Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention pertains to a wear assembly for securing a wear member to excavating equipment. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Wear parts are commonly attached along the lip of an excavating bucket or the digging edge of other excavating equipment (such as dredge cutterheads) to protect the equipment from wear and enhance the digging operation. The wear parts may be excavating teeth, shrouds, or other wear members. These assemblies typically include a base, a wear member, and a lock. The base is fixed to the digging edge, and the wear member fits over the base. The assembled base and wear member cooperatively define an opening into which the lock is received to releasably hold the wear member to the base. 
         [0003]    Wear members for excavating equipment are commonly subjected to harsh conditions and heavy loading. Accordingly, it is desirable for the locking arrangement to be strong to effectively retain the wear member to the equipment, and also easily manipulated to permit removal and replacement of the wear member in the field. The lock is usually in the form of a pin that is driven into and out of the assembly with a large hammer. Nevertheless, many different lock arrangements have been used in the past to secure wear parts to excavating equipment with varying degrees of success. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention pertains to an improved wear assembly for excavating equipment, wherein the wear member is secured by a locking arrangement having improved stability, strength, durability, safety, and ease of use. 
         [0005]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the wear member has an opening with angled bearing surfaces to bear against an inserted lock for increased stability and strength, and reduced wear. In one embodiment, the bearing surfaces are inclined forward and away from the longitudinal axis in opposite lateral directions to bear against complementary surfaces in the lock. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the wear member has a tapering opening that defines an expanded bearing area and a narrowed anchoring area for the lock. In this construction, the wear member and the lock contact over a large surface area to transfer the applied loads while providing easy manipulation of the lock and minimizing of the overall opening size. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the opening in the wear member for receiving the lock is formed with at least one bearing surface and a fulcrum that are generally aligned along the longitudinal axis with the fulcrum in front of the bearing surface to provide a stable locking arrangement which is easily manipulated. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the wear member has an opening for receiving a hammerless lock to hold the wear member to the base. The use of a hammerless lock increases safety and the ease of using the lock. The opening is provided with at least one shoulder to prevent undue insertion and wedging of the lock into the assembly. 
         [0009]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the lock generally includes a body formed with two pairs of angled bearing surfaces defining generally a diamond-shaped configuration to cooperate with complementary surfaces on the wear member and the base. This opposed orientation of bearing surfaces provides a highly stable locking arrangement for the wear assembly during use. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the lock includes a concave front bearing surface to grip a complementary surface on the base to resist ejection of the lock during use. 
         [0011]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the lock is installed into and removed from the wear assembly in a swinging motion about a pivot axis. During removal, the lock moves along a path that causes the lock surfaces to pull away from the walls of the lock-receiving opening to lessen the resistance of impacted fines and ease removal of the lock in the field. 
         [0012]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the lock is provided with a main portion and an anchoring portion. The main portion fits between opposed surfaces in the wear member and the base to prevent removal of the wear member. The anchoring portion is offset from the main portion to provide increased stability and resistance to certain loads such as pull off or vertical loads. 
         [0013]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the lock includes a main portion fit between the wear member and the base, and a pivot member spaced from the main portion to swing the lock between its hold and release positions for easy use. Further, with this construction, the pivotal connection for the lock is largely shielded from high loads and abrasion during use. 
         [0014]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the lock includes a coordinated latch and removal cavity to ease installation and removal. In one embodiment, the lock includes a cavity adapted to receive a tool to facilitate a hammerless removal of the lock from the assembly. The latch further includes an access opening in general alignment with the removal cavity to enable release of the latch and removal of the lock in a single operation. 
         [0015]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the latch in the lock is composed of a rigid member and a resilient member. In one embodiment, the rigid and resilient members are mechanically coupled together for ease of manufacturing and/or increased strength of the coupling. 
         [0016]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the wear member and lock can be coupled together to form a single, integral component for shipping and storage. In such an embodiment, the reduction of parts results in lower shipping costs, reduced storage needs, less inventory concerns and easier use. This assembly ensures the availability of a lock to secure a replacement wear member to the equipment. Also, since a new lock is included with every new wear member, the risks associated with reusing a damaged or weakened lock are eliminated. As a result, the lock is easy to use for installation and replacement of wear parts. 
         [0017]    In another aspect of the invention, the lock is fit into a through-hole in the wear member for engagement with the base, and moved about a pivot support spaced from the through-hole. The lock cooperates with the pivot support so that the lock swings between its hold and release positions in an easy to use manner. Further, with this construction, the pivotal connection for the lock is largely shielded from high wear during use. 
