Abstract:
Telescoped excavating support and wear members are releasably retained in their telescoped relationship by a connector pin assembly removably received in aligned connector openings in the members. A body portion of the pin assembly blocks removal of the wear member from the support member, and a lock member portion of the assembly is rotatable relative to the body, toward and away from a locking orientation, to releasably lock the body within the connector openings. A resilient detent member carried by the lock member slidingly and deformably engages a polygonally shaped interior side surface section of a body passage that rotatably receives the lock member, the detent member yieldingly resisting rotational movement of the lock member away from its locking orientation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to material displacement apparatus such as excavating equipment and, in illustrated embodiments thereof, more particularly relates to apparatus for releasably coupling a replaceable excavating tooth point or other wear member to an associated adapter nose structure. 
     A variety of types of material displacement apparatus, such as excavating equipment, are provided with replaceable wear portions that are removably carried by larger base structures and come into abrasive, wearing contact with the material being displaced. For example, excavating tooth assemblies provided on digging equipment such as excavating buckets or the like typically comprise a relatively massive adapter portion which is suitably anchored to the forward bucket lip and has a reduced cross-section, forwardly projecting nose portion, and a replaceable tooth point having formed through a rear end thereof a pocket opening that releasably receives the adapter nose. To captively retain the point on the adapter nose, generally aligned transverse openings are formed through these telescoped elements adjacent the rear end of the point, and a suitable connector structure is driven into and forcibly retained within the aligned openings to releasably anchor the replaceable tooth point on its associated adapter nose portion. 
     The connector structure typically has to be forcibly driven into the aligned tooth point and adapter nose openings using, for example, a sledge hammer. Subsequently, the inserted connector structure has to be forcibly pounded out of the point and nose openings to permit the worn point to be removed from the adapter nose and replaced. This conventional need to pound in and later pound out the connector structure can easily give rise to a safety hazard for the installing and removing personnel. 
     Various alternatives to pound-in connector structures have been previously proposed for use in releasably retaining a replaceable wear member, such as a tooth point, on a support structure such as an adapter nose. While these alternative connector structures desirably eliminate the need to pound a connector structure into and out of an adapter nose they typically present various other types of problems, limitations and disadvantages including, but not limited to, complexity of construction and use, undesirably high cost, difficult installation and removal and unintentional operational dislodgment of the installed connector structure from its associated tooth point and support structure. 
     A need accordingly exists for an improved wear member/support member connector structure. It is to this need that the present invention is directed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance with representative embodiments thereof, first and second members, illustratively an excavating adapter and associated tooth point, are captives retained in a telescoped relationship by a specially designed connector pin assembly embodying principles of the present invention. The connector pin assembly basically includes a body, a lock member and a resilient detent structure. 
     The body is removably received in aligned connector openings in the telescoped first and second members and blocks separation thereof from one another, the body having a passage extending inwardly through an outer surface thereof, the passage having a noncircularly shaped side surface section. Preferably, this noncircularly shaped side surface section has a polygonal shape which is representatively square. In a representatively illustrated version thereof, the body has an elongated flat shape with an exterior surface that extends between opposite end portions of the body, outwardly circumscribes its passage, and is substantially parallel to the length of the body. 
     The lock member is received in the body passage and is circumscribed by its noncircular side section, the lock member being rotatable relative to the body between a locking position in which a portion of the lock member, representatively a transverse lobe on an outer end portion thereof, blocks removal of the body from the aligned connector openings, and an unlocking position in which the lock member permits removal of the body from the aligned connector openings. The resilient detent member is carried by the lock member for rotation therewith, and is operative to releasably retain the lock member in its locking position. 
     In a first representative embodiment of the connector pin assembly, the resilient detent member has a periphery circumscribing the lock member and complementarily and slidably engaging the noncircularly shaped side surface section of the body passage. The lock member is captively retained within the body passage by a snap ring member carried by the lock member and received in a corresponding groove in the surface of the body passage. 
