System and method for ground engagement tool

Abstract

Tooling systems for a digging attachment include one or more tooth assemblies including a moveable tooth. A working length of the tooth may be adjusted and/or replenished by movement of the tooth in response to wear or damage on the tooth. The tooth assembly includes the tooth and a shroud that is positioned adjacent a lip of the digging attachment. The tooth is moveable within a cavity of the lip relative to the shroud, and through an opening defined in the shroud.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tooth assembly for a digging attachment, the tooth assembly comprising:
 an insert configured to engage the lip, the insert including an insert opening configured to be aligned with a cavity of the lip;   a shroud configured to engage with at least one of the lip and the insert, the shroud including a shroud opening aligned with the insert opening; and   a tooth configured to be positioned at least partially within the cavity, the tooth extendable through the shroud opening and the insert opening while a portion of the tooth having a working length protrudes beyond the shroud, the tooth moveable in the cavity relative to the shroud and the insert to adjust the working length.   
     
     
         2 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shroud is removably connectable to at least one of the lip and the insert. 
     
     
         3 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a tooth control mechanism configured to engage the tooth to control movement of the tooth in the cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The tooth assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the tooth control mechanism is a locking mechanism configured to engage the tooth to limit movement of the tooth in the cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the shroud includes a shroud head that protrudes beyond a leading edge of the lip, the shroud opening being defined in the shroud head,   the insert includes an insert head positionable between the shroud head and the leading edge, the insert opening being defined in the insert head, and   the shroud head has an inner surface configured to engage an outer surface of the insert head.   
     
     
         6 . The tooth assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the insert head has a stop surface configured to engage the leading edge of the lip. 
     
     
         7 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the insert includes a seal positioned in the insert opening to limit ingress of material into the cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is configured to be at least partially insertable in the cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an actuator operable to move the tooth in the cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The tooth assembly of  claim 9 , wherein a controller electrically connected to the actuator operates the actuator to control movement of the tooth in the cavity. 
     
     
         11 . The tooth assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one sensor that senses at least one characteristic of the tooth, the controller receiving data from the at least one sensor and operating the actuator to control movement of the tooth in the cavity in response to the data received from the at least one sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor electrically connected to a controller, the at least one sensor sensing at least one characteristic of the tooth, the controller receiving data from the at least one sensor and, in response to the data received from the at least one sensor, at least one of:
 controlling movement of the tooth in the cavity; and   causing display, on a user display, of an indicator related to a state of the tooth.   
     
     
         13 . A tooth assembly for a digging attachment, the tooth assembly comprising:
 a shroud configured to engage with the lip, the shroud including a shroud opening configured to be aligned with a cavity of the lip; and   a tooth configured to be positioned at least partially in the cavity, the tooth extendable through the shroud opening while a portion of the tooth having a working length protrudes beyond the shroud, the tooth moveable in the cavity relative to the shroud to adjust the working length.   
     
     
         14 . The tooth assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the shroud is joined to an insert positionable between the shroud and a leading edge of the lip. 
     
     
         15 . The tooth assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising a shroud lock configured to removably connect the shroud with at least one of the lip and the insert. 
     
     
         16 . The tooth assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the shroud engages the insert. 
     
     
         17 . The tooth assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a locking mechanism configured to engage the tooth to limit movement of the tooth in the cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The tooth assembly of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the tooth has a total length longer than the working length of the tooth such that a portion of the tooth is in the cavity when the tooth extends the working length beyond the shroud, and the tooth has engagement features positioned on an outer surface of the tooth, the engagement features being configured for engagement with a tooth control mechanism for controlled movement of the tooth in the cavity, the engagement features being positioned on the portion of the tooth in the cavity when the tooth extends the working length beyond the shroud.   
     
     
         19 . The tooth assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the tooth is insertable into the cavity via the shroud opening and removable from the cavity via the shroud opening without removing the shroud from the lip. 
     
     
         20 . A tooth for a digging attachment tooling system having a shroud, the tooth comprising:
 a tooth body made of a wear resistant material; and   engagement features positioned on an outer surface of the tooth body, each of the engagement features defining a front load surface and a rear load surface, the front load surface and the rear load surface being configured to engage a tooth control mechanism to allow movement of the tooth in a first direction relative to the shroud and limit movement of the tooth in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the shroud.   
     
     
         21 . The tooth of  claim 20 , wherein the front load surface includes a stop surface and the rear load surface includes a ramp surface. 
     
     
         22 . The tooth of  claim 20 , wherein each of the engagement features includes a groove positioned in the outer surface of the tooth body and having a depth that is shallower than a dimension of the tooth body measured in a direction of the depth. 
     
     
         23 . The tooth of  claim 20 , wherein the tooth body has a substantially prismatic geometry with a substantially constant cross-sectional shape along a length of the tooth. 
     
     
         24 . The tooth of  claim 20 , wherein the tooth body is made of a first wear resistant material, and wherein the tooth further includes a tooth core positioned in the outer tooth body and extending at least a portion of the length of the tooth, wherein the tooth core is made of a second wear resistant material that is dissimilar to the first wear resistant material. 
     
     
         25 . The tooth of  claim 24 , wherein the first wear resistant material has a higher ductility and a lower hardness than the second wear resistant material. 
     
     
         26 . The tooth of  claim 20 , wherein the engagement features are positioned at discrete locations on the outer surface of the tooth body delineating incremental lengths of the tooth. 
     
     
         27 . The tooth of  claim 20 , wherein a portion of the tooth body defines a usable length of the tooth, and wherein at least one of the engagement features is positioned on the portion of the tooth body defining the usable length.