Manipulation tool, mounting assembly for mounting a pin, and mounting method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a manipulation tool, a mounting assembly for mounting a pin, and a mounting method, related mainly with a tool that makes it easier to position and thrust a pin into a housing formed by coupling a male part and a female part of earth-moving machines, forming a wear assembly, and contributes to the coupling of the pin for retention thereof in retention means. Likewise, the present invention relates to a mounting assembly with the tool object of the invention and to a mounting method for mounting the mentioned system.

Description

Object of the invention

[0001] The present invention, i.e., a manipulation tool, a mounting assembly for mounting a pin, and a mounting method, relates mainly to a tool that makes it easier to position and thrust a pin into a housing formed by coupling a male part and a female part of earth-moving machines, which form a wear assembly, and contributes to the coupling of the pin for retention thereof in retention means. Likewise, the present invention relates to a mounting assembly with the tool object of the invention and to a mounting method for mounting the mentioned system.

[0002] The female part or tooth is typically a hollow body with at least two opposite side walls, at least one, preferably both, of them being provided with a hole, such that the nose of a male part or adaptor provided with a channel, preferably a through channel, is inserted into said hollow body, with said channel being aligned with the hole of the tooth when the tooth is mounted on the adaptor. The pin is inserted through the hole of the tooth into the channel and thereby going through the wear assembly. The wear assembly typically comprises retention means to secure the position of the pin between the tooth and the adaptor, retaining the pin in its working position, and thereby blocking the tooth from coming out or from becoming unlocked. The tool object of the present invention enables positioning the pin and applying a thrust force that allows overcoming the resistance exerted by the retention means until the pin is retained in said means.

[0003] The present invention is particularly applicable in the sector of public works, construction, dredging, excavations, and mining.Background of the invention

[0004] Excavator machines and the like, such as those used in public works, quarries, dredging and mining works, are used to pull out, move, and load earth and stones. These machines are usually provided with a bucket attached to a mechanical arm. The bucket is provided with a blade or bevelled lip on a front edge intended for cutting into and penetrating the mass of earth and stones. To prevent excessive wear of the blade and to help penetrate the earth, it is common to mount teeth associated with the blade which protrude from the front edge thereof. However, said teeth also are subjected to wear and impacts, so they must be replaced often, and additionally, depending on the work to be performed by the machine, it may be desirable to change the type or the shape of the teeth. Said replacement is made easier by using an adaptor, which is fixed to the blade of the bucket in a more or less permanent manner, and teeth, such that each tooth is releasably mounted on the adaptor by means of a pin. Typically, said pin goes through one or two holes of the tooth and a through channel goes through the adaptor completely when there are two holes in the tooth, or incompletely when there is only one hole, for the purpose of fixing the tooth to the adaptor, thereby ensuring the connection between both using a retention device for fixing said pin in its mounting position and thereby preventing the pin from coming out of its position when the machine is working and the tooth / adaptor / pin system is subjected to great stress. Preferably, the tooth has two holes located on opposite walls, and said walls can be arranged on the side surfaces of the tooth, such that the pin is inserted horizontally, or on the upper and lower surfaces, such that the pin is inserted vertically. If the tooth has only one hole, it can be arranged on any of the walls, although preferably, it will be arranged on the top or on the side. The channel of the adaptor will also be arranged vertically or horizontally and will be a through channel or a non-through channel depending on whether or not the length of the pin goes through it completely. If the pin goes through the adaptor completely, the tooth will preferably include two holes facing the two open ends of the channel, and if the pin does not go through the adaptor completely, the tooth will have only one hole facing the open end of the channel. For the stress to be in balance, wear assemblies formed by an adaptor with a through channel and a tooth with two holes on opposite walls are preferred, and the following description will refer to these assemblies, without ruling out the existence of the mentioned alternatives.

[0005] Therefore, when the tooth is mounted on the adaptor and the pin is located in its mounting position, i.e., in a locking position locking the tooth onto the adaptor, the ends of the pin are located in the holes of the tooth and the central part of the pin is located in the channel of the adaptor. Inverted systems typically used in dredging operations are also known, wherein the adaptor incorporates the gap where the tooth is inserted, such that it is the adaptor that incorporates opposite walls with holes and the tooth incorporates the nose with the channel for inserting the pin.

[0006] Fixing systems typically comprising at least one pin and at least one retention device or element normally have elastic features, which are provided to the fixing system through the retention device, for the pin to be able to be fixed and released without requiring said pin to be broken, while at the same time allowing its insertion into and removal from the system in a simple, preferably hammerless, manner, i.e., without the need for a hammer, so the system is more secure. In other alternatives, the fixing systems do not incorporate a retention element or device since the actual geometry of the pin and its housing allow fixing the system formed by the male-female housing and the pin. In these cases, a tool for inserting the pin is not usually required, but sometimes the use of a tool may be advisable to make the insertion easier and may even be necessary depending on the situation of the system.

[0007] For mounting and / or disassembling the pin, there are also fixing systems that usually require a tool causing the rotation of the pin inside its housing between the tooth and the adaptor, such that one or both ends of said pin are housed in the retention device of the system. Said retention device is typically formed by two metal elongated bodies which determine a space between them in which one end of the pin is housed, namely, said elongated bodies are inserted into one or two opposite notches arranged on the body of the pin. Said retention device can be secured to the tooth or the adaptor. Examples of said retention systems in which the pin rotates to be disassembled are described in patent applications WO201304858A1 and WO2017137619A1.

[0008] There are also other retention systems such as, for example, those described in patent application WO2023280986A1, in which the pin is also inserted through a first end and a thrust force must be applied on the end opposite the insertion end, or second end, so that the first end of the pin crosses the through channel of the adaptor and then overcomes the force exerted by the retention element or means, located between the adaptor and the tooth. Like in the preceding systems, the retention element has at least two parts determining a space therebetween with elastic features. Said two parts are preferably two metal elongated bodies which determine the mentioned space between them, although alternatively it can also be a metal plate with a gap, such that the mentioned space is determined between two sides of said plate. In this way, the first end of the pin, also provided with one or two opposite notches on the perimeter thereof, receive the retention element, thereby securing the position of the pin, and therefore the coupling between the tooth and the adaptor, upon inserting one or both parts separated by the spaced into the retention element, preferably one or both the elongated bodies of the retention body into one or both notches of the pin. As mentioned, for inserting the pin into the housing, a thrust force additional to the force for inserting the pin into the channel of the adaptor must be applied to overcome the resistance of the retention element. Sometimes, it may be necessary to use a hammer, which is common in other solutions of the state of the art.

