US20170314236A1 - Wear Protection Assembly - Google Patents
Wear Protection Assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20170314236A1 US20170314236A1 US15/531,493 US201515531493A US2017314236A1 US 20170314236 A1 US20170314236 A1 US 20170314236A1 US 201515531493 A US201515531493 A US 201515531493A US 2017314236 A1 US2017314236 A1 US 2017314236A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- wear
- protection assembly
- earth working
- working machinery
- wear protection
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 6
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000004035 construction material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005299 abrasion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005304 joining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007769 metal material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005065 mining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005728 strengthening Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F9/00—Component parts of dredgers or soil-shifting machines, not restricted to one of the kinds covered by groups E02F3/00 - E02F7/00
- E02F9/28—Small metalwork for digging elements, e.g. teeth scraper bits
- E02F9/2883—Wear elements for buckets or implements in general
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/28—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging tools mounted on a dipper- or bucket-arm, i.e. there is either one arm or a pair of arms, e.g. dippers, buckets
- E02F3/36—Component parts
- E02F3/40—Dippers; Buckets ; Grab devices, e.g. manufacturing processes for buckets, form, geometry or material of buckets
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a wear protection assembly.
- the present invention relates to a wear protection assembly for an earth working tool, such as an excavator bucket.
- Excavators are widely used in the construction and mining industries to move around ground and rocks. In many of these applications, the excavators use buckets with which to pick up the earth and rocks and either load it onto trucks or move it to a different location. This use exposes the buckets to extreme friction wearing. Conventional buckets are thus made of strong materials, such as high performance steel, and are also made relatively large so that the steel does not quickly wear through.
- a wear protection assembly for earth working machinery comprising:
- a wear protection assembly for earth working machinery comprising:
- a wear protection assembly for earth working machinery comprising:
- the earth working machinery may be an excavator bucket having a floor leading to a heel and having opposed side panels, wherein the wear protection assembly is adapted to be secured to an external corner between the floor and the side panels and/or an external corner between the heel and the side panels.
- the corner shrouds may be substantially L shaped having two divergent legs that extend from a mutual vertex to separate terminal ends, wherein the legs are tapered having a thicker cross-section at the vertex than at the terminal ends.
- the attachment means may extend substantially from the external surface of the earth working machinery to the internal surface of the earth working machinery.
- the corner shrouds may have countersunk passages for receiving the attachment means.
- the attachment means may include threaded bolts and nuts.
- the attachment means may be plough bolts.
- The, or each, plough bolt may extend substantially from the external surface of the earth working machinery through to the internal surface of the earth working machinery.
- the wear protection assembly may include a plurality of gusset plates being associated with the plurality of corner shrouds, wherein the gusset plates are adapted to be located on a side of the earth working machinery being opposed to the corner shrouds, so that the earth working machinery is sandwiched between the corner shrouds and the gusset plates.
- the gusset plates may include one or more braces located operatively forward of the attachment means, whereby the braces are arranged to protect the attachment means during use.
- the braces may further be are arranged to increase the rigidity of the gusset plates for providing structural support to a corner edge of the earth working machinery abutting the gusset plates.
- the gusset plates may include one or more side walls, whereby the walls are arranged to increase the rigidity of the gusset plates for providing structural support to a corner edge of the earth working machinery abutting the gusset plates.
- the wear strips may be in the form of an elongated rod having a substantially rectangular cross-section.
- the wear strips may have countersunk passages for receiving the attachment means.
- an excavator bucket provided with a wear protection assembly, wherein the wear protection assembly comprises:
- the wear strips may be adapted to be attached to the earth working machinery so that they are spaced apart from each other and orientated substantially parallel to each other.
- the wear strips in the first and second sets of wear strips may be arranged in a staggered formation being offset from each other.
- the respective attachment means attaching the first set of wear strips to the bucket may be interposed between the wear strips of the second set of wear strips and, vice versa, the respective attachment means attaching the second set of wear strips to the bucket may be interposed between the wear strips of the first set of wear strips.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an earth working tool, in the form of an excavator bucket, shown provided with a wear protection assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 2 is an end view of the excavator bucket of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner shroud forming part of the wear protection assembly shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is an end view of the corner shroud of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a gusset plate forming part of the wear protection assembly shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 6 is an exploded partial perspective view of the excavator bucket, showing the manner of attaching the corner shroud and gusset plate thereto;
- FIG. 7 is a partial sectional side view of the excavator bucket of FIG. 6 , wherein the corner shroud and gusset plate are fully attached thereto;
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the excavator bucket being provided with a further wear protection assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention, wherein the wear protection assembly comprises wear strips shown in a partially attached state;
- FIG. 9 is a sectional end view of the excavator bucket of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional perspective view of a part of the excavator bucket of FIG. 9 , showing the manner of attaching the wear strips to the excavator bucket;
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the wear strip of FIGS. 8 to 10 ;
- FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the wear strip shown of FIGS. 8 to 10 ;
- FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the excavator bucket being provided with a further wear protection assembly according to a third embodiment of the invention, wherein the wear protection assembly comprises wear plates shown in a partially attached state;
- FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of a wear plate forming part of the wear protection assembly shown in FIG. 13 ;
- FIG. 15 is a sectional end view of the excavator bucket of FIG. 13 ;
- FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional perspective view of a part of the excavator bucket of FIG. 13 , showing the manner of attaching the wear plates to the excavator bucket;
- FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternative corner shroud forming part of the wear protection assembly according to the first embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 18 is a side view of the alternative corner shroud of FIG. 17 ;
- FIG. 19 is an end view of the alternative corner shroud of FIG. 17 ;
- FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternative gusset plate forming part of the wear protection assembly according to the first embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 21 is a side view of the alternative gusset plate of FIG. 20 ;
- FIG. 22 is an end view of the alternative gusset plate of FIG. 20 ;
- FIG. 23 is a partial sectional side view of the excavator bucket of FIG. 6 , wherein the alternative corner shroud of FIG. 17 and alternative gusset plate of FIG. 20 are fully attached thereto;
- FIG. 24 is a side view of a first plough bolt forming part of the wear protection assembly according to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 25 is a side view of a second plough bolt forming part of the wear protection assembly according to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 26 is a top view of each of the plough bolts shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 ;
- FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the second plough shown in FIG. 25 .
