Wear Assembly For An Excavating Bucket

Abstract

A wear assembly for protecting the digging edge of a bucket which includes a wear member having a lock-receiving hole in one leg and an upstanding rib along the other leg. The rib extends axially along the leg to be received into a slot in a base fixed to the lip of the bucket. The rib has a rear end that engages the base to hold the rear end of the rib between the base and the lip. The wear member further includes an interior surface that has a front portion formed with a curve to wrap around the digging edge and a plurality of stabilizing surfaces. The lock has a latch and a threaded wedge received into the passage to move the latch to its holding position to maintain the lock in the assembly during use.

1 . A wear member for an excavating bucket comprising a front working end, a first leg and a second leg, each said leg extending rearwardly and having an inner surface facing toward the other leg, the legs defining a gap between the inner surfaces which is open laterally to receive a digging edge of an excavating bucket, the first leg including a hole for receiving a lock to secure the wear member to the bucket, and the second leg including a rib upstanding on the inner surface of the second leg that extends axially rearward along most of the second leg to be slidingly received into a slot of a base fixed to the bucket for support. 
   
   
       2 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the rib includes rails each with a holding surface that generally faces toward the inner surface of the second leg to engage complementary holding surfaces along the slot of the base. 
   
   
       3 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 2  wherein a rear end of the rib projects rearward of the second leg to engage a support surface of the base which holds the rear end of the rib between the support surface and the bucket for support of the wear member under load. 
   
   
       4 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 3  which includes an inner corner surface interconnecting the inner surfaces of the two legs to collectively define an interior surface of the wear member that is adapted to overlie the bucket, wherein the interior surface has a generally uniform curvature along the inner corner surface and a plurality of spaced apart stabilizing surfaces proximate the uniform curvature wherein each said stabilizing surface extends generally parallel to the inner surface of the second leg. 
   
   
       5 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 4  in which the inner corner surface includes a central portion and opposite side portions, wherein the central portion is recessed relative to the side portions and thereby defines sidewalls to oppose and contact side surfaces of the base for lateral support. 
   
   
       6 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 5  wherein one said stabilizing surface is formed along the central portion proximate each said side portion and proximate each said leg. 
   
   
       7 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 1  wherein a rear end of the rib projects rearward of the second leg to engage a support surface of a base fixed to the bucket which holds the rear end of the rib between the support surface and the bucket for support of the wear member under load. 
   
   
       8 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 1  which includes an inner corner surface interconnecting the inner surfaces of the two legs to collectively define an interior surface of the wear member that is adapted to overlie the bucket, wherein the interior surface has a generally uniform curvature along the inner corner surface and a plurality of spaced apart stabilizing surfaces proximate the uniform curvature, wherein each stabilizing surface extends generally parallel to the inner surface of the second leg. 
   
   
       9 . A wear member for an excavating bucket comprising:
 a front working end;   a pair of rearwardly extending legs defining a gap adapted to straddle the bucket along a digging edge, each said leg including an inner surface facing generally toward the other leg;   a hole for receiving a lock to secure the wear member to the bucket; and   an axial rib upstanding on an inner surface of one of the legs, the rib having a rear end with a support surface free of the leg and facing away from the other leg to engage a holding surface of a base fixed to the bucket that holds the rear end of the rib between the holding surface and the bucket for support.   
   
   
       10 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 9  wherein the rear end of the rib extends rearward of the leg to which the rib is attached. 
   
   
       11 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 9  wherein the rib includes rails each with a holding surface that generally faces toward the inner surface of the leg from which the rib extends to engage complementary holding surfaces on a base fixed to the bucket facing in an opposite direction. 
   
   
       12 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 9  which includes an inner corner surface interconnecting the inner surfaces of the two legs to collectively define an interior surface adapted to overlie the bucket, wherein the interior surface has a generally uniform curvature along the inner corner surface and a plurality of spaced apart stabilizing surfaces proximate the uniform curvature, wherein each said stabilizing surface extends generally parallel to the inner surface of the leg with the rib. 
   