[0009] In an alternative solution, the tooth has a single hole and the adaptor does not have a through channel, but rather a blind channel, in which case the retention element is arranged between the hole of the tooth and the open end of the channel, so that the pin, with the notch or notches closes to its second end, is retained by the retaining element when the thrust force has been exerted with a hammer or mallet to overcome the resistance exerted by the retention means.

[0010] Likewise, and according to the arrangement of the adaptors and teeth on the blade of the bucket of the excavator machine, the application of said thrust force can be difficult since the distribution of the adaptors complicate it, hindering accessibility to the holes for inserting the pins. In particular, it is difficult to apply said force when protectors of the bucket which hinder access to the pins are arranged between the adaptors, thereby complicating the application of the force. In other cases, regardless of whether or not protectors are used, the distance between adaptors is smaller because they are welded closer to one another, for example, for applications on rockier or hard terrains.

[0011] To remove the pin, an uncoupling or disassembly tool is often inserted into a cavity at an end of the pin to cause the rotation of the pin such that the retention element comes out of the notches of the pin, thereby allowing the pin to be removed from the housing and releasing the assembly tooth and adaptor to replace the tooth with another.

[0012] In view of the preceding problems, the manipulation tool object of the present invention allows applying, with a thrust head, additional thrust force on the pin to overcome the resistance of the retention means without having to use a hammer. Additionally, in situations with reduced space which complicate the application of said thrust force, the manipulation tool makes the application thereof easier. Likewise, the tool allows exerting the mentioned thrust force from outside the mounting area, thereby keeping hands away from the different components in the risk area. This manipulation tool can in turn incorporate an uncoupling or disassembly head, thereby reducing the stock of tools required.Description of the invention

[0013] In order to overcome the mentioned drawbacks to make it easier to assemble and couple the pin in a wear assembly preferably formed by a tooth and an adaptor, as well as to subsequently replace the tooth, a first object of the present invention relates to a tool according to claim 1. Alternatively to an assembly formed by a tooth and an adaptor, the tool of the present invention can be used for inserting a pin between a male part and a female part, such as a protector for the blade of the bucket and the blade itself, or between a vertical protector and an adaptor, or even between an adaptor, an intermediate adaptor, and a tooth, which are normally used in mining, namely in three-part systems. Likewise, it can be used in mechanical adaptors mounted both on plate lips (for example, loaders and excavators), and cast lips (for example, electric shovels).

[0014] As mentioned, the female part or tooth is a hollow body having at least two opposite side walls with at least one hole in one of them. Alternatively, the two opposite walls can have one hole each. Likewise, the adaptor can have a through channel with two open ends or a blind channel with a single open end. The female part or tooth is mounted on the nose of a male part or adaptor, inserting into said hollow body the nose of the male part or adaptor provided with the channel such that, after the insertion of the nose into the hollow body of the tooth, said through-channel or non-through channel is aligned with said at least one hole of the tooth. The pin is inserted straight, without rotation, through the hole of the tooth, thereby going through the channel and the assembly. Retention element or means are arranged to retain the pin in the channel. Preferably, the retention element or retention means are located between the adaptor and the female part or tooth and have at least two parts with elastic properties which determine a space between them. Said two parts are preferably two metal elongated bodies which determine between them the mentioned space, although alternatively they can be another type of retainer with elasticity which, after widening the gap upon inserting the pin, allows it to return to its original state in order to compress the pin. Alternative examples are a metal plate with a gap, or for example, a fixing washer or washer with a cutout, such that the mentioned space is determined between two sides of said plate. The retention means can even be incorporated in the pin itself. As mentioned, the retention element preferably has two preferably parallel metal elongated bodies which determine the space between them. If the tooth has two holes and the adaptor has a through channel, a retention element can be arranged on any of the sides of the adaptor, between the tooth and the adaptor, or on both sides of the adaptor. With this construction, the retention element or retention means, that will retain the pin in its working or mounting position, will preferably be arranged at the end of the channel opposite that for the insertion of the pin. The pin will have one or two notches arranged rather close to one of the two ends of the pin or rather close to both ends of the pin, in which the two elongated bodies will be housed to secure the position of the pin.

[0015] If, in contrast, the tooth has a single hole and the adaptor is a blind channel, a retention element or means will be arranged between the hole of the tooth and the channel of the adaptor. In this case, the pin must have one or two notches at the end which is not inserted into the blind channel.

[0016] The manipulation tool object of the present invention makes it easier to position the pin in its working position, specifically in that position where the notches of the pin are coupled with the metal elongated bodies of the retention element, i.e., where the pin reaches an optimal position to be retained by a retention element or means.

[0017] The tool has a thrust head thrusting the pin, thereby overcoming the initial resistance exerted by the retention means. In this position of the pin, the tooth is properly retained in the adaptor and at the same time the tooth is fixed to the adaptor in a mounting position.

[0018] For the mounting thereof, a first end of the pin is inserted through a hole or opening of the tooth which preferably has two opposite holes, runs along the channel of the adaptor until said first end of the pin reaches the retention means, preferably located at the outlet of the through channel of the adaptor, although said retention means can also be located at the inlet of the through channel. Alternatively, and if the channel of the adaptor is a blind, non-through channel, the retention means will be arranged at the inlet of said channel. As mentioned, preferably said retention means are preferably formed by two parallel elements with a gap between them into which the first or second end of the pin is inserted, depending on the location of the retention means. When the pin reaches the retention means, it must exert a force greater than the resistance exerted by the retention means, as well as the force required for positioning the pin close to the retention means. Said additional force is necessary so that the retention means are separated and at least one notch on the surface of the pin reaches the retention means which will be inserted into the notch. At this point, the pin no longer exerts pressure on the retention means which relax onto the notch and retain the pin in its correct retention position, and by extension, securing the coupling between the tooth and the adaptor.

