MXPA98004298A - Tooth for the movement of lands of gran resisten - Google Patents

Abstract

A ground movement tooth having a proximal end for attachment to a earthmoving machine and a distal end defining a leading cutting edge to penetrate the earth. The tooth has upper and lower surfaces that have similar curve configurations that diverge angularly away from one another and extend longitudinally between the leading edge and the proximal end of the tooth. The tooth also comprises parallel and generally vertical side walls extending between the upper and lower surfaces of the tooth. The upper surface of the tooth is also provided with a reduced and changing configuration, which inhibits the leading edge of the heavy working environment where the tooth finds use.

Description

TOOTH FOR THE MOVEMENT OF LANDS OF GREAT RESISTANCE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to excavating equipment and, more particularly, to an improved heavy duty excavating tooth for excavating or drilling equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Excavating or drilling teeth of the type that are the subject of the present invention are used in a number of earthmoving and mining machines such as, for example, excavators, scarifiers, excavator buckets, oscillation buckets, and the like. . Modern earthmoving machinery typically nine ladle through an arched path of travel when it is drilling. In addition, said earth moving machines typically dispose the digging or drilling teeth in a collateral relationship relative to each other through a front or front edge of the equipment.

Typical excavation applications require that the bucket teeth penetrate and pierce extremely abrasive and hard materials. After penetrating and drilling into the material that will be dug, the bucket is typically moved up to load the materials into the bucket. As will be appreciated, a relatively high level of energy consumption is required for the drilling or digging teeth to penetrate and subsequently move through said hard materials. Known piercing teeth have a proximal end that is fixed to the bucket and a distant end to penetrate the surface of the earth. It is known to provide the piercing tooth with a slightly increasing cross section between its distant and proximal ends. Since they are used, the thinner cross-section at the distal end of the tooth wears out during usual heavy uses to which the tooth is subjected. Therefore, the leading or penetrating end of the tooth is blunted. As is well known in the art, a blunt front end on the tooth requires a higher energy to penetrate and move through the ground than a sharp front end tooth would. The replacement of drilling or excavating teeth through the leading edge of the excavation equipment is an intensive effort of time and labor. Of course, during the time it takes to replace one or more drill teeth, the excavation equipment can not be used for its intended purpose. In this way, replacement of used or blunt excavation teeth can result in an undue expense. Therefore, it is known to releasably mount the drill tooth to a forward adapter extending from a leading edge of the excavating equipment. An elastically deflected closure pin typically passes through the side walls of the tooth to lock or releasably secure the tooth to the adapter. To replace a blunt or broken tooth, the locking pin is removed releasably to allow a replacement tooth to be secured to the adapter. In addition, there is a loss of utility or actual economic loss incurred after the replacement of a blunt tooth, since the costs of the remaining or pulling material associated with the worn or blunt tooth are not recoverable. As will be appreciated, the spacing between the adjacent tooth is reduced to a minimum so that a maximum number of drill or digging teeth can be disposed through a leading edge of the excavating equipment. Typically, the space between the adjacent teeth is such that only a space is provided for the locking pin so that it is slidably removed from the tooth. In this way, there is a need and desire for a tool or tooth for ground movement of high strength that penetrates in a superior manner and is self-sharpening to increase the efficiency of the drill tooth.

