Wear parts and wear assemblies

Abstract

A wear member for earthmoving equipment and a wear assembly including a plurality of such wear members are described. The wear member includes a body defining a longitudinal axis and defining an open-rear cavity sized to receive a base, and first and second lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the body and defining forward edges for engaging the ground. The first lateral portion defines a complementary formation to the second lateral formation, allowing axial insertion and removal of a wear member mounted between adjacent wear members by an open removal path defined by the complementary formation. The complementary formations also resist rotational movement of the wear member about the longitudinal axis.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The field of the disclosure relates to wear members for earthmoving equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] During mining operations, replaceable wear members are typically used to protect earthmoving equipment, such as excavator buckets. During use, the wear members gradually wear downward due to abrasive conditions and weight loads. Once worn, the wear members are removed from the equipment and replaced. The use of wear members provides a cost-effective approach to excavation and other earthmoving operations by reducing the need to repair or replace more expensive foundation equipment, such as lips and other parts of the equipment.

[0003] The set of wear members is typically secured to the earthmoving equipment by mechanical means (e.g., locking pins, bolts, or other locking mechanisms). A set of teeth may be installed on the lip of a digger bucket to break ground forward of the bucket and protect the bucket lip from excessive wear. If the teeth wear evenly, the entire set of teeth may be replaced simultaneously at the end of their useful life. However, during earthmoving operations, the wear members may be subjected to a variety of directional forces, including axial, vertical, and lateral loads and impacts, which may result in damage or premature wear of individual teeth, necessitating replacement of a single tooth or fewer than all teeth. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates to wear members for earthmoving equipment that are mechanically secured to the equipment. The wear assemblies of some embodiments are reliable, safe, easy to use, versatile, and / or individually replaceable with little to no machine downtime given their high productivity.

[0005] According to a first aspect, there is provided a wear member for earthmoving equipment comprising: a body, the wear member defining a longitudinal axis, defining a rearwardly opening cavity dimensioned to receive a base; and first and second lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the body and defining forward edges for engaging the ground, the first lateral portion defining a complementary formation to the second lateral formation, the open removal path defined by the complementary formations enabling axial insertion and removal of wear members mounted between adjacent wear members and resisting rotational movement of the wear members about the longitudinal axis.

[0006] The wear members optionally further include lip mounts including a pair of rearwardly extending portions disposed on opposite lateral sides of the body and dimensioned to engage on upper and lower surfaces of a lip plate on the excavating bucket to provide additional resistance to rotational movement of the wear members about the longitudinal axis. The lip mounts also reduce the gap between adjacent wear members, thereby reducing the possibility of ingress of debris or other particles into the lateral portions.

[0007] Optionally, each of the pair of rearward extensions includes a pair of arms dimensioned and configured to engage the lip plate.

[0008] Optionally, the complementary features on the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion include offset planar surfaces.

[0009] Optionally, the planar surfaces are offset in a lateral direction relative to a plane extending through one of the first and second lateral portions, hi some embodiments, the planar surfaces are vertically offset from one another such that one planar surface slides just below the other planar surface.

[0010] Optionally, the planar surfaces have substantially the same lateral width and extend forwardly of the body.

[0011] Optionally, the first and second lateral portions provide a seal to reduce or prevent intrusion of ground or other material into the wear member.

[0012] Optionally, the front edge provides a continuous edge that is substantially free of gaps, or alternatively is completely free of gaps.

[0013] Alternatively, the leading edge may define a jagged edge, or an edge that defines spaced gaps, such as between adjacent teeth. The jagged edge may provide better ground penetration for the earthmoving equipment.

[0014] Optionally, the wear member further includes a third lateral portion underlying the second lateral portion and defining an upper surface, the second and third lateral portions defining an insertion gap therebetween, and the first lateral portion further includes an insertion portion defined by a complementary formation on the first lateral portion and an undersurface on an opposite side of the first lateral portion to the complementary formation, thereby allowing the insertion portion of one wear member to be inserted into the insertion gap of an adjacent wear member.

[0015] Optionally, the third lateral portion extends substantially the same lateral width as the second lateral portion, but extends only partially along the length of the second lateral portion.

[0016] Optionally, the third lateral portion is located closer to the rear of the wear member than to the leading edge.

