Connector systems in earth engaging wear member assemblies

Abstract

A fastener includes an elongated shaft having a head at the end, the head comprising a lock fin extending radially outward from the shaft. The head includes an engagement cavity. The fastener further includes a cap having an engagement protrusion for insertion into the engagement cavity of the cap such that rotation of the cap causes corresponding rotation of the head, the cap further comprising a contact portion having a plurality of radially outward facing planar surfaces. The fastener further includes a rotation resisting element having inward facing planar surfaces that fit with the radially outward facing planar surfaces of the contact portion, the rotation resisting element further including an interference feature extending radially outward, the rotation resisting element being resilient so as to allow but resist rotation of the cap with respect to the rotation resisting element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An earth engaging wear member assembly comprising:
 an adapter comprising a longitudinally projecting nose portion with a transverse hole formed through the nose portion;   a wear member having a rear portion with a cavity for receiving the nose portion of the adapter, the wear member having an outer surface for engaging ground and an inner surface defining the cavity, the wear member comprising an aperture extending through a sidewall surface from the outer surface to the inner surface, the aperture being alignable with the transverse hole of the adapter when the nose portion is disposed within the cavity;   a fastener receivable in the aperture and the transverse hole to prevent removal of the wear member from the adapter, the fastener comprising:   a main body;   a rotation resisting element comprising a polygonal inner surface and an outwardly extending interference feature; and   a cap comprising a contact portion with radially outward facing surfaces that correspond to the polygonal inner surface of the rotation resisting element, the cap engaged with the main body to limit axial translation of the rotation resisting element;   wherein the rotation resisting element is arranged to resist rotation of the body and cap relative to the rotation resisting element between a discrete number of rotational positions.   
     
     
         2 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rotation resisting element further comprises an outer ring and an inner ring fit within the outer ring. 
     
     
         3 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the inner ring has an ear portion to prevent rotation of the inner ring with respect to the outer ring. 
     
     
         4 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the polygonal inner surface of the rotation resisting element is on an inward facing surface of the inner ring. 
     
     
         5 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a lock fin radially projecting from the fastener, and wherein the discrete number of rotational positions includes a locked position in which the lock fin is set behind an inner surface of the wear member so as to prevent removal of the fastener from the aperture. 
     
     
         6 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the discrete number of rotational positions includes an unlocked position in which a lock fin of the fastener does not prevent removal of the fastener. 
     
     
         7 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wear member comprises a slot and the interference feature fits within the slot of the wear member so as to prevent rotation of the rotation resisting element relative to the wear member. 
     
     
         8 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interference feature comprises a single projection. 
     
     
         9 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interference feature comprises multiple projections. 
     
     
         10 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a lock fin radially projecting from the fastener, the lock fin being disposed to mechanically prevent axial translation of the fastener out of the aperture in the wear member. 
     
     
         11 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a ramped surface within the cavity, the ramped surface positioned to engage with the lock fin such that rotation of the fastener pushes the fastener further into the transverse hole. 
     
     
         12 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rotation resisting element comprises a monolithic biasing member that includes the interference feature and at least two inner surfaces of the polygonal inner surface. 
     
     
         13 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cap includes an engagement projection that fits within an engagement cavity of a head to prevent rotation of the cap relative to the body. 
     
     
         14 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cap further includes an tool-receiving hole for receiving a tool for rotating the fastener between a locked position and an unlocked position, the tool receiving hole having a cut-out on a side of the tool-receiving hole. 
     
     
         15 . The earth engaging assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising a plug insertable into the tool-receiving hole of the cap. 
     
     
         16 . A locking mechanism for attaching a first wear member to a second wear member, comprising:
 an elongated main body shaped and arranged to prevent removal of a first wear member from a second wear member;   a cap connected to the main body in manner such that rotation of the cap causes corresponding rotation of the main body, the cap having a head portion forming an end of the locking mechanism;   a contact portion disposed between the main body and the head portion having a plurality of radially outward facing surfaces;   a lock fin extending radially outwardly from one of the main body and the cap to engage one of the first and second wear members and selectively inhibit axial displacement of the locking mechanism; and   a rotation resisting element disposed between the main body and the cap and having a plurality of inward facing surfaces that fit with the radially outward facing surfaces of the contact portion, the rotation resisting element further including an interference feature extending radially outward, the rotation resisting element being resiliently biased and disposed so as to selectively resist rotation of the cap relative to the rotation resisting element.   
     
     
         17 . The locking mechanism of  claim 16 , wherein one of the main body and the cap includes an engagement cavity and the other of the main body and the cap includes an engagement protrusion insertable into the engagement cavity to connect the main body and the cap. 
     
     
         18 . The locking mechanism of  claim 16 , wherein the cap and shaft are rotatable relative to the rotation resisting element between discrete positions as defined by the inward facing planar surfaces of the rotation resisting element. 
     
     
         19 . The locking mechanism of  claim 16 , wherein the rotation resisting element further comprises a monolithic biasing member that includes the interference feature the inward facing planar surfaces. 
     
     
         20 . The locking mechanism of  claim 16 , wherein the interference feature comprises two projections extending radially outward. 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 inserting a fastener into aligned holes of a first wear member and a second wear member to connect the first wear member to the second wear member, the fastener comprising a rotation resisting element comprising a radially outwardly extending interference feature, the rotation resisting element also comprising a main body and a cap that engage surfaces of the first and second wear members and include a radially outwardly extending lock fin; and   rotating the fastener relative the first wear member between an unlocked position and a locked position, in which:   a) the lock fin rotates from the unlocked position that allows axial translational movement of the fastener through the aligned holes and rotates to a locked position where the lock fin is positioned behind a portion of the first wear member in a manner that prevents axial translational removal of the locking mechanism from the aligned holes, and   b) the first wear member prevents rotation of the rotation resisting element while permitting rotation of the main body and cap, and   c) radially outwardly facing surfaces of a contact portion of the main body or cap radially displace inwardly facing surfaces of the rotation resisting element in a manner providing tactile feedback to user as the fastener moves between the unlocked position and the locked position.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising inserting a tool into the cap and wherein rotating the cap is done by rotating the tool in the cap. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising, protecting flex arms of a rotation resisting element from debris with a monolithic ring-shaped piece. 
     
