Patent Description:
Earth moving machines known in the art are used for digging into the earth or rock and moving loosened work material from one place to another at a worksite. These machines and equipment typically include a body portion housing the engine and having rear wheels, tracks or similar components driven by the engine, and an elevated cab for the operator. The machines and equipment may further include articulating mechanical arms or other types of linkages, such as Z-bar linkages, for manipulating one or more implements of the machine. The linkages may be capable of raising and lowering the implements and rotating the implements to engage the ground or other work material in a desired manner. In the earth moving applications, the implements of the machines or other equipment may be buckets with a beveled lip or blade on a base edge for moving or excavating dirt or other types of work material.

To facilitate the earth-moving process, and to prolong the useful life of the implement, a plurality of tip assemblies may be placed along the base edge of the implement and attached to the surface of the implement. The tip assemblies project forward from the base edge as a first point of contact and penetration with work material, and to reduce the amount of wear of the base edge. With this arrangement, the tip assemblies may be subjected to the wear and breakage caused by repetitive engagement with the work material. Eventually, the tip assemblies must be replaced, but the implement may remain usable through multiple cycles of replacement tip assemblies. Depending on the variety of uses and work material for the equipment, it may also be desirable to change the type or shape of the tip assemblies to most effectively utilize the implement.

In many implementations, installation and replacement of the tip assemblies may be facilitated by providing the tip assemblies as a two-part system. The system may include an adapter that is attached to the base edge of the implement, a ground-engaging tip configured to be attached to the adapter, and a retention mechanism securing the tip to the adapter during use. The adapter may be welded, bolted, or otherwise secured to the base edge, and then the tip may be attached to the adapter and held in place by the retention mechanism.

The tip endures most of the impact and abrasion of engagement with the work material. Thus, the tip may wear down more quickly and require replacement more often than the adapter. Consequently, multiple tips may be attached to the adapter, worn down, and replaced before the adapter itself must be replaced. Eventually, the adapter may wear down and require replacement. If an adapter is regularly used with worn tips, the adapter may wear down and require replacement more quickly than intended. This can be problematic, for example, if an adapter is significantly more expensive, more difficult to obtain, or takes longer to replace than a tip, resulting in more machine down time.

<CIT> ("the '<NUM> publication") describes a wear indicator for an excavating tooth. The excavating tooth has a bore on the front of its adapter recess extending horizontally toward the tip. A wear indicator is located inside the bore. When the tip of the tooth wears down, the wear indicator becomes visible.

While the wear indicator solution of the '<NUM> publication may help identify a worn excavator tooth, it may have certain drawbacks. For example, the configuration of the wear indicator may not work well in non-excavator applications, such as a bottom-wearing applications. Additionally, the '<NUM> publication's wear indicator may not adequately protect certain parts of the adapter from wear or damage. The '<NUM> publication's excavator tooth may have additional issues, such as excess material in certain areas, making the part heavier and more robust or expensive than it needs to be. The excavator tooth may lack features that provide additional support in areas of high stress. Additionally, the excavator tooth may be difficult to install on the adapter.

This disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and other problems in the art.

<CIT> describes a ground engaging tip of a tooth assembly for the base edge of a ground engaging implement. The tooth assembly includes an adaptor configured for attachment to the base edge of the ground engaging implement and having a forward extending adaptor nose.

<CIT> describes a ground engaging tip having a ground engaging portion and a coupling portion in opposing relationship to the ground engaging portion. The coupling portion includes a side wall and an interlock tab.