[0017] Optionally, the top surface of the third lateral portion and the complementary formations of the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion are all planar surfaces.

[0018] Optionally, the complementary formations of the first and second lateral portions are spaced apart from the plane, but are generally aligned (e.g., by departing from a line parallel to the plane by no more than 10 degrees), or closely aligned (e.g., by departing from a line parallel to the plane by no more than 5 degrees), or generally parallel (e.g., by departing from a line parallel to the plane by no more than about 2 degrees) surfaces. In one embodiment, the mating formation of the first lateral portion (e.g., upper surface) may slope at a small angle (less than 5 degrees) away from the body, such that the height of the first lateral portion decreases as it extends away from the body. Similarly, the mating formation of the second lateral portion (e.g., lower surface) may slope at a similar small angle toward the body, such that the height of the second lateral portion increases as it extends toward the body.

[0019] According to a second aspect, there is provided a wear member for earthmoving equipment comprising: a body, the wear member defining a longitudinal axis and defining a rearwardly opening cavity dimensioned to receive a base; first and second lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the body and defining forward edges for engaging the ground; a connecting surface defined by the first lateral portion; and an arm upstanding from the second lateral portion transverse to the longitudinal axis and extending from the forward edge towards the body, the arm defining an opposite inner surface of the body and inclined to guide the ground towards the body.

[0020] Optionally, the wear member further includes a lip mount including a pair of rearward extensions disposed on opposite lateral sides of the body and dimensioned to engage on the upper and lower surfaces of a lip plate on the excavating bucket to provide additional resistance to rotational movement of the wear member about the longitudinal axis.

[0021] Optionally, each of the pair of rearward extensions includes a pair of arms dimensioned and configured to engage the lip plate.

[0022] Optionally, the first lateral portion is on a left side of the body, the coupling surface being defined on a lower surface of the first lateral portion, and the wear member further includes a third lateral portion located below the first lateral portion and defining an upper surface, the first and third lateral portions defining an insertion gap therebetween.

[0023] Optionally, the first lateral portion is on a right side of the body, and a coupling surface is defined on a top surface of the first lateral portion for insertion into the insertion gap by movement along the longitudinal axis.

[0024] According to a third aspect, there is provided a wear assembly for earthmoving equipment comprising: a lip plate for mounting on an excavating bucket; first, second and third adapters mounted on the lip plate, each defining a protruding base; and first, second and third wear members, each having a base secured to a corresponding adapter, each wear member defining a longitudinal axis, each wear member including first and second lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the body and defining forward edges for engaging the ground, the first lateral portions defining complementary formations respectively to the second lateral formations, such that the second wear member may be inserted into or removed from a gap between the first and third wear members by an open removal path defined by the complementary formations on the first and second wear members and the second and third wear members.

[0025] Optionally, the wear member further includes a third lateral portion located below the second lateral portion and defining an upper surface, the second and third lateral portions defining an insertion gap therebetween, and the first lateral portion further includes an insertion portion defined by a complementary formation of the first lateral portion and an undersurface on an opposing side of the first lateral portion relative to the complementary formation.

[0026] Optionally, the third lateral portion extends substantially the same lateral width as the second lateral portion, but extends only partially along the length of the second lateral portion.

[0027] Optionally, the third lateral portion is located closer to the rear of the wear member than to the leading edge.

[0028] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a bucket including a plurality of wear members (such as teeth) having the structure described above defining a substantially continuous forward edge.

[0029] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a bucket including a wear assembly having a wear member having any of the configurations described above to define a substantially continuous forward edge.

[0030] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a method of seating a wear member on an edge comprising: positioning a first wear member adjacent to a second wear member seated on the edge and adjacent to a third wear member seated on the edge, such that a first lateral portion of the first wear member overlaps the second wear member and a second lateral portion of the first wear member overlaps the third wear member; and moving the first wear member rearwardly to seat on the edge.

[0031] According to a seventh aspect, there is provided a method of removing a wear member of a wear assembly from an edge portion comprising moving a first wear member from a seated position on the lip away from the lip having lateral portions on opposing sides of the first wear member overlapping second and third wear members on opposing sides to disengage the first wear member from the assembly.