[0019] As mentioned above, the arrangement of the retention means in the assembly formed by the tooth and the adaptor can vary between one end of the pin, the opposite end, or the two ends, as well as the number and position of the notches of the pin. This arrangement will depend on the use and dimensions of the assembly.

[0020] Additionally, and particularly in those situations in which the earth-moving buckets in which the male part or adaptor and the female part or tooth are arranged have, between each adaptor, a protector for the blade of the bucket, the use of the manipulation tool object of the invention provides an additional advantage. These protectors reduce the manipulation space between adaptors, thereby making the final insertion and fitting of the pin into the housing difficult, given that said final fitting requires additional force to overcome the resistance of the retention means for retaining the pin in the assembly formed by the adaptor and the tooth. This reduced space situation also occurs when the adaptors are mounted close to one another due to usage requirements.

[0021] Namely, and according to the foregoing, the invention relates to a manipulation tool which makes it easier to position, and mainly thrust, a pin into a housing formed by the coupling of a male part and a female part of earth-moving machines. Likewise, another advantage of this tool is the safety that it provides to the user by allowing the user to exert the force necessary to readily mount the pin without having to use a hammer with one hand and to hold the pin in place with the other hand. The act of holding the pin with one hand poses a risk to the user since his / her hand may be hit by the hammer or pinched. The tool object of the invention allows the user to keep his / her hands away from the coupling. Said tool comprises a thrust head body with an upper connection or coupling end and a lower end, this being a free end, and further comprises two projections, a supporting projection and a thrust projection. The supporting projection has a first segment and an appendage after said first segment ending in a free end, and the thrust projection has a second segment ending in a thrust surface.

[0022] According to the foregoing, the supporting projection can be arranged: between the upper end and the lower end of the head body and the thrust projection coinciding with the lower end of the body; or coinciding with the lower end of the head body with the thrust projection being arranged between the upper end and said lower end of the head body.

[0023] The location of the supporting projection will depend on where the support point of said supporting projection is located on the tooth and from where the thrust head body is activated, i.e., from the upper part of the tooth or from the lower part, with the latter being less common. Therefore, when the thrust head body is acted on from the upper part of the tooth and the support point on the tooth is in the upper part thereof, the supporting projection is located between the upper end and the lower end of the head body, with the thrust projection and its surface coinciding with the lower end of the body. In contrast, by acting also from the upper part of the tooth, but with the support point on the tooth being in the lower part of the tooth, the supporting projection coincides with the lower end of the head body, with the thrust projection being arranged between the upper end and said lower end of the body.

[0024] If the tooth is acted on from the lower part, which is rather uncommon, the situation will be reversed.

[0025] Said thrust head body of the manipulation tool is preferably provided with connection means at its upper connection or coupling end for coupling to a lever body that allows the thrust head body to act on the pin a distance therefrom. Said lever body is preferably a bar or handle with a longitudinal axis. By means of the preceding construction, the head body can be replaced if it becomes damaged or if some of its components breaks.

[0026] Alternatively, the thrust head body is permanently attached to the lever body, i.e., said thrust head body forms a single body with the lever body, i.e., the tool has a body formed by the thrust head and the bar or handle.

[0027] Said lever body allows applying a levering force on the thrust head body, such that the distance to the thrust head, with its supporting projection in a recess or support point on the tooth or female part, allows applying said levering force on the end of the pin through the thrust or push projection.

[0028] With respect to the geometry of the thrust head body, and particularly the thrust or push projection, its thrust surface after the second segment is preferably curved, formed by at least one arch with a specific radius. Said curved surface must allow the thrust or push exerted by the surface on the pin to be maintained upon rotating the tool with respect to the recess or support point of the tool on the tooth through the supporting projection. Likewise, the thrust projection must have a minimum width which must be at least preferably equal to the maximum width of the end of the pin on which thrust is exerted. Alternatively, the thrust or push projection can have a flat surface.

[0029] Moreover, the supporting projection of the head body comprises, as mentioned, a first segment followed by an appendage ending in a free end. Preferably, the appendage has an inclination with respect to the first segment of the supporting projection, said inclination preferably being at least 90°. Likewise, said appendage has an inclination of between 0° and 20° with the longitudinal axis of the lever body, thereby being approximately parallel to one another. By means of this construction, the insertion of the supporting projection into the support point of the tooth is made easier. By means of the preceding construction, it is possible for the supporting projection, namely the free end of this, to be located in a recess or support point on the tooth when using the manipulation tool.

[0030] Both the appendage of the supporting projection and the thrust surface of the thrust projection extend towards the same side from the head body, i.e., they are both separated, one after the other, and arranged on the same side of the head body, such that when the support projection is supported on one side of the tooth, the thrust projection is located on the pin protruding from the same side of the tooth. The distance between both projections allows the thrust projection to be able to act on the pin after one of them is supported on the tooth. This distance may vary depending on the size of the tooth and adaptor assembly.

[0031] Preferably, the first segment of the supporting projection and the second segment of the thrust projection determine a concave surface which allow inserting a part of the end of the pin into the gap of said concave surface, allowing the projection to be supported on the tooth and the thrust projection to in turn act on the pin.

[0032] Preferably, the thrust surface has a width greater than the width of the first segment of the supporting projection, as well as of the appendage, to ensure that said thrust projection contacts the end of the pin. Likewise, said difference in width can be derived from the fact that, the support point on the tooth where the free end of the appendage must be inserted in order to enable levering, is smaller than the end of the pin where the thrust surface must contact.

[0033] In an alternative construction, the thrust projection is removable and has coupling means for coupling with the head body. The features of said thrust projection are the same as those described above, with its second segment ending in the thrust surface, but it incorporates coupling means for coupling with the supporting projection. Said coupling means can be a thread in the push projection and a screw going through the supporting projection to thereby couple both push and support projections. Alternatively, the coupling means can be, for example, dovetail coupling means, among other options. By means of this construction, a head body with different thrust projections can be used, allowing the dimensions of said thrust projection to be adapted to the dimensions of the end of the pin. Furthermore, it allows replacing the thrust projection if it becomes damaged.