     In a second representative embodiment of the connector pin assembly, the lock member has a slot extending therethrough and opening outwardly through opposite outer side portions thereof. The resilient detent member extends through the slot and has opposite end portions projecting outwardly beyond these outer side portions and slidably engaging the noncircularly shaped side surface section of the body passage. The lock member is captively retained within the body passage by an annular bushing circumscribing the lock member and press-fitted into the body passage. An O-ring seal on the lock member slidingly and sealingly engages a circular interior side surface portion of the bushing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a longitudinally foreshortened, partially cut away side elevational view of a replaceable excavating tooth point telescoped onto a nose portion of an adapter structure and releasably retained thereon by a specially designed connector pin assembly embodying principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged scale exploded perspective view of the connector pin assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is a reduced scale, partially phantomed side elevational view of the connector pin assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is laterally directed cross-sectional view through the connector pin assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is a reduced scale side edge elevational view of the connector pin assembly; 
         FIG. 6  is a reduced scale end elevational view of the connector pin assembly; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged scale partial interior cross-sectional view through the connector pin assembly taken along line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIGS. 8 and 9 , respectively, are end and side elevational views of a hollow, square cross-sectioned resilient detent member utilized in an alternate embodiment of the connector pin assembly; 
         FIG. 10  is a simplified, somewhat schematic cross-sectional view, partially phantomed, through a lock member portion of the alternate connector pin assembly embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is an end view of the lock member portion of the alternate connector pin assembly embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view through the  FIG. 11  lock member taken along line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIGS. 13 and 14 , respectively, are schematic cross-sectional views through the  FIG. 11  lock member in retention/locking and insertion/unlocking orientations thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     AS illustrated in  FIGS. 1–7 , this invention provides a specially designed connector pin assembly  10  which is used to releasably interconnect two telescoped members such as the illustrated excavating tooth point  12  (or other wear member) which is telescoped onto the nose portion  14  of an associated adapter structure  16  (or other support structure). The connector assembly  10  is passed inwardly through aligned connector openings  18 , 20  respectively formed in the tooth point  12  and the adapter nose  14  and locked therein to block outward removal of the point  12  from the adapter nose  14 . For a more detailed description of this general type of excavating equipment connector pin structure, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,950 which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     In addition to its applicability to material displacement and excavating equipment, the connector pin assembly  10  may also be advantageously utilized in joining a wide variety of other types of telescoped members. Accordingly, it is to be clearly understood that principles of the present invention are in no way limited to the fields of material displacement and excavation equipment although such inventive principles are particularly well suited to such fields. 
     Connector pin assembly  10  includes an elongated metal main body portion  22  having an opening or passage  24  longitudinally extending inwardly through one end thereof, and opposite, longitudinally outwardly projecting end portions  23  that, as shown in  FIG. 1 , block removal of the point  12  from the adapter nose  14 . Representatively, but not by way of limitation, the entire exterior periphery of the main body portion  22  is parallel to its length (i.e., the main body portion  22  does not appreciably taper laterally inwardly along its length) in a manner similar to that of the flat connector member  60  illustrated and described in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/287,406 assigned to the assignee of the present application and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     Opening or passage  24  has a circularly cross-sectioned longitudinally outer portion  24   a  (see  FIG. 2 ), a square cross-sectioned longitudinally intermediate portion  24   b  (see  FIGS. 3 and 7 ), and a smaller diameter longitudinally inner circularly cross-sectioned portion  24   c  (see  FIG. 3 ) inwardly tangential to the square cross-sectioned opening portion  24   b.  Outer opening portion  24   a  is outwardly tangential to the opening portion  24   b  (i.e., tangential to its corner portions). 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 1–7 , connector pin assembly  10  also includes a rotatable metal lock member  26 , an elongated rectangular detent member  28  formed from a resilient plastic or nylon material, an annular metal bushing  30 , and a resilient O-ring seal member  32 . The lock member  26  has an elongated cylindrical body  34  with a rectangularly cross-sectioned slot  36  transversely extending through a longitudinally intermediate portion thereof and sized to complementarily receive the detent member  28  with opposite end portions thereof projecting outwardly from opposite outer side surface portions of the body  34 . At the outer end of the body  34  is a hexagonal driving head  38  from which a retaining lobe  40  outwardly projects. 
     The connector pin structure  10  is assembled by first placing the O-ring  32  in an associated annular groove on the body  34  between the lobe  40  and the transverse slot  36 , and then placing the metal bushing  30  on the body  34  over the O-ring  32  (see  FIG. 4 ). The resilient detent member  28  is then inserted into the slot  36  and the lock member body  34  is driven into the opening  24  in the main body portion  22  to press fit the bushing  30  into the opening portion  24   a  and bring the assembled lock member  26  to its  FIG. 4  position within the main body portion  22 . After the body portion  34  is driven to this position, the resilient detent member  28  (which is representatively of a nylon material) enters the square portion  24   b  of the body opening  24  as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     With the inserted lock member  26  in its solid line insertion/unlocking orientation shown in  FIG. 6 , the lobe  40  is disposed within the periphery of the main body portion  22 , and opposite end portions of the detent member  28  are received in opposite corner portions C 1 ,C 2  of the square opening portion  24   b  (see  FIG. 7 ). The completed connector pin assembly  10  is then inserted into the aligned point and adapter openings  18 , 20  as shown in  FIG. 1  and the lock member  26  is rotated 90 degrees from its  FIG. 6  solid line insertion/unlocking position to a retention/locking position in which the lobe  40  reaches its dotted line orientation in  FIG. 6 . In this position the lobe  40  extends outwardly beyond the periphery of the main body portion  22  and, as shown in  FIG. 1 , underlies a ledge  41  within the tooth point  12 , thereby releasably locking the inserted connector pin assembly  10  within the aligned point/adapter openings  18 , 20  by blocking its longitudinal removal or dislodgement therefrom. 