     
         24 . A locking mechanism for attaching a first wear member to a second wear member, comprising:
 a rigid body shaped and arranged to prevent removal of a first wear member from a second wear member, the rigid body having a head portion forming an end of the locking mechanism;   a contact portion on the rigid body, the contact portion having a plurality of radially outward facing surfaces;   a lock fin extending radially outwardly from one of the rigid body to engage one of the first and second wear members and selectively inhibit axial displacement of the locking mechanism; and   a rotation resisting element disposed at least partially around the rigid body, the rotation resisting element having a plurality of inward facing surfaces that fit with the radially outward facing surfaces of the contact portion, the rotation resisting element further including an interference feature extending radially outward, the rotation resisting element being resiliently biased and disposed so as to selectively resist rotation of the rigid body relative to the rotation resisting element.   
     
     
         25 . The locking mechanism of  claim 24 , wherein the rigid body comprises a main body and a cap that is coupled to the main body. 
     
     
         26 . The locking mechanism of  claim 25 , wherein the cap is connectable to the main body with the rotation resisting element positioned therebetween. 
     
     
         27 . A wear member assembly for an earth mover, comprising:
 a support structure having a hole formed therein;   a wear member removably attachable to the support structure, the wear member having a hole formed therein sized differently than the hole in the support structure, the hole in the support structure being alignable with the hole in the wear member, the wear member also having an oblique surface, the oblique surface facing a cavity in the wear member; and   a rotatable fastener receivable into the hole in the support structure and into the hole in the wear member in a manner that prevents removal of the wear member from the support structure, the fastener comprising a body portion and a fixed radially extending lock fin extending only partially about a circumference of the body portion, the fastener being axially receivable into the hole in the wear member and rotatable from an unlocked condition where the lock fin is aligned with the hole in the wear member to a locked condition where the lock fin is misaligned with the hole in the wear member, the body portion of the rotatable fastener comprising a distal end formed at an oblique angle wherein the oblique surface of the wear member cooperates with the distal end of the fastener to axially displace the fastener during rotation from the locked condition to the unlocked condition.   
     
     
         28 . The wear member assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the lock fin has a width sized smaller than a diameter of the body portion. 
     
     
         29 . The wear member assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the lock fin includes a relatively thinner leading edge and a relatively thicker trailing edge. 
     
     
         30 . The wear member assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the wear member includes a bore in an inner surface, the bore having an oblique bottom surface. 
     
     
         31 . The wear member assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the lock fin spirals less than 180 degrees about the body portion. 
     
     
         32 . The wear member assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the body portion of the rotatable fastener comprises a cylindrical side and a tapered side, the cylindrical side being disposed to face a leading end of the support structure and abut against a side of the hole in the support structure when the fastener is in the locked condition. 
     
     
         33 . The wear member assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the fastener comprises a locking detent compressible via one of the wear member and the support structure when the fastener is rotated from the unlocked condition to the locked condition. 
     
     
         34 . The wear member assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the detent is a C-shaped snap ring having a protrusion disposed thereon. 
     
     
         35 . The wear member assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the body portion and the lock fin are formed of a solid, monolithic material. 
     
     
         36 . The wear member assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the fastener comprises a protruding tool engaging feature. 
     
     
         37 . A rotatable fastener receivable into a hole in both a support structure and a wear member in a manner that prevents removal of the wear member from the support structure, the fastener comprising:
 a main body comprising:
 a body portion sized to be axially introduced into the hole of the support structure, the body portion having a distal end and a proximal end and having a longitudinal axis, the body portion having a substantially circular body in cross-section from the distal end to the proximal end, the body portion having an oblique end surface angled relative to the longitudinal axis within a range of about 20-70 degrees, the end surface disposed to engage an oblique bottom surface of a bore in one of the support structure and the wear member; and 
 a fixed radially extending lock fin spirally disposed on the body portion and extending only partially about a circumference of the body portion; and 
   a locking detent protruding from a side of the main body at a location axially disposed between the proximal end and the lock fin, the locking detent being compressible relative to the body portion from a compressed condition to an uncompressed condition.   
     
     
         38 . The fastener of  claim 37 , wherein the body portion includes a substantially cylindrical distal end and includes a substantially cylindrical first side and an opposing tapered second side. 
     
     
         39 . A rotatable fastener receivable into a hole in both a support structure and a wear member in a manner that prevents removal of the wear member from the support structure, the fastener comprising:
 a main body comprising:
 a body portion sized to be axially introduced into the hole of the support structure, the body portion having a distal end and a proximal end and having a longitudinal axis, the body portion having a substantially circular body from the distal end to the proximal end, the body portion having a substantially cylindrical first side and an opposing tapered second side; and 
 a fixed radially extending lock fin disposed on the body portion and extending only partially about a circumference of the body portion; and 
   a locking detent protruding from a side of the main body at a location axially disposed between the proximal end and the lock fin, the locking detent being compressible relative to the body portion from a compressed condition to an uncompressed condition.   
     
     
         40 . The fastener of  claim 39 , wherein the body portion comprises an obliquely tapered end surface disposed to engage a bottom surface of an oblique bore in one of the support structure and the wear member. 
     
     
         41 . The fastener of  claim 39 , wherein the detent is a C-shaped snap ring having a protruding portion.