[0034] The lever body can have an uncoupling or disassembly head for uncoupling or disassembling the pin located at the end opposite the connection end for connecting with the head body. Said uncoupling and disassembly head preferably has a projection the shape or geometry of which is complementary with the shape or geometry of a housing made at the end of the pin, thereby allowing the insertion of the uncoupling head into the pin. An example of the geometry of the uncoupling or disassembly head is, for example, the geometry of an Allen wrench. Upon rotating the uncoupling head, the pin rotates and is uncoupled from the retention means, thereby enabling the removal of the pin and the subsequent disassembly of the tooth and the adaptor. When the pin has a housing or cavity at its end, the width of the thrust projection must be at least greater than the width of said housing or cavity.

[0035] The shape of the head of the tool object of the present invention is designed to act on the coupling, by means of a pin, of a male part and a female part of earth-moving machines with the features described above. Therefore, a second object of the present invention is a mounting assembly for mounting a pin in a housing formed by the coupling of a male part and a female part, according to claim 12.

[0036] In particular, said assembly is formed by a manipulation tool as described above along with: a pin with a first end and a second end and at least one notch close to at least one of said ends, a male part with a channel, inserted into a cavity of a female part with at least one hole on one of the sides of the cavity, with the channel and at least said hole of the female part determining a housing to receive the pin, said channel having a first end facing the hole of the female part, a recess arranged in the coupling formed by the female part and the male part, preferably in the female part itself.

[0037] Likewise, the assembly preferably comprises retention means or a retention element for retaining the pin in the channel.

[0038] Said recess is preferably arranged in the female part, although in some constructions it can be located between the male part and the female part, particularly between the walls of the cavity of the female part and the male part.

[0039] Preferably, the retention means or retention element, arranged between the male part and the female part, for retaining the pin in the channel have at least two parts which determine a space between them with elastic features. Said two parts are preferably two preferably parallel metal elongated bodies which determine the mentioned space between them, although alternatively they can also be a metal plate with a gap, such that the mentioned space is determined between two sides of said plate. Alternatively, a washer can be used, or the retention means can even be incorporated in the pin itself, i.e., without having retention means in the female part nor in the male part.

[0040] Preferably, the recess in the female part is arranged below the hole of said female part for receiving the supporting projection of the tool object of the invention. Likewise, the recess can also be located in the upper part of the hole or on one or both sides of the hole. This recess, or side recesses, can be alternative or additional to the recess arranged below the hole. The tool will pivot with respect to said recess so that the lever exerts, with the thrust or push projection, the thrust required for inserting the retention means into the notch or notches of the pin.

[0041] As mentioned, in an alternative of the invention, the recess is arranged between the male part and the walls determining the cavity of the female part. With this construction, the tool is inserted into said recess between the male part and the female part, also pivoting with respect to said recess. However, in this construction the tool pivots towards the tip of the female part, while in the constructions where the recess is arranged in the female part itself below or above of the hole for the entry of the pin, the tool pivots towards the upper or lower part of the female part.

[0042] Another object of the invention relates to a female part according to claim 15. In particular, as mentioned, the female part has a cavity for receiving a male part and at least two walls, at least one of said walls comprising a through hole for receiving a pin, having additionally a recess close to the hole for receiving the manipulation tool for manipulating the pin.

[0043] The female part is preferably a tooth or an adaptor and the male part is preferably an adaptor or a tooth, respectively, although other options include lip protectors, bucket protectors, or side protectors. Likewise, the male part can have a blind or through channel; the female part can have one or two holes; the assembly can have one or two retention means, only one on one of the sides of the male part or one on each side of the male part; and the pin can include one or two notches close to one of its ends or close to both its ends. The preceding constructions will vary based on the working conditions and dimensions of the assembly formed by the male part and the female part.

[0044] Based on the foregoing, the mounting method for mounting a pin of a mounting assembly as described above is another object of the invention according to claim 14. Said method comprises the following steps: coupling the female part in the male part, inserting a first end of the pin through the hole of the female part, preferably until said end contacts retention means arranged between the male part and the female part, inserting the second segment of the supporting projection of the manipulation tool into the recess in the assembly formed by the female part and the male part, rotationally moving the tool with respect to the recess where the supporting projection is supported until the push projection contacts the first end of the pin, thrusting it through the inside of the housing, and retaining the pin in the channel, preferably by means of inserting at least one of the metal elongated bodies of the retention means into at least one notch of the pin.

[0045] As mentioned above, the male part, having a nose or projection, is the adaptor fixed to the blade of the bucket in a semi-permanent manner, with the female part or tooth being that which is periodically replaced after wear. This female part or tooth is coupled on the adaptor when the projection or nose is inserted into the cavity of the female part or tooth. For disassembly or uncoupling, the female part or tooth is removed from the adaptor. Alternatively, the male part can be the tooth and the female part the adaptor, particularly in dredging systems.

[0046] Due to the design of the thrust head of the tool, and particularly its thrust and support projections, thrust force can be exerted on the pin to bring the notches of the pin to the retention means in order to fix the pin in the mounting position and to achieve the coupling of the female part and the male part.

[0047] As mentioned, preferably the pin will have at its first end a cavity for inserting an uncoupling or disassembly tool, typically an Allen wrench or the like, which allows rotating pin inside the housing, making it easier for the pin to come out of the retaining element and thereby enabling the uncoupling of the female part from the male part following the removal of the pin from its housing. This uncoupling or disassembly tool is preferably integrated as an uncoupling or disassembly head in the manipulation tool object of the invention, namely at the end of the handle or bar opposite where the thrust head is located.

[0048] In these cases, and as mentioned above, the thrust head body of the tool can have a thrust projection with a width greater than the width of the first segment, and particularly greater than the diameter of the first end of the pin and at least greater than the width of the cavity for receiving the uncoupling or disassembly tool or head. This is to ensure contact with the perimeter of the first end of the pin, preventing the push projection from being able to be inserted into the cavity for the uncoupling or disassembly tool or head for uncoupling and disassembling the pin and preventing the correct operation of the manipulation tool object of the invention.