CO MPENDIO OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, and in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a tooth or tool for earthwork having a proximal end to be fixed to a earthmoving machine and a distal end defining a cutting edge. Transverse forward to penetrate the earth. The tooth has upper and lower surfaces that have similar curve configurations that diverge angularly away from one another and extend longitudinally between the leading edge and the proximal end of the tooth. The tooth also comprises parallel and generally vertical side walls extending between the upper and lower surface of the tooth. In a preferred form of the invention, the tooth is formed of forged alloy steel to promote its strength and longevity. Preferably, the upper and lower surfaces of the tooth have corresponding radii. The spokes on the upper and lower surfaces of the tooth are generally equal to about twice the length of the tooth. A salient feature of the present invention relates to the configuration of the upper surface of the tooth to inhibit the front cutting edge from blunting as the tooth wears away as a result of heavy working environments where the tooth finds utility. In a preferred form of the invention, the configuration provided on the upper surface of the tooth has a profile that changes as a function of the measured distance back from the distant or leading cutting edge of the tooth. As such, the tooth profile retains a substantially constant or slightly increasing cross section as the tooth wears, so that the tooth remains sharp enough to be useful even after the considerable metal has been removed during use. heavy weight to which the tooth is subjected. In a more preferred form of the invention, the lateral walls of the tooth have a generally convex configuration. Suffice it to say, the side walls of the tooth are configured so that the cross section of the tooth is reduced as the tooth wears away allowing the tooth to continue to penetrate the surface of the earth without significantly increasing the energy requirements to effect such penetration . According to another aspect of the present invention, the tooth is arranged in combination with an adapter to form an excavating tooth assembly. The excavating tooth assembly adapter has a rear portion to allow connection of the tooth assembly to a bucket of an excavating machine, or the like. The adapter further includes a nose region extending backward from its forward end. In this embodiment of the invention, the dng tooth has a transverse cutting edge at its forward end to penetrate the earth and a receptacle at the trailing end to allow the tooth to be coupled to and around the nose region of the adapter. The dng tooth has upper and lower surfaces with similar curved configurations that diverge angularly away from one another and extend longitudinally between the leading cutting edge and the back surface of the tooth. The tooth also comprises parallel and generally vertical side walls extending between the upper and lower surfaces of the tooth. The upper surface of the tooth preferably includes a band extending longitudinally forward from a back surface of the tooth to add strength and durability to the tooth. The tooth is releasably fixed to the adapter using a locking mechanism comprising a generally elongated pin that passes all the way through the tooth and through a hole defined by the adapter. Preferably, the pin has an elongated elastomeric member fixedly disposed between the generally arcuate and opposite surfaces to develop a wedge fit between the adapter and the tooth. The tooth defines a pair of aligned openings that releasably adapt to the locking pin. In summary, the present invention provides a unitary excavating tooth having high strength characteristics and, due to its unique design, more easily penetrates the ground materials thereby increasing the efficiency of the apparatus to which it is attached. As will be appreciated, the increase of the penetration of the tooth on the surface of the earth likewise affects the levels of energy consumption of the excavating apparatus to which the tooth is attached.

These and other objects, purposes and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims and the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of an excavating apparatus to which the tooth of the present invention is applied; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of an excavating tooth according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the digging tooth of the present invention; Figure 4 is a top plan view of the digging tooth of the present invention; Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 4; Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the digging tooth of the present invention; and Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Since this invention is susceptible to a modality in various forms, a specific embodiment will be described in detail in the drawings and below, with the understanding that the present invention should be considered as an illustration of the principles of the invention and not it is intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated. Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views, and more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a perspective view of an excavating apparatus or bucket 10 incorporating the principles of the present invention. In its illustrated embodiment, the bucket or digging apparatus 10 includes two vertically disposed, spaced apart side walls 12 and 14 that are rigidly connected to each other through a back wall 16 and a bottom wall 18 to form a load receiving interior , open outwardly 20. Preferably, the side walls 12 and 14, the rear wall 16 and the bottom 18 are secured together through a conventional method such as welding. If desired, the back wall 16 of the bucket can be formed from two separate plates walled together (a so-called double wrap design). Notarized, the bottom 18 of the bucket 10 has a lip 22 (Figure 3) on the leading edge edge 24 thereof.

