Patent ID: 8347530

Claim:
A tooth assembly having a longitudinal axis, said tooth assembly comprising: a tooth having upper and lower slanted walls and a rearwardly opening socket formed therein, with said socket having a first cross-sectional configuration defined by said tooth which is larger toward an open end of said socket than toward the closed end of said socket, with the first cross-sectional configuration of said socket being at least partially defined by a pair of opposed sides laterally separated by a predetermined distance, and with at least one side of said tooth socket having a generally planar configuration; an adapter having a nose portion configured to be longitudinally received and accommodated within the socket defined by said tooth, with said adapter nose portion having a second cross-sectional configuration which proximate the first cross-sectional configuration of the socket defined by said tooth, with the second cross-sectional configuration of said adapter nose portion being at least partially defined by two laterally spaced side walls, and with the lateral spacing between the side walls of the nose portion of said adapter being less than the predetermined distance separating the opposed sides of the socket defined by said tooth such that, when the adapter nose portion is arranged in operable combination with said tooth, a relief is defined between confronting surfaces on the tooth socket and the adapter nose portion, and wherein said adapter nose portion further defines a recess for laterally accommodating a free ended lock on said tooth and projecting toward the longitudinal axis of said tooth assembly whereby releasably coupling said tooth and adapter in operable combination relative to each other, and wherein said lock is a lug that is formed integral with said tooth; and a securement member insertable into the relief defined between the confronting surfaces on the tooth socket and the adapter nose portion so as to fill said relief and urge the tooth in a lateral direction relative to the adapter nose portion thereby forcibly maintaining the lock carried by said tooth securely within the recess in the adapter whereby inhibiting longitudinal translation of said tooth relative to the adapter nose portion as long as said lock is retained within the recess defined by the nose portion of the adapter.