Quick change corner tooth assembly for loader buckets

A loader bucket comprises a pair of laterally spaced end walls and a cutting edge secured forwardly on a bottom wall of the bucket, between the end walls. A corner tooth assembly is detachably mounted on each of the end walls, adjacent to the cutting edge, and comprises an adapter having a forwardly extending adapter portion and an earthworking tip detachably mounted on the adapter portion. The adapter further comprises outer and inner mounting portions straddling the end wall and secured thereto by a single bolt extending transversely therethrough. In a first embodiment of this invention, a pair of first force transmitting surfaces are formed rearwardly on the adapter portion to abut a flat forward edge of the end wall and a bevelled surface of the cutting edge, respectively. A pair of longitudinally spaced second force transmitting surfaces are formed on a bottom portion of the adapter, secured to the outer portion thereof, to abut the underside of the cutting edge. A third force transmitting surface is formed on an underside of the inner portion of the adapter to abut a bearing pad formed integrally on the end wall of the loader bucket. In a second embodiment of this invention, a single force transmitting surface formed on the adapter portion to abut a forward edge of the cutting edge and the adapter portion is maintained out of contact with respect to the forward edge of the end wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a corner tooth assembly mounted at each corner of 
a work implement, such as loader bucket, bulldozer blade or excavator 
bucket. The loader bucket, for example, comprises a pair of laterally 
spaced end walls and a forwardly disposed cutting edge secured on a bottom 
wall of the bucket and disposed between the end walls thereof. Each corner 
of the bucket, defined at the intersection of each sidewall with the 
cutting edge, oftentimes has a hardened earthworking tooth mounted thereat 
to increase the work capabilities of the bucket and to also prolong the 
service life thereof. 
A conventional earthworking tooth is either welded at the corner of the 
bucket or releasably attached thereto by a plurality of bolts. The 
welded-on tooth cannot be replaced expeditiously whereas the bolted-on 
tooth normally requires shear blocks or the like, integrated into the 
corner construction of the bucket, to alleviate shearing forces imposed on 
the bolts during bucket operation. Thus, it has proven desirable to seek 
solutions whereby digging forces are transmitted to the end walls and/or 
cutting edge of the bucket directly. 
SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems 
as set forth above. 
According to the present invention, a quick change corner tooth assembly is 
provided for a work implement, such as a loader bucket, which will exhibit 
a high degree of structural integrity and ability to transmit digging 
forces to the cutting edge and end walls of the work implement directly. 
The corner tooth assembly comprises an adapter having a forwardly 
extending adapter portion adapted to detachably mount an earthworking tip 
thereon. The adapter further comprises a pair of laterally spaced outer 
and inner mounting portions defining a first slot therebetween and 
straddling a respective end wall of the work implement. A bottom portion 
of the adapter is integrally secured to the outer portion thereof and is 
spaced vertically downwardly from the inner portion to define a second 
slot for straddling the cutting edge. 
In a first embodiment of this invention, first force transmitting means are 
formed on the adapter portion, at the termination of the first slot and 
intermediate the outer and inner mounting portions, to abut a forward edge 
of the end wall and the cutting edge in bearing contact. Second force 
transmitting means, formed on the outer portion of the adapter, abut an 
underside of the cutting edge in bearing contact therewith to thus provide 
for multi-directional transmission of digging forces to the end wall and 
to the cutting edge of the work implement. In a second embodiment of the 
invention, the first force transmitting means solely abuts a forward edge 
of the cutting edge. 
In the preferred embodiment of this invention, a single fastening means, 
such as a bolt, extends transversely through the inner and outer mounting 
portions of the adapter and through the end wall of the work implement to 
detachably mount the adapter thereon. In addition, a third force 
transmitting means is preferably formed on an underside of the inner 
portion of the adapter to abut a bearing pad formed integrally on the end 
wall of the bucket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
FIG. 1 partially illustrates a loader bucket 10 comprising a pair of 
laterally spaced end walls 11 (one shown) having a horizontally disposed 
cutting edge 12 secured forwardly on a bottom wall of the bucket to extend 
between the end walls. A corner reinforcing plate 13 is secured to the 
sidewall to form an integral part thereof. Although a corner tooth 
assembly 14 of this invention is shown mounted on the end wall of a loader 
bucket, it should be understood that it could likewise be used on other 
work implements, such as bulldozer blades, excavator buckets and the like. 
The corner tooth assembly comprises an adapter 15 mounted on reinforcing 
plate 13 of the end wall by a single fastening means, such as a bolt 16. A 
hardened earthworking tip 17 is detachably mounted on the forward end of 
the adapter by a standard pin assembly 18. Cutting edge 12 may have a 
plurality of laterally spaced standard adapters 19 (one shown) detachably 
mounted thereon by bolts 20 with each adapter having a hardened 
earthworking tip 21 detachably mounted thereon by a standard pin assembly 
22. 