The excavating apparatus or bucket 10, illustrated in Figure 1, is provided with a plurality of tool assemblies or digging teeth 30 that are arranged in a separate, collateral relation relative to each other through the leading or leading edge 24 to improve the penetration capacity of the bucket 10 in the earth. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each tool or tooth assembly 30 comprises an adapter 32 and an elongated digging tooth or tool 34 and a pin or other suitable closure apparatus. The adapter 32 may be of any suitable type as is well known in the art. Suffice it to say that the adapter 32 serves as a mounting for the tool or the tooth 34. As shown in Figure 3, a proximal end 36 of the adapter 32 is secured in a conventional manner to the marginal edge 24 of the bucket and extends forwardly. of the same. As is typical, a nose region 38 extends rearwardly from the distal end 40 of the adapter 32. To improve the durability thereof, the tooth 34 of each tooth assembly 32 is preferably formed from an alloy steel and is forged in the desired shape. The forging of the tooth 34 to the desired shape advantageously produces directional grain characteristics, which improves the strength of the tooth to the perforation and resists the impact and fatigue created by severe digging conditions. The forging process creates a novel way to produce drill teeth and involves placing a piece of steel, that already exhibits a flow of grain, in such a way that it produces a tooth that alters the material at a temperature of 1200 ° C in degrees centigrade. The direction of grain flow will ensure maximum strength through the design. In a highly preferred form of the invention, the advantageous positioning of the grain flow in the tooth 34 is achieved through not less than eight successive production steps and is controlled through the formation of the design and in line inspections. Advantageously, the forged tooth may have approximately 30% greater strength contrasted with a comparable tooth of similar casting. As shown in Figure 3, the tooth 34 has a proximal end 44 for attaching to the excavating apparatus 10 (Figure 1) and a distal end 46 defining a leading cutting edge 48 extending transversely across the longitudinal axis or length of the tooth to penetrate the earth. In the illustrated embodiment, the tooth 34 defines a generally vertical rear surface 50 with a blind cavity or receptacle 52 that opens toward the rear surface 50. As shown in Figure 3, the receptacle 52 is configured to longitudinally adapt to a portion of the length of the nose region 38 of the fitting or adapter 32. Each tooth 34 has an upper surface 58 and a bottom surface 60. The upper and bottom surfaces 58 and 60, respectively, have similar curved configurations each extending backward from the cutting edge 48 towards the rear surface 50 of the tooth 34. As shown in Figure 3, and as they extend rearwardly from the cutting edge 48, the upper and lower surfaces 58 and 60 angularly diverge away one of the other and towards the proximal end 44 of the tooth 34. In a preferred form of the invention, the upper and lower curved surfaces 58 and 60, respectively e, they have corresponding radios. In a highly preferred form of the invention, the upper and lower surfaces each have a radius equal to about half the length of the tooth 34. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the tooth 34 also includes a pair of transversely spaced side walls 62 and 64 extending between the upper and lower surfaces 58 and 60, respectively. As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the side walls 62 and 64 are generally parallel to each other and extend generally vertically between the upper and lower surfaces 58 and 60, respectively. In a highly preferred form of the invention, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, each side wall 62, 64 has a convex configuration. As shown, each side wall 62, 64 is preferably composed of an upper vertical portion 65 and a lower vertical portion 67 that extend over the length of the respective side wall 62, 64. The upper and lower vertical portions 65 and 67, respectively, of each side wall 62, 64 are joined at a vertex 69 which extends approximately halfway between the upper and lower surfaces 58 and 60, respectively of the tooth 34. The upper and lower vertical portions 65 and 67, respectively, of each side wall are combined to define an included angle of approximately 166 ° between them. Preferably, the upper vertical portion 65 of each side wall 62, 64 defines an included angle of approximately 97 ° relative to the upper surface 58, while the lower vertical portion 67 of each side wall 62, 64 defines an included angle of approximately 97 ° relative to the undersurface 60 of the tooth 34. Turning now to Figure 4, the upper surface 58 of the tooth 34 is specially configured to inhibit the leading cutting edge 48 from blunting as the tooth 34 wears during the heavy use to which it is subjected. As shown, the upper surface 58 of the tooth 34 is configured with a depression 68 that extends along the upper surface 58 and back away from the leading cutting edge 48. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, and to maintain the structural integrity and strength of the tooth 34, the depressed configuration 63 has a shift pattern as it extends rearwardly from the leading cutting edge 48 of the tooth. As shown, the depression 68 is preferably configured as a concave depression that extends incrementally away from the top surface 51 as a function of the med distance from the front cut edge 48. As shown, a configuration of depression 68 also widens as ur to function of the distance measured from the leading edge edge 8 of tooth 34. Preferably, depression 68 extends rearwardly from cutting edge 48 at a distance of approximately one-third to about half of the length of the upper surface 58. Returning now to Figures 7 and 8, the bottom part or bottom surface 60 of the tooth 34 includes a longitudinally extending strip 70 to ensure great strength and high structural integrity of the tooth or tool for earthwork 34. As shown, the band 70 is generally centered between the side walls 62 and 64 and is ex it tends backward from the back surface 50 of the tooth. The band 70 longitudinally extends forwardly from the back surface 50 of the tooth at a distance of approximately half to approximately two thirds of the length of the lower surface 60. Remarkably, and as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the surface below the tooth 34 is configured so that generally equal opposite depressions 74 and 76 are provided on opposite sides of the band 70. As shown, the depressions 74 and 76 are reduced in cross section between the distal end of the band 70 and that region wherein the band 70 coincides with the back surface 50 of the tooth 34. Returning to Figures 2 and 3, in a preferred form of the invention, each tooth 34 is releasably fixed to the adapter 32 through a locking mechanism 80. In a preferred form of the invention, the side walls 62 and 64 of the tooth 34 define a pair of axially aligned openings or slots 82 that open towards the cavity. 