- a first embodiment of a wear protection assembly being generally indicated by reference numeral 100 , is shown attached to an earth working tool in the form of an excavator bucket 102 .
- the wear protection assembly 100 is adapted to protect the bucket 102 during use to prevent excessive wearing of the bucket 102 due to friction thereof, e.g. with ground, rocks or other construction materials.
- the bucket 102 includes a floor 104 that leads via an integrally curved heel 106 to a top panel 108 .
- the floor 104 has an operative forward base edge 110 onto which can be mounted various ground engaging tools, such as tips or teeth 112 .
- Two side panels 114 , 116 extend perpendicularly between the floor 104 and the top panel 108 to form the open bucket 102 .
- the side panels 114 , 116 each include forward side bars 118 , 120 that join the floor 104 to the top panel 108 , and side plates 122 , 124 that extend from the side bars 118 , 120 to the heel 106 .
- a hinge assembly 126 is provided on the top panel 108 to permit the bucket 102 to be joined to an excavator.
- the first embodiment of the wear protection assembly 100 is particularly directed towards protecting rear joint edges 128 , 130 of the bucket 102 where the side plates 122 , 124 join to the heel 106 .
- the wear protection assembly 100 comprises a plurality of corner shrouds 132 that are held in position by being attached to an associated plurality of gusset plates 134 by bolts 136 and bolt nuts 137 extending through the bucket 102 .
- the corner shrouds 132 are discretely spaced apart along the outside of the joint edges 128 , 130
- the gusset plates 134 are located internally of the joint edges 128 , 130 and preferably being in close abutting contact with each other.
- the corner shrouds 132 are substantially L-shaped in side view having two legs 138 , 140 extending at right angles to each other.
- the legs 138 , 140 have a tapered side view cross-section such that their terminal ends 142 , 144 are narrower than their joining vertex 146 . The widening at the vertex 146 increases the bulk of the corner shrouds 132 and thus provides greater wear protection.
- Each leg 138 , 140 is centrally provided with a countersunk passage 148 for receiving the bolts 136 .
- the gusset plates 134 are also substantially L-shaped in side view having two legs 150 , 152 extending at right angles to each other, which legs 150 , 152 have a substantially uniform thickness in side view cross-section.
- Each leg 150 , 152 is provided with a pair of passages 154 for receiving the bolts 136 .
- a pair of triangular braces 156 extend between the legs 150 , 152 , whereby the braces 156 are located operatively forward of passages 154 .
- the braces 156 assist in provided structural rigidity to the legs 150 , 152 , thereby increasing the rigidity of the gusset plates 134 for providing structural support to a corner of the bucket 102 abutting the gusset plates 134 . Furthermore, the braces 156 also provide a degree of protection for the bolt nuts 137 to material being scooped up by the bucket 102 .
- the bolts 136 will be of the plough bolt type and be applied from outside the bucket 102 so that the bolt heads can be fully received within the countersunk passages 148 , thereby providing a degree of protection to the bolt heads so that they do not encounter excessive friction in use.
- the outer extents of the bolt head is preferably located fully within the passages 148 .
- plough bolts 136 have a polygonal section 139 in the neck of their shaft 141 .
- the polygonal section 139 is able to engage with the countersunk passage 148 in each leg 138 , 140 so that the bolt cannot rotate in the passage 148 , thereby enabling the bolt nut to be tightened relatively easily from within the bucket 102 .
- the present invention is directed to an easily replaceable wear protection assembly 100 , wherein the individual corner shrouds 132 and gusset plates 134 can be manually removed onsite by an operator of the excavator. This is achieved by simply unscrewing the bolts 136 and nuts 137 to remove and substitute the damaged or worn corner shroud 132 with a new part.
- adjacent corner shrouds 132 are spaced apart from each other by wedge shaped load blocks 158 , which are located by welding the load blocks 158 to one or both its adjacent corner shrouds 132 .
- the load blocks 158 are adapted to support their adjacent corner shrouds 132 in use, thereby to limit any shear forces exerted on the bolts 136 , i.e. the shear forces exerted on one corner shroud 132 are largely evenly distributed across all the corner shrouds 132 .
- the load blocks 132 reduce the risk of the bolts 136 snapping or coming loose and also reduces the risk of the bolts 136 damaging the bucket 102 in use.
