). In this position, the actuator 120 is held in place relative to the latch body 118 by: (a) contact between the top surface 138A of the flange 138 and the underside of the top wall 151 and/or (b) contact between the top surface 138A of the flange 138 and the ledge or overhang. 118B housing 118 retainer. The lock mechanism 122 is also held in place in this position relative to the latch body 118 (which prevents it from being pushed out laterally) by contact between the side edge 180 of the lock mechanism 122 and the overhang 118C of the latch body 188. When the actuator 120 rotates to the unlocked position (see, for example, FIG. 26B), the rounded portion 142A of the cam flange 138 rotates into the channel 150 (under the top wall 151) to move the blocking element 122 counterclockwise (when viewed from above) and to resilient member 124. A recess 118D at the far right edge of overhang 118C provides initial insertion of locking member 122 into latch body 118 (ie, provides clearance for side edge 180 and top shelf 149).

- 12 039491

In FIG. 26G shows additional design features in relation to the recess of the latch body 118, which houses the locking element 122 and the elastic element 124. In particular, as shown in FIG. 26G, the interior recess in this design includes a support member 182 to support a resilient member 124 (which may be formed from rubber, such as vulcanized rubber). The elastic element 124 may be formed separately and connected to the support element 182, or it may be formed in place (for example, by introducing a flowable polymeric material into the recess after the actuating element 120 and the blocking element 122 are installed in place in the recess and moved to the locked position ( for example, as shown in Fig. 26A) and curing the polymeric material in place). In either case, the support member 182 assists in holding the resilient member 124 in the recess of the latch body 118. In FIG. 26G shows an opening 124A for engaging the support member 182 with the resilient member 124. If desired, multiple support members can be provided at different locations without deviating from the invention. Alternatively, if desired, support member 182 may be lowered (and resilient member 124 may be held in place by friction fit, extension over wall projections, etc.). Alternatively, if desired, the elastic element 124 may be held in place, at least partially, with adhesive.

This latch 114 may be attached to the wear item (eg, tip) and/or the base 158 in the same manner as described above with respect to the latch 14. In particular, the latch 114 may be attached to the wear item 112 for transportation, storage and installation and/ or be connected to the wear member 112 and the base 158 by locking. In FIG. 26A-26C show a fastener 162 on the latch body 118 that can engage a support that is similar to the support 64 provided on the wear member 12 in the manner described above. Bearing body 118 includes features (eg, bearing surface 166) for engaging with or bearing surfaces on wear member 112 and/or base 158 in the manner described above. The locking member 122 includes features (eg, locking tooth 156 and various bearing surfaces) for engaging with or bearing surfaces on the wear member 112 in the manner described above.

As described above, in FIG. 27 shows a retainer 114 of this example of the invention engaging a tip-type wear member 112. During operation, movement of the latch 114 (and in particular the latch body 118) relative to the wear member 112 can be facilitated in at least several examples of the present invention by engaging the surface 190 of the latch body 118 (FIGS. 26G and 26H) with the surface 192 wear element 112 (FIG. 27) (for example, the surface 192 of the wear element may support the surface 190 of the retainer body 118 during sliding and rotary movement of the retainer body 118 relative to the wear element 112).

The retainer 114 may also be used in other embodiments. In FIG. 28A and 28B show a retainer 114 of the type described above and is used in engagement of a casing type wear member 212 (also referred to as a casing) with a base 258 (such as a lip). In FIG. 28C and 28D show the wear member 212 and base 258 with the latch 114 lowered to more clearly show the various surfaces and features of the latch recess 216 in the wear member 212. FIG. 28E shows a bottom view of the shroud 212 to more clearly show the bottom side features of the top run 212A and the latch recess 216 provided. As shown in these figures, a latch recess 216 is provided on an elongated portion 212C of the upper leg 212A that extends behind the outer edge 212E of the lower leg 212B.