52. The slots 82 in the tooth 34 are releasably adapted to an elongated locking pin 84 forming part of the closing mechanism 80. The elongated pin 84 passes longitudinally through the tooth 34 and a hole 86 (Figure 4) defined towards the Distant end 40 of the nose region 38 of the adapter 32 thereby releasably securing the tooth 34 to the adapter 32. In a preferred form of the invention, and as shown in Figure 3, the pin 84 has an elongated elastomeric member 86 fixedly disposed between generally arcuate and opposing surfaces 88 and 90 to develop a wedge fit between the tooth 34 and the adapter 32. It will be appreciated that in certain applications the openings or slots 82 are provided to be releasably adapted to a vertically disposed pin 84. As mentioned above , the pin 34 of each tooth assembly 32 is preferably formed from an alloy steel that is forged to the desired shape. Forming the tooth 34 from a forged alloy steel has particular advantages when, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the tooth 34 is formed with a pair of axially aligned openings or slots 82 that open towards the blind cavity. 52. As is known in the art, forged metal has significantly greater strength characteristics than those of cast steel products. Accordingly, the life of the tooth is prolonged thereby reducing the costs of repair or replacement as well as reducing the utility or economic loss, since there is less loss of material when the replacement of tooth 34 is required. The preferred form of this The invention is capitalized on the increased strength offered through the forging process by reducing the thickness of the side wall in the area of the grooves 82 as compared to similar cast teeth. That is to say, and since, in a preferred form of the invention, the slots 82 extend through the side walls 62, 64, there is a significant stress concentration in this area. With digging or drilling teeth that are cast, the thickness of the side wall in the area of the slots 82 must be increased to increase the failure that results from stress fatigue or other related causes. With the preferred form of the present invention, however, the wall thickness in the area of the grooves 82 does not have to be as thick as in similar cast products due to the inherent strength of the forged alloy steels. The ability to reduce the thickness of the side wall of the teeth produces several advantages. That is, by reducing the thickness of the side wall of the teeth, the waste materials are reduced in the waste form when the tooth requires replacement. In addition, the reduction of the thickness of the lateral wall of the tooth produces an additional quarter on opposite sides of each tooth facilitating the removal and replacement of the closing pin. By minimizing the width of each tooth, the placement of the maximum number of digging teeth is further improved through a leading edge of the digging equipment which uses said teeth. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, after the tooth is formed into the desired shape, the entire tooth is subjected to a heat treatment and an extinguishing or cooling process. With respect to the heat treatment process, it is desired to prevent the cross sections from sticking to the material since the desired microstructure transformation of the material for the tooth depends on a rapid cooling or uniform quenching. The preferred form of the present invention obtains this and, thus, improves the total strength of the tooth 34. The aforementioned surface configurations on the upper and lower surfaces 58 and 60, respectively, of the tooth 34 offer benefits in relation to the heat treatment and cooling procedure associated with the formation of the digging tooth 34. That is, the configuration of the surface 68 on the upper surface 58 of the tooth 34 in conjunction with the generally centered band 70 on the part of below the tooth 34 results in an increased surface area and a reduced transverse thickness which maximizes the hardening capacity of the tooth obtained as a result of the heat treatment and the cooling procedure of the tooth 34. During operation, the configuration based on the upper and lower surface 58 and 60, respectively, facilitates penetration n of tooth 34 through the surface of the earth. To ensure a relatively easy and effective penetration of the tooth 34, the upper surface 58 thereof is specifically configured with a depressed and changing contour 68 which inhibits the trimming of the transverse cutting edge 48 as the tooth wears away so that the The transverse cutting edge 48 remains sharp enough to be useful even after considerable metal has been removed thus facilitating the penetration of the tooth 34. In addition, the flange or raised band 70 on the bottom or bottom surface 60 of the tooth 34 in combination with the vertical disposition of the side walls 62 and 64 promotes and reduces the energy requirements for the tooth to penetrate and move through the surface of the earth. From the foregoing, it will be noted that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concept of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure is intended to be an illustration of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated. The description is intended to be covered by the appended claims and is intended to cover such modifications as they fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims (5)