- the load blocks 158 do not project outwardly beyond the corner shrouds 132 , so that they are exposed to limited frictional wearing and thus need not be regularly replaced.
- a second embodiment of a wear protection assembly being generally indicated by reference numeral 170 , is shown being attached to the excavator bucket 102 .
- the wear protection assembly 170 is also adapted to protect the bucket 102 during use to prevent excessive wearing of the bucket 102 due to friction, e.g. with ground, rocks or other construction materials.
- This second embodiment of the wear protection assembly 170 is particularly directed towards protecting both the inside and outside of the floor 104 and heel 106 of the bucket 102 .
- the wear protection assembly 170 comprises a first set of spaced apart internal wear strips 172 being located within the bucket 102 and a second set of spaced apart external wear strips 174 being located external to the bucket 102 .
- the internal and external wear strips 172 , 174 are in the form of elongated rectangular rods, having a number of countersunk bolt passages 176 discretely spaced apart along the length thereof for receiving bolts 178 to be threaded onto nuts 180 .
- the bolts 178 will preferably be of the plough bolt type, whereby their bolt heads can be recessed within the passages 176 .
- the internal wear strips 172 and external wear strips 174 are arranged to extend across the width of the floor 104 between the side panels 114 , 116 . Alternatively, if the bucket 102 is simultaneously fitted with the first wear protection assembly 100 , the wear strips 172 and 174 will extend between the gusset plates 134 .
- the respective internal wear strips 172 are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other.
- the external wear strips 174 are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other.
- the respective wear strips 172 and 174 are arranged in a staggered formation being offset from each other along the floor 104 and heel 106 so that none of the wear strips 172 and 174 are directly opposed to each other on opposite sides of the bucket 102 .
- the staggering provides an advantage in that the nuts 180 that secure the external wear strips 174 are thereby located between the internal wear strips 172 . Conversely, the nuts 180 that secure the internal wear strips 172 are located between the external wear strips 174 .
- any ground being scooped up by the bucket 102 will not impart a great friction force directly onto the nuts 180 , but such friction force will be borne by the wear strips 172 and 174 .
- a third embodiment of a wear protection assembly being generally indicated by reference numeral 182 , is shown being attached to the excavator bucket 102 .
- the wear protection assembly 182 is also adapted to protect the bucket 102 during use to prevent excessive wearing of the bucket 102 due to friction, e.g. with ground, rocks or other construction materials.
- this third embodiment 182 is, similarly, directed towards protecting both the inside and outside of the floor 104 and heel 106 of the bucket 102 .
- the wear protection assembly 182 comprises a first set of internal wear plates 184 being located within the bucket 102 and a second set of external wear plates 186 being located external to the bucket 102 .
- the internal and external wear plates 184 , 186 are in the form of rectangular planar surfaces, each having a number of countersunk bolt passages 188 discretely spaced apart along the surface thereof for receiving bolts 190 to be threaded onto nuts 192 .
- the bolts 190 will preferably be of the plough bolt type, whereby their bolt heads can be recessed within the passages 188 .
- each set of wear plates 184 , 186 comprises four wear plates arranged in a tiled configuration. It will appreciated, however, that each set may comprise an alternative number of wear plates such as, for example, two wear plates. Similarly, instead of a set of wear plates, a single wear plate may be used on the internal and external sides of the bucket 102 , whereby each plate substantially extends across the width of the floor 104 between the side panels 114 , 116 .
- FIGS. 17 to 19 of the drawings there is shown a second, alternate form of corner shroud, being generally indicated by reference numeral 194 , which may be used as an alternative to the first form of corner shroud 132 shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 for the first embodiment of the wear protection assembly 100 .
- the alternate corner shroud 194 is substantially L-shaped in side view and comprises two legs 196 , 198 extending at right angles to each other.
- Each leg 196 , 198 is, however, provided with two countersunk passages 200 for receiving the bolts 136 .
- Each leg 196 , 198 additionally comprises a lifting eye 202 mounted thereon which is adapted to receive a hook (not shown) for lifting and moving the bucket 102 between locations.
- FIGS. 20 to 22 of the drawings show a second, alternate form of gusset plate 204 which is used in combination with the alternate corner shrouds 194 .
- the alternate gusset plate 204 is also substantially L-shaped in side view having two legs 206 , 208 extending at right angles to each other, which legs 206 , 208 have a substantially uniform thickness in side view cross-section and are provided with a pair of passages 210 for receiving the bolts 136 .
- the alternate gusset plate 204 comprises first and second side walls 212 , 214 each arranged substantially perpendicular to the legs 206 , 208 .
- the side walls 212 , 214 increase the rigidity of the gusset plate 204 for providing structural support to a corner of the bucket 102 abutting the gusset plate 204 .
- the first and second form of gusset plates 134 , 204 used in accordance with the first embodiment of the wear protection assembly 100 each comprise a material having significant structural rigidity and resilience, such as a metallic material.
- the material used may, in addition, have a degree of pliability enabling the gusset plates 134 , 204 to be deformed partially during installation so that they are flush with the corner of the bucket 102 abutting the gusset plate 134 , 204 .
- the wear protection assemblies herein disclosed 100 , 170 , 182 By providing one of, or a combination of, the wear protection assemblies herein disclosed 100 , 170 , 182 , it is possible to reduce the requisite inherent strength of the bucket 102 , i.e. by making it with thinner wall thicknesses for the floor 104 and heel 106 . This reduces both the material costs and manufacturing time when making the bucket 102 .