[0049] Based on the foregoing, the main objective of the invention therefore relates to a manipulation tool which allows a pin to be thrusted with minimum force by applying a lever to retain the pin, through its notch or notches, in the retention means, and the mounting position to be reached without having to use hammers or mallets. This hammerless or mallet-free operation is extremely difficult or may even be impossible since an operator does not have enough strength to manually thrust the pin, overcome the resistance exerted by the retention means, and thereby retain the pin. The manipulation tool object of the present invention makes said thrust easier by allowing the application of a lever so that the pin reaches its locking and working position in the retainer. This objective is also the objective of the mounting assembly and the mounting method object of the invention.Description of the Figures

[0050] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the following figures are attached: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the front part of a bucket of an excavator machine with the adaptors and teeth with protectors between them. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the components of an assembly formed by an adaptor, a tooth, retention means, and a pin. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a pin inserted into the nose of an adaptor, without including the tooth. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the cavity of a tooth with two holes for receiving a pin and with a retaining element coupled in one of the inner walls of the cavity of the tooth. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tool object of the present invention with a lever body in the form of a handle or bar. Figure 6 shows an elevational view of the tool of Figure 5. Figure 7 shows a plan view of the tool of Figure 5. Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a head body of the tool of Figure 5. Figure 9 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the tool of the invention. Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the head of the tool of Figure 9. Figure 11 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of the tool of the invention. Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the head of the tool of Figure 11. Figure 13 shows an exploded perspective view of the head of the tool of Figure 11. Figure 14 shows an exploded perspective view of the head of the tool of Figure 11 with an alternative thrust or push projection. Figure 15 shows the tool of the first embodiment acting on a pin for positioning and thrusting it into a housing formed by a tooth and an adaptor. Figure 16 shows an enlargement of the area where the head body of the tool of the first embodiment acts on the pin. Figure 17 shows a section view of a pin positioned in a housing formed by the channel of the adaptor and holes of a tooth, with the tool of the first embodiment, the pin being located immediately before the retention means. Figure 18 shows a section view of a pin retained by the retention means after having applied a thrust force to overcome the initial resistance of the retention means after the positioning of Figure 16. Figure 19 shows a section view of the manipulation tool of the first embodiment located in a female part in which the relationship between the axis of the handle of the tool and the axis of the appendage connected to the first segment and inclined with respect to same can be seen. Figure 20 shows the tool of the first embodiment acting on a pin with a protector on the side of the tooth and the adaptor, hindering the tool from working on the pin. Figure 21 shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a tool object of the invention. Figure 22 shows a perspective view of the tool of Figure 21 acting on a pin. Figure 23 shows the tool in a fifth embodiment acting on a pin for positioning and thrusting it into a housing formed by a tooth and an adaptor. Figure 24 shows a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of a tool object of the invention. Figure 25 shows a section view of Figure 23, with the tool of the fifth embodiment and the pin positioned in the housing formed by the channel of the adaptor and the holes of the tooth, the pin being retained by the retention means after having applied a thrust force to overcome the initial resistance of said retention means. Figure 26 shows a side view of a thrust head body according to a first embodiment. Figure 27 shows a side view of a thrust head body according to a second embodiment. Figure 28 shows a side view of a thrust head body according to a third embodiment. Figure 29 shows a side view of a thrust head body according to a fourth embodiment. Figure 30 shows a side view of a thrust head body according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0051] The present invention will be described below in reference to the attached figures.

[0052] Figure 1 shows a bucket 60 of the types which are arranged in the arm of an earth-moving machine and in the blade of which male parts 30, to which female parts 20 will be coupled with the help of a pin 50, are located. Protectors 70 can be located between the male parts to protect the blade of the bucket from wear.

[0053] In the present description, reference is made to a male part which is an adaptor 30 and to a female part which is a tooth 20, however, it could well be the other way around, in other words, the male part is the tooth and the female part the adaptor. This alternative is often used in dredging operations. The present invention also extends to applications of this type.

[0054] In this example, the adaptor 30 has two rear arms 33 which are preferably welded to the blade of the bucket 60 which is arranged between same, although they could also be attached to the blade by mechanical means without the need for welding. It has in its front part a nose 31 which, in this example, has a through channel 32. Alternatively, the channel can be a blind channel.

[0055] The tooth 20 has a cavity 21 with four walls, two of which have two holes 22 in this example. Alternatively, a single wall may include a single hole.

[0056] The assembly between the tooth 20 and the adaptor 30 is formed by coupling both components, mounting the tooth on the adaptor so that the nose 31 of the adaptor 30 is inserted into the cavity 21 of the tooth 20, such that each of the holes 22 is facing each of the open ends of the through channel 32. Retention means or element 40 are arranged between both components, and particularly between at least one of the holes 22 and the open end of the through channel 32 facing said hole 22. Alternatively, two retention elements can be arranged one on each side of the nose 31. Said retention means 40 have two parallel, metal elongated plates with a space between them. To secure the coupling of the assembly, a pin 50 is inserted through one of the holes 22 of the tooth 20 and said pin 50 crosses the through channel 32 of the nose 31 of the adaptor 30, until at least one of the elongated bodies of the retention element 40 is housed in at least one notch 51 arranged close to an end of the pin 50 after inserting the pin into the space between both elongated bodies of the retaining element 40. Preferably, the pin has two diametrically opposite notches 51. Alternatively, the retaining element can be, for example, a plate with a gap or hole into which the pin will be inserted.

[0057] In order to be able to insert the pin 50 into the retaining element 40, it is necessary to overcome the resistance exerted by said retaining element 40 so as to separate the two elongated bodies. To that end, it is necessary to thrust the pin 50 with a sufficiently large force that cannot always be applied manually by an operator. Furthermore, the use of a hammer or mallet to insert the pin is also difficult because the space existing between two consecutive adaptors in the blade of a bucket is limited. This space is even smaller if a protector for the blade of the bucket is arranged between the adaptors.

[0058] A removal tool which is inserted into a cavity 54 at an end of the pin 50 will be used to remove the pin 50. Said removal tool allow rotating the pin 50 until the elongated body of the retaining element 40 comes out of the notch 51 of the pin 50, thereby releasing the pin 50 from the retaining element 40. This release allows removing the pin 50 from the assembly formed by the tooth 20 and the adaptor 30 and replacing the worn tooth.