As shown in FIG. 28A, 28B, and 28D, the leading edge of base 258 (such as a protrusion) may be provided with a boss 260 to engage housing 212 (which, for example, is attached to base 258 by welding, but may be attached in other ways if desired). In this example shown, and as most clearly shown in FIG. 28D and 28E, the underside of the elongate portion 212C of the upper leg 212A includes a recessed channel 264 that slides on and around the boss 260. This channel 264 may decrease in width laterally from the rear side to the front side, as shown by the tapered sidewalls 264A in FIG. 28E, but these walls can also be parallel. If desired, at least the rearmost portion of recess 264 may be somewhat wider at the very top than at the center and/or bottom (e.g., vertically tapered sidewalls, raised rails, formed sidewalls, etc.). d) to form a dovetail for engagement with boss 260. Alternatively, recess 264 and boss 260 could have mating T-shapes or other interlocking configurations. A small gap and/or contact between the side walls 264A and the outer walls 260A of the boss 260 can help protect the latch 114 and prevent the casing 112 from moving laterally relative to the base 158.

- 13 039491

As most clearly shown in FIG. 28B, in a locked configuration, surface 166 of latch 114 engages a corresponding front surface 262 on boss 260 of base 258 to prevent movement of shroud 212 away from front edge 258A of base 258. These same surfaces 166 and 262 along with interaction between fastener 162 of latch body 118 and support 164 at rear wall 216R, latch recesses 216 prevent horizontal movement of latch 114 relative to housing 212 and base 258. Fastener 162 may have a rounded recess, and support 164 may have a rounded sectional shape, such as components 62 and 64 described in detail. higher. The interaction between the fastener 162 of the latch body 118 and the support 164 at the rear wall 216R of the latch recess 216, along with the interaction between the shoulder 170 of the locking element 122 and the bearing surface 271 of the housing 212, prevent the latch 114 from being pushed out of the latch recess 216 in a vertical direction (relative to orientation, shown in Fig. 28B).

Characteristics of the latch recess 216 will be described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 28A and 28C, the lateral region of the elongate portion 212C of the upper run 212A includes a cut inlet or recessed region to provide clearance for a tool (eg, tool 30, 130) to rotate the actuator 120 of the latch 114. Due to the oblique orientation of the actuator axis A with respect to locking axis B and/or locking axis C as described above, the bottom surface 216A of this inlet area may be slightly inclined upward and/or away from the upper main surface of base 258. These sloped features may provide space for use of tool 130 ( i.e., since the handle of the tool 130 will be raised slightly higher above the surface of the base 258 compared to the location of the handle if the tool extends away from the actuator 120 in a horizontal direction or in a direction substantially parallel to the top surface of the base 258). These ramps also allow the manufacturer to provide a thicker casing material 212M under the bottom surface 216A of the tool insertion hole, which can increase durability and increase resistance to cracking or breakage in the locker entry area.

The area of the inlet in the casing 212 opens into the receiving hole 270 of the latch, the section of which is fully extended through the elongated section 212C of the upper leg 212A. This latch receptacle 270 allows the latch portion 114 to extend through the shroud 212 to a predetermined position to engage boss 260 (as shown in FIG. 28B).

As indicated above, the support member 164 at the area of the rear wall 216R of the latch recess 216 may have a rounded sectional shape, for example, similar to the component 64 detailed above. Although not necessary, in this illustrated design example, support member 164 extends across the entire rear width of latch receptacle 270 and protrudes forward from rear wall 216R. If desired, the support 164 may be located on a portion of the rear wall 216R in the transverse direction (for example, in the central area, in the area offset to one side or the other, etc.), or the support 164 may be located in several separate locations. on the rear side of the receiving hole 270 of the retainer. In addition, if desired, a rounded support (eg, similar to support 164) may be provided on retainer body 118, and a groove that receives this feature (eg, similar to groove 162) may be provided as part of the rear wall of receiving opening 270. latch.

The front wall 216F of the latch pocket 216 includes a rearwardly extending portion 216S that is flush with or in contact with the upper surface of the leg 212A, but this rearwardly extending portion 216S is undercut to provide a bearing surface 271 to engage the shoulder 170 of the locking member 122 (e.g., see Fig. 28B). This undercut seating surface 271 is also designed to engage the locking barb 156 when the latch 114 is attached to the housing 212 in the first position, such as described above with reference to FIG. 12. The rearwardly extending portion 216S of the front wall 216F and its associated undercut may extend in any desired proportion across the width of the retainer opening 270, but in the example shown, these features extend approximately 25-60% of the total width of the opening 270.

