Abstract:
Improvements in previous bit assembly components including shortened slotted shanks and shortened base block bore receiving portions disclose relationships between shank differential interference portions and the corresponding base block bores. Changes in the differences in interference angles lead to changes in slot width, length and steel hardnesses in order to provide necessary retaining forces between the shank and base block bore.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/304,169, filed Mar. 5, 2016, to the extent allowed by law and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This application relates generally to road milling, mining and trenching equipment and, more particularly, to bit holders or picks having a shortened shank with differential shank/base block bore angles for improved retainability between the two while providing greater access to the rear thereof. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Whether milling road surfaces, removing pavement as a first step in replacing same, providing trenching operations or long wall and other mining operations, various combinations of bit assemblies have been utilized to remove material from the terra firma. The end point where material removing equipment contacts the surface of the pavement to be removed is traditionally comprised of a bit assembly that may include bits having a pointed forward end, the bits either mounted on or made an integral part of a bit holder and base blocks in which the base of the bit/bit holder is mounted. The base blocks may be mounted on either an endless chain, a chain/plate system, or a rotatable drum. 
         [0004]    Presently, the most common use of such a bit assembly for road milling use is found on a rotatable drum wherein a plurality of such assemblies are mounted, either in V-shape or in spiral form around the outside of the drum. An improvement in such assemblies by applicant is found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,371,567, 6,585,326 and RE 44,690, wherein the bit holder or middle piece of the bit assembly is no longer required to be retained on the base block by a threaded shank with a nut therein holding the bit holder on the base block. This improvement by the present applicant included a hollow shank comprising a distal end that is axially slotted, wherein the shank may be driven into a bore in the base block and the distal end of the shank is compressed radially with a sufficient radial force between the bit holder shank and the base block bore to maintain the bit holder mounted on the base block during use. 
         [0005]    While such bit assemblies have traditionally been made of a hardened material, such as tungsten carbide, lately, either man-made polycrystalline diamond or industrial diamond material have been utilized to form layers or coatings on tungsten carbide base inserts to provide longer lasting points of contact between the material removing machinery and the pavement, substrate, or other earth material. 
         [0006]    These diamond layered or coated bit tip inserts have a substantially longer in-service life for certain pavement removing operations and do not have to be rotatably mounted in a bit holder body in order to provide substantial length of service between replacements. Such material removing end contact products may be termed bits, bit/bit holders, picks, or the like, although all perform the same function of removing material as desired. 
         [0007]    When used in road milling or road removal equipment, the bit assemblies are usually positioned in a spiral or V-shape fashion, across a generally cylindrical drum. The spiral or V-shape configuration allows the bit assemblies to be staggered across the drum in closer center-to-center axial bit tip orientation, and allows the loosened material to flow toward the center of the drum to exit the drum housing onto the disposal conveyor. Such heretofore known bit assemblies have included separable bits and bit holders or unitary bit/bit holders with the holder comprising an upper body portion and a hollow slotted shank. The shank has a length approximating 2½ inches which is compressed radially into a base block bore of similar length. While such staggered V-shape or spiral configurations allow the bit tips to be positioned closer to each other axially along the axis of the drum, the present configuration, with about 2½ inches long bit holder shanks, crowds the rear access of the holder adjacent the rear of such closely positioned base blocks. This is especially made worse in so-called “double hit” configurations with twice as many rows of such assemblies on each drum. 
         [0008]    A need has developed for an improved bit assembly, or parts thereof, that provides greater access to the rear of base blocks for greater ease of removability of bit assemblies therefrom, especially broken assemblies, when such replacement is desired. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    One implementation of the teachings herein is a bit holder comprising a forward body portion and a generally cylindrical hollow shank depending axially from the body portion. The shank includes a slot through a side of the shank, that extends axially inwardly from a distal end of the shank. A fowardmost portion of the shank has an outer diameter larger than the distal end portion of the shank. A bottom of the fowardmost portion is sized to form an annular interference contact. 