One aspect of the disclosure relates to a ground engaging tip of a ground engaging tip assembly for a base edge of a ground engaging implement. The ground engaging tip assembly includes an adapter configured for attachment to the base edge of the ground engaging implement and having a forwardly extending adapter nose, and a ground engaging tip. The ground engaging tip has a rear edge, a top outer surface, and a bottom outer surface. The top outer surface and the bottom outer surface extend forward from the rear edge of the ground engaging tip and converge at a front edge of the ground engaging tip. The tip further includes first and second side outer surfaces extending forward from the rear edge of the ground engaging tip to the front edge. The tip further includes a nose cavity, within the ground engaging tip and defined by the converging top and bottom outer surfaces and the first and second side outer surfaces, for receiving the adapter nose therein. The nose cavity has first and second side inner surfaces opposite the first and second side outer surfaces, respectively. The nose cavity also has an aperture in at least one of the first and second side inner surfaces, and a retention channel on at least one of the first and second side inner surfaces. The retention channel extends from the rear edge to the aperture and isconfigured to guide a lug of the adapter into the aperture during installation of the ground engaging tip on the adapter. The retention channel has an untapered portion and a tapered portion, with the tapered portion extending from the rear edge to the untapered portion and the untapered portion extending from the tapered portion to the aperture. The untapered portion ends at the aperture and a taper angle of the tapered portion relative to the untapered portion is <NUM>-<NUM> degrees.

Referring now to <FIG>, there is shown an implement for a bottom-wearing application, such as a loader machine application. The implement may take the form of a bucket assembly <NUM> that incorporates the features of the present disclosure. The loader bucket assembly <NUM> may include a bucket <NUM> which is partially shown in <FIG>. The bucket <NUM> may be used on the loader machine to excavate material in a known manner. The bucket assembly <NUM> may include a pair of oppositely-disposed support arms <NUM> on which corresponding side-bar protectors, such as corner guards <NUM>, may be mounted. The bucket assembly <NUM> may further included a number of edge protector assemblies <NUM> interposed between tip assemblies <NUM> in accordance with the present disclosure, with the edge protector assemblies <NUM> and the tip assemblies <NUM> being secured along a base edge <NUM> of the bucket <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an implement for a front-wearing application, such as an excavator application. In this example, the implement has the form of an excavator bucket assembly <NUM>. The excavator bucket assembly <NUM> may include a bucket <NUM> having side-bar protectors or corner guards <NUM> on either side, as well as a plurality of tip assemblies <NUM> attached to the base edge <NUM> of the bucket <NUM>.

Various embodiments of tip assemblies are described that may be implemented in bottom-wearing or front-wearing applications. Even where a particular tip assembly or component embodiment may be described with respect to a particular bottom-wearing or front-wearing application, those skilled in the art will understand that the tip assemblies are not limited to a particular type of application and may be interchangeable between implements of various applications.

<FIG> illustrate an embodiment of a tip assembly <NUM> in accordance with the present disclosure that may be useful with earth moving implements. The tip assembly <NUM> may be used on multiple types of ground engaging implements that have a base edge <NUM>. The tip assembly <NUM> may include an adapter <NUM> configured for attachment to a base edge <NUM> of the implement <NUM>, and a ground engaging tip <NUM> configured for attachment to the adapter <NUM>. The tip assembly <NUM> may further include a retention mechanism securing the tip <NUM> to the adapter <NUM>, as explained below. The retention mechanisms may utilize aspects of the adapter <NUM> and tip <NUM>, such as retention apertures <NUM> through the sides of the tip <NUM>. Those skilled in the art will understand that many alternative retention mechanisms may be implemented in the tip assemblies <NUM> according to the present disclosure, and that the tip assemblies <NUM> are not limited to any particular retention mechanism(s). As shown in <FIG>, once attached to the adapter <NUM>, the tip <NUM> may extended outwardly from a base edge <NUM> of the implement <NUM> for initial engagement with work material (not shown).

An embodiment of the adapter <NUM> is shown in greater detail in <FIG>. Referring to <FIG>, the adapter <NUM> may include a rear portion <NUM>, an intermediate portion <NUM>, and a nose <NUM>, as indicated by brackets. The intermediate portion <NUM> may separate the rear portion <NUM> and the nose <NUM>.

The rear portion <NUM> may include a top strap <NUM> and a bottom strap <NUM>. The top strap <NUM> and the bottom strap <NUM> may define a gap <NUM> therebetween as shown in <FIG> and <FIG> for receiving the base edge <NUM> of the implement <NUM>. The top strap <NUM> may have a bottom surface <NUM> that may oppose and engage a top surface <NUM> of the base edge <NUM>. The bottom strap <NUM> may have a top surface <NUM> that may oppose and engage a bottom surface <NUM> of the base edge <NUM>.