   
       13 . A wear member for an excavating bucket comprising:
 a front working end;   a pair of rearwardly extending legs defining a gap adapted to straddle the bucket along a digging edge;   a hole for receiving a lock to secure the wear member to the bucket; and   an interior surface adapted to face and overlie the bucket, the interior surface including a front portion having a generally uniform curvature to wrap around the digging edge of the bucket and a plurality of spaced apart stabilizing surfaces wherein each stabilizing surface extends generally parallel to an outer side surface of the bucket along the digging edge received into the gap.   
   
   
       14 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 13  in which the front portion of the interior surface includes a central portion and opposite side portions, wherein the central portion is recessed relative to the side portions to thereby define sidewalls to oppose and contact side surfaces of the base for lateral support. 
   
   
       15 . A wear member in accordance with  claim 14  wherein one said stabilizing surface is formed along the central portion proximate each said side portion. 
   
   
       16 . A wear assembly for an excavating bucket comprising:
 a base fixed to the bucket, the base including a front surface and an axial slot having an inlet end that opens in the front surface;   a wear member including a front working end, a first leg and a second leg, each said leg extending rearwardly and having an inner surface facing toward the other leg, the legs defining a gap between the inner surfaces adapted to receive a digging edge of the bucket, the first leg including a hole and the second leg including a rib upstanding on the inner surface of the second leg that extends axially rearward along most of the second leg and is slidingly received into the slot on the base through the open inlet end; and   a lock received in the hole in the wear member to secure the wear member to the bucket.   
   
   
       17 . A wear assembly in accordance with  claim 16  in which the rib and the slot each includes rails that engage each other such that the rails of the slot hold the rib between the base and the bucket. 
   
   
       18 . A wear assembly in accordance with  claim 17  wherein the base includes a support surface facing toward the bucket, and the rib includes a rear end that projects rearward of the second leg to engage the support surface which holds the rear end of the rib between the support surface and the bucket for support of the wear member under load. 
   
   
       19 . A wear assembly in accordance with  claim 16  wherein a rear end of the rib projects rearward of the second leg to engage a support surface of a base fixed to the bucket to hold the rear end of the rib between the support surface and the bucket for support of the wear member under load. 
   
   
       20 . A wear assembly in accordance with  claim 16  which includes an inner corner surface interconnecting the inner surfaces of the two legs to collectively define an interior surface adapted to overlie the bucket, wherein the interior surface has a generally uniform curvature along the inner corner surface and a plurality of spaced apart stabilizing surfaces proximate the uniform curvature, wherein each said stabilizing surfaces extends generally parallel to the inner surface of the second leg. 
   
   
       21 . A wear assembly for an excavating bucket comprising:
 a base fixed to the bucket, the base including a front surface having a generally uniform curved shape and a plurality of stabilizing surfaces;   a wear member including (i) a front working end, (ii) a pair of rearwardly extending legs defining a gap adapted to straddle the bucket along a digging edge, (iii) a hole, and (iv) an interior surface adapted to face and overlie the bucket, the interior surface including a front surface having a generally uniform curvature to wrap around the digging edge of the bucket and bear against the front surface of the base, and a plurality of spaced apart stabilizing surfaces, wherein each stabilizing surface of the wear member and the base extends generally parallel to an outer side surface of the bucket along the digging edge received into the gap and   a lock received in the hole in the wear member to secure the wear member to the bucket.   
   
   
       22 . A wear assembly in accordance with  claim 21  in which the front portion of the interior surface includes a central portion and opposite side portions, wherein the central portion is recessed relative to the side portions to thereby define sidewalls to oppose and contact side surfaces of the base for lateral support. 
   
   
       23 . A wear assembly in accordance with  claim 22  wherein one said stabilizing surface is formed along the central portion proximate each said side portion.