         [0010]    These and other aspects of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following detailed description of the embodiments, the appended claims and the accompanying figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The various features, advantages, and other uses of the apparatus will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawings are not to-scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of a bit assembly, without a bit, constructed in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a ¾ perspective detail view of the rear of a base block shown in  FIG. 1  showing an arcuate partial bit holder bore extension and the opposed strengthening shoulders on either side thereof; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged side elevational view of a presently known bit holder having a shank length of approximately 2½ inches with a shank diameter of about 1½ inches, and superimposed thereon in dotted line a side elevational view of a bit holder constructed in accordance with the present disclosure having a shorter shank, about 1½ inches in effective length, of similar diameter; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of the outside surface of the shank of a heretofore known tapered shank, a reverse taper shank of elongate standard length configuration, and a shortened reverse taper shank of the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of a bit holder having a shortened configuration slotted shank therein with a reverse taper distal end portion shown in exaggerated configuration for emphasis; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the bit holder shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of a bit assembly including an integrally formed PCD tip insert on the upper end thereof, and a shortened reverse taper hollow slotted shank constructed in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a detailed view of the profile of the reverse taper portion of the shortened shank constructed in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of an integrally formed bit/holder combination including an enlarged diameter diamond layer or coated bit tip insert at the upper end of the bit holder body, and a shortened reverse taper shank constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , bit assembly  10  (minus a bit), constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, is used in road milling, mining and trenching. Road milling, mining and trenching equipment have utilized a plurality, sometimes several hundreds, of bit assemblies located in close proximity in staggered positions around a cylindrical drum, mostly in a V-shape or spiral orientation. The closer the bit assemblies are mounted to each other on such a drum, or a long chain, the closer the center-to-center bit tips may be positioned in an axial orientation to provide a smoother surface of earth, minerals, concrete or macadam pavement after material removal. 
         [0022]    Prior art road milling bit holder blocks, hereafter termed base blocks, have been designed with bit holder or bit/holder combination receiving bores approximating 2½ inches in length. This is for a nominal pick or bit holder shank diameter of about 1½ inches. The shank is also a length necessary to fit in existing base blocks. The closest axial bit tip to bit tip orientation with such earlier design sizes has been about 5/16 inch. But, with extreme crowding of base blocks, a 0.2 inch spacing has been obtained in micro milling machines. 
         [0023]    The desire to achieve smoother road milling surfaces required changes to the bit holder and base block geometry previously used on such material removal equipment. Increasing the access to the rear of such bit assemblies when mounted in close approximation to each other decreases the down time necessary when changing bits and bits with broken shanks, bit holders or combination bit/bit holders from such base blocks.  FIG. 1  shows a bit holder  11  having a shortened shank  12  as it appears when mounted in a base block  13  having a shortened base block bore  14 . 
         [0024]    The Base Block 
         [0025]    The views of the base block disclosed in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show that the metal removed from the back end of the base block  13 , which is now denoted by an L-shape bottom of a bit holder mounting portion  19  of the base block, the L-shape bottom defined by side  15  roughly perpendicular to the bore (centerline), curved sides  16 - 16 , and sides  17 - 17  roughly parallel to the bore centerline. The bottom of the prior bit holder mounting portion was solid metal inside the dotted lines from the bottom of that L shaped cavity extending horizontally at J to an intersection K with a dotted continuation of the predominately vertical line M defining the rearwardmost portion of the former bit holder receiving portion. 
         [0026]    This added space J-K-M at the rear of the base block  13  provides substantial added room when mounted on a drum for manual manipulation of tools needed to remove either a broken bit and/or broken bit shank, from the bit holder, or a broken bit holder and/or (unitary bit holder) from the base block  13  which is mounted on a drum or elongate chain (not shown). 
         [0027]    Co-Pending Applications 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the surfaces  15 - 16 - 17  defining the outline of the L shape cavity include opposing curved sides  16 - 16  and rather flat topped sides  17 - 17  adapted to provide added strength and stress relief adjacent the bottom of the base block bit holder bore  14  and help support the sides of a partial arcuate extension  18  of the base block bit holder bore  14 . The arcuate extension  18  of the base block bit holder bore  14  may be an angular continuation or a more interfering angle than the base block bit holder bore  14  located in housing  19 . 
         [0029]    The use of such shortened base blocks in connection with shortened bit holder shanks are shown in applicant&#39;s co-pending application Ser. No. 14/628,482, filed Feb. 23, 2015, which claims priority of a provisional application, filed Feb. 26, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The use of various shape bit holders (bit/holders) in combination with such shortened depth base blocks, is disclosed in applicant&#39;s provisional application Ser. No. 62/100,764, filed Jan. 7, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIGS. 6, 7 and 9 , the increased diameters of bit tip inserts, from the 0.565 diameter polycrystalline diamond (PCD) bit tip inserts shown in  FIG. 7  to the 0.75 inch diameter bit tip insert shown in  FIG. 9 , provide for not only increased life of the insert, but also the ability to place the bit tip inserts closer in axial orientation to each other from about 0.6 inch to about 0.2 inch, thus allowing almost micro milling operations to conventional milling operations to utilize the same drums rather than completely different drums. 