     When the lock member  26  is rotated from its insertion/unlocking position to its retention/locking position, the opposite ends of the resilient detent member  28  are initially inwardly compressed against opposite side surfaces of the opening portion  24   b  (as indicated by the dotted line position of the detent member  28  in  FIG. 7 ) and then snap outwardly into the opposite corner portions C 3 ,C 4  of the opening section  24   b  as the lock member  26  reaches its retention/locking position. 
     Since the resilient detent member  28  must be compressed during its rotational movement between the insertion and retention positions of the lock member  26 , it resiliently resists undesired rotational movement of the lock member  26  from its retention/locking position to its insertion/unlocking position to thereby prevent accidental dislodgement of the inserted connector pin assembly  10  from the tooth point/adapter openings  18 , 20 . The press-fitted bushing  30  overlies and outwardly blocks the opposite ends of the detent member  28  to thereby captively retain the lock member  26  within the opening  24  of the main body portion  22 . The O-ring seal  32  disposed within the press-fitted bushing  30  functions to inhibit dirt and other debris from entering the interior of the connector assembly  10  inwardly past such seal. 
     AS can be seen, the interior opening or passage portion  24   b  within the main connector pin body portion  22  has a polygonal shape (representatively square) which circumscribes the inserted lock member  26 . However, a variety of alternate polygonal and other non-circular shapes for this opening portion  24   b  could be utilized if desired. 
     An alternate embodiment  26   a  of the lock member  26  is shown in  FIGS. 8–12  and is incorporated in an alternate embodiment  10   a  (see  FIG. 10 ) of the previously described connector pin assembly  10  in turn, the illustrated connector pin assembly  10   a  is operatively installed in the previously described telescoped point  12  and adapter nose  14  in place of the previously described connector pin assembly  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . Lock member  26   a  has a cylindrical body portion  42  with a laterally inset square cross-sectioned central section  44 . At the outer end of the body portion  42  is a hex head section  46  from which the retention lobe  40  outwardly projects. 
     The square central section  44  is received in a corresponding square central opening  48  of a square rubber detent member  50  captively retained on the body portion  42  between facing ledges on the cylindrical portions of the body portion  42  disposed on opposite ends of its central square section  44 . When the lock member  26   a  is driven into the opening  24  of the main body portion  22 , the resilient detent member  50  enters the opening section  24   b  as shown in  FIG. 13 . Additionally, a snap ring  52  (see  FIG. 10 ) carried on the inner end of the lock member body  42  is inwardly deformed and then snaps outwardly into a corresponding interior groove in the opening portion  24   c  to captively retain the inserted lock member  26   a  within the main connector pin body 
     With the inserted lock member  26   a  in its  FIG. 13  retention/locking position, the corners C 1 ′,C 2 ′,C 3 ′,C 4 ′ of the detent member  50  are respectively received in the corners C 1 ,C 2 ,C 3 ,C 4  of the square opening section  24   b  so that the detent member  50  is complementarily received in the opening portion  24   b  and resiliently resists rotation of the lock member  26   a  to its insertion/unlocking orientation shown in  FIG. 14 . Such resistance is provided due to the fact that to effect such rotation, each opposite pair of corner sections of the detent member must be compressed toward one another during such rotation. During such compression thereof the detent member  50  continues to fill the opening portion  24   b.  Accordingly, the detent member  50  (in all of its rotational orientations) also serves as a sealing element to inhibit the entry of dirt and other debris into the interior of the connector pin assembly  10   a.  Because of this, the previously described O-ring  32  may be omitted. When the lock member  26   a  is rotated to its  FIG. 14  insertion/unlocking orientation, the resilient detent member  50  is again complementarily received within the interior opening portion  24   b,  with the detent member corner portions C 1 ′,C 4 ′,C 2 ′,C 3 ′ being respectively received in the corner portions C 4 ,C 2 ,C 3 ,C 1  of the opening section  24   b.    
     As can be seen from the foregoing, each of the representatively illustrated and described connector pin assemblies  10  and  10   a  may be inserted into the telescoped point  12  and adapter nose  14  (or other types of telescoped members as the case may be) without the necessity of pounding the assembly into place. Moreover, the assemblies  10  and  10   a  are each of a simple construction, are easy to install and remove, and provide, via their unique locking member detent structures, for improved retention of the installed connector pin assemblies in the members which they releasably retain in a telescoped orientation. 
     The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims.