Bucket Adapter With Load Absorbing Means

The present invention relates to earthworking equipment and, more particularly, to a tooth and adapter assembly coupled to a cutting edge of the equipment and having apparatus for absorbing a shear load applied to the tooth of the assembly.

Earthworking implements such as loader buckets usually have a support plate connected to the forward end of a bucket base, and a cutting edge bolted to the plate and extending forwardly of the plate. Tooth adapters are bolted to the support plate and extend forwardly of the cutting edge, there being earthworking teeth attached to the adapters.

In some prior loader buckets, the adapters would transmit the shear forces or loads applied to the teeth to the bolts connecting the adapters to the support plate. This would normally subject the bolts to such large strains as would cause them to shear off or the bolts to loosen in a short period of time and thereby uncouple the adapters. Consequently, adapters have been developed which fit snugly about the cutting edge whereby such shear forces are dissipated at least partially into the cutting edge. Because of this abutting relationship, the strain on the connecting bolts has been reduced whereby the likelihood of the bolts shearing has also been reduced.

Cutting edges normally have been made relatively blunt to dissipate the shear forces transmitted by abutting adapters. However, these blunt edges do not cut through the earth as efficiently as would a sharper edge. While cutting edges which are relatively sharp could be made, these would not be satisfactory for dissipating the shear forces applied to the earthworking teeth. These sharper edges simply would not be strong enough to withstand the forces and therefore would require constant repair or replacement. Moreover, the sharper edges would not dissipate as much shear load as the more blunt edges, thereby undesirably providing additional shear load on the connecting bolts and increasing the likelihood that the bolts would shear off or loosen.

The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

According to the present invention, there is provided an adapter for coupling one member to another member, comprising a forward segment to receive the one member, a rearward segment bifurcated into a first upper leg and a second lower leg with a cavity therebetween to receive the other member in the cavity, and an integral load-absorbing shoulder extending from one of the legs into the cavity to abut an end of the one member.

FIG. 1 illustrates an earthworking implement.

FIG. 2 is a section taken along lines II--II of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an earthworking implement such as a loader bucket 10 having a plurality of tooth and adapter assemblies 12 spaced across the bucket. The implement 10 includes a bucket base 14 and a member such as a support plate 16 connected to the forward end of the base by welds 18. Another member such as a cutting edge 20 is adjacent the lower surface of the support plate 16 and extends laterally coextensively with the plate 16. The cutting edge 20 is reversible having relatively sharp front and rear ends 22 and 24, respectively, with the sharp end 22 extending forwardly of a relatively blunt forward edge 26 of the support plate 16.

The assembly 12 includes an adapter 28 having a rearward portion or segment 30 and forward portion or segment 32. The rearward segment 30 is bifurcated to provide an upper leg 34 and a lower leg 36 which straddle the two members, particularly the top surface 38 of plate 16 and the lower surface 40 of the cutting edge 20, respectively. The upper leg 34 has an integral load-absorbing shoulder 42 extending downwardly into a cavity 44 formed between the legs 34 and 36. The shoulder 42 abuts the blunt edge 26 of support plate 16, while the legs 34 and 36 are shaped to provide a clearance 46 about the forward end 22 of the cutting edge 20 and the forward end 47 of cavity 44. A member such as a tooth 48 is connected to the forward segment 32 of adapter 28 by a conventional retaining pin assembly 50.

A bolt 52 extends through an aligned bore 54 to couple together the upper leg 34, support plate 16, cutting edge 20 and lower leg 36. A nut 56 and head 58 of bolt 52 are housed within respective recesses 60 and 62 in the legs 34 and 36 to tighten the bolt 52. Another similar bolt 64 extends through the rearward portion of the leg 34, support plate 16 and leg 36 to additionally couple these elements together, with a nut 66 and head 67 being used to tighten the bolt 64.

As can be appreciated, as the teeth 48 dig into the earth, shear loads will be developed and applied to the teeth. These loads will then be transmitted through forward segment 32 to the shoulder 42 where they will then be dissipated into the support plate 16 due to the abutting relationship between blunt edge 26 and shoulder 42. Only a small amount of these shear loads will be transmitted to the bolts 52, thereby reducing the likelihood that they will shear or loosen. Moreover, due to the clearance 46, none of the shear forces will be transmitted to the relatively sharp forward end 22 so that it will not bend or break from these loads.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.