Excavating equipment, such as excavating buckets, cutterheads, and the like, are used for demolition, mining, earth moving, and other similarly harsh applications. To protect the equipment from wear and/or to enhance the operation of the equipment, wear parts may be attached to the excavating equipment. Such wear parts may include points, adapters, shrouds, runners, and the like.
Such wear parts are commonly subjected to harsh conditions, heavy loading, and extreme abrasion. Accordingly, the wear parts wear down over time and must be replaced, often in the field and under less than ideal conditions.
It is common for a lock to be used to releasably secure a wear member to a base. To do so, the lock must therefore satisfy several seemingly contradictory requirements. The lock must secure the wear member to the base with sufficient strength and stability to avoid failure during operation. At the same time, the lock must facilitate release and replacement of the wear member by field personnel, under field conditions.
Examples of wear parts and their retaining devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,709,043, 6,735,890, 6,871,426, 6,986,216, 6,993,861, 7,121,022, 7,367,144, and 7,882,649; and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. US20110107624. The disclosures of these and all other publications referenced herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds