Abstract: The bottom lip of a ground engaging bucket structure useable in the earth moving industry has a front edge that is transverse to the parallel top and bottom sides of the lip and extends from the top side of the lip to the bottom side thereof. A flush-mounted adapter has a top leg that longitudinally extends transversely along the top side of the lip, with a nose portion of the adapter projecting forwardly beyond the lip. A weld is formed in a groove in an underside portion of a mounting section of the adapter and intersecures the mounting section to the front lip edge in a manner that the weld is stressed substantially entirely in a shear mode in response to an upwardly directed operational load on the adapter nose.

Abstract: Telescoped excavating support and wear members are releasably retained in their telescoped relationship by a connector pin assembly removably received in aligned connector openings in the members. A body portion of the pin assembly blocks removal of the wear member from the support member, and a lock member portion of the assembly is rotatable relative to the body, toward and away from a locking orientation, to releasably lock the body within the connector openings. A resilient detent member carried by the lock member slidingly and deformably engages a polygonally shaped interior side surface section of a body passage that rotatably receives the lock member, the detent member yieldingly resisting rotational movement of the lock member away from its locking orientation.

Abstract: A rotatable connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of the pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a first orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a second orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

Abstract: A rotatable connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of the pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a first orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a second orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

Abstract: A connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of a rotatable pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a release orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a locking orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

Abstract: A rotatable connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of the pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a first orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a second orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

Abstract: A connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of a rotatable pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a release orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a locking orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

Abstract: A rotatable connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of the pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a first orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a second orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

Abstract: A rotatable connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of the pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a first orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a second orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

Abstract: A rotatable connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of the pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a first orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a second orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

Abstract: A rotatable connector pin assembly is disposed within an opening in an adapter nose, with opposite ends of the pin portion of the assembly extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the adapter nose in axially fixed orientations relative thereto, and is used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose. The configuration of the opposite pin ends permits the overall pin assembly to remain in the adapter nose during removal of the point and replacement thereof, with the pin being rotatable between a first orientation in which its ends permit removal of a point from the nose, or installation of a point on the nose, and a second orientation in which the opposite pin ends block removal of the point from the adapter nose.

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: 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: A locking pin (100) for use captively retaining a tooth (14) on an adapter portion (12) of an excavating tooth and adapter assembly has a primary wedge member (110) with an integral spring (120) extending upward from the member's distal end (116). A first positive slop means (130) extends from the wedge member (110) while an opposing second positive stop means (122) extends from the integral spring (12). After insertion, the locking pin (100) prevents separation of tooth (14) from adapter portion (12) while the first and second positive stop means (130, 122) prevent accidental loss of the locking pin (100) from the assembly. To remove the locking pin, a force sufficient to separate the first positive stop means (130) from the pin (100) is exerted to drive the pin (100) from the assembly. In another embodiment, the integral spring extends from a lateral surface of the locking pin (700, 800).

Abstract: An upper end portion of an excavation ripper shank is captively and removably retained in a ripper box using a specially designed flex pin connector longitudinally driven into generally aligned openings in the ripper box and shank. The connector includes first and second rigid pin members held in a spaced apart, parallel, laterally facing relationship by a plurality of elastomeric members bonded to facing side surfaces of the pin members. When the connector is driven into the aligned box and shank openings the elastomeric members are compressed, causing the first and second pin members to drive the shank and box into forcible abutment with one another to substantially eliminate relative side-to-side play therebetween. Additionally, as the connector passes through the first and second openings its first and second pin members are caused to pivot relative to one another about an axis parallel to the compression direction of the elastomeric members.

Abstract: A locking pin (100) for use captively retaining a tooth (14) on an adapter portion (12) of an excavating tooth and adapter assembly has a primary wedge member (110) with an integral spring (120) extending upward from the member's distal end (116). A first positive stop means (130) extends from the wedge member (110) while an opposing second positive stop means (122) extends from the integral spring (12). After insertion, the locking pin (100) prevents separation of tooth (14) from adapter portion (12) while the first and second positive stop means (130, 122) prevent accidental loss of the locking pin (100) from the assembly. To remove the locking pin, a force sufficient to separate the first positive stop means (130) from the pin (100) is exerted to drive the pin (100) from the assembly. In another embodiment, the integral spring extends from a lateral surface of the locking pin (700, 800).

Abstract: Telescoped excavating support and wear members are releasably retained in their telescoped relationship by a connector pin assembly removably received in aligned connector openings in the members. A body portion of the pin assembly blocks removal of the wear member from the support member, and a lock member portion of the assembly is rotatable relative to the body, toward and away from a locking orientation, to releasably lock the body within the connector openings. A resilient detent member carried by the lock member slidingly and deformably engages a polygonally shaped interior side surface section of a body passage that rotatably receives the lock member, the detent member yieldingly resisting rotational movement of the lock member away from its locking orientation.