[0059] In order to be able to thrust the pin 50 until it is secured in the retention means or element, the manipulation tool 100, 100', 100", 100‴, 100ʺʺ object of the present invention is used.

[0060] A first embodiment of the manipulation tool 100 object of the invention, shown in Figures 5 to 8, has a thrust head body 10 preferably connected through removable coupling means (not shown) to a lever body 16 formed by a handle or bar 16. If the thrust head body is removable or separable from the lever body, it has an upper connection or coupling end 15 and a lower free end. Alternatively, the head body 10 and the lever body 16 can form a single body. There is arranged at the end of the lever body opposite the end of the head 10 a removal or uncoupling tool 17 having a first removal head 171 and a second removal head 172 of two different dimensions. These removal heads 171, 172 will be inserted into the cavity 54 of the pin 50 to cause it to rotate in the channel.

[0061] The head body 10 of this first example of the manipulation tool 100 has: a supporting projection with a first segment 13 followed by an appendage 14 with a free end 12, the appendage being inclined with respect to the first segment 13, and a thrust or push projection formed by a curved thrust surface 18, arranged after a second segment 11.

[0062] In this example, the supporting projection coincides with the lower end of the body 10 and the thrust projection is arranged between the upper end 15 of the body and said lower end of the body 10.

[0063] The thrust projection has a larger width than the first segment 13 and the appendage 14 of the supporting projection. The width of the thrust surface 18 of the thrust or push projection will be designed depending on the diameter of the end of the pin 50 on which said thrust surface 18 must act.

[0064] A second example of the manipulation tool 100' object of the invention is shown in Figures 9 and 10. Like in the preceding example, the manipulation tool 100' has a head 10' comprising a thrust or push projection located after a supporting projection with a free end 12 coinciding with the lower end of the thrust head body 10'. This supporting projection is formed by a first segment 11' after which an appendage 14' is arranged, inclined with respect to the first segment 13', and with the free support end 12'. Said head body 10' can be removable or integral with respect to an end of a lever body, in the form of a handle or bar 16, through a connection or coupling end 15. The removal tool 17' with two heads of different dimensions 171' and 172' can be arranged at the end of the lever body 16', opposite that of the head 10'.

[0065] The main difference between the first and second embodiments of the manipulation tools that have been described, i.e., tool 100 and tool 100', is in the shape of the thrust or push projection 11, 11' given that, although they both have a curved surface 18, 18', their shapes are different because each tool is used on assemblies consisting of male part and female part of different sizes with larger or smaller dimensions and weights, or depending on the geometries of the male and / or female parts or on the elements close to them, for example, the protectors.

[0066] A third embodiment of a manipulation tool 100" is shown in Figures 11 to 14. This tool 100" has the same elements as the preceding ones, i.e., the head 10", the supporting projection formed by the first segment 13", the appendage 14", and the free end 12", and the thrust projection with the second segment 11'' for attachment with the body 10" and the thrust surface 18". Likewise, it incorporates a handle or bar 16" with the removal tool 17".

[0067] The main difference of this third example of tool 100" and the first and second examples of tools 100, 100' above is that, in this alternative, the thrust projection, i.e., the second segment 11" and the thrust surface 18", is removable and separable from the supporting projection of the head 10". Therefore, a head body 10" with different thrust projections can be used to adapt the dimensions of said thrust projection to the dimensions of the end of the pin 50. Likewise, it allows replacing the thrust projection if it becomes damaged.

[0068] The thrust projection and the head 10" are coupled by suitable coupling means. For example, Figure 13 shows a screw 80 as coupling means which, after going through the head 10", is inserted into a threaded hole 19 arranged in the push projection with a second segment 11" and a thrust surface 18" that are removable. Other coupling means are possible such as, for example, a dovetail coupling, among others. The shape of the push projection in this example is spherical, such that the second segment 11'' and the thrust surface 18" form a single body, but other shapes are possible. For example, Figure 14 shows a third example of a manipulation tool 100" in which the push projection has a parallelepiped shape, with the second segment 11'' and the thrust surface 18" being part of the parallelepiped shape.

[0069] With respect to the geometry of the thrust projection of the head body 10, 10', 10" in the different alternatives of tools 100, 100', 100" object of the invention, the same has a thrust surface 18, 18', 18" which is preferably curved.

[0070] The surface of the first segment 13, 13', 13" of the supporting projection is preferably located in a plane forming an angle of between 90° and 140° with the longitudinal axis of the lever body formed by a handle or bar 16. There is arranged immediately after the first segment 13, 13', 13" the appendage 14, 14', 14" which is shorter than the first segment 13, 13', 13" and preferably forms an angle equal to or greater than 90° with said first segment 13, 13', 13". Said appendage 14, 14', 14" extends towards the side of the head 10, 10', 10" opposite where the thrust or push projection is located, forming a concave surface between the first segment 13, 13', 13" and the second segment 11, 11', 11". Preferably, this appendage 14, 14', 14", or the plane where the surface thereof is located, has an inclination of between 0° and 20° with the longitudinal axis of the lever body 16, thereby being approximately parallel to one another.

[0071] In the different alternatives, the first end of the first segment 13, 13', 13" of the supporting projection protrudes from, or extends beyond, the curved surface 18, 18, 18" of the push projection.

[0072] Figures 15 to 20 show the first example of the manipulation tool 100 described above acting on a pin 50 inserted into the assembly formed by a tooth 20, an adaptor 30, and retention means 40 arranged between the adaptor 30 and the tooth 20. The figures show how the free end 12 of the supporting projection of the tool 100 is inserted into a recess or groove 25 of the tooth 20 located below the hole 22 of said tooth 20. Once the tool 100 is supported in said recess or groove 25, the tool 100 pivots with respect to the recess or groove 25 of the tooth 20 such that the curved surface 18 of the push projection contacts the end of the pin 50 which remains outside the assembly. If the rotation of the tool 100 with respect to the recess or groove 25 of the tooth continues, the curved surface 18 of the push projection 11 allows maintaining the thrust on the pin 50. Said levering so as to pivot the tool 100 with respect to the recess or groove 25 of the tooth is carried out as a result of the handle or bar 16 of the lever body of said tool 100.

