Excavating tooth assembly and method for assembling and using the same

Abstract

An excavating tooth assembly comprising a tooth holder and a tooth which are attachable together. The tooth includes a pair of prongs which are inserted into a pair of receptacles in the tooth holder and which embrace a web within the tooth holder. A pair of resilient members are attached either to the prongs or to the web and are compressed between the prongs and the web to aid in frictionally securing the tooth to the tooth holder.

1 . A tooth assembly comprising:
 a tooth holder;   a tooth adapted to be combined with the tooth holder;   a first resilient member combined with the tooth and adapted to frictionally secure the tooth to the tooth holder;   a second resilient member combined with the tooth and adapted to frictionally secure the tooth to the tooth holder.   
   
   
       2 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1  wherein the tooth has an opening adapted to receive a portion of the tooth holder, said opening having an inner end and an outer end. 
   
   
       3 . The tooth assembly of  claim 2  wherein the inner end of the opening is adapted to engage a portion of the tooth holder when the tooth and tooth holder are combined. 
   
   
       4 . The tooth assembly of  claim 2  wherein the tooth's opening further comprises a first wall substantially parallel to a second wall;
 wherein the first resilient member is combined with substantially the entire length of the tooth opening's first wall; and   wherein the second resilient member is combined with substantially the entire length of the tooth opening's second walls.   
   
   
       5 . A tooth assembly comprising:
 a tooth holder;   a tooth adapted to be combined with the tooth holder;   a first resilient member combined with the tooth holder and adapted to frictionally secure the tooth to the tooth holder;   a second resilient member combined with the tooth holder and adapted to frictionally secure the tooth to the tooth holder.   
   
   
       6 . The tooth assembly of  claim 5  wherein the tooth has an opening adapted to receive a portion of the tooth holder, said opening having an inner end and an outer end. 
   
   
       7 . The tooth assembly of  claim 6  wherein the inner end of the opening is adapted to engage a portion of the tooth holder when the tooth and tooth holder are combined. 
   
   
       8 . The tooth assembly of  claim 6  wherein the tooth holder further comprises a web adapted to be received by the tooth's opening, said web having a first wall substantially parallel to a second wall;
 wherein the first resilient member is combined with substantially the entire length of the web's first wall; and   wherein the second resilient member is combined with substantially the entire length of the web's second wall.   
   
   
       9 . A tooth assembly comprising:
 a tooth holder having upper and lower members and a web extending between said upper and lower members;   said web being elongated and having a nose end, an inner end, and an elongated first and second opposite side walls extending along the length thereof between said nose end and said inner end;   a tooth having a cutting end and an attachment end, said attachment end having first and second spaced apart prongs adapted to engage said first and second opposite side walls of said web;   a first resilient member attached to one of said first prong and said first side wall of said web and a second resilient member attached to one of said second prong or said second side wall of said web;   said first resilient member adapted to be compressed between said first prong and said first side wall of said web to frictionally secure the tooth to the tooth holder, and said second resilient member adapted to be compressed between said second prong and said second side wall of said web to frictionally secure the tooth to the tooth holder.   
   
   
       10 . The tooth assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said first and second spaced apart prongs define an elongated slot having a closed inner end and an open outer end, said first and second resilient members each having an outer end adjacent said outer end of said slot and an inner end adjacent said inner end of said slot. 
   
   
       11 . The tooth assembly according to  claim 10  wherein said nose end of said web is adapted to engage said inner end of said slot. 
   
   
       12 . The tooth assembly of  claim 10  wherein the first and second resilient members are adapted to engage said first and second opposite side walls along substantially the entire length thereof between said nose end and said inner end of said web. 
   
   
       13 . The tooth assembly according to  claim 9  wherein each of said first and second resilient members are attached to the assembly by a vulcanization process. 
   
   
       14 . The tooth assembly according to  claim 9  wherein each of said first and second side walls of said web are concave in cross section. 
   
   
       15 . A method for detachably securing a tooth to a tooth holder comprising:
 providing said tooth holder with upper and lower members and a web extending between said upper and lower members, said web being elongated, having a nose end, an inner end, and an elongated first and second opposite side walls extending along the length thereof between said nose end and said inner end;   providing said tooth with a cutting end and an attachment end, said attachment end having a first and second spaced apart prongs forming an elongated slot, said slot having a closed inner end and an open outer end;   attaching first and second resilient members either to said first and second prongs respectively or to said first and second side walls respectively of said web;   moving said first and second prongs of said tooth holder into an attached position engaging said first and second opposite side walls respectively of said web, so that said first resilient member is compressed between said first prong and said first side wall of said web and said second resilient member is compressed between said second prong and said second side wall of said web.   
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein said attaching step comprises vulcanizing said first and second resilient members either to said first and second prongs respectively or to said first end second side walls respectively of said web. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein said first and second resilient members are elongated and include an inner end adjacent said inner end of said slot and an outer end adjacent said outer end of said slot, said step of moving said tooth holder to said attached position includes moving said closed inner end of said slot into contact with said nose end of said web whereby said first and second resilient members engage said first and second side walls respectively along substantially their entire lengths between said inner end and said nose end of said web.