         [0018]    In another aspect of the invention, the lock is driven into and retained in a locked condition by a threaded member. The threaded member offers secure fixing of the lock in a digging operation as well as sure advancement to overcome any frictional resistance. The use of the threaded member is intuitive to the operator and easy to use. 
         [0019]    In a further aspect of the invention, the threaded member is anchored only to the wear part without involvement with the base. As a result, there are no alignment difficulties or any need to create additional holes in the base. Moreover, the lock is easily combined with the wear member for shipping, storage and installation. In one preferred construction, the wear member is formed with a through-hole for passage of the lock to the base, and a support to anchor the threaded member to the wear member. The reliance solely on the wear member to anchor and move the lock results in an efficient, reliable, and easy system to use. 
         [0020]    In another aspect of the invention, the base is formed with only a small groove or shoulder to engage the lock and thereby hold the wear member to the equipment. In this way, the base remains largely in tact without loss of material for receipt of the lock for a stronger and more durable construction. In one preferred example, the groove is defined along the rear end of a forwardly projecting nose. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wear assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view with the assembly cut along the longitudinal axis of the wear assembly. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 , which is off the longitudinal axis. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the base. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the wear member. 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the wear member. 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view along line  8 - 8  in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  is a partial top view of the wear member showing the lock-receiving opening. 
           [0030]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the lock. 
           [0031]      FIG. 11  is side view of the lock. 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  is cross-sectional view along line  12 - 12  in  FIG. 11 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 13  is top view of the lock. 
           [0034]      FIG. 14  is a front view of the lock. 
           [0035]      FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view along line  15 - 15  in  FIG. 14 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 16  is a top view of an alternative latch construction for the lock. 
           [0037]      FIG. 17  is a partial perspective view of a second wear assembly in accordance with the present invention, i.e., with the mounting portion of the base omitted. 
           [0038]      FIG. 18  is a partial perspective view of the second wear assembly similar to  FIG. 17  except that the lock is moved to its release position. 
           [0039]      FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  19 - 19  in  FIG. 17 . 
           [0040]      FIG. 20  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  20 - 20  in  FIG. 18 . 
           [0041]      FIG. 21  is a perspective view of a base for the wear assembly. 
           [0042]      FIG. 22  is a side view of the base. 
           [0043]      FIG. 23  is a top view of the lock. 
           [0044]      FIG. 24  is an inner side view of the lock. 
           [0045]      FIG. 25  is a front view of the lock. 
           [0046]      FIG. 26  is an outer side view of the lock. 
           [0047]      FIG. 27  is a perspective view of the lock. 
           [0048]      FIG. 28  is a partial perspective view of the wear member. 
           [0049]      FIG. 29  is a partial, rear perspective view of the wear member. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0050]    The present invention pertains to a wear assembly  10  ( FIG. 1 ) for releasably attaching a wear member  12  to excavating equipment (not shown). In this application, wear member  12  is described in terms of a point or tip for an excavating tooth that is attached to a lip of an excavating bucket. However, the wear member could be in the form of other kinds of wear parts (e.g., shrouds) or attached to other excavating equipment (e.g., dredge cutterheads). Moreover, relative terms such as forward, rearward, vertical, horizontal up or down are used for convenience of explanation with reference to  FIG. 1 ; other orientations are possible. 
         [0051]    In one embodiment, the wear member or point  12  is adapted to fit on a nose  14  ( FIG. 14 ) of a base member  16 , which in this example, is an adapter. Adapter  16  is a medial adapter which includes a rearwardly opening socket  18  to fit onto a nose of a second base (not shown). This second base is fixed to the digging edge of the bucket by welding, mechanical attachment or being integrally cast with the bucket lip. Alternatively, wear member  12  could be mounted directly to the nose that is fixed directly to the lip, without medial adapter  16 . In any case, wear member  12  is releasably secured to the nose by a lock  20 . 