Although in FIG. 28A-28D show shroud 212 engaging base 258 via a welded boss 260, the separately formed boss being omitted if desired. For example, if desired, the top surface of the base 258 may include surfaces to engage with the latch 114 (eg, either welded onto the top surface or recessed into the top surface of the base 258).

In FIG. 29A-29F show another example of a shroud type wear member 312 with which a latch 114 of the type described above can be used to engage the shroud 312 with a base 358 (such as a protrusion). In FIG. 29A and 29B show wear member 312 and base 358 with latch 114 engaging therewith, and FIG. 29C shows details of the various features of recess 316 for housing latch 312. FIG. 29D shows a perspective view from below of the elements

- 14 039491 the inside of the casing 312. In FIG. 29E and 29F show the engagement of this shroud 312 with a boss 360 attached (eg, welded) to a base (eg, ledge). As shown in these figures, a latch recess 316 is provided on the top leg 312A of the housing 312 (which also includes a bottom leg 312B extending back about the same distance as the top leg 312A). Shroud 312 of this example is slightly shorter and more compact from front to back compared to shroud 212 of FIG. 28A-28E described above.

In this shown construction, the leading edge of the base 158 may be provided with a boss 360 for engagement with the housing (for example, attached to the base 358 by welding (or molded as part of the base)), but the boss, if desired, can be attached in other practical ways, for example using mechanical connectors. In this example shown, and as most clearly shown in FIG. 29B, the boss 360 is positioned preferably on the sloping portion 358C of the base 358. Thus, the boss 360 has an angle on the front side (matching the angle of the sloping portion 358C) such that the rear portion 360A of the boss 360 is welded to the main upper surface 358S of the base 358, and the front portion 360B of boss 360 is welded to sloped surface 358I on the front side of base 358 (boss 360 may also be welded on all sides and/or around its perimeter). This slanted boss 360 provides a secure attachment to the base 358 (e.g., partially supported by an angle of 358C) and allows the shroud 312 to be mounted in a more forward position on the base 358 (compared to the boss 260 of FIG. 23 8A28D, which is attached exclusively to the main horizontal surface of the base 258 in the orientation shown in Fig. 28B). Boss 360 may be formed in two or more sections or parts.

As shown in FIG. 29B, 29D, and 29F, the underside of leg 312A of housing 312 includes a recessed channel 364 that slides over and partially around boss 360. The outer edges of the recessed channel 364 are formed by side guides or walls 364R that join or converge towards the front of the lower side of the upper run 312A. These guides 364R form the outer edges of the cup-type recessed channel 364 to receive the front portion of the boss 360. These guides 364R are not intended, however, in general to fit the opposing surfaces of the boss 360 closely. In addition, the material of the casing 312 is thicker on the outside of these guides. 364R (for example, in zones 312S towards the sides of the casing 312). The thicker 312S material and 364R guides provide additional strength and increased durability, particularly towards the end of life of the 312 housing.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 29D-29F, the underside of the upper run 312A includes two generally rearwardly extending rails 312R (which taper or converge in a front-to-back direction in the design shown). These guides 312R are located within the guides 364R and are located inside and in contact with the side walls 360S of the opening 380 in the boss 360. The contact or bearing force between these components 312R and 360S helps to prevent the casing 312 from moving laterally on the base 358 during operation. In addition, the combination of guides 312R and boss 360 (including engagement in the recessed area 364 between the outer guides 364R) helps to provide increased wear resistance of the wear member 312 in the area of the latch 114 and isolate the latch 114 from non-centerline uncontrolled loading. This overall design also helps protect the latch 114 from contact with dirt or other materials during use.