The adapter <NUM> may be secured in place on the base edge <NUM> of the implement <NUM> by attaching the top strap <NUM> and the bottom strap <NUM> to the base edge <NUM> using any connection method or mechanism known to those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, the straps <NUM>, <NUM> and the base edge <NUM> may have corresponding apertures <NUM> through which fasteners (not shown) such as bolts or rivets may be inserted to hold the adapter <NUM> in place. Alternatively, the top and bottom straps <NUM>, <NUM> may be welded to the corresponding top and bottom surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> of the base edge <NUM> so that the adapter <NUM> and the base edge <NUM> do not move relative to each other during use.

The intermediate portion <NUM> of the adapter <NUM> may provide a transition between the straps <NUM>, <NUM> and the nose <NUM> extending outwardly from the front end of the adapter <NUM>. The nose <NUM> may be configured to be received by a corresponding nose cavity <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>) of the tip <NUM>, as will be described below. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the nose <NUM> may have a bottom surface <NUM>, a top surface <NUM>, opposing side surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>, and a front surface <NUM>. The bottom surface <NUM> may be generally planar and inclined upwardly or downwardly relative to the top surface <NUM> of the bottom strap <NUM> and, correspondingly, the bottom surface <NUM> of the base edge <NUM>.

The nose <NUM> may support the tip <NUM> during use of the implement <NUM> and facilitate retention of the tip <NUM> on the nose <NUM> when bearing the load of the work material in the implement <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the nose <NUM> may have a pair of lugs <NUM> projecting from each of the side surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> (only one shown in <FIG>).

The lugs <NUM> may function as part of a retention mechanism for holding the tip <NUM> on the nose <NUM>. In particular, the lugs <NUM> may be positioned and configured to align with, and engage, the corresponding apertures <NUM> (<FIG>) of the tip <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate the tip <NUM> of the tip assembly <NUM> consistent with the disclosed embodiments. The tip <NUM> may be generally wedge-shaped and have a rear edge <NUM>. The tip may have a top outer surface <NUM> extending forward from a top 52a of the rear edge <NUM>. The tip <NUM> may also include a bottom outer surface <NUM> extending forward from a bottom 52b of the rear edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. The tip <NUM> may also have side outer surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>.

The top outer surface <NUM> may generally slope downward, and the bottom outer surface <NUM> may extend forward in a direction generally perpendicular to the rear edge <NUM>, such that the top outer surface <NUM> and the bottom outer surface <NUM> converge at a front edge <NUM> at the front of the tip <NUM>. The top outer surface <NUM> may present a generally planar surface. However, in some embodiments, the top outer surface <NUM> may have certain features giving the top outer surface <NUM> a desired shape.

As shown in <FIG>, the top outer surface <NUM> of the tip <NUM> may include a rear portion <NUM>, a middle portion <NUM>, and a front portion <NUM>. The front portion <NUM> may generally slope upward from the front edge <NUM> to the middle portion <NUM>. The front portion <NUM> may have a generally planar configuration that allows work material to slide up the top outer surface <NUM> and toward the base edge <NUM> of the implement <NUM> when its front edge <NUM> digs into a pile of work material.

The middle portion <NUM> of the top outer surface <NUM> may serve as a transition between the front portion <NUM> and the rear portion <NUM>. In one embodiment, the middle portion <NUM> may be generally planar and slope generally upward. The middle portion <NUM> may slope upward at a different angle than the rear portion <NUM> and/or the front portion <NUM>.

The front portion <NUM> may have surface features for cutting and penetrating into work material. For example, behind the front edge <NUM>, the front portion <NUM> may have a scoop section <NUM>. In scoop section <NUM>, the top outer surface <NUM> of the tip <NUM> may be depressed below the top outer surface <NUM> in other areas, such as in the rear and middle portions <NUM>, <NUM>. The scoop section <NUM> may thus give the tip <NUM> a knife-like shape for cutting and penetrating into work material.