[0073] In order to be able to act on the pin 50, the thrust projection must have a minimum width that must be at least equal to the maximum width of the cavity 54 so as to insert the removal tool 100 into the pin 50, and thus be able to exert thrust force on the end of the pin 50 in a balanced manner.

[0074] Namely, the assembly has a pin 50 with a first end and a second end, with two notches 51 close to the first end 52 and a cavity 54 at the second end 53 sized for receiving a removal tool 100 for removing the pin 50 from the assembly. Said pin 50 is inserted into a housing or cavity formed after coupling a tooth 20 and an adaptor 30, namely, after inserting the nose 31 of the adaptor 30 into the cavity 21 of the tooth 20. When the tooth 20 and the adaptor 30 are coupled to one another, the holes 22 of the tooth are aligned with the open ends of a through channel 32 that crosses the nose 31 of the adaptor. There is arranged between the nose 31 of the adaptor 30 and one of the holes 22 of the tooth 20 a retention element 40 formed by at least two metal elongated bodies, separated from one another defining a hollow space. Said two elongated bodies cross the hole 22 of the tooth 20, as well as the open end of the through channel 32 facing said hole 22. A recess or groove 25 intended for receiving the tool 100 is arranged below at least one of the two holes 22 of the tooth 20, preferably in the hole 22 opposite where the retention element 40 is located.

[0075] The mounting method for mounting the pin 50 with the help of a tool 100 in a mounting assembly such as that described above requires, after coupling the tooth 20 and the adaptor 30, inserting the first end 52 of the pin 50 through the hole 22 of the tooth under which the recess or groove 25 is arranged. Said pin 50 is inserted until the first end 52 of the pin 50 contacts the retention element 40 arranged between the tooth 20 and the adaptor 30.

[0076] Once the pin 50 is positioned, the free end 12 of the supporting projection of the manipulation tool 100 is inserted into the recess or groove 25 of the tooth 20, such that the surface 18 of the thrust projection faces the second end 53 of the pin 50 upon pivoting the tool 100 with the help of the handle or bar 16 with respect to the recess or groove 25. By continuing the levering with respect to the recess or groove 25 using the handle 16, the pin 50 exerts a thrust force on the retaining element 40, causing the separation of the metal elongated bodies and said first end of the pin to be inserted into the space between both elongated bodies until said elongated bodies are inserted into the notches 51 arranged diametrically opposite one another on the perimeter of the pin 50. In this way, the pin 50 is inserted and retained by the retaining element 40, securing the coupling between the different components of the assembly.

[0077] The explanation above for the operation of the first example of the tool 100 can be extended for the other two examples of the tools 100', 100" described above.

[0078] A fourth embodiment of a tool 100‴ according to the present invention is shown in Figures 21 and 22. This tool 100‴ has a thrust head body 10‴ preferably connected through removable coupling means (not shown) to a lever body 16 formed by a handle or bar 16. If the thrust head body 10‴ is removable or separable from the lever body, it has an upper connection or coupling end 15 and a lower free end. Like in the examples of a tool described above, the head body and the lever body 16 can form a single body. Likewise, in the preceding examples the head body of the tool 100, 100', 100" and the lever body 16 can be removably connected to one another.

[0079] There is arranged at the end of the lever body opposite the end of the head 10 a removal or uncoupling tool 17‴ having a first removal head 171‴ and a second removal head 172‴ of two different dimensions. These removal heads 171‴, 172‴ will be inserted into the cavity of the pin 50 to cause it to rotate in the channel.

[0080] The head body 10‴ of this fourth example of the manipulation tool 100‴ has: a supporting projection with a first segment 13‴ followed by an appendage 14‴ with a free end 12‴, the appendage 14‴ being inclined with respect to the first segment 13‴, and a thrust or push projection formed by a curved thrust surface 18‴ arranged after a second segment 11‴.

[0081] In this example, unlike the preceding ones, the supporting projection is arranged between the upper end 15 of the head body 10‴ and the thrust projection is arranged coinciding with lower end of the body 10‴.

[0082] Figure 22 shows the application of this fourth example of the tool 100‴ for inserting a pin 50 into an assembly formed by a tooth 20 and an adaptor. It should be noted that, unlike the preceding examples, the support or levering point of this tool 100‴ on the tooth 20 is arranged in a recess or groove above the hole for the entry of the pin 50 instead of below said hole. This construction prevents the need to insert the tool 100‴ from below the pin 50 which sometimes may make it difficult to match the supporting projection of the first three examples of the tool 100, 100', 100" with the support point on the tooth 20.

[0083] Figure 24 shows a fifth example of a manipulation tool 100ʺʺ according to the present invention. Like in the first and second examples, the manipulation tool 100ʺʺ has a head body 10ʺʺ with: a supporting projection with a first segment 13ʺʺ followed by an appendage 14ʺʺ with a free end 12ʺʺ, the appendage 14ʺʺ being inclined with respect to the first segment 13ʺʺ due to the U-shaped curvature of said appendage 14ʺʺ, and a thrust or push projection formed by a curved thrust surface 18ʺʺ arranged after a second segment 11ʺʺ.

[0084] Like in the first and second examples, the supporting projection coincides with the lower end of the body 10ʺʺ and the thrust projection is arranged between the upper end 15 of the body and said lower end of the body 10ʺʺ.

[0085] The thrust projection also has a larger width than the first segment 13ʺʺ and the appendage 14ʺʺ of the supporting projection and said width will depend on the diameter of the end 53 of the pin 50 on which said thrust surface 18 must act. However, in this construction the tool pivots towards the tip of the female part, while in the constructions where the recess is arranged in the female part itself below or above of the hole for the entry of the pin, the tool pivots towards the upper or lower part of the female part.