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Abstract
A wear protection assembly for earth working machinery includes a number of corner shrouds, each corner shroud being adapted to be joined to an external edge of the earth working machinery, and fasteners for separately and releasably securing each of the corner shrouds to the earth working machinery. Also disclosed is a wear protection assembly for earth working machinery, including a first set of wear strips being adapted to be joined to an external surface of the earth working machinery, a second set of wear strips being adapted to be joined to an internal surface of the earth working machinery, and fasteners for separately and releasably securing each of the wear strips to the earth working machinery. Also disclosed is a wear protection assembly for earth working machinery, including one or more external wear plates being adapted to be joined to an external surface of the earth working machinery, one or more internal wear plates being adapted to be joined to an internal surface of the earth working machinery, and fasteners for separately and releasably securing each of the internal and external wear plates to the earth working machinery.
Description
- The present invention relates to a wear protection assembly.
- More particularly, the present invention relates to a wear protection assembly for an earth working tool, such as an excavator bucket.
- Excavators are widely used in the construction and mining industries to move around ground and rocks. In many of these applications, the excavators use buckets with which to pick up the earth and rocks and either load it onto trucks or move it to a different location. This use exposes the buckets to extreme friction wearing. Conventional buckets are thus made of strong materials, such as high performance steel, and are also made relatively large so that the steel does not quickly wear through.
- If a bucket becomes damaged, it normally needs to be replaced and returned to a workshop for repair—during such time, the excavator cannot be used and thus stands idle, which leads to further wasted costs. Accordingly, many manufacturers have resorted to providing additional strengthening and abrasion resistance, by welding wear plates onto their buckets. For example, the CAT Excavator Heavy Duty Bucket is provided with side wear plates and horizontal bottom wear plates, which are welded onto the bucket. Although such wear plates do strengthen the bucket and reduce the likelihood of damage, they still have a disadvantage in the wear plates cannot easily be repaired onsite and thus the bucket must still be returned to a workshop for repair. Also, the repair can be time consuming as welding is required to remove the damaged plate and to affix the new replacement plate.
- It is an object of the invention to suggest a wear protection assembly, which will assist in at least partially overcoming these problems.
- According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wear protection assembly for earth working machinery, comprising:
-
- a plurality of corner shrouds being adapted to be joined to an external edge of the earth working machinery; and
- attachment means for separately and releasably securing each of the corner shrouds to the earth working machinery.
- According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wear protection assembly for earth working machinery, comprising:
-
- a first set of wear strips being adapted to be joined to an external surface of the earth working machinery;
- a second set of wear strips being adapted to be joined to an internal surface of the earth working machinery; and
- attachment means for separately and releasably securing each of the wear strips to the earth working machinery.
- According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wear protection assembly for earth working machinery, comprising:
-
- one or more wear plates being adapted to be joined to an external surface of the earth working machinery;
- one or more wear plates being adapted to be joined to an internal surface of the earth working machinery; and
- attachment means for separately and releasably securing each of the wear plates to the earth working machinery.
- The earth working machinery may be an excavator bucket having a floor leading to a heel and having opposed side panels, wherein the wear protection assembly is adapted to be secured to an external corner between the floor and the side panels and/or an external corner between the heel and the side panels.
- The corner shrouds may be substantially L shaped having two divergent legs that extend from a mutual vertex to separate terminal ends, wherein the legs are tapered having a thicker cross-section at the vertex than at the terminal ends.
- The attachment means may extend substantially from the external surface of the earth working machinery to the internal surface of the earth working machinery.
- The corner shrouds may have countersunk passages for receiving the attachment means.
- The attachment means may include threaded bolts and nuts.
- The attachment means may be plough bolts.
- The, or each, plough bolt may extend substantially from the external surface of the earth working machinery through to the internal surface of the earth working machinery.
- The wear protection assembly may include a plurality of gusset plates being associated with the plurality of corner shrouds, wherein the gusset plates are adapted to be located on a side of the earth working machinery being opposed to the corner shrouds, so that the earth working machinery is sandwiched between the corner shrouds and the gusset plates.
- The gusset plates may include one or more braces located operatively forward of the attachment means, whereby the braces are arranged to protect the attachment means during use.
- The braces may further be are arranged to increase the rigidity of the gusset plates for providing structural support to a corner edge of the earth working machinery abutting the gusset plates.
- The gusset plates may include one or more side walls, whereby the walls are arranged to increase the rigidity of the gusset plates for providing structural support to a corner edge of the earth working machinery abutting the gusset plates.
- The wear strips may be in the form of an elongated rod having a substantially rectangular cross-section.
- The wear strips may have countersunk passages for receiving the attachment means.
- Yet further according to the invention, there is provided an excavator bucket provided with a wear protection assembly, wherein the wear protection assembly comprises:
-
- a plurality of corner shrouds secured to an external corner of the excavator bucket;
- a first set of wear strips secured to an external surface of the excavator bucket;
- a second set of wear strips secured to an internal surface of the excavator bucket; and
- attachment means for separately and releasably securing each of the corner shrouds and the wear strips to the excavator bucket.
- The wear strips may be adapted to be attached to the earth working machinery so that they are spaced apart from each other and orientated substantially parallel to each other.