In typical bottom-wearing applications such as the one shown in <FIG> and9, the tip <NUM> may experience less stress and impact from material at the rear portion <NUM> than elsewhere on the tip. Thus, less material may be necessary in the region of the rear portion <NUM>. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, consistent with the disclosed embodiments, the rear portion <NUM> may have a concave section <NUM> in the rear portion <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. The concave section <NUM> may reduce the weight and/or cost of the tip <NUM> because it requires less material to make than a tip that lacks the concave section <NUM>. Thus, the concave section <NUM> may be included, reducing the weight and cost of the tip, without substantially impacting the useful life or integrity of the tip <NUM>.

<FIG> is a partial cross-sectional side view of the tip <NUM> that illustrates the concave section <NUM>. As shown in this Figure, the concave section <NUM> provides a depression that would fall below a flat surface <NUM> of the rear portion of a tip <NUM> that lacks the concave section <NUM> but is otherwise the same. In one embodiment, at its deepest point <NUM>, the tip <NUM> may provide about a <NUM>% reduction in a wall thickness <NUM> of the top outer surface <NUM> in the rear portion <NUM> as compared to a tip without the concave section <NUM>. The wall thickness <NUM> may represent a distance between the top outer surface <NUM> in the rear portion <NUM> and a top inner surface <NUM> of the nose cavity <NUM>. A <NUM>% reduction in thickness is nonlimiting and provided as an example only, as other designs with a larger or smaller reduction in wall thickness <NUM> may be utilized. The depth of the concave section <NUM> may be selected to provide any desired wall thickness <NUM> in the rear portion <NUM> appropriate for a given application In one embodiment, the concave section <NUM> may not go all the way across the rear portion <NUM>, and thus may create a pocket in the rear portion <NUM>.

The tip <NUM> may have other features for cutting into work material and driving the material into the implement. For example, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the side outer surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> of the tip <NUM> may have top and bottom angled portions <NUM>, <NUM> joined by a flat portion <NUM> (one side shown).

<FIG> show a wear indicator <NUM> for the tip <NUM>, consistent with the disclosed embodiments. The wear indicator <NUM> may enable a worker to better determine when the tip <NUM> is worn and should be replaced, before potentially damaging the adapter <NUM>, or causing unnecessary wear, in further use.

As shown, the wear indicator <NUM> may be located within the nose cavity <NUM> that receives the adapter <NUM>. In one embodiment, the wear indicator <NUM> may be a small opening (i.e., an empty region) protruding from the nose cavity <NUM> into an inner wall <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. As the material of the tip <NUM> wears away, the working surface of the tip <NUM>, such as the bottom outer surface <NUM>, approaches the wear indicator <NUM>. When the working surface of the tip <NUM> is worn to the point that it reaches the wear indicator <NUM>, the wear indictor <NUM> may appear as a visible hole in the tip <NUM>. Seeing the now-visible wear indicator <NUM>, the worker may determine that the tip <NUM> should be replaced.

In other embodiments, rather than an empty region or opening, the wear indicator <NUM> may be an area of material that is different from the surrounding material of the tip <NUM>. And when the different material of the wear indicator <NUM> becomes visible, it indicates to a worker that the tip <NUM> is worn and should be replaced. For example, the material of the wear indicator <NUM> may be a different color (e.g., red) than the surrounding material of the tip <NUM>, so that the wear indicator <NUM> appears as a colored spot on the tip <NUM> when the tip <NUM> becomes sufficiently worn.

In one embodiment, the wear indicator <NUM> may be positioned in an area of the nose cavity <NUM> opposite the working surface of the tip <NUM> that experiences the most wear. In this way, the wear indicator <NUM> may become exposed before the adapter <NUM> is significantly damaged. For example, in a bottom-wearing application such as the one shown in <FIG>, the bottom outer surface <NUM>, along with the front edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM> may experience the most wear. Thus, the wear indicator <NUM> may be located at the front end <NUM> of the nose cavity <NUM>, where the nose <NUM> of the adapter <NUM> contacts the nose cavity <NUM>. Additionally, the wear indicator <NUM> may be located on a bottom inner surface <NUM> of the nose cavity <NUM> or on a front inner surface <NUM> of the nose cavity. In the example shown, the wear indicator <NUM> is positioned at an intersection of the bottom and front inner surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>.