         [0031]    The increased diameter bit tip inserts are disclosed in applicant&#39;s copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/676,364, filed Apr. 1, 2015, which claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/974,064, filed Apr. 2, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0032]    The shortening of the bit holder shank  12  necessitated re-engineering of the holding forces between the shank  12  and the base block bit holder bore  14 . This change in what may be considered a stronger interference relationship extends not only circumferentially and radially on the bit holder shank, but as shown below also differs along the length of the bit holder shank  12  from that previously used in applicant&#39;s initial patents recited above in the BACKGROUND. 
         [0033]    Changes in the Shank Profile 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the profile of a traditional length bit holder shank  20  is shown in solid line and improved shortened length bit holder shank  12  is shown in dotted line. Heretofore, bit holder shanks are approximately 2½ inches from a rear body annular flange  21  to a distal end  22  of the traditional length bit holder shank  20 . The heretofore known shank  20  has a tapered interference section  23 , adjacent the distal end  22  thereof, that approximates 1⅛ inches in axial length, a central reduced diameter portion  24 , about 1 inch in axial length forward thereof, and another first enlarged diameter portion  25  (not slotted) immediately adjacent the rear body annular flange  21 . The annular flange  21  preferably includes a pair of angled undercuts  26 - 26  for use in extraction of the bit holder  11  ( FIG. 1 ) from the base block  13 . 
         [0035]    The improved shortened shank  12 , shown generally in dotted line in  FIG. 3  and solid line in  FIG. 4 , has immediately adjacent a very distal end  27  ( FIG. 4 ) thereof, about a ¾ inch long (C to C 1 ) reverse taper or differential taper portion  28  ( FIG. 4 ),  37  ( FIG. 5 ), a central reduced diameter portion  30  ( FIG. 5 ), and a radially enlarged upper portion  31  (from ⅛ inch to ⅜ inch) in length. With the shank  12  shortened approximately 1 inch in length, as shown in dotted line in  FIG. 3  and in solid lines in  FIG. 4 , the circumferential and radial forces per unit length need to be increased in order to maintain the bit holder shank  12  in the base block bore  14 . 
         [0036]    As shown most clearly in diagrammatic  FIG. 4 , the original 2½ inch length shank taper portion is shown at A to A 1 . In the first longer shank development, the taper A-A 1  is the same taper in the corresponding portion of the heretofore used longer base block bore. 
         [0037]    In order to increase the circumferential and radial forces between the former length bit holder shank  20  and the base block bore  14 , a taper B with a differential section, shown slightly exaggerated in  FIG. 4 , increases the interference next to distal end  27  of the shank of the present disclosure from about 0.012 inch, on a nominal 1½ inch diameter shank that is 2⅜ inches in length, to about 0.019-0.033 inch, in the shorter shank. The location of the greatest interference differential between the base block bore  14  and the interference portion of the shank  12  is presently found adjacent the letter C as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0038]    With the shortening of the improved shank  12  approximately 1 inch in order to provide additional space, noted in  FIG. 1  between the side  15  of the bit holder mounting portion  19  of the base block  13  and the dotted lines J-K-M shown therein, some of the engineering of the longer shank needed to be changed. With the longer shank, there was the ability to drive the shank into the base block with relative ease until about the last half inch of the shank&#39;s insertion. The use of identical tapers on the outside of the shank and inside of the base block bore allowed for this ease of insertion. 
         [0039]    With a shorter shank  12  and an initial greater interference at the distal end of the shank at taper C-C 1 , more force is initially needed to insert the shank  12  in the base block bore  14 . Without anti-seize material or an oil coating, an axial force of about 2,300 lbs. was found at ¼ inch insertion, about 5,500 lbs. at ½ inch insertion, and about 14,600 lbs. at ¾ inch of complete insertion. It takes about the same number or more hammer hits to drive in the shorter shank of the invention than the longer prior shank. 