- The wear strips in the first and second sets of wear strips may be arranged in a staggered formation being offset from each other.
- The respective attachment means attaching the first set of wear strips to the bucket may be interposed between the wear strips of the second set of wear strips and, vice versa, the respective attachment means attaching the second set of wear strips to the bucket may be interposed between the wear strips of the first set of wear strips.
- The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an earth working tool, in the form of an excavator bucket, shown provided with a wear protection assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 2 is an end view of the excavator bucket ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner shroud forming part of the wear protection assembly shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is an end view of the corner shroud ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a gusset plate forming part of the wear protection assembly shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 6 is an exploded partial perspective view of the excavator bucket, showing the manner of attaching the corner shroud and gusset plate thereto; -
FIG. 7 is a partial sectional side view of the excavator bucket ofFIG. 6 , wherein the corner shroud and gusset plate are fully attached thereto; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the excavator bucket being provided with a further wear protection assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention, wherein the wear protection assembly comprises wear strips shown in a partially attached state; -
FIG. 9 is a sectional end view of the excavator bucket ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional perspective view of a part of the excavator bucket ofFIG. 9 , showing the manner of attaching the wear strips to the excavator bucket; -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the wear strip ofFIGS. 8 to 10 ; -
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the wear strip shown ofFIGS. 8 to 10 ; -
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the excavator bucket being provided with a further wear protection assembly according to a third embodiment of the invention, wherein the wear protection assembly comprises wear plates shown in a partially attached state; -
FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of a wear plate forming part of the wear protection assembly shown inFIG. 13 ; -
FIG. 15 is a sectional end view of the excavator bucket ofFIG. 13 ; -
FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional perspective view of a part of the excavator bucket ofFIG. 13 , showing the manner of attaching the wear plates to the excavator bucket; -
FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternative corner shroud forming part of the wear protection assembly according to the first embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 18 is a side view of the alternative corner shroud ofFIG. 17 ; -
FIG. 19 is an end view of the alternative corner shroud ofFIG. 17 ; -
FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternative gusset plate forming part of the wear protection assembly according to the first embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 21 is a side view of the alternative gusset plate ofFIG. 20 ; -
FIG. 22 is an end view of the alternative gusset plate ofFIG. 20 ; -
FIG. 23 is a partial sectional side view of the excavator bucket ofFIG. 6 , wherein the alternative corner shroud ofFIG. 17 and alternative gusset plate ofFIG. 20 are fully attached thereto; -
FIG. 24 is a side view of a first plough bolt forming part of the wear protection assembly according to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 25 is a side view of a second plough bolt forming part of the wear protection assembly according to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 26 is a top view of each of the plough bolts shown inFIGS. 24 and 25 ; and -
FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the second plough shown inFIG. 25 . - Referring to
FIGS. 1 to 7 of the drawings, a first embodiment of a wear protection assembly, being generally indicated byreference numeral 100, is shown attached to an earth working tool in the form of anexcavator bucket 102. Thewear protection assembly 100 is adapted to protect thebucket 102 during use to prevent excessive wearing of thebucket 102 due to friction thereof, e.g. with ground, rocks or other construction materials. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , thebucket 102 includes afloor 104 that leads via an integrallycurved heel 106 to atop panel 108. Thefloor 104 has an operativeforward base edge 110 onto which can be mounted various ground engaging tools, such as tips orteeth 112. Twoside panels floor 104 and thetop panel 108 to form theopen bucket 102. Theside panels floor 104 to thetop panel 108, andside plates heel 106. - A
hinge assembly 126 is provided on thetop panel 108 to permit thebucket 102 to be joined to an excavator. - The first embodiment of the
wear protection assembly 100 is particularly directed towards protecting rearjoint edges bucket 102 where theside plates heel 106. Accordingly, thewear protection assembly 100 comprises a plurality of corner shrouds 132 that are held in position by being attached to an associated plurality ofgusset plates 134 bybolts 136 and boltnuts 137 extending through thebucket 102. The corner shrouds 132 are discretely spaced apart along the outside of thejoint edges gusset plates 134 are located internally of thejoint edges - As is more clearly illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4 , the corner shrouds 132 are substantially L-shaped in side view having twolegs legs vertex 146. The widening at thevertex 146 increases the bulk of the corner shrouds 132 and thus provides greater wear protection. Eachleg countersunk passage 148 for receiving thebolts 136. - Referring now to
FIG. 5 , thegusset plates 134 are also substantially L-shaped in side view having twolegs legs leg passages 154 for receiving thebolts 136. A pair oftriangular braces 156 extend between thelegs braces 156 are located operatively forward ofpassages 154. Thus, in use, thebraces 156 assist in provided structural rigidity to thelegs gusset plates 134 for providing structural support to a corner of thebucket 102 abutting thegusset plates 134. Furthermore, thebraces 156 also provide a degree of protection for thebolt nuts 137 to material being scooped up by thebucket 102. - It is envisaged that the