The wear indicator <NUM> may extend into the inner surface or surfaces of the nose cavity <NUM> to a desired depth <NUM>. In the example shown in <FIG>, the wear indicator <NUM> extends generally forward and downward, in the direction of the front edge <NUM> and the bottom outer surface <NUM>. In one embodiment, the wear indicator <NUM> may extend in a direction A that bisects the angle defined by the bottom and front inner surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> of the nose cavity <NUM>. Of course, however, depending on the particular application of the tip <NUM>, other locations and configurations for the wear indicator <NUM> may be appropriate. For example, for a tip <NUM> with a top-wearing application, the wear indicator <NUM> may be located in a top inner surface <NUM> of the nose cavity <NUM>, or at an intersection of the top inner surface <NUM> and the front inner surface <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an exemplary way to determine a suitable depth <NUM> of the wear indicator <NUM> in the direction from the bottom inner surface <NUM> of the nose cavity <NUM> toward the bottom outer surface <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. The depth <NUM> may be chosen to provide a desired amount of protection to the adapter <NUM>. In one embodiment, in a bottom-wearing application, a horizontal wear line <NUM> may be chosen that extends through the tip <NUM> and the bottom strap <NUM> of the adapter <NUM>. The vertical position of the wear line <NUM> may be selected to provide a desired wear distance <NUM> between an original (i.e., unworn) bottom surface <NUM> of the bottom strap <NUM> and the wear line <NUM>. Then, the depth <NUM> of the wear indicator <NUM> may be chosen so that the wear indicator <NUM> intersects the wear line <NUM>. This way, the wear indicator <NUM> may become visible when the bottom strap <NUM> has worn from its original bottom surface <NUM> to the wear line <NUM>.

In the <FIG> example, the wear distance <NUM> corresponds to a thickness of the bottom strap <NUM> that is about <NUM>% of its original thickness <NUM>. Thus, the wear indicator <NUM> in this example would become visible when the bottom strap <NUM> is <NUM>% worn. But any wear distance <NUM> may be used depending on how much adapter protection is desired or needed. And this amount of protection may, in turn, depend on a number of factors, such as the relative costs of the tip <NUM> and the adapter <NUM>, the thickness of the bottom strap <NUM> needed to maintain structural integrity of the adapter <NUM>, the thickness of the bottom outer surface <NUM> of the tip <NUM> needed to maintain structural integrity of the tip <NUM>, or the repair/replacement time for the adapter <NUM> versus the tip <NUM>. For example, if the adapter <NUM> costs much more than the tip <NUM> or takes longer to replace than the tip <NUM>, a smaller wear distance <NUM> may be chosen so that the wear indicator <NUM> appears before the bottom strap <NUM> suffers significant wear. This would help provide a longer useful life of the adapter <NUM> at the expense of the useful life of the tip <NUM>, as indicated by the wear indicator <NUM>. At the same time, if the adapter <NUM> is only slightly more expensive than the tip <NUM> or does not take much longer to replace than the tip14, a larger wear distance <NUM> may be selected to balance the useful lives of the tip <NUM> and the adapter <NUM>.

As explained above, when mounting the tip <NUM> to the adapter <NUM>, the lugs <NUM> on the adapter <NUM> mate or align with the corresponding apertures <NUM> on the tip <NUM> to secure the tip <NUM> to the adapter <NUM>. <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG> show a retention channel <NUM> in the nose cavity <NUM> of the tip <NUM> that may guide the lugs <NUM> to their respective apertures <NUM> during installation of the tip <NUM>. The tip <NUM> may have a retention channel <NUM> on each inner side surface <NUM> of the nose cavity <NUM>. The retention channel <NUM> may extend lengthwise from a the rear edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM> to its respective aperture <NUM>.