         [0052]    In a preferred construction, nose  14  includes a front stabilizing end  21 , upper and lower walls  22 ,  24  converging toward front end  21 , and sidewalls  26  ( FIGS. 2-5 ). A slot  28  is defined in a central portion of each of the upper and lower walls  22 ,  24  to define stabilizing surfaces  30 ,  32 . Top and bottom end surfaces  34 ,  36  of stabilizing end  21  and stabilizing surfaces  30 ,  32  each preferably extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis  38  of adapter  16 . Substantially parallel includes surfaces which are parallel or which diverge rearwardly from axis  38  at a small angle (e.g., of about 1-7 degrees) for manufacturing or other purposes. Nevertheless, surfaces  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36  could diverge from axis  38  at larger angles for some uses. A recess  40  is formed along each sidewall  26  to receive a lug  42  of point  12  ( FIG. 1 ). Of course, a variety of changes (e.g., omitting recesses  40  and lugs  42 , or changing the nose and socket configurations) could be made to the nose and point. 
         [0053]    A cavity  44  is formed in upper stabilizing surface  30  for receiving lock  20  ( FIGS. 2-5 ). While the cavity may be formed in lower stabilizing surface  32  or a sidewall  26 , in this embodiment the cavity is formed in upper surface  30  for easier access. Cavity  44  preferably has a lower opening  44   a  for easier manufacturing and the release of fines from the cavity. Cavity  44  has a generally pentagonal-shaped inlet  45  with front angled bearing surfaces  46  each inclined to axis  38  at an angle of about 25 to 55 degrees, and most preferably at an angle of about 40 degrees. Nevertheless, the angles could be outside the preferred range. While a pentagon shape is used to provide a sufficient opening for lock  20 , other shapes are possible. Further, while bearing surfaces  46  are generally linear in a lateral direction, they could also be curved. 
         [0054]    Point  12  has a wedge-shaped configuration with upper and lower walls  48 ,  50  that converge toward a free end  52  for penetrating the ground ( FIGS. 1-3  and  6 - 7 ). A socket  54  generally corresponding to nose  14  opens in a rear end of the point Upper wall  48  includes an opening  56  through which lock  20  is received. Opening  56  has a pair of rear angled bearing surfaces  58  to engage the lock. Surfaces  58  are preferably at an angle of about 40 to 70 degrees relative to axis  38 , and most preferably at an angle of about 55 degrees, but could be set outside of the preferred range. The angle at which surfaces  58  are oriented is preferably larger than the angle for surfaces  46 , but they could be the same or smaller. Although bearing surfaces are preferably linear in a lateral direction, they could also be curved. A rear end wall  60  preferably connects to the two angled bearing surfaces  58 . Nevertheless, rear end wall  60  could be omitted such that bearing surfaces  58  join at a corner. Also, although not preferred in this construction, a single rear bearing surface could be used. Side surfaces  62  of opening  56  preferably taper toward front end wall  64  to minimize the overall size of the opening. 
         [0055]    Each pair of bearing surfaces  46 ,  58  are angled to generally define a concave V-shape configuration facing the other pair of surfaces. As can be appreciated, the opposed angled surfaces  46 ,  58  generally define a diamond-shaped configuration such that the angled bearing surfaces direct the applied loads toward the central region of the main portion of lock  20 . The diamond shape is a general description that could include additional linear or curved connecting surfaces between the angled bearing surfaces as well as forming strictly a diamond shape. 
         [0056]    In an alternative construction, an opening  56  for receiving lock  20  could be included in both converging walls  48 ,  50  to enable reversing of the wear member on the nose and/or to permit the use of two locks; however, only a single lock on one side is needed to secure the wear member to the nose. Alternatively, reversible mounting could be achieved by providing two openings in the nose or a through-hole accessible from each side. Moreover, opening  56  could be formed in one or both of the sidewalls  51  with a corresponding cavity in the side of nose  14 . 
         [0057]    Lock  20  includes a main portion or body  66  and an anchoring portion or arm  68  ( FIGS. 2-3  and  10 - 15 ). The free end  70  of arm  68  defines a pivot member  72  about which lock  20  swings between a hold position that retains wear member  12  to nose  14 , and a release position which permits installation and removal of the wear member to and from the nose. In the hold position ( FIGS. 1-3 ), body  66  is received within opening  56  and cavity  44 . When released, lock  20  is withdrawn from cavity  44  and typically from assembly  10 . 