bolts 136 will be of the plough bolt type and be applied from outside thebucket 102 so that the bolt heads can be fully received within the countersunkpassages 148, thereby providing a degree of protection to the bolt heads so that they do not encounter excessive friction in use. As can be seen inFIG. 7 , the outer extents of the bolt head is preferably located fully within thepassages 148. - A further advantage of
such plough bolts 136 is that, as best shown inFIG. 26 , they have apolygonal section 139 in the neck of theirshaft 141. Thepolygonal section 139 is able to engage with thecountersunk passage 148 in eachleg passage 148, thereby enabling the bolt nut to be tightened relatively easily from within thebucket 102. - Although it is known to provide side wear plates on conventional excavator buckets, these plates are welded into place onto the
side plates bucket 102 to be dispatched to a workshop for repair. Also, if only a small section of such side wear plates become worn through, it may be necessary to replace the entire side wear plate, resulting in increased material wastage and costs. - Contrary to the above problems, the present invention is directed to an easily replaceable
wear protection assembly 100, wherein the individual corner shrouds 132 andgusset plates 134 can be manually removed onsite by an operator of the excavator. This is achieved by simply unscrewing thebolts 136 andnuts 137 to remove and substitute the damaged or worncorner shroud 132 with a new part. - As is shown in
FIG. 2 , adjacent corner shrouds 132 are spaced apart from each other by wedge shaped load blocks 158, which are located by welding the load blocks 158 to one or both its adjacent corner shrouds 132. The load blocks 158 are adapted to support their adjacent corner shrouds 132 in use, thereby to limit any shear forces exerted on thebolts 136, i.e. the shear forces exerted on onecorner shroud 132 are largely evenly distributed across all the corner shrouds 132. Accordingly the load blocks 132 reduce the risk of thebolts 136 snapping or coming loose and also reduces the risk of thebolts 136 damaging thebucket 102 in use. Preferably the load blocks 158 do not project outwardly beyond the corner shrouds 132, so that they are exposed to limited frictional wearing and thus need not be regularly replaced. - Referring now to
FIGS. 8 to 12 of the drawings, a second embodiment of a wear protection assembly, being generally indicated byreference numeral 170, is shown being attached to theexcavator bucket 102. Thewear protection assembly 170 is also adapted to protect thebucket 102 during use to prevent excessive wearing of thebucket 102 due to friction, e.g. with ground, rocks or other construction materials. - This second embodiment of the
wear protection assembly 170 is particularly directed towards protecting both the inside and outside of thefloor 104 andheel 106 of thebucket 102. Accordingly, thewear protection assembly 170 comprises a first set of spaced apart internal wear strips 172 being located within thebucket 102 and a second set of spaced apart external wear strips 174 being located external to thebucket 102. - The internal and external wear strips 172, 174 are in the form of elongated rectangular rods, having a number of countersunk
bolt passages 176 discretely spaced apart along the length thereof for receivingbolts 178 to be threaded onto nuts 180. Similarly as described above, thebolts 178 will preferably be of the plough bolt type, whereby their bolt heads can be recessed within thepassages 176. - The internal wear strips 172 and external wear strips 174 are arranged to extend across the width of the
floor 104 between theside panels bucket 102 is simultaneously fitted with the firstwear protection assembly 100, the wear strips 172 and 174 will extend between thegusset plates 134. The respective internal wear strips 172 are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other. Similarly, the external wear strips 174 are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other. - Further, the respective wear strips 172 and 174 are arranged in a staggered formation being offset from each other along the
floor 104 andheel 106 so that none of the wear strips 172 and 174 are directly opposed to each other on opposite sides of thebucket 102. The staggering provides an advantage in that thenuts 180 that secure the external wear strips 174 are thereby located between the internal wear strips 172. Conversely, thenuts 180 that secure the internal wear strips 172 are located between the external wear strips 174. Thus, in use, any ground being scooped up by thebucket 102 will not impart a great friction force directly onto thenuts 180, but such friction force will be borne by the wear strips 172 and 174. - As shown in
FIG. 12 , forwider buckets 102, it is possible to attach two, or more, shorter strips that are longitudinally aligned with each other. - Referring now to
FIGS. 13 to 16 of the drawings, a third embodiment of a wear protection assembly, being generally indicated byreference numeral 182, is shown being attached to theexcavator bucket 102. Thewear protection assembly 182 is also adapted to protect thebucket 102 during use to prevent excessive wearing of thebucket 102 due to friction, e.g. with ground, rocks or other construction materials. - Like the second embodiment of the
wear protection assembly 170, thisthird embodiment 182 is, similarly, directed towards protecting both the inside and outside of thefloor 104 andheel 106 of thebucket 102. Accordingly, thewear protection assembly 182 comprises a first set ofinternal wear plates 184 being located within thebucket 102 and a second set ofexternal wear plates 186 being located external to thebucket 102. - The internal and
external wear plates bolt passages 188 discretely spaced apart along the surface thereof for receivingbolts 190 to be threaded onto nuts 192. Similarly as described above, thebolts 190 will preferably be of the plough bolt type, whereby their bolt heads can be recessed within thepassages 188. - The wear plates comprised in both the internal and external sets of
wear plates floor 104 between theside panels bucket 102 is simultaneously fitted with the firstwear protection assembly 100, the wear plates will extend between thegusset plates 134. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 13 and 14 , each set ofwear plates bucket 102, whereby each plate substantially extends across the width of thefloor 104 between theside panels - Referring now to