[0032] According to an eighth aspect, there is provided a wear member for earthmoving equipment comprising: a body, the wear member defining a longitudinal axis and defining a rearwardly opening cavity dimensioned to receive a base; first and second lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the body and defining forward edges for engaging the ground, the first lateral portion defining a complementary formation to the second lateral formation to allow insertion and removal of a wear member mounted between adjacent wear members; and a lip mount including a pair of rearwardly extending portions disposed on opposite lateral sides of the body and dimensioned to engage on upper and lower surfaces of a lip plate on an excavating bucket to provide resistance to rotational movement of the wear member about the longitudinal axis.

[0033] In one embodiment, a wear member for earthmoving equipment includes overlapping lateral portions that fill gaps between adjacent wear members and / or provide support against applied loads during use. The overlapping lateral portions maintain an open removal path that allows removal of the wear members without removing adjacent overlapping wear members.

[0034] In another embodiment, a wear member for earthmoving equipment has a front portion for engaging the ground, a rear open cavity for receiving a base, and lateral portions overlapping the wear member on both sides. The wear members are attached to a lip between adjacent overlapping attached wear members without interference. In another embodiment, the wear member on one side includes upper and lower lateral portions that form an opening for receiving the lateral portion of the adjacent wear member.

[0035] In another embodiment, the wear member includes a forward working portion for engaging the ground, a cavity opening rearwardly at the rear mounting portion for receiving the base, a longitudinal axis, and left and right staggered wings extending away from the longitudinal axis, each having a planar surface substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis for exerting pressure on the planar surface of an adjacent wear member. In a further embodiment, the wear member includes a third wing extending from the longitudinal axis to form an opening for receiving the wing of an adjacent wear member. In a further embodiment, the mounting portion includes rearwardly extending members on either side of the cavity for exerting pressure across the lip. In a further embodiment, each planar surface extends from the rear portion to the forward working portion.

[0036] In another embodiment, a digging tooth of a bucket includes a mounting cavity, a forward edge, and at least one lateral extension for engaging the lateral extension of at least one other tooth to define a generally continuous edge along the forward edge of an adjacent tooth, such that the tooth may be removed from the bucket without requiring removal of the adjacent tooth.

[0037] In another embodiment, the bucket digging tooth includes a mounting cavity, a forward edge, a leg straddling the lip, and a pair of wings extending laterally from the cavity to engage complementary wings on an adjacent tooth, thereby defining a generally continuous edge along the forward edges of the adjacent teeth.

[0038] In another embodiment, the digging tooth of the bucket includes a mounting cavity, a forward edge, a lateral extension that engages with the lateral extension of an adjacent tooth to define a generally continuous edge along the forward edge of the adjacent tooth, and an upstanding guide along a side opposite the lateral extension for guiding soil material into the bucket during use. The guide optionally includes an inwardly sloping portion and / or an inwardly curvilinear portion. The tooth is adapted to form an end of the generally continuous edge of the tooth.

[0039] In another embodiment, the digging tooth of the bucket includes a mounting cavity, a forward edge, a lateral extension that overlaps with the lateral extension of an adjacent tooth to define a generally continuous edge with the adjacent tooth along the forward edge, and wings opposing the lateral extension to sandwich the lateral extension of the adjacent tooth, the wings having a reduced size and / or rearward position to minimize removal force and / or reduce distance for complete disengagement.

[0040] In another embodiment, the wear assembly includes first, second, and third wear members secured to an edge of the earthmoving equipment in adjacent, laterally overlapping positions such that a second wear member adjacent the first and third wear members can be removed from the wear assembly without interference from the first and third wear members (and without loosening or removing any parts from the first and third wear members). In another embodiment, each wear member may optionally include a rearwardly extending stabilizing portion that straddles the edge.

[0041] In another embodiment, a wear assembly on an edge of earth moving equipment includes a plurality of overlapping wear members forming a continuous edge at the edge with no open spaces between the wear members, and a first wear member can be removed from the lip without removing the adjacent second wear member.