         [0058]    In this embodiment, body  66  preferably has a generally diamond-shaped cross section with rear angled bearing faces  74  to oppose angled bearing surfaces  58  in opening  56 , and front angled bearing faces  76  to oppose angled bearing surfaces  46  in cavity  44  ( FIGS. 2-3  and  10 - 15 ). Rear bearing faces  74  are set at an angle to correspond to the inclination of bearing surfaces  58 , and front bearing faces  76  are angled to correspond to the inclination of bearing surfaces  46 . In this way, the loads applied to the lock are directed inward toward a central portion of body  66  generally irrespective of whether the loads applied to wear member  12  during use have vertical or side components or are reverse loads. This arrangement causes the lock to be gripped securely between the wear member  12  and nose  14  with minimal shifting. As a result, the lock is stable and reduces wear between the components. Moreover, the use of the angled bearing surfaces tends to result in broad surface contact between the opposed surfaces  58 ,  74  and  46 ,  76  with less stress. 
         [0059]    Lock  20  includes a rear face  78  between rear angled bearing faces  74  in opposition to rear wall  60 . With new parts, rear face  78  and rear wall  60  may be spaced by a slight gap to ensure bearing pressure between surfaces  58 ,  74 . However, after some use, rear face  78  may abut rear wall  60  under certain loads due to wearing of the components. Moreover, even when new, face  78  and wall  60  could be in abutment. Similarly, front edge  80  between front angled surfaces  76  may be spaced slightly by a gap  81  from the corresponding front portion  82  in cavity  44  to ensure contact between surfaces  46 ,  76  when the components are new. These surfaces, though, may abut in time, and they could also be formed to abut when new. Of course, variations in the shape of the lock  20 , cavity  44  and opening  56  could be used. For example, surfaces  58 ,  74  could extend to a corner like surfaces  46 ,  76 , or a connecting wall could be provided between surfaces  46 ,  76 . Connecting walls could also be provided between adjacent surfaces  74 ,  76  and the corresponding surfaces in cavity  44  and opening  56 . 
         [0060]    Arm  68  extends forward from an upper portion  86  of body  66  so that pivot member  72  sets against fulcrum  88  defined in front end wall  64  of opening  56  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Fulcrum  88  is forward of and generally aligned with bearing surfaces  58  along longitudinal axis  38 . As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , fulcrum  88  preferably has a lip  90  that overlies pivot member  72  to prevent disengagement during use; although other retention structures could be used. Arm  68  also preferably includes a base surface  92  that presses against upper stabilizing surface  34  under certain loading (e.g., vertical or pull-off loads on the point) for enhanced support and stability. Alternatively, pivot member  72  could be received in a recess formed wholly by wear member  12 . Arm  68  could also extend laterally or rearwardly relative to body  66  to change the swinging direction of the lock. 
         [0061]    As seen in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  15 , front surface  86  of cavity  44  is preferably convex and curved in a vertical direction to form an undercut gripping surface for lock  20 . Front surface  84  of lock  20  is preferably concave and curved to complement surface  86  and fit into the undercut formed by front surface  86 . Nevertheless, front surface could have other configurations to engage the convex front surface  86  and provide the desired gripping to help retain lock  20 . The curved front surface  84  includes angled bearing faces  76  and front edge  80 . Likewise, front surface  86  includes angled bearing surfaces  46  and front portion  82 . This curved, fitting relationship is formed relative to the pivot axis of lock  20  so that under vertical or reverse loading on wear member  12  during use lock  20  is pulled into the undercut defined by front surface  86  to grip nose  14  and resist ejection of the lock from the assembly. 
         [0062]    Lock  20  includes a latch  94  that fits in slot  95  in body  66  and projects from rear face  78  to cooperate with keeper  98 , which in this embodiment is a ledge formed by a channel  99  in rear end wall  60  of opening  56  ( FIGS. 2-3  and  10 - 15 ). A ridge  100  preferably fits within channel  99  to limit build up of fines against the latch and under certain conditions to provide additional side support. Latch  94  could alternatively project from other surfaces of lock  20  and cooperate with other kinds of keepers. Moreover, the latch  94  could be placed in wear member  12  with the keeper in lock  20 . Other kinds of retaining elements could also be used to hold lock  20  in assembly  10 . It is also possible to eliminate arm  68  and rely only upon body  66  so long as a retaining element is provided to adequately secure body  66  in the assembly. Also, as an alternative, translating latch  94  may be replaced with other kinds of latches such as a rotating latch as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,274, herein incorporated by reference. 