FIGS. 17 to 19 of the drawings, there is shown a second, alternate form of corner shroud, being generally indicated byreference numeral 194, which may be used as an alternative to the first form ofcorner shroud 132 shown inFIGS. 1 to 7 for the first embodiment of thewear protection assembly 100. Similar to the first form ofcorner shroud 132, thealternate corner shroud 194 is substantially L-shaped in side view and comprises twolegs leg passages 200 for receiving thebolts 136. Eachleg lifting eye 202 mounted thereon which is adapted to receive a hook (not shown) for lifting and moving thebucket 102 between locations. -
FIGS. 20 to 22 of the drawings show a second, alternate form ofgusset plate 204 which is used in combination with the alternate corner shrouds 194. Similar to the first form ofgusset plate 134, thealternate gusset plate 204 is also substantially L-shaped in side view having twolegs legs passages 210 for receiving thebolts 136. - Instead of the
triangular braces 156 which are comprised in the first form ofgusset plate 134, thealternate gusset plate 204 comprises first andsecond side walls legs side walls gusset plate 204 for providing structural support to a corner of thebucket 102 abutting thegusset plate 204. - The first and second form of
gusset plates wear protection assembly 100 each comprise a material having significant structural rigidity and resilience, such as a metallic material. The material used may, in addition, have a degree of pliability enabling thegusset plates bucket 102 abutting thegusset plate - By providing one of, or a combination of, the wear protection assemblies herein disclosed 100, 170, 182, it is possible to reduce the requisite inherent strength of the
bucket 102, i.e. by making it with thinner wall thicknesses for thefloor 104 andheel 106. This reduces both the material costs and manufacturing time when making thebucket 102. - Although the invention has been described herein with reference to an excavator bucket, it is envisaged that the invention can be applied to any other earth working machinery, such as bulldozers, graders, backhoe loaders, face shovels, front-end loaders or underground load and haul machinery.
- Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.
Claims (21)
1. A wear protection assembly for earth working machinery, comprising:
a plurality of corner shrouds, each corner shroud being adapted to be joined to an external edge of the earth working machinery; and
attachment means for separately and releasably securing each of the corner shrouds to the earth working machinery.
2. The wear protection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each corner shroud has one or more countersunk passages for receiving the attachment means.
3. The wear protection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each corner shroud is substantially L shaped and has two divergent legs extending from a mutual vertex to separate terminal ends.
4. The wear protection assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the legs are tapered having a thicker cross-section at the vertex than at their terminal ends.
5. The wear protection assembly according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of gusset plates being associated with the plurality of corner shrouds, wherein the gusset plates are adapted to be located on a side of the earth working machinery being opposed to the corner shrouds, so that the earth working machinery is sandwiched between the corner shrouds and the gusset plates.
6. The wear protection assembly according to claim 5 , wherein each gusset plate has one or more passages for receiving the attachment means.
7. The wear protection assembly according to claim 5 , wherein each gusset plate includes one or more braces affixed thereto located operatively forward of the attachment means, whereby the braces are arranged to protect the attachment means during use.
8. The wear protection assembly according to claim 7 , wherein each brace also provides structural support to a corner edge of the earth working machinery abutting the gusset plate that the brace is affixed to.
9. The wear protection assembly according to claim 5 , wherein each gusset plate includes one or more side walls, wherein each side wall is arranged to increase the rigidity of the gusset plate for providing structural support to a corner edge of the earth working machinery abutting the gusset plate.
10. A wear protection assembly for earth working machinery, comprising:
a first set of wear strips being adapted to be joined to an external surface of the earth working machinery;
a second set of wear strips being adapted to be joined to an internal surface of the earth working machinery; and
attachment means for separately and releasably securing each of the wear strips to the earth working machinery.
11. The wear protection assembly according to claim 10 , wherein each wear strip is in the form of an elongated rod having a substantially rectangular cross-section.
12. The wear protection assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the wear strips have countersunk passages for receiving the attachment means.
13. The wear protection assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the wear strips are adapted to be attached to the earth working machinery so that they are spaced apart from each other and orientated substantially parallel to each other.
14. The wear protection assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the wear strips in the first and second sets of wear strips are arranged in a staggered formation being offset from each other.
15. A wear protection assembly for earth working machinery, comprising:
one or more external wear plates being adapted to be joined to an external surface of the earth working machinery;
one or more internal wear plates being adapted to be joined to an internal surface of the earth working machinery; and
attachment means for separately and releasably securing each of the internal and external wear plates to the earth working machinery.
16. The wear protection assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the internal and external wear plates have countersunk passages for receiving the attachment means.
17. The wear protection assembly according to claim 15 , comprising:
a plurality of external wear plates being adapted to be joined to the external surface of the earth working machinery; and
a plurality of internal wear plates being adapted to be joined to the internal surface of the earth working machinery,
and wherein the internal and external wear plates are arranged in a tiled configuration.
18. The wear protection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment means comprises threaded bolts and nuts.
19. The wear protection assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the threaded bolts are plough bolts.
20. The wear protection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the earth working machinery is an excavator bucket.