[0042] The various features of the above-described embodiments may be used independently of one another or collectively with all or some of the different features in securing the wear member to the edge of the earthmoving equipment. The described features are illustrative summary observations of certain ideas of the various concepts of the present invention and are not intended to be exhaustive or essential. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description of certain embodiments and the accompanying drawings. With the understanding that the drawings depict only certain embodiments and therefore should not be considered limiting in nature, these embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0043] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a wear assembly.

[0044] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a portion of the wear assembly of FIG. 1, namely, the wear member.

[0045] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the wear member of FIG.

[0046] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the wear member of FIG. 2 taken from the opposite side to that shown in FIG.

[0047] [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the wear member of FIG.

[0048] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of the wear assembly of FIG. 1 showing the left corner wear member adjacent to the wear members of FIGS.

[0049] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a top view of the center portion of the wear assembly of FIG.

[0050] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the wear assembly of FIG.

[0051] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the wear assembly of FIG. 1 from a first side.

[0052] [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the wear assembly of FIG. 1 from a second side opposite the first side of FIG.

[0053] [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a top view of the left corner wear member from the wear assembly of FIG.

[0054] [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a top view of the right corner wear member from the wear assembly of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0055] Wear members can be applied to many types of earthmoving equipment to extend the useful life of the equipment.The present invention relates to wear members secured along the digging edges of buckets, their assemblies, and methods for installing and removing wear members on such edges.

[0056] Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a wear assembly 12 including a wear member 10, where the wear assembly 12 is designed to be attached to earth moving equipment. In the illustrated example, the wear member 10 is a point or tooth. The wear assembly 12 includes a contoured lip 9 to which the tooth 10 is attached. The contoured lip 9 includes a lip plate 8 attached to the edge (not shown) of an earth moving bucket (not shown) and an adapter 8A welded to the lip plate 8. Each adapter 8A defines a nose 8B (best seen in FIG. 8) extending therefrom and projecting beyond the lip plate 8. The adapter 8A may alternatively be secured by mechanical means such as a Whistler™ wedge and clamp, or the nose 8B may be formed as part of the lip plate 8. The lip plate 8 can have a variety of different designs, but preferably has a linear leading surface. The contoured lip 9 has a direction of travel during operation of the earth moving equipment (e.g., during an excavation operation).

[0057] Tooth 10 of wear assembly 12 includes a working portion 32 (best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3) that tapers to a narrow front working edge 16, and a mounting portion 34 (best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3) that includes a rearwardly opening cavity 14 that receives a forwardly extending nose 8B of lip plate 8. Mounting portion 34 includes a lip mount that includes one or more rearwardly extending legs 24 and 26 on one or both sides of cavity 14. In this embodiment, each leg 24, 26 straddles (above and below) the lip plate 8, thereby providing stabilization of tooth 10 and resisting rotational forces on tooth 10.

[0058] The cavity 14 is defined by top, bottom and side walls that form a central body 28 of the tooth 10. The tooth body 28 preferably includes an opening 28A that receives a lock 30 for removably securing the tooth 10 to the lip 9 (via the adapter 8A). The cavity 14 and opening 28A may have a shape selected from a number of different shapes to accommodate the type of fit, stabilization, locking, etc. desired for a particular application of the tooth 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the cavity 14, opening 28A and lock 30 received in opening 28A are as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,882,649, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Each tooth 10 has a longitudinal axis 36 defined by a centerline that extends generally in the direction of advancement of the lip 9 during operation of the earthmoving equipment.

[0059] In use, the teeth 10 contact the earth or other material during the excavation process to protect the lip 9 in the bucket, facilitate penetration, and / or collect material. When mounted on the lip 9, the forward edges 16 of the teeth 10 can generally align to form a generally continuous straight edge that can be used for leveling or flattening the soil, or for digging holes in smooth walls and / or floors or other excavation operations. This wider configuration of each tooth 10 forming a generally continuous edge can increase the risk of the tooth 10 bending or bending (i.e., generally about the axis 36) during excavation. The aforementioned legs 24, 26 on either side of the lip plate 8 help resist such bending. The tooth 10 includes a first lateral portion or wing 18 extending laterally from the body 28 and a second lateral portion or wing 20 extending laterally from the body 28 in the opposite direction. Each lateral portion 18, 20 extends for most of the length of the tooth 10, from the working portion 32 to the attachment portion 34, although in other embodiments they may have gaps or extend only partially along the length. The wings 18, 20 overlap with the wings (20, 18, respectively) on the adjacent tooth 10 to ensure a substantially continuous edge without significant gaps and / or provide support for rotation of the tooth about the axis 36. As the lateral portions 18, 20 extend laterally from the body 28, they decrease in thickness, e.g., in a step manner. Each lateral portion 18, 20 defines an edge 18A and 20A from which a tang 18B, 20B extends. The opposing surfaces of the tangs 18B, 20B provide complementary formations such that the tangs 18B, 20B from adjacent teeth 10 slidably engage in overlapping relationship with the corresponding tangs 20B, 18B, respectively, of the adjacent teeth 10, thereby providing partial overlap of the lateral portions 18, 20.