         [0040]    With the shortening of the shank to that shown in dotted line in  FIG. 3  to that shown at C-C 1  in  FIG. 4 , the differential between the tapers in the base block bore  14  and the complimentary section of the shortened shank C-C 1  increased from the previously used 0.015 inch on a diameter to approximately 0.022 inch on a diameter on the section of the shank C-C 1  in  FIG. 4 . In the traditional bit holder shank  20  shown in  FIG. 4 , the greatest radial and circumferential force between the base block bore  14  and the bit holder shank  20  was adjacent the top of the taper A 1 . By utilizing a differential in the tapers between the base block bore  14  and the portion of the shank designated C-C 1  in the shortened shank, the area or band of the greatest force between the shank  12  and the base block bore  14  is moved downwardly from C 1  toward the C portion of the shank  12 , increasing the interference and providing added radial force per unit length along the shank necessary to retain the shortened shank  12  in the base block bore  14  during use. It should be noted that the so-called “taper” can be a positive one, a negative one, or a zero or cylindrical one with the scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0041]    It should also be noted that in addition to the interference adjacent the distal end of the shortened shank, the positioning of the open ended slot and the internal slot as shown in  FIG. 3  allowed the interference between the two sections of the shank, which might be called an enhanced interference, to be greater than that found for solid shafts in existing engineering standards books. 
         [0042]    A second position of interference is found at the second enlarged upper portion  31  of the shank  12  adjacent the annular flange  21  of the bit holder  11  which is mostly annular in construction and agrees with the interference standards provided for circular solid shafts as found in existing engineering handbooks. 
         [0043]    Applicant&#39;s development of the base block  13  and bit holder  11 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the base block bore  14 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , was originally constructed to provide for an annular interference contact between a bottom of the second enlarged upper portion  31  of the bit holder shank  12  and the base block bore  14 . This design was developed for several base block bore configurations, one having a tapered upper portion and a cylindrical bottom portion, one having a constant tapered cylindrical bore, and one having an enlarged upper bore segment to more closely resemble the dimensions of the upper shank segment shown at D in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0044]    However, additional research and development has shown that the interference between the base block bore  14  and the bottom of the second enlarged upper portion  31  of the bit holder shank  12  at letter D in  FIG. 4 , could better be configured so as to produce a ring shape interference at  31   a,  rather than being line contact, with the base block bore  14 , preferably having a width or height of about ⅛ to ¼ inch between the bottom of the second enlarged upper portion  31  of the bit holder shank  12  and the upper portion of the base block bore  14 . This increased area of annular interference at shoulder  31   a  provides additional circumferential and radial forces between the base block bore  14  and the bit holder shank  12  while still providing an annular space between the very top of the base block bore  14  and the top of the second enlarged upper portion  31  of the bit holder shank  12 . The space, together with a semicircular undercut  32  adjacent the annular flange  21  of the bit holder  11  in the upper bit holder body portion, allows for minute movement therebetween to distribute stress loads at that location. 
         [0045]    Variations in the Slot 
         [0046]    As shown most clearly in  FIG. 3 , in order to maintain some constants throughout the developmental process, applicant has maintained a wall thickness of the nominal 1½ inch diameter shank of about ⅜ inch, although slight variations will also work. In order to obtain the added elastic deformation with the added interference of the shortened shank  12 , applicant has widened a slot  33  from the distal end  22  of the shank  12  upwardly toward the top of the reduced diameter portion  24  from ⅜ inch to approximately ⅝ inch in width. This ⅝ inch widened slot  33  also provides better access to extract worn bits or broken shanks from the rear of the bit holder  11 . 
         [0047]    Variations in the length of the slot  33  provide more or less flexibility, with greater length of slot generally providing greater flexibility in engineering the shank/base block bore configuration. Elongating slot  33  in the hollow bit holder shank  12  will result in a slight drooping of the shank  12  on the slot side where metal has been removed, i.e., the axis of the shank  12  is not perfectly aligned with the axis of the base block bore  14 . Also, the rear annular flange  21  adjacent the top of the slot may not fully seat against the top of the base block  13 . A substantial advantage of using the slotted shank configuration is the lack of the necessity to machine the increased interference portion of the shank after hardening and/or heat treatment. The slot makes up for any distortion or warpage. 
         [0048]    As shown most clearly in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a second embodiment of the bit holder  35  shows that workable variations in a differential interference portion  37  of a shank  36  can be achieved if the width of a slot  38  is also increased. An axial length  40  of the differential fit portion of the shank  36  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  is approximately ¾ inch with the slot  38  being increased from the ⅜ inch width of slot  33  shown in  FIG. 3  to about ⅝ inch width of slot  38  shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0049]    Unitary Bit-Holder Combinations 
         [0050]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 9 , applicant has further developed its bit holders (see paragraphs [0021]-[0023]) into what some describe as picks or combination bit/holders, especially when using diamond or polycrystalline diamond (PCD), layered or coated, bit tip inserts. The PCD bit tip inserts provide such added useful life in some applications that the formerly used rotatable tungsten carbide tipped bits may be incorporated into the unitary and combination bit holders, as the diamond hardness material does not need to be rotatable to provide longer in-use life. 