21. An excavator bucket provided with a wear protection assembly, wherein the wear protection assembly comprises:
a plurality of corner shrouds secured to an external edge of the excavator bucket;
a first set of wear strips secured to an external surface of the excavator bucket;
a second set of wear strips secured to an internal surface of the excavator bucket;
and attachment means for separately and releasably securing each of the corner shrouds and the wear strips to the excavator bucket.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2014904207 | 2014-10-21 | ||
AU2014904207A AU2014904207A0 (en) | 2014-10-21 | Wear protection assembly | |
PCT/AU2015/000627 WO2016061609A1 (en) | 2014-10-21 | 2015-10-20 | Wear protection assembly |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20170314236A1 true US20170314236A1 (en) | 2017-11-02 |
Family
ID=55759936
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/531,493 Abandoned US20170314236A1 (en) | 2014-10-21 | 2015-10-20 | Wear Protection Assembly |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20170314236A1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2015336923B9 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2016061609A1 (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20200123733A1 (en) * | 2017-10-12 | 2020-04-23 | Ssab Technology Ab | Excavator bucket & manufacturing method |
JP2022510441A (en) * | 2018-12-07 | 2022-01-26 | エスエスアーベー テクノロジー アーベー | Bucket for earthmoving equipment or material carrier |
US20220042275A1 (en) * | 2018-12-07 | 2022-02-10 | Ssab Technology Ab | A bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine |
US11421397B2 (en) * | 2019-05-02 | 2022-08-23 | Caterpillar Inc. | Wear plate for a blade |
AU2023100070B4 (en) * | 2019-07-24 | 2023-10-26 | 2Mt Mining Products Pty Ltd | Protection systems |
US11873616B2 (en) | 2018-12-07 | 2024-01-16 | Ssab Technology Ab | Bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine |
US11970844B2 (en) | 2020-04-27 | 2024-04-30 | Caterpillar Inc. | Corner segment and corner shroud having a curved portion for a work implement |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US9995021B2 (en) * | 2014-11-07 | 2018-06-12 | Caterpillar Inc. | Wear member for tool |
NL2017563B1 (en) * | 2016-09-30 | 2018-04-10 | Nemag Nv | Grab shell, grab and method of manufacturing a grab shell |
WO2019027365A1 (en) * | 2017-08-02 | 2019-02-07 | Makuri Technology Pte. Ltd. | Edge wear protector system |
KR101893529B1 (en) | 2018-04-13 | 2018-08-30 | 주식회사 티앤테크 | A prefabricated bucket of clamshell |
KR101893531B1 (en) * | 2018-04-13 | 2018-08-30 | 주식회사 티앤테크 | A prefabricated bucket of excavator |
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US4129952A (en) * | 1977-10-27 | 1978-12-19 | Caterpillar Tractor Co. | Wear strips for earthmoving buckets |
US5564508A (en) * | 1995-08-03 | 1996-10-15 | Caterpillar Inc. | Replacable wear runner |
JPH0988111A (en) * | 1995-09-20 | 1997-03-31 | Junji Ogawa | Civil-engineering bucket attachment |
JP3397679B2 (en) * | 1998-02-19 | 2003-04-21 | 関門港湾建設株式会社 | bucket |
WO2011156834A1 (en) * | 2010-06-14 | 2011-12-22 | Sandvik Intellectual Property Ab | Heel shroud and means of mechanical attachment |
ES2683946T3 (en) * | 2011-08-26 | 2018-09-28 | Black Cat Blades Ltd. | Protected wear set for material handling equipment |
-
2015
- 2015-10-20 AU AU2015336923A patent/AU2015336923B9/en active Active
- 2015-10-20 WO PCT/AU2015/000627 patent/WO2016061609A1/en active Application Filing
- 2015-10-20 US US15/531,493 patent/US20170314236A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20200123733A1 (en) * | 2017-10-12 | 2020-04-23 | Ssab Technology Ab | Excavator bucket & manufacturing method |
US11391010B2 (en) * | 2017-10-12 | 2022-07-19 | Ssab Technology Ab | Excavator bucket and manufacturing method |
JP2022510441A (en) * | 2018-12-07 | 2022-01-26 | エスエスアーベー テクノロジー アーベー | Bucket for earthmoving equipment or material carrier |
US20220034062A1 (en) * | 2018-12-07 | 2022-02-03 | Ssab Technology Ab | A bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine |
US20220042275A1 (en) * | 2018-12-07 | 2022-02-10 | Ssab Technology Ab | A bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine |
JP7270041B2 (en) | 2018-12-07 | 2023-05-09 | エスエスアーベー テクノロジー アーベー | Earthmoving machine or material carrier bucket |
US11873616B2 (en) | 2018-12-07 | 2024-01-16 | Ssab Technology Ab | Bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine |
US11982067B2 (en) * | 2018-12-07 | 2024-05-14 | Ssab Technology Ab | Bucket for an earth-working or materials-handling machine |
US11421397B2 (en) * | 2019-05-02 | 2022-08-23 | Caterpillar Inc. | Wear plate for a blade |
AU2023100070B4 (en) * | 2019-07-24 | 2023-10-26 | 2Mt Mining Products Pty Ltd | Protection systems |
AU2022202367B2 (en) * | 2019-07-24 | 2023-12-14 | 2Mt Mining Products Pty Ltd | Protection Systems |
US11970844B2 (en) | 2020-04-27 | 2024-04-30 | Caterpillar Inc. | Corner segment and corner shroud having a curved portion for a work implement |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2015336923B9 (en) | 2020-06-25 |
AU2015336923B2 (en) | 2019-12-05 |
WO2016061609A1 (en) | 2016-04-28 |
AU2015336923A1 (en) | 2017-06-01 |
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