Referring to FIGS. 2-4, adapter 15 of the corner tooth assembly comprises a 
forwardly extending adapter portion 23 having tip 17 mounted thereon. As 
more clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the adapter further comprises a pair 
of laterally spaced outer and inner mounting portions 24 and 25, 
respectively, which define a first slot therebetween which accommodate 
reinforcing plate 13 therein. The mounting portions thus straddle opposite 
sides of the reinforcing plate to prevent lateral movements of the adapter 
relative to the bucket. It should be noted that bolt 16 extends through 
aligned apertures formed through mounting portions 24 and 25 and through 
reinforcing plate 13 of endwall 11. 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the adapter also comprises a bottom portion 26 
integrally secured to outer portion 24. Such bottom portion is spaced 
vertically ownwardly from inner portion 25 of the adapter to define a 
second slot therebetween which accommodates cutting edge 12 therein. Thus, 
the adapter is further accommodated at the corner of the bucket to prevent 
vertical movements of the adapter relative to the bucket. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, a first force transmitting means in the form of 
a vertically disposed flat first bearing surface 27 engages a flat bearing 
surface 28 formed on the forward edge of reinforcing plate 13. Bearing 
surface 27 is disposed at the termination of the first slot formed between 
inner and outer portions 24 and 25 of the adapter and is further disposed 
intermediate such portions. It should be noted that the first force 
transmitting means may further comprise a tapered second bearing surface 
29, formed rearwardly on the adapter to intersect bearing surface 27, 
maintained in bearing contact with the bevelled edge of cutting edge 12. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a second force transmitting means comprises a 
pair of longitudinally spaced flat bearing surfaces or pads 30 and 31 
formed on the upper side of bottom portion 26 of the adapter. The latter 
bearing surfaces abut the underside of cutting edge 12 in bearing contact 
therewith and are spaced longitudinally on opposite sides of bolt 16. As 
further shown, a third force transmitting means comprises a flat bearing 
surface 32 formed on an underside of inner portion 25 of the adapter. 
Bearing surface 32 abuts a flat bearing surface 33, formed on an upper 
side of a bearing pad 34 formed integrally on an inboard side of 
reinforcing plate 13. 
From the above description, it can be seen in FIG. 2 that horizontal forces 
F.sub.1 imposed on tip 17 and adapter 15 will be transmitted directly to 
reinforcing plate 13 of the bucket via bearing surface 27 as depicted by 
force arrow F.sub.1 '. Upwardly directed forces F.sub.2 imposed on the tip 
will be transmitted directly to cutting edge 12 and bearing pad 34 at 
bearing surfaces 30 and 33 as depicted by force arrow F.sub.2 ' and 
F.sub.2 ", respectively. Downwardly directed forces F.sub.3 imposed on the 
tip will be transmitted to the cutting edge at bearing surfaces 29 and 31 
as depicted by force arrows F.sub.3 ' and F.sub.3 ", respectively. 
It should be noted in FIG. 2 that bearing surface 33 is disposed 
intermediate bearing surfaces 30 and 31 in a longitudinal direction along 
the corner tooth assembly. As suggested above, this arrangement provides 
that digging forces F.sub.2, imposed upwardly on the end of tip 17 to urge 
adapter 15 in a counterclockwise direction about the axis of bolt 16, will 
be transmitted to cutting edge 12 and reinforcing plate 13 via bearing 
surfaces 30 and 33, respectively. Forces F.sub.3 imposed on the tip in an 
opposite, downward direction, such as during a prying operation, will tend 
to pivot the adapter clockwise about the bolt whereby bearing surfaces 29 
and 31 will transmit such forces to the cutting edge directly. 
Thus, bolt 16 will not be subjected to digging or prying forces imposed on 
corner tooth assembly during operation of the bucket. It should be further 
noted that the corner tooth assembly can be removed from the bucket 
expeditiously by merely removing single bolt 16. 
FIG. 5 illustrates a modification 14a of the corner tooth assembly wherein 
identical numerals depict corresponding constructions, but with numerals 
appearing in FIG. 5 to depict modified constructions being accompanied by 
an "a". The modified assembly essentially differs from assembly 14 in that 
surfaces 27a and 29a of modified adapter 15a are maintained out of contact 
with respect to bearing surface 28 and cutting edge 12, respectively and a 
bearing surface 35 of the adapter, defined in a notch formed rearwardly on 
the adapter, is maintained in bearing contact with a leading flat edge of 
the cutting edge. 
Thus, horizontal forces F.sub.1 imposed on tip 17 will be transmitted 
directly to the cutting edge via first force transmitting means or flat 
bearing surface 35, as depicted by force arrows F.sub.1 '. As in the FIG. 
2 embodiment, upwardly directed forces F.sub.2 will be transmitted to the 
cutting edge and reinforcing plate 13, as depicted by force arrows F.sub.2 
' and F.sub.2 ". Downwardly directed forces F.sub.3 will be transmitted to 
the reinforcing plate and cutting edge, as depicted by force arrows 
F.sub.3 " and F.sub.3 '.