Excavation tooth assembly

Abstract

A tooth member of an excavation tooth assembly, the tooth member comprising a body having opposite first and second ends, and a projecting portion extending in a longitudinal direction towards said first end, the projecting portion having a top surface and a bottom surface; and opposite sides extending between said top and bottom surfaces, the projecting portion being configured with spaced apart side regions extending in the longitudinal direction and being defined by portions of the top and bottom surfaces and respective ones of the sides; and a mid region disposed between said side regions, wherein the mid region is recessed relative to the side regions along at least a portion of at least one of the top and bottom surfaces.

1 . A tooth member of an excavation tooth assembly, the tooth member comprising a body having opposite first and second ends, and a projecting portion configured to be received in a socket of another tooth member, the projecting portion extending in a longitudinal direction towards said first end, the projecting portion having a top surface and a bottom surface; and opposite sides extending between said top and bottom surfaces, the projecting portion being configured with spaced apart side regions extending in the longitudinal direction and being defined by portions of the top and bottom surfaces and respective ones of the sides; and a mid region disposed between said side regions, wherein the mid region is recessed relative to the side regions along at least a portion of at least one of the top and bottom surfaces, the recess defined by the mid region extending from the first end of the body towards the second end of the body. 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The tooth member of  claim 1 , wherein the mid region extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The tooth member of  claim 1 , wherein the first side region defines a broad arcuate surface portion in at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of the projecting portion and the second side region defines a broad arcuate surface portion in at least one of the top and bottom surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The tooth member of  claim 5 , wherein the broad arcuate surface portions are convexly curved surfaces. 
     
     
         7 . The tooth member of  claim 1 , wherein the recess defined by the mid region is a concave trough between the first and second side regions. 
     
     
         8 . The tooth member of  claim 1 , wherein the first end of the body finishes in a front face, wherein the front face is shaped with a convex curve between the first and second sides of the projecting portion. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The tooth member of  claim 1 , wherein at the first side of the body is a first side surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface and at the second side of the body is a second side surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The tooth member of  claim 10 , wherein the tooth member has a recess formed in at least one of the first and second side surfaces of the body and wherein each recess extends in the longitudinal direction of the body. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The tooth member of  claim 10 , wherein the first and/or second side surfaces are concave between the top and bottom surfaces of the body. 
     
     
         15 . The tooth member of  claim 10 , wherein the side surfaces are planar and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the body. 
     
     
         16 . The tooth member of  claim 10 , wherein the body of the tooth member also incorporates a cavity for receiving a lock to lock the tooth member to a further tooth member, the cavity extending between the first and second sides of the body and opening in the first and second side surfaces and wherein the tooth member has curved transition segments at the openings of the cavity, the transition segments curving from the side surfaces of the projecting portion to an internal surface defining the cavity. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The tooth member of  claim 1 , wherein the projecting portion tapers between the top and bottom surfaces, wherein the projecting portion is wider at the top surface than at the bottom surface. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A tooth member of an excavation tooth assembly, the tooth member comprising a body having opposite first and second ends, and a socket extending in a longitudinal direction towards said first end from an opening in the second end, the socket defined by a top inner surface and a bottom inner surface of the body; and opposite sides extending between said top and bottom inner surfaces and wherein the socket finishes towards the first end of the body in an inner end face, the socket being configured with spaced apart side regions extending in the longitudinal direction and being defined by portions of the top and bottom inner surfaces and respective ones of the sides; and a mid region disposed between said side regions, wherein the mid region is reduced in height relative to the side regions by a projection along at least a portion of at least one of the top and bottom inner surfaces, wherein the projection defining the mid region extends from the inner end face of the socket towards the second end of the body. 
     
     
         21 . The tooth member of  claim 20 , wherein the mid region extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. 
     
     
         22 . The tooth member of  claim 20 , wherein the projection defining the mid region comprises a ridge on at least one of the top and bottom inner surfaces. 
     
     
         23 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The tooth member of  claim 20 , wherein the first side region defines a broad arcuate surface portion in at least one of the top and bottom inner surfaces of the socket and the second side region defines a broad arcuate surface portion in at least one of the top and bottom inner surfaces of the socket. 
     
     
         26 . The tooth member of  claim 25 , wherein the broad arcuate surface portions are concavely curved surfaces and curve from one of the sides of the socket to the mid region of the socket. 
     
     
         27 . The tooth member of  claim 22 , wherein each ridge is a convexly curved ridge located between the first and second side regions. 
     
     
         28 . The tooth member of  claim 20 , wherein the inner end face is shaped with a concave curve between the first and second sides of the socket. 
     
     
         29 . The tooth member of  claim 20 , wherein at the first side of the socket is a first inner side surface extending between the top inner surface and the bottom inner surface and at the second side of the socket is a second inner side surface extending between the top inner surface and the bottom inner surface. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The tooth member of  claim 29 , wherein the first and/or second inner side surfaces are convex between the top and bottom inner surfaces of the socket. 
     
     
         32 . The tooth member of  claim 29 , wherein the inner side surfaces are planar and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the body. 
     
     
         33 . The tooth member of  claim 20 , wherein the socket tapers between the top and bottom inner surfaces, wherein the socket is wider at the bottom inner surface than at the top inner surface. 
     
     
         34 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A tooth member of an excavation tooth assembly, the tooth member comprising a body having opposite first and second ends, and a projecting portion extending in a longitudinal direction towards said first end, the projecting portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, and opposite sides extending between said top and bottom surfaces, wherein the tooth member has a recess formed in at least one of the first and second side surfaces of the body. 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The tooth member of  claim 41 , wherein each recess extends in the longitudinal direction of the body. 
     
     
         44 . The tooth member of  claim 41 , wherein the first and/or second side surfaces are concave between the top and bottom surfaces of the body. 
     
     
         45 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The tooth member of  claim 1 , wherein the recessed mid region is narrower in width than each of the side regions. 
     
     
         49 . The tooth member of  claim 20 , wherein the mid region of the socket defined by the projection(s) is narrower in width than each of the side regions.