As shown in the Figures, the retention channel <NUM> may have an untapered portion <NUM> and a tapered portion <NUM>. The untapered portion <NUM> may extend from an edge <NUM> of the aperture <NUM> to a front edge <NUM> of the tapered portion <NUM>, where the untapered portion <NUM> ends. The tapered portion <NUM> may extend from its front edge <NUM> to the rear edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the tapered portion <NUM> may be longer than the untapered portion <NUM>. For example, the tapered portion <NUM> may be two-thirds of the total length of the retention channel <NUM>, and the untapered portion <NUM> may be one-third of the total length of the retention channel <NUM>. The length of the untapered portion <NUM> may be the distance from the edge <NUM> of the aperture <NUM> to the front edge <NUM> of the tapered portion <NUM>. The length of the tapered portion <NUM> may be the distance from the front edge <NUM> of the tapered portion <NUM> to the rear edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. In other embodiments, different relative lengths of the tapered and untapered portions <NUM>, <NUM> may be used.

The untapered portion <NUM> may be arranged such that an inner surface <NUM> of the untapered portion <NUM> extends in substantially the same direction as a major longitudinal axis "A" of the tip <NUM>, defined by a line perpendicular to the front edge <NUM> and the rear edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. The axis "A" is shown in <FIG>. The axis "A" is the direction at which the tip <NUM> engages the work material when in use. The untapered portion <NUM> may have a substantially constant cross-sectional area across its length.

At the front edge <NUM>, where the tapered portion <NUM> meets the untapered portion <NUM>, the tapered portion <NUM> may have the same cross-sectional area as the untapered portion <NUM>. The cross-section area of the tapered portion <NUM> may then gradually (e.g., linearly) increase from the front edge <NUM> to the rear edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. Thus, the tapered portion <NUM> may be "wider" at the rear edge <NUM> than at the front edge <NUM>. In one embodiment, the taper may be arranged so that an inner surface <NUM> of the tapered portion <NUM> is offset by a taper angle α relative to the inner surface <NUM> of the untapered portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In one embodiment, the taper angle α may about <NUM>-<NUM> degrees, but other taper angles may be selected.

The taper may aid installation of the tip <NUM> onto the adapter <NUM>. <FIG> shows a partial cross-sectional view (taken along the axis "A") of the tip <NUM> installed on the adapter <NUM>, with the lug <NUM> secured in the aperture <NUM>. When installing the tip <NUM> on the adapter <NUM>, the worker must line up the lug <NUM> of the adapter with the retention channel <NUM> of the tip. As shown in the Figure, the taper provides additional area <NUM> beyond the cross-sectional area of the untapered portion <NUM> for lining up the lug <NUM> with the retention channel <NUM>. The additional area <NUM> may make it easier for a worker to install the tip <NUM> on the adapter <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a tip <NUM> consistent with the disclosed embodiments. The tip <NUM> may have an adapter earpad <NUM> on the side outer surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> of the tip <NUM> at the location of the retention channel <NUM> within the nose cavity <NUM>. The earpad <NUM> may protrude from the side outer surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> because the retention channel <NUM> accommodates the lug <NUM>, which protrudes from the side surface <NUM>, <NUM> (<FIG>) of the adapter nose.

As shown in <FIG> and in <FIG>, the earpad <NUM> may have a notch <NUM> at the rear edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. The notch <NUM> may accommodate the base edge <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>) of the bucket <NUM>, and/or base edge protection components such as the side-bar protectors or corner guards <NUM>, when the tip <NUM> and adapter <NUM> are installed on the bucket <NUM>. The notch <NUM>, however, may result in high stresses in the retention channel <NUM>.

Returning to <FIG>, the tip <NUM> may have a support rib <NUM> on each side outer surface <NUM>, <NUM> (one shown). The support rib <NUM> may be formed from the same material as the surrounding side outer surface <NUM>, <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. The support rib <NUM> may bean area of the side outer surface <NUM>, <NUM> that is thicker than the surrounding area of the side outer surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the support rib <NUM> may be positioned below the notch <NUM>, at the bottom 52b of the rear edge <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. The support rib <NUM> may extend lengthwise from the bottom outer surface <NUM> of the tip <NUM> to the notch <NUM>.

