Removable Carbide Cutting Bit for Stump Grinder Shank

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Solution Overview

Problem

Stump cutting teeth in existing stump cutting machines are prone to rapid dulling, breaking, and costly replacement due to harsh operating conditions, with carbide cutting bits often wasting material and having limited lifespan.

Innovation Solution

A cutting tooth design featuring a removable and replaceable tungsten carbide cutting bit secured to a reusable shank and support member, with a segmented cutting bit structure to prevent crack propagation and a fastening mechanism that allows for easy replacement of the cutting bit without replacing the entire tooth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If a carbide cutting bit is used in a stump cutter, then the cutting edge can perform the cutting operation, but only a portion of the carbide cutting bit is actually used for cutting while the remaining portion is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaste of carbide cutting bit materialVSAvoidservice life of cutting bit

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting tooth is divided into separate components: a reusable shank portion and a replaceable cutting bit portion. The cutting bit is secured to the shank but can be independently replaced when worn, allowing the shank to be reused multiple times. This segmentation eliminates waste of the shank material and reduces overall material consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The design allows the cutting bit to be discarded (replaced) while recovering and reusing the shank portion. When the cutting bit becomes dull or damaged, only the cutting bit needs to be replaced rather than the entire cutting tooth, thereby recovering valuable material in the shank for continued use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If the entire cutting tooth is replaced when the cutting bit becomes worn or damaged, then a fresh cutting edge is available, but material replacement costs and man-hours increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability of functional cutting edgeVSAvoidtime for replacement operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting tooth is segmented into a reusable shank and a replaceable cutting bit. This allows selective replacement of only the worn cutting bit while retaining the functional shank, significantly reducing replacement time and labor requirements compared to replacing the entire cutting tooth assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting bit is designed to be discarded when worn while the shank is recovered and reused. This selective replacement strategy reduces both material costs and the time required for replacement operations, as the durable shank does not need to be replaced with each cutting bit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Strength

If a solid carbide cutting bit is used, then the cutting edge is durable, but the harsh operating conditions cause rapid dulling and breaking requiring frequent replacement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedurability of cutting edgeVSAvoidservice life before replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting tooth assembly is segmented into a durable shank and a replaceable cutting bit. When the cutting bit becomes dull or damaged due to harsh conditions, only the cutting bit needs to be replaced while the shank remains intact, allowing quick restoration of cutting capability without replacing the entire assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting bit is designed to be discarded when it becomes worn or broken from harsh operating conditions, while the shank is recovered and reused. This approach maintains the durability benefits of carbide material in the cutting bit while reducing overall replacement frequency and costs through shank reuse.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

4Productivity

If continuous loading is applied to the cutting tooth, then the stump cutting operation can proceed continuously, but the cutting tooth may fail including twisting, bending, or breaking of the shank portion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous cutting operationVSAvoidstructural integrity of cutting tooth

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting tooth is segmented into a strong shank designed to withstand continuous loading and a replaceable cutting bit. This segmentation allows the shank to be optimized for structural integrity and continuous operation while the cutting bit handles the cutting function, reducing the risk of shank failure under continuous load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS7484541B2Cutting tooth for use with a stump cutting apparatus

Publication Date: 2009.02.03 GREEN KEVIN J

AI summary

A cutting tooth for use with a stump cutting apparatus wherein the cutting tooth has a removable and replaceable cutting bit. The cutting bit is removably and nonrotatably secured to a head of an elongated shank with the shank secured to a mounting block or pocket of a stump cutting tool. A support member having an indexing surface is also removably and nonrotatably secured to the head of the elongated shank. Accordingly, the support member enables indexing the cutting bit to expose and use a plurality of cutting edges located on the periphery of the cutting bit.