[0086] The main difference between the first and second embodiments of the manipulation tools that have been described, i.e., tool 100 and tool 100', and this fifth example of the tool 100ʺʺ lies in the shape of the appendage 14ʺʺ which, in this fifth embodiment, is U-shaped. This is so because the tool is supported on a recess located between the female part 20 and the male part 30, pivoting with respect to said recess, and therefore pivoting towards the tip of the female part 20. This can be seen in Figures 23 and 25 which show how the free end 12ʺʺ located at the lower end of the head 10ʺʺ is supported on the recess located between the female part 20 and the male part 30, namely inside one of the walls which determine the cavity of the female part 20. Upon pivoting the tool 100ʺʺ by applying pressure on the lever 16, the thrust surface 18ʺʺ of the thrust projection contacts the pin 50 which is moved through the inside of the channel 32 until the pin 50 interacts with the retaining element 40.

[0087] Figures 26 to 30 show five thrust head bodies 10, 10', 10" 10‴, 10ʺʺ corresponding with the four tools 100, 100', 100", 100‴, 100ʺʺ described above in which the upper or connection end 15 of the head body for coupling with a lever body can be seen.

Claims

1. A manipulation tool (100, 100', 100", 100‴, 100ʺʺ) for manipulating a pin (50) in a housing formed by the coupling of a male part (30) and a female part (20) of earth-moving machines, characterised in that it comprises a thrust head body (10, 10', 10", 10‴, 10ʺʺ) with an upper connection or coupling end (15) and a lower end, and: - a supporting projection formed by a first segment (13, 13', 13", 13‴, 13ʺʺ) and an appendage (14, 14', 14", 14‴, 14ʺʺ) after the first segment (13, 13', 13", 13‴, 13ʺʺ) with a free end (12, 12', 12", 12‴, 12ʺʺ), and - a thrust projection with a second segment (11, 11', 11", 11‴, 11ʺʺ) ending in a thrust surface (18, 18', 18", 18‴, 18ʺʺ), said supporting projection being arranged: - between the upper end (15) and the lower end of the body (10, 10', 10", 10‴, 10ʺʺ) and the thrust projection being arranged after the lower end of the body (10, 10', 10", 10‴, 10ʺʺ), or - after the lower end of the body (10, 10', 10", 10‴, 10ʺʺ) and the thrust projection being arranged between the upper end (15) and the lower end of the body (10, 10', 10", 10‴, 10ʺʺ).

2. The tool according to claim 1, characterised in that the appendage (14, 14', 14", 14‴, 14ʺʺ) and the thrust surface (18, 18', 18", 18‴, 18ʺʺ) extend towards the same side from the head body (10, 10', 10", 10‴, 10ʺʺ).

3. The tool according to claim 1, characterised in that the appendage (14, 14', 14", 14‴, 14ʺʺ) and the thrust surface (18, 18', 18", 18‴, 18ʺʺ) are spaced apart.

4. The tool according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first segment (13, 13', 13", 13‴, 13ʺʺ) and the second segment (11, 11', 11", 11‴, 11ʺʺ) determine a concave surface.

5. The tool according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the appendage (14, 14', 14", 14‴, 14ʺʺ) has an inclination with respect to the first segment (13, 13', 13", 13‴, 13ʺʺ).

6. The tool according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a lever body (16) coupled to the upper connection or coupling end (15) of the head body (10, 10', 10", 10‴, 10ʺʺ).

7. The tool (100") according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the thrust projection with a second segment (11") ending in a thrust surface (18") is removable and comprises coupling means (19, 80) for coupling with the head body (10").

8. The tool (100, 100', 100", 100‴, 100ʺʺ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the thrust surface (18, 18', 18", 18‴, 18ʺʺ) has a curved surface.

9. The tool (100, 100', 100",100‴, 100ʺʺ) according to claim 7, characterised in that the appendage (14, 14', 14", 14‴, 14ʺʺ) has an inclination of between 0° and 20° with the longitudinal axis of the lever body (16).

10. The tool (100, 100', 100",100‴, 100ʺʺ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the thrust surface (18, 18', 18", 18‴, 18ʺʺ) has a width greater than the width of the first segment (13, 13', 13", 13‴, 13ʺʺ) of the supporting projection.

11. The tool according to claim 7, characterised in that the lever body (16) comprises an uncoupling or disassembly head (17, 17', 17", 17‴, 17ʺʺ) for uncoupling or disassembling the pin (50) at the end opposite the end for connecting with the head body (100, 100', 100",100‴, 100ʺʺ).

12. A mounting assembly for mounting a pin (50) in a housing formed by the coupling of a male part (30) and a female part (20) of earth-moving machines, characterised in that it is formed by: - a pin (50) with a first end (52) and a second end (53) and at least one notch (51) close to at least one of said ends, - a male part (30) with a channel (32), inserted into a cavity (21) of a female part (20) with at least one hole (22) on one of the sides of the cavity (21), with the channel (32) and at least said hole (22) of the female part (20) determining a housing to receive the pin (50), said channel (32) having a first end facing the hole (22) of the female part (20), - a recess (25) arranged in the coupling formed between the female part (20) and the male part (130) close to the hole (22) of the female part (20), and - a tool (100, 100', 100", 100‴, 100ʺʺ) according to any of claims 1 to 11.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, characterised in that it comprises retention means or a retention element (40) for retaining the pin (50) in the channel (32).

14. A mounting method for mounting a pin of a mounting assembly according to claim 12 or 13, characterised in that it comprises the following steps: - coupling the female part (20) in the male part (30), - inserting a first end (52) of the pin (50) through the hole (22) of the female part (20), - inserting the free end (12, 12', 12", 12‴, 12ʺʺ) of the appendage (14, 14', 14", 14‴, 14ʺʺ) of the tool (100, 100', 100", 100‴, 100‴) into the recess (25), - rotationally moving the tool (100, 100', 100", 100‴, 100ʺʺ) with respect to the recess (25) where the free end (12, 12', 12", 12‴, 12ʺʺ) of the tool (100, 100', 100", 100‴, 100ʺʺ) is supported until the thrust projection contacts the second end (53) of the pin (50) thrusting it into the housing, and - retaining the pin (50) in the channel (32).

15. A female part (20) with a cavity (21) in which a male part (30) is inserted, and at least two walls, at least one of said walls comprising a through hole (22) for receiving a pin (50), characterised in that it has a recess (25), close to the hole (22), for receiving a manipulation tool for manipulating a pin (50).

Images