[0060] The lateral portions 18, 20 are parallel on opposite faces and extend laterally to straight, forward perpendicular perimeters or edges, forming a generally rectangular shape, but may alternatively have non-parallel and / or non-straight side edges. In this embodiment, the lateral portions 18, 20 comprise generally flat surfaces with a small slope, as shown in Figure 5. The upper surface of the first lateral portion 18 has a downward slope (2 degrees) away from the main body 28, while the lower surface of the second lateral portion 20 has a similar upward slope (2 degrees) away from the main body 28.

[0061] The lateral portions 18, 20 may be in staggered positions (or vertically offset). One lateral portion 20 may extend in a plane above the longitudinal axis 36, and the opposite lateral portion 18 may extend in a plane below the longitudinal axis 36. The tooth 10 may include an optional additional (third) laterally extending portion or wing 22 extending laterally from the body 28 and spaced apart from the wing 20. The lower lateral portion 22 may be narrower than the upper lateral portion 20, which extends only a limited distance forward and aft. This configuration is preferred to reduce removal forces in the presence of impacted soil particles and to reduce the distance for complete disengagement, although other arrangements are possible. The wings 22 can provide additional resistance to rotation of the tooth about axis 36, i.e., the upper and lower lateral portions 20 and 22 form an opening (insertion gap) that receives the lateral portion 18 (insertion portion) of the adjacent tooth 10 to stabilize the tooth 10 from rotation about the nose 8B. Other or additional overlaps can be provided.

[0062] Although a straight front end of the assembly 12 is illustrated, other configurations can be provided. The front end of the assembly 12 can form a continuous straight front end angled to the longitudinal axis 36, curved edges, staggered edges, or straight edge portions that meet at an angle where the lateral portions overlap the lateral portions of the adjacent wear members.

[0063] In the illustrated embodiment, the first lateral portion 18 and the second lateral portion 20 each include a planar surface 18B and 20B that is substantially parallel to a plane passing through the longitudinal axis 36 that exerts pressure on a corresponding planar surface of an adjacent tooth 10, although non-parallel surfaces are possible. Some wear members (or corner teeth) 40, 44 are provided as corner members.

[0064] In particular, the left corner tooth 40 includes only the first lateral portion 18 and the right corner tooth 44 includes only the second lateral portion 20 .

[0065] Each corner tooth 40, 44 may include both lateral portions, if desired. In general, each corner tooth 40, 44 may have one of the lateral extensions included in tooth 10. In the illustrated embodiment, corner tooth 40 includes leg 26 and wing 18, and corner tooth 44 includes leg 24 and wings 20, 22. Alternatively, tooth 10 may be used at the end to form the corner tooth as well as the intermediate tooth. Alternatively, other configurations of corner teeth may be used.

[0066] In the illustrated embodiment, the tang 18B is a continuous extension of the bottom surface of the wing 18, and the tang 20B is a continuous extension of the top surface of the wing 20. However, different configurations may be selected, such as tang 20B along the bottom and tang 18B along the top, both tangs 18B, 20B along the top surface, or both along the bottom surface (in which case adjacent teeth have opposite configurations), or having a tongue and groove arrangement (e.g., the wing 18 may have a central orientation and the wing 20 may be formed by two spaced lateral extensions to receive the tang 18B of an adjacent tooth).