         [0063]    In any event, latch  94  preferably includes a tongue  101  of steel or other rigid material and a resilient element  103  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  15 ,  16 ). Tongue  101  is preferably tapered on its distal end and becomes wider than channel  99  to ensure latch  94  remains properly seated within slot  95 . The resilient element can be formed of foams, polymers or rubbers or even of other kinds of spring elements. Tongue  101  and resilient element  103  can be bonded together (as seen in  FIG. 2 ) and/or by mechanically attachment such as by a tongue and groove arrangement (as seen in  FIG. 16 ). In this example only, tongue  101  includes a triangular projection  105  that fits in a corresponding triangular groove  107  in elastomer  103 . Of course, other arrangements are possible. In any event, resilient element  103  normally biases tongue  101  outward and, in use, beneath ledge  98  to retain lock  20  in assembly  10 . 
         [0064]    Body  66  preferably includes a removal hole  109  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  12  and  15 ) adapted to receive a pry tool (not shown). Latch  94  includes a passage  111  which in the normal position is partially aligned with hole  109 . In use, the pry tool is placed into hole  109  and passage  111  via inlet  113 . The tool is then manipulated to push latch  94  forward as described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. entitled Lock Assembly For Securing A Wear Member To Earth-Working Equipment, with internal reference number  358 , filed concurrently herewith, which is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the tool is tapered so that its sides expand so as to push latch  94  forward by being inserted farther into removal hole  109 . In either case, this forward shifting causes latch  94  to release ledge  98 . The pry tool can then be manipulated to pivot lock  20  about fulcrum  88  and out of cavity  44 . Removal hole  109  preferably includes a notch  110  to reduce the risk of the pry tool slipping, but could have a wide variety of shapes. Ordinarily, lock  20  will be removed completely from assembly  10 . The pry tool can also be used to install lock  20 ; the lock may also be pushed into opening  56  and cavity  44  with the user&#39;s hands. Tongue  101  preferably includes an inclined front face  115  to permit easy insertion. With this lock, then, there is no need to use hammers to remove or install the locks. 
         [0065]    Rear surface  78  of body  66  is preferably formed with a convex, curved surface to generally follow the swinging motion of the lock in and out of cavity  44  to minimize the size of opening  56  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). The rear wall  60  of opening  56  is concave and curved to accommodate the swinging motion of lock  20  and to depress latch  94  to ease installation. In a preferred construction, the curvature of rear wall  60  is broader than the curvature of rear surface  78  and is defined by a radius of curvature having a different origination point (i.e., offset from the pivot axis of lock  20 ) so that rear surface  78  pulls away from rear wall  60  as lock  20  is swung out of assembly  10 , as described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled Lock Assembly For Securing A Wear Member To Earth-Working Equipment, with internal reference number  358 , and filed currently herewith. In this way, impacted fines pose less resistance to removal of the lock. 
         [0066]    Opening  56  preferably includes a shoulder  121  along each side  62  to support lock  20  in the hold position ( FIGS. 7-9 ). In a preferred arrangement, body  66  includes a groove  123  to receive each shoulder  121 . Shoulders  121  prevent lock  20  from falling too far into cavity  44  and becoming wedged into opening  56 , thus, making removal difficult. Shoulders  121  could be longer or shorter than shown or arranged in different portions of opening  56 . 
         [0067]    If the shoulders are lengthened, they could be used to support lock  20  in opening  56  without nose  14  in socket  18 . In this arrangement, lock  20  can be secured to wear member  12  to form a single, integral component. The lock and wear member can, then, be shipped as a single unit and stored by a dealer or end user without fear of losing the lock. Since fewer parts are required to be shipped and stored, shipping costs and inventory concerns are reduced. Other arrangements could also be used to secure lock  20  integrally to wear member  12 . For example, a different fulcrum could be used to more securely hold the pivot member of the lock from moving vertically in either direction. Also, other kinds of retaining members in addition to or in lieu of shoulders  121  could be used. 
         [0068]    In an alternative embodiment, the wear member or point  212  is adapted to fit on a nose  214  ( FIGS. 17-21 ). The nose is the front portion of a base  216  ( FIGS. 21 and 22 ) that is fixed to a bucket (not shown) or other equipment. In the illustrated example, base  216  includes rearward legs  219 ,  221  that extend over and are welded to the lip of the bucket. Wear member  212  is releasably secured to nose  214  by a lock  220 . 