1. CLAIMS 1.- An elongated earthmoving tooth having a proximal end for attaching to a earthmoving machine and a distant end defining a leading cutting edge to penetrate the earth, said tooth having an upper surface and a surface interior, the upper and lower surfaces having configurations in similar curves that diverge angularly away from one another and extend longitudinally between the leading edge and the proximal end of said tooth, said tooth also comprising parallel and generally vertical side walls extending between the upper and lower surfaces of the tooth.
2. 2. The tooth for earthwork according to claim 1, wherein the tooth is formed from forged metal materials to promote its strength and longevity.
3. 3. The tooth for earthwork according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the tooth is further provided with a configuration that inhibits that the leading cutting edge will be blunted as the tooth wears as a result of heavy work environments where the tooth finds utility.
4. 4. The tooth for earthwork according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower surface each has a radius equal to approximately twice the length of the tooth.
5. 5. The tooth for earthwork according to claim 1, wherein the tooth further defines a pair of aligned openings disposed toward the proximal end of the tooth. 6. - A high strength digging tooth having a leading cutting edge extending generally transverse to a longitudinal axis defined by the tooth, said tooth comprising: an upper surface having a concave configuration extending backward from the cutting edge front for tooth length; a bottom surface having a curved configuration that is substantially similar to the top surface and extends rearwardly from the front cutting edge for the length of the tooth and to a divergent angled arrangement relative to the top surface; two generally vertical side walls extending relatively parallel to each other and between the upper and lower surfaces of the tooth; and a rear portion extending between the upper and lower surface and the side walls for the releasable mounting of said digging tooth to a digging machine. 7.- The excavation tooth according to the claim 6, wherein the bottom surface of the tooth includes a band that extends longitudinally along the bottom surface and extends forward from a back surface of the tooth to add strength to the tooth. 8.- The excavation tooth according to the claim 6, wherein the upper surface of the tooth defines a concave depression having a profile that changes to prevent the leading edge of the tooth from breaking off as the tooth wears as a result of its use. 9. The excavating tooth according to claim 6, wherein the lateral walls of the tooth define a pair of axially aligned openings to releasably adapt to a pin of a closing mechanism that releasably mounts the tooth to the excavating machine. 10. The excavating tooth according to claim 6, wherein the upper and lower surface have a radius approximately twice the length of the tooth. 1 1 .- An excavating tooth assembly, comprising: an adapter with a rear portion to allow connection of the tooth assembly to a bucket or similar from a machine to an excavator, and a nose region extending toward back to depart from its front end; an excavating tooth having a transverse cutting edge at its leading edge to penetrate the earth and a receptacle at the rear end to allow the disc to be engaged and be around the nose region of the adapter, the excavating tooth furthermore having upper and lower surfaces with similar curve configurations that diverge away from one another and extend longitudinally between the leading cutting edge and a back surface of the tooth, the tooth comprises in addition parallel and generally vertical side walls extending between the upper and lower surfaces of the tooth. 12. The excavating tooth assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the excavating tooth is configured so that the leading cutting edge of the tooth can not be blunted as the tooth wears out as a result of use. 13. The excavating tooth assembly according to claim 12, wherein the configuration on the upper surface of the excavating tooth has a profile that changes as a function of the measured distance back from the cutting edge of the tooth. 14. The excavation tooth assembly according to claim 1, further including a closing mechanism comprising a generally elongated pin that passes over the entire length through the tooth and a hole defined by the adapter, so that the tooth is releasably fixed to the adapter. 15. The excavating tooth assembly according to claim 14, wherein the pin has an elongate elastomeric member fixedly disposed between the generally arcuate and opposing surfaces to develop a wedging fit between the adapter and the tooth. 16. The excavating tooth assembly according to claim 1, wherein the tooth defines a pair of aligned openings that releasably adapt a locking pin of a closing mechanism releasably attaching the tooth to the adapter. 17. The excavating tooth assembly according to claim 11, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the tooth each have a radius equal to about twice the length of the tooth. 18. An excavating apparatus having side walls joined to a back wall and a bottom to form a load receiving interior, open outwardly, said bottom having a lip at its leading edge edge, and a plurality of drill teeth attached to and extending forward from the lip, each piercing tooth comprising: an assembly secured to the marginal edge of the lip and extending forward thereof, the assembly including a nose portion projecting forward; a relatively elongated and unitary member having a rear mounting end and a front working end defining a cutting edge extending transversely through the forward working end of the member, the rear mounting end of the member having a receptacle that opens Towards a rear surface of the member and longitudinally adapts the nose portion of the assembly therein, the member further includes upper and lower surfaces having similarly curved configurations that diverge angularly from one another and extend longitudinally between each other. front cutting edge and the rear surface of the member, said member further including parallel and generally vertical side walls extending between the upper and lower surfaces; and a closing mechanism for releasably supporting the member in the assembly. 19. The excavating apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the curved configurations of the upper and lower surfaces of the member each have a radius of approximately twice the length of the member. 20. The excavating apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the elongate member further defines a pair of axially aligned openings for fitting a locking pin that forms part of the closing mechanism. 21. The excavating apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the pair of aligned openings are defined by the side walls of the member. 22. The excavating apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the upper surface of the member is configured with a depression disposed near and having a transverse configuration that changes as it extends rearwardly from the leading cutting edge. to inhibit the front cutting edge from bulging out as the member wears during use.