[0067] In the illustrated embodiment, the left corner tooth 40 (see especially Figs. 1 and 11) includes a body 28 having a rear cavity 14 and a locking opening 28A, a rearwardly extending leg 26 that straddles the lip plate 8, a working edge 16, and a lateral portion 18 similar to the lateral portion 18. The corner teeth 40, 44 of the wear assembly 12 typically experience increased wear compared to the intermediate teeth 10, and the exposed corners may be rounded. The left corner member 40 includes a thickened outer edge or upstanding arm 42 having an inner surface 42A forming an edge wall. The edge wall may optionally be inwardly curved and / or inwardly sloped extending rearward from the working edge 16. The inward curve of the surface 42A may guide collected material inwardly toward the center of the bucket. Alternatively, the horizontal thickness of the outer edge may increase and diverge as it extends rearward to guide collected material toward the center of the lip 9 during operation. Increasing the thickness of the outer edges (or arms) 42 of the wear members provides additional material in areas of high wear on the assembly 12 to extend the life of the wear members 40 and / or to direct soil material into the bucket during use.

[0068] The right corner tooth 44 (see particularly Figures 1 and 12) includes a rearwardly opening cavity 14, a rearwardly extending leg 24 that straddles the lip plate 8, and a thickened edge or upstanding guide 46 (preferably a mirror image of the edge (or arm) 46 on the corner member 40) to resist wear against the inner surface 46A. The right corner member 44 may include an upper lateral portion 20 on the edge with a lower lateral portion 22 similar to the tooth 10 described above.

[0069] The working edge 16 engaging the soil material generates a force on the bearing surfaces of the teeth 10, 40, 44 by the lateral portions 18, 20. The additional width of the teeth 10, 40, 44 provided by the lateral portions 18, 20 generates strong torque forces on the teeth 10, 40, 44 during operation. When the teeth 10, 40, 44 are assembled on the digging edge of the bucket, the lateral portions 18, 20 of each tooth 10 overlap the lateral portions 20, 18, respectively, of the adjacent tooth 10. The lateral portions 18 can be received within the gaps between the lateral portions 20 and 22 of the adjacent teeth 10 to provide support to the adjacent lateral portions 20, 22.

[0070] The rearwardly extending legs 24 and 26 exert pressure on the lip plate 8. These bearing surfaces on the sides of the tooth 10 and the rear of the tooth 10, as well as the bearing surfaces of the cavity 14 exerting pressure on the nose 8B, stabilize the tooth 10 and resist torque, vertical and / or axial forces generated by the digging operation.

[0071] The wings 18, 20, 22 and legs 24, 26, and possibly other portions of the teeth 10, 40, 44, interlock with each other and / or with the lip plate 8 for support in resisting various digging forces that may be encountered during use and / or during the formation of the continuous edge. The teeth also preferably form an open removal path for each of the overlapping portions 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 to move forward independently of adjacent teeth, allowing for individual replacement of each tooth 10, 40, 44. Conventionally, teeth forming a continuous edge overlap for support in a manner that requires removal of adjacent teeth when tooth replacement is required. In the illustrated embodiment, the wings 18 can slide forward relative to the wings 20, 22 that overlap the adjacent teeth, and the wings 20, 22 can slide forward relative to the wings 18 that it overlaps. The adjacent teeth also do not block the forward movement of the lip plate 8 lined with the legs 24, 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the removal path for each tooth 10, 40, 44 follows a linear path, however, in other embodiments, the removal path may have a non-linear path, as one example, the removal path may be curved.

[0072] With the teeth seated on nose 8B of adapter 8A (which is received within cavity 14), lock 30 can be inserted into opening 28A. If desired, lock 30 can be a hammerless lock, although this is not required.

[0073] These embodiments are described herein in the context of a wear assembly for one type of bucket. Of course, this is a single example of the disclosed subject matter and is not meant to be limiting. Wear members according to the present invention can have other configurations for use with a wide variety of buckets, including, for example, buckets of hydraulic excavating machines, loaders, cable shovels, face shovels, etc., or for use with other products. Relative terms such as top, bottom, front, rear, left and right, as used herein, are used for ease of discussion and are not intended to be limiting.