As most clearly shown in FIG. 29B, in the locked configuration, the front surface 166 of the latch 114 engages with the corresponding abutment surface 362 on the boss 360 to prevent movement of the shroud 312 away from the front edge 358A of the base 358. retainer recesses 316 prevent horizontal movement of retainer 114 relative to housing 312 and base 358. Fastener 162 may have a recessed recess, and support 164 may have a rounded cross-sectional shape, such as components 62 and 64 detailed above. . The interaction between the fastener 162 of the latch body 118 and the support member 164 at the rear wall 316R of the latch recess 316, together with the interaction between the shoulder 170 of the locking element 122 and the bearing surface 371 of the shoulder 312, prevent the latch 114 from being ejected from the latch recess 316 in a vertical direction (relative to the orientation shown in Fig. 29B).

The features of the latch recess 316 are described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 29A and 29C, the side region of the upper run 312A includes a cut inlet or recessed region to provide clearance for a tool (eg, tool 30, 130) to rotate the actuator 120 of the latch 114. Due to the oblique orientation of the actuator axis A relative to the locking axis In and/or locking axis C, as described above, the bottom surface 316A of this inlet area may be slightly inclined upwards and/or away from the upper main surface 358S of the base 358. These inclined elements may provide space for

- 15 039491 use of the tool 130 (i.e., the handle of the tool 130 will be raised slightly higher above the surface 358S of the base 358 compared to the location of the handle if the tool extends away from the actuator 120 in a horizontal direction or in a direction substantially parallel to the surface 358S). These ramps also allow the manufacturer to provide a thicker casing material under the bottom surface 316A of the tool insertion hole, which can increase durability and increase resistance to cracking or breakage in the area of the retainer entry hole.

The area of the inlet in the casing 312 opens into the receiving hole 370 of the latch, the section of which is fully extended through the upper branch 312A. This latch receptacle 370 allows a portion of latch 114 to extend through housing 312 to a predetermined position to engage boss 260 (eg, as shown in FIGS. 29B and 29D).

As indicated above, the support member 164 at the area of the back wall 316R of the latch recess 316 may have a rounded cross-sectional shape, and the fastener 162 forms a partially rounded opening for pivotally receiving the support 164, for example, similar to the components 62 and 64 described in detail above. Although not necessary, in this illustrated design example, support member 164 extends across the entire rear width of latch receptacle 370 and protrudes forward from rear wall 316R. If desired, the support 164 may be located on a portion of the rear wall 316R in the transverse direction (for example, in the central area, in the area offset to one side or the other, etc.) or the support 164 may be located in several separate places, on the rear side of the receiving hole 370 of the latch. In addition, if desired, a rounded counterpart (e.g., like support 164) may be provided on retainer body 118, and a groove that receives this element (e.g., like groove 162) may be provided as part of the rear wall of the receiving opening. 370 retainer.

The front wall 316F of the latch recess 316 includes a rearwardly extending portion 316S that is flush with or in contact with the top surface of the leg 312A, but this rearwardly continuing portion 316S is undercut to provide a bearing surface 371 to engage the shoulder 170 of the locking member 122 (e.g., see Fig. 29B). This undercut seating surface is also provided under the rearwardly extending portion 316S for engagement with the locking tooth 156 when the latch 114 is attached to the housing 312 in the first position, for example, as described above with reference to FIG. 12. The rearwardly extending portion 316S of the front wall 316F and its associated undercut may extend in any desired proportion across the width of the retainer opening 370, but in the example shown, these features extend approximately 25-60% of the total width of the opening 370.

Although in FIG. 29A-29F show shroud 312 engaging base 358 with a welded (or otherwise attached) boss 360, the separately formed boss can be omitted if desired. For example, if desired, the top surface of base 358 may include a boss with surfaces to engage latch 114 (eg, either welded onto the top surface or recessed into the top surface of base 358).

As indicated above and clear from FIG. 29A and 29B, in this general wear assembly design, the aforementioned wear assembly (ie, shroud 312) is mounted in a more forward position on the sloped surface 358I of base 358. at least compared to shroud 212 of FIG. 28A-28E. The feature step makes the wear member 312 slightly more compact (eg, shorter from front to back when the elongated portion 212C of the upper leg 212A is omitted), and thus may have a slightly lighter weight. In addition, this feature makes it slightly easier to attach and detach shroud 312 from the base compared to shroud 212, since shroud 312 can no longer move the distances necessary to move its upper leg elongate 212C around the edge and along the base.