         [0051]      FIG. 7  shows a third embodiment pick or bit holder  45  with one of a plurality of potential diamond coated or PCD layered bit tip inserts having a generally conical top  46 , a rounded top  47  or a flat top  48  mounted in a transition member  50  that is anchored in a recess  51  at the top of the bit holder body portion  52 , also the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 9,039,099. This transition member  50  is shown in exaggerated reverse taper configuration, although it may be cylindrical or have a slight taper. In this illustrated embodiment, the diamond PCD bit tip insert  46 - 48  is positioned above the top of the bit holder body portion  52  as the space immediately behind the diamond coated portion of the bit tip insert  46 - 48  is increased, to accentuate the flow of either concrete, bituminous, or other material around the hardened bit tip insert with less wear at that position and thereby increase the life of the entire assembly. 
         [0052]    The transition member  50  may be made of tungsten carbide material, for wear resistance, or various more ductile steel materials in order to provide shock absorbing capability to the top end of the bit/holder. A tungsten carbide annular sleeve  53  surrounds an annular steel flange  54  at the top of the body portion  52  in which the transition member  50  is preferably brazed, interference fitted or shrink fitted. 
         [0053]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , a differential taper portion  56  of a shank  55  adjacent a distal end  57  thereof has a differential angle with the adjacent base block bore  14  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) that is smaller than that shown in  FIG. 3 , about 0.015 inch on the nominal 1½ inch shank diameter. The bit holder is preferably made of 4340 steel that has been hardened from RC45-48 to about RC50-55. This also allows for the provision of a slot  58 , approximately ⅜ inch in width, that is the same as shown in the longer 2½ inch long shank  20  shown in  FIG. 3 . With respect to hardness, a wider slot can be used with a hardness of RC 45-48, and a narrower slot, also with less interference, can be used with a hardness of RC 50-55. 
         [0054]    The Fulcrum Effect 
         [0055]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , which is a detailed view of the shank  55  shown in  FIG. 7 , if the majority of the circumferential/radial interference occurs at “E” such as when the same tapers are used on the shank tapered region and on the base block bore  14 , greater forces occur at “E,” which changes the effective forces along the contacting length. Higher radial stresses are developed at region “E,” which is essentially the greatest radial force zone because the forward termination of the slot region acts like a solid, unslotted shank. However, when a reverse taper design is used, such as a taper of about ½ of one degree per side on the shank, and a taper of about one degree per side is used in the base block bore  14 , a more uniform loading occurs along the tapered section of the shank at regions F to E. The high force contact zone in region “E” remains the same. However, the circumferential and radial forces at F are nearly equal to or greater than the equivalent forces developed at E. If the same tapers are used on the shank and bore the fulcrum lever arm of the slotted region of the shank exerts the least circumferential and radial forces toward the distal end of the shank at region “F”. Hence, in the improvement of the present disclosure, the need to increase the shank to bore interference at the distal end at region “F” of the shank  55  is required to equalize the radial and circumferential forces along the tapered, distal end at region “E” to “F” of the shank  55 . 
         [0056]    A second lever arm about the slot also exists in a circumferential direction. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the greatest lever arm effect of the shank  55  exists about 90 degrees around the shank  55  from the slot  58  in both directions, i.e., at G and H. At 180 degrees from the slot  58 , the outer diameter of the shank  55  is compressed, similar to that of a solid shaft. A binding action occurs at 180 degrees from the slot  58 . 
         [0057]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , a fourth embodiment of the pick or bit holder  60  that includes a larger diameter diamond or PCD coated or carbide layered bit tip insert  61 . The bit tip insert  61  approximates ¾ inch in diameter at the bottom of the conical tip portion thereof. A base  62  of the bit tip insert  61  may be cylindrical or slightly tapered and is mounted in a complementary recess  63  in a steel annular flange  64  extending axially upwardly from an upper body portion  65  of the bit holder  60 . As with the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , an annular frustoconical member  66  is positioned on the outside of the annular flange  64  and is preferably brazed to the upper body portion  65 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 9  is generally 4340 steel having a hardness approximating RC 45-48 and has approximately a ⅜-⅝ inch width slot  67  in a shank  68  of the bit holder  60 . 
         [0058]    While the present disclosure has been described in connection with certain embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.