[0074] With reference to the drawings, the present specification describes certain embodiments and their detailed structure and operation. The described embodiments are described by way of example only and are not limiting. The described features, structures, characteristics, and methods of operation may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In light of the disclosure herein, one skilled in the art will recognize that various embodiments may be practiced without one or more specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and the like. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or methods of operation have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring more pertinent aspects of the embodiments. It is intended that subject matter disclosed in any one part of this specification may be combined with subject matter in one or more other parts of this specification, unless the combinations are mutually exclusive or inoperable. Furthermore, many variations, improvements, and modifications of the concepts described herein are possible. One skilled in the art will recognize that many variations may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the principles underlying the invention. For example, in other embodiments, the lateral portions 18, 20 may be mounted lower or further up on the body 28 than described above or illustrated in the drawings.

Claims

1. A wear member (10) for an earthmoving equipment, the wear member defining a longitudinal axis along a centerline extending in a direction of travel of the earthmoving equipment, the wear member (10) for the earthmoving equipment comprising: a body (28) defining a rearwardly opening cavity (14) having top, bottom and side walls sized to receive a base of said earthmoving equipment; first and second lateral portions (18, 20) extending from opposite sides of said body and defining forward edges for engaging the ground; a third lateral portion (22) located below the second lateral portion, the second lateral portion and the third lateral portion defining an insertion gap, the first lateral portion including an insertion portion defined by a first complementary formation (18B), the insertion portion being received within the insertion gap on an adjacent identical wear member; A lip mount including a pair of rearwardly extending legs (24, 26) disposed on opposite lateral sides of the body, one rearwardly extending leg extends from a rearward portion of the first lateral portion between the body and the insert portion, and the other rearwardly extending leg extends from a rearward portion of the second lateral portion, each of the rearwardly extending legs extending beyond the rear of the body to engage upper and lower surfaces of a lip plate on an excavating bucket; (i) permitting axial insertion and removal of the wear member mounted between adjacent wear members on the earthmoving equipment independent of the adjacent wear members by an open removal path defined by the insertion portion received within the insertion gap; and (ii) said lip mount resisting rotational movement of said wear member about said longitudinal axis; Wear parts.

2. The wear member of claim 1 , wherein the complementary formations on the first and second lateral portions include offset planar surfaces.

3. 3. The wear member of claim 2, wherein the planar surfaces are vertically offset.

4. 4. The wear member of claim 3, wherein said planar surfaces have substantially the same lateral width and extend forwardly of said body.

5. A wear member according to any preceding claim, wherein the leading edge presents a continuous edge substantially free of gaps.

6. 2. The wear member of claim 1, wherein the third lateral portion extends for substantially the same lateral width as the second lateral portion, but extends only partially along the length of the second lateral portion.

7. 7. A wear member according to claim 6, wherein the third lateral portion is located closer to the rear of the wear member than the leading edge.

8. 1. A wear assembly for earthmoving equipment comprising: a lip plate for mounting on the excavating bucket; first, second and third adapters mounted on the lip plate, each adapter defining a base projecting therefrom; first, second and third wear members, each comprising: a body defining an open cavity having a top wall, a bottom wall and a side wall dimensioned to receive the bases of said first, second and third adapters; a longitudinal axis along a centerline extending in a direction of travel of the earthmoving machine; first and second lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the body and defining a forward edge for engaging the ground; a third lateral portion underlying the second lateral portion, the second and third lateral portions defining an insertion gap therebetween, the first lateral portion including an insertion portion received within the insertion gap of one of the adjacent wear members such that the second wear member may be inserted into or removed from the gap between the first and third wear members by an open removal path defined by the insertion portions and insertion gaps on the first and second wear members and the second and third wear members, respectively; a lip mount including a pair of rearwardly extending legs disposed on opposite lateral sides of the body, one of the rearwardly extending legs extending from a rear portion of the first lateral section between the body and the insert section and the other of the rearwardly extending legs extending from a rear portion of the second lateral section, each of the rearwardly extending legs extending beyond the rear of the body to engage upper and lower surfaces of a lip plate on an excavating bucket; a wear assembly including:

9. 9. The wear assembly of claim 8, wherein the third lateral portion extends for substantially the same lateral width as the second lateral portion, but extends only partially along the length of the second lateral portion.

10. The wear assembly of claim 9 , wherein the third lateral portion is located closer to the rear of the wear member than the forward edge.

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