         [0069]    As one example, the nose and socket are generally as described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/706,592 filed Feb. 14, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference; i.e., the nose and socket constructions are the same except for the formations associated with the locking arrangement. In general, nose  214  includes a front stabilizing end  222  and a body  224  having stabilizing recesses  226 ,  228  ( FIGS. 21 and 22 ). Wear member  212  includes a socket  218  adapted to matingly receive nose  214  ( FIGS. 28 and 29 ). Accordingly, socket  218  has a complementary front stabilizing end  232  and a main portion  234  provided with stabilizing projections  236 ,  238  to fit in recesses  226 ,  228 . Nevertheless, other nose and socket formations could be used with the locking concepts of the present invention. 
         [0070]    Lock  220  includes a body  240  and a threaded member  242  ( FIGS. 23-27 ). In one preferred construction, body  240  includes a pivot member  244  at one end, a retention member  246  at the opposite end, and a central hole  248  for receiving and cooperating with the threaded member  242 . In general, lock  220  swings about pivot member  244  between a hold position that retains wear member  212  to nose  214 , and a release position which permits installation and removal of the wear member to and from the nose. 
         [0071]    Wear member  212  includes converging walls  250  and sidewalls  252  ( FIGS. 17-18  and  28 - 29 ). In a preferred construction, at least one of the sidewalls includes an opening  253  for receiving lock  220 . An opening could be included in both sidewalls to enable reversing of the wear member on the nose and/or to permit the use of two locks; however, only a single lock on one side is needed to secure the wear member to the nose. Alternatively, reversible mounting could be achieved by providing two openings in the nose (as shown in  FIG. 20 ). Mounting the lock in a sidewall enables a secure attachment for the wear member in a location that is more protected from wear in most applications. The illustrated construction of lock  220  is particularly suited for side mounting so as to enhance stability and reduce wear for loads and shifting anticipated during a digging operation. Nevertheless, opening  253  could, in the same way, be formed in one or both of the converging walls  250  instead of sidewalls  252 . 
         [0072]    Opening  253  includes a pivot support  254 , preferably at a front end of the opening, to cooperate with pivot member  244  of lock  220  ( FIGS. 28 and 29 ). Pivot support  254  is preferably in the form of a recess  256  open to exterior surface  260 . Pivot member  244  is defined by a lug  274  that extends forward from a front end  276  of body  240  ( FIGS. 23-27 ). Lug  274  sets in recess  256  to facilitate rotation of  220  ( FIGS. 19 and 20 ). Threaded member  242  retains the lock to the wear member. To maximize strength in the wear member, opening  253  narrows toward front wall  270 . Of course, other pivoting constructions could be used. 
         [0073]    Opening  253  further includes a through-hole  280  at its rear end for passage of the retention member  246  through sidewall  252  to engage nose  214  ( FIGS. 28 and 29 ). In the illustrated embodiment, retention member  246  has a wide abutment surface  282  to oppose the rear wall  284  of opening  253  ( FIGS. 23-27 ). In addition, in the preferred nose and socket design, the cooperating recess  228  and projection  238  provide rear wall  284  with an increased depth (i.e., inward toward nose  214 ) for additional surface area to engage abutment surface  282 . Since the engagement of abutment surface  282  and rear wall  284  resists removal of wear member  212  from nose  214 , a larger surface area reduces stress in the components and increases the life of the locking arrangement. Abutment surface  282  and rear wall  284  are each preferably curved to complement each other. Rear wall  284  is a concave surface that is preferably defined by a radius of curvature originating at a location directly forward of rear wall  284  that generally corresponds to about the middle one-third portion of socket  20  that receives nose  214 . This broad curvature generally conforms to the anticipated shifting of the wear member  212  on nose  214  to reduce wearing and improve stability. Likewise, front surface  285  of lock  220  is concave and curved such that its radius of curvature has the same origination point as the radius of curvature for rear wall  284 . Front surface  285  abuts complementary convex wall  318  on nose  214 . 
         [0074]    A medial wall  286  is provided in opening  253  between recess  256  and through-hole  280  to cooperate with threaded member  242  ( FIGS. 19 ,  27  and  28 ). Medial wall  286  is preferably depressed relative to outer wear surface  260  to enable lock  220  to be fit within opening  253  to eliminate obstructions to the flow of material around the wear member and to partially protect the lock from wear during use. In a preferred construction for this embodiment, threaded member  242  is a bolt with a threaded shank  290  and head  292 , and a nut  294  to engage shank  290  ( FIGS. 23-27 ). Medial wall  286  includes a central hole  248  through which shank  290  extends. A cavity  298  is formed on the interior side of medial wall  286  to receive and prevent nut  294  from rotating. Cavity  298  preferably narrows outward to complement side walls  293  of nut  294  to retain nut  294 , though other shapes are possible. In use, lock  220  is tightened down against nut  294  but is loosely held with respect to wear member  212  to reduce stress and wear in the lock. Lock  220  is secured to wear member  212  prior to installation on nose  214 . In this way, nut  294  can be held from within socket  218  for engagement with shank  290 . Nevertheless, other arrangements could be used. For example, nut  294  could be secured within cavity  298  by an adhesive, welding or other means for later attachment to shank  290 . Alternatively, bore  296  could be threaded instead of using nut  294 . 
