Abstract: An excavating adapter/tooth point assembly has an interfit configuration in which the front end surface of the adapter base has a curved front surface portion that slidingly and complementarily engages a facing curved rear end surface portion of the tooth point. The adapter nose received in the tooth point pocket is somewhat smaller in cross-section that the pocket to permit a limited vertical rocking movement of the point relative to the adapter nose, about a connector structure captively retaining the point on the adapter nose, while transferring rearwardly directed excavating loads on the point to the curved sliding adapter/point interface area. Top and bottom sides Of a rear end portion of the point have curved ear projections which extend rearwardly and outwardly along the adapter base and function as built-in wear guards that protect underlying surface portions of the adapter base.

Abstract: An elongated excavating tooth assembly includes a replaceable tooth point and an adapter structure comprising (1) an intermediate adapter having a front end nose complementarily received in a rear end pocket of the point and captively retained therein by a first connector pin structure, and (2) a main adapter having a front end nose complementarily received in a rear end pocket of the intermediate adapter and captively retained therein by a second connector pin structure, and a rear end operatively securable to an excavating bucket lip. Special configurations of the point and adapter portions of the assembly, including horizontally elongated oval configurations of the noses, horizontal orientation of the connector pins, nose stabilization bosses at the nose connector openings, and complementarily scalloped adapter and point interface areas, provide the assembly with reduced size and improved strength, wear and operational characteristics.

Abstract: A spaced series of generally C-shaped wear members, representatively excavating tooth adapters, are positioned on a front edge portion of a lip structure on, for example, an excavating bucket, by placing the lip edge portion between rearwardly extending top and bottom leg portions of each wear member. Spring-loaded, low profile attachment structures are mounted within top leg recesses of the wear members prior to the installation of the wear members on the lip structure. After the wear members are in place on the lip structure, the internally disposed attachment structures are secured to the lip structure at open rear ends of the top wear member legs in a manner causing the internal attachment structures to resiliently bias their associated wear members in rearward self-tightening directions relative to the lip structure. Protective shrouds are then connected to the open rear ends of the top wear member legs to conceal and protect their internally carried attachment structures.

Abstract: A wear runner assembly is attached to a surface of an excavating bucket and serves to protect a portion of the surface from abrasion wear during use of the bucket. The assembly includes a base member, a wear runner member, a pair of bolts and a pair of conical locking nuts. The base member is welded to the surface and has a pair of undercut slots that captively retain the head portions of the bolts, with the bolt bodies being transverse to the surface and projecting outwardly beyond the outer side of the base member. The wear runner member is mounted on the base member by moving the wear runner member toward the base member in a direction transverse to the surface in a manner causing the outwardly projecting bolt body portions to enter and be recessed within a pair of openings formed through the wear member, and also causing projections on the base member to be complementarily received within recesses formed in the wear runner member.

Abstract: An excavating tooth point is captively retained externally on an adapter nose with a specially designed lock structure removably received in a side wall opening of the tooth point and an underlying opening in the adapter nose. The rotary lock structure includes a cylindrical body having a side portion from which a resiliently biased force exerting member and a spring-loaded detent pin outwardly project. With the adapter nose received in the tooth pocket the lock structure body is axially inserted into the tooth and adapter openings in a first rotational orientation and then forcibly rotated to a second rotational orientation. The surfaces of the tooth and nose openings are configured to radially inwardly displace the radially outwardly biased force exerting member in response to such rotation, in a manner causing the force exerting member and the lock structure body to exert on the adapter nose and tooth point a continuous resilient force tending to tighten the tooth point onto the adapter nose.

Abstract: A wear runner assembly includes a base which is representatively secured to an excavating bucket wall surface, and a wear runner which is releasably connectable to the base by moving the wear runner in a locking direction parallel to the surface to engage tongues on the base with grooves on the wear runner and thereby prevent removal of the wear runner from the base in a removal direction transverse to the surface and the locking direction. By moving the wear runner relative to the base in an unlocking direction opposite to the locking direction the connected wear runner may then be moved in the removal direction to separate the wear runner from the base.

Abstract: An earthworking loader bucket has a specially designed bottom side reinforcement structure which includes a unitary base plate member extending rearwardly from the bottom side front bucket lip and having a front side edge welded to the rear side edge of the lip. Slots are formed in the rear side edge of the base plate and receive bottom end portions of plate-shaped lifting and tilt ears transversely welded to the curved rear side wall of the bucket. Closeout plates are interposed between the bucket rear side wall and rear side portions of the base plate, and the bottom end portions of the ears are welded to the base plate. A spaced plurality of elongated ear extension members longitudinally extend forwardly from the ear member bottom end portions and along adjacent bottom side portions of the base plate and lip, with the extension members being welded to the ear member bottom end portions, the base plate and the lip.