The retainer 114 of the invention, described with reference to FIGS. 26A-29E also has the advantage of housing engagement (eg, 212 or 312) in that latch 114 can be actuated relatively easily even in the field (eg, also has the advantages of latch 14 described above). As a few more specific examples, the latch 114 can be accessed from the sides of the shrouds 212 and 312 as described above, but is screwed out of the latch recess 216, 316 from above (because the recesses 216, 316 remain open at the top). This arrangement provides improved access to the retainer and interaction with the retainer, as well as improved clearance of small particles (eg, from the area of access to the retainer).

The retainers of the present invention have an integrated locking mechanism that can be impactless and can be installed and removed using standard tools. The control of the latch is simple and clear and requires minimal effort even in the presence of small and other particles. In addition, the correct installation of the latches is easily confirmed visually, since in the locked position the lug 32, 132 will be located on the left or clockwise side of the latch recesses 16, 116, and in the unlocked position the lug 32, 132

- 16 039491 will be located on the right or counterclockwise side of the recess 16, 116 for the retainer.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, given the environment, latches installed on earthmoving equipment will operate under extremely harsh conditions. Dirt, gravel, and other materials (also referred to as fine particles) can accumulate in the retainers and the recesses in which they are placed over time. These particles can become compacted in the spaces of the retainers, which can make it difficult to actuate the moving parts of the retainers when needed. Wear elements according to the examples of the invention described above can be moved relatively easily even after prolonged use. The manner in which the locking element 22, 122 and other parts of the latches 14, 114 interact with or move away from compacted particles during the unlock and unlock movement steps ensures that the latching element 14, 114 can function even after prolonged exposure to severe operating conditions.

It will be understood that while three components are used in embodiments of the described locking mechanism, more or fewer components may be provided that are similarly suitable for forming the locking mechanism of the present invention. While multi-piece locking mechanisms may facilitate assembly of the retainer during manufacture, fewer components may be used to simplify the design of the retainer. For example, a separate fastening element can be replaced by a single locking component that serves as an actuating element and a blocking element. As another example, another biasing means may be provided instead of the elastic element.

The description herein is intended to cover a plurality of individual inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been described in its preferred form, the specific embodiments described and shown herein should not be construed in a limiting sense as many variations are possible. Each example defines the embodiment described above, but any example does not necessarily cover all features or combinations that may ultimately be claimed. In cases where the description mentions any or the first element or its equivalent, such description includes one or more such elements, which does not require and does not exclude two or more such elements. In addition, ordinal indicators, such as first, second, or third, for identified elements are used to recognize elements and do not indicate the specific position or order of such elements, unless specifically stated otherwise.

CLAIM

Claims (4)

CLAIM 1. Wear element (12) for earth-moving equipment, containing an outer surface intended for contact with soil material and forming a front end for interaction with the ground, a mounting cavity opening back, formed by an inner surface facing the base (58), and in contact with the base on the equipment, which is placed in the mounting cavity for fastening the wear element to the equipment, and the hole (16) extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, while the hole has a rear wall facing the front end, with a support (64) protruding forward in a hole for the latch (14) to engage and turn inward to engage the base and hold the wear item on the equipment, and turn outward to release the base and detach the wear item from the equipment, the hole also has a front wall (59) against the back wall, the front wall has outdoor area, continue extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, and the inner section between the outer section and the inner surface, the outer section includes a recess formed by the first surface (71) for accommodating the blocking element (22) of the latch to hold the latch in the unlocked position and the inner section, including a pocket, formed by the second surface (70) towards the inside towards the first surface for receiving the blocking element of the latch to hold the latch in the internal rotary holding position. 2. A wear element according to claim 1, comprising a recess in the outer surface for accessing the latch for inserting a tool (130) into the latch and operating the latch, while the recess for accessing the latch extends from the hole and, in general, between the front and rear walls. 3. The wear element according to claim 1 or 2, containing a cavity on the back side for receiving the base, while the cavity is formed by the top wall, the bottom wall and the side walls located at a distance from each other, continuing between the top and bottom walls, and the hole continues through , at least one of the side walls, and the recess for access to the latch extends from the hole, at least to the top wall or rear wall. 4. The wear element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support has a large length