         [0075]    Body  240  of lock  220  also includes a hole  248  that generally aligns with hole  248  in medial wall  286 . Hole  248  is oversized relative to shank  290  to permit the pivotal motion of body about pivot support  254 . A pocket  303  is provided about bore  296  to receive head  292  and permit the attachment of a tool (e.g., a socket wrench) for turning of threaded member  242 . The free end  307  of threaded member  242  may be deformed to prevent its release from nut  294 . 
         [0076]    In use, lock  220  is attached to wear member  212  by inserting pivot member  244  into recess  256 . Threaded member  242  is fed through hole  248  and threaded to nut  294  in cavity  298 . Retention member  246  is received into through-hole  280 . In an extended position of lock  220  ( FIGS. 18 and 20 ), i.e., the release position, retention member  246  sets within through-hole  280  but does not extend into socket  218 . As an alternative, lock  220  may be provided with a latch as opposed to a threaded member. For example, lock  220  may have a translating latch as in lock  20  or a rotating latch as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,274. 
         [0077]    Lock  220 , once secured, forms a single, integral component with wear member  212 . The lock and wear member can, then, be shipped as a single unit and stored by a dealer or end user without fear of losing the lock. Also, since fewer parts are required to be shipped and stored, shipping costs and inventory concerns are reduced. Additionally, since lock  220  remains secured to wear member  212  in the release and hold positions, the wear member can be installed with the lock to reduce the number of components needed for assembly and virtually eliminate the problems associated with dropped and/or lost locks in the field. 
         [0078]    Once the wear member  212  has been fit onto nose  214 , threaded member  242  can be rotated to drive lock body  240  in an arc about pivot support  254  and move retention member  246  into socket  218  to engage nose  214  ( FIGS. 17 and 19 ). Nose  214  includes a groove  315  to receive the free end  317  of retention member  246  ( FIGS. 19-22 ). The retention member is then positioned between rear wall  284  of wear member  212  and front face  318  of groove  315  ( FIG. 19 ). As a result, the loads are carried by retention member  246 , which is formed as a rigid block (preferably of steel) to accommodate heavy loading. In this way, the loads are not transmitted forward to threaded member  246 . As a result, there is no deformation of shank  290  during use to impede the movement of the lock to the release position. An elastomer  291  or other spring means (not shown) can be provided on retention member  246  to press against wall  318  to provide take up for wear member  212 . 
         [0079]    Groove  315  is preferably a narrow channel in a side  320  of nose  314  ( FIGS. 21 and 22 ). The top and bottom ends of groove  315  are preferably closed to retain, as much as possible, the strength and continuity of nose  214  despite the engagement with lock  220 . Nevertheless, groove  315  could have other constructions. For example, groove  315  may extend across the entire side  320  and be open at its top and bottom. Also, groove  315  may be open rearwardly so that groove is essentially a shoulder with a rearwardly facing abutting surface  318 . 
         [0080]    When wear member  212  needs to be replaced, threaded member  242  is loosened so that head  292  backs outward away from nose  214  ( FIGS. 18 and 20 ). Once loosened, the lock can be rotated to its release position with just the operator&#39;s hands or via a pry tool. Pry slots  321  in body  240  are provided to facilitate the use of a pry tool in rotating lock  220  from the hold position to the release position ( FIGS. 17-20  and  26 ). An elastomer or other spring (not shown) may be provided to push lock  220  outward or to pull the lock inward as threaded member  242  is turned. In addition, a fixed flange (not shown) on shank  290  could be provided between medial wall  286  and body  240  to push lock  220  to its release position when threaded member  242  is loosened. 
         [0081]    While preferred constructions and some variations are disclosed for illustration purposes, many other variations in the nose, point and lock constructions could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Technology Category: 0