The disclosed embodiments may be applicable to any tip assembly used on earth-moving equipment. The concave section <NUM> of the rear portion <NUM> of the disclosed tip <NUM> may provide advantages over conventional tips. In particular, the concave section <NUM> may reduce the amount of material needed to make the tip <NUM>. This may reduce the weight, and/or cost, of the tip <NUM>. Additionally, since the tip <NUM> experiences the most impact and wear from material in areas other than the rear portion <NUM>, the concave section <NUM> may be included in the rear portion <NUM> without substantially impacting the useful life or integrity of the tip <NUM>.

The disclosed wear indicator <NUM> may improve the ability of a worker to determine when the tip <NUM> of an earth-moving machine is worn and should be replaced. Additionally, the wear indicator <NUM> may indicate that the tip <NUM> is worn before the adapter <NUM> is unnecessarily worn or damaged. The wear indicator <NUM> may help avoid wear or damage to the nose <NUM> of the adapter, and may also improve the ability to avoid damage or wear of the bottom strap <NUM> of the adapter <NUM> in bottom-wearing applications. If the adapter <NUM> is more expensive, more difficult to obtain than the tip <NUM>, or takes longer to replace than the tip <NUM>, the wear indicator <NUM> may help reduce the cost and/or improve the efficiency of operating an earth-moving machine. For example, if the tips <NUM> are replaced when the wear indicator <NUM> is visible, preventing excessive wear on the adapters <NUM>, there may be less machine down time due to replacing the adapters <NUM>.

The disclosed retention channels <NUM> may aid installation of the tip <NUM> onto the adapter <NUM>. When installing the tip <NUM> on the adapter <NUM>, a worker must line up the lugs <NUM> of the adapter <NUM> with the retention channels <NUM> of the tip <NUM>. As the worker pushes the tip <NUM> onto the nose <NUM> of the adapter <NUM>, the lugs <NUM> slide down the retention channel <NUM> and into the apertures <NUM>. The tapered portion <NUM> may provide additional area <NUM> beyond the cross-sectional area of the untapered portion <NUM> for lining up the lugs <NUM> with the retention channels <NUM>. This additional area <NUM> may make it easier for a worker to install the tip <NUM> on the adapter <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A ground engaging tip (<NUM>) of a ground engaging tip assembly (<NUM>) for a base edge (<NUM>) of a ground engaging implement (<NUM>), wherein the ground engaging tip assembly includes an adapter configured for attachment to the base edge of the ground engaging implement and having a forwardly extending adapter nose (<NUM>), the ground engaging tip comprising:
a rear edge (<NUM>);
a top outer surface (<NUM>);
a bottom outer surface (<NUM>), wherein the top outer surface and the bottom outer surface extend forward from the rear edge of the ground engaging tip and converge at a front edge (<NUM>) of the ground engaging tip;
first and second side outer surfaces (<NUM>, <NUM>) extending forward from the rear edge of the ground engaging tip to the front edge;
a nose cavity (<NUM>), within the ground engaging tip and defined by the converging top and bottom outer surfaces and the first and second side outer surfaces, for receiving the adapter nose therein, the nose cavity comprising:
first and second side inner surfaces (<NUM>) opposite the first and second outer surfaces, respectively;
an aperture (<NUM>) in at least one of the first and second side inner surfaces; and
a retention channel (<NUM>) on at least one of the first and second side inner surfaces, the retention channel extending from the rear edge to the aperture and being configured to guide a lug (<NUM>) of the adapter into the aperture during installation of the ground engaging tip on the adapter,
characterised in that
the retention channel comprises an untapered portion (<NUM>) and a tapered portion (<NUM>), the tapered portion extending from the rear edge to the untapered portion, and the untapered portion extending from the tapered portion to the aperture,
and
in that the untapered portion ends at the aperture and that a taper angle of the tapered portion relative to the untapered portion is <NUM>-<NUM> degrees.