Patents by Inventor Robert K. Emrich

Robert K. Emrich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7640685
    Abstract: A coupling arrangement for securing two separable components in an excavating operation includes a wear component, a base component and a lock. The lock has a body having a configuration adapted to be received in a hole in the base component, and a rotatable locking member. The locking member includes a flange that is movable between a locking position wherein the flange holds the lock in the assembly and a release position wherein the flange permits the lock to be removed from the assembly. In the release position, the flange sets within the axial extension of the outline of the body. In the locking position, at least part of the flange sets outside the axial extension of the outline of the body. In one construction, the rotation of the locking member to the locking position tightens the fit of the wear component on the base component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Esco Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: 7299570
    Abstract: A wear assembly for attaching a wear member to a support structure that includes a wear member and a lock. The wear member includes a pair of legs to straddle the support structure, each with a hole that aligns with a hole in the support structure for receiving a lock to hold the wear member in place. Each hole includes a recess with an engagement surface facing generally away from the support structure for receiving portions of the lock. The lock includes a wedge provided with a thread formation that threadedly engages a second thread formation in the aligned holes so that rotation of the wedge axially drives the wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Esco Corporation
    Inventors: Robert K. Emrich, Terry L. Briscoe
  • Patent number: 7178274
    Abstract: A coupling arrangement for securing two separable components in an excavating operation includes a wear component, a base component and a lock. The lock has a body having a configuration adapted to be received in a hole in the base component, and a rotatable locking member. The locking member includes a flange that is movable between a locking position wherein the flange holds the lock in the assembly and a release position wherein the flange permits the lock to be removed from the assembly. In the release position, the flange sets within the axial extension of the outline of the body. In the locking position, at least part of the flange sets outside the axial extension of the outline of the body. In one construction, the rotation of the locking member to the locking position tightens the fit of the wear component on the base component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Esco Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: 6986216
    Abstract: A wear assembly for attaching wear members to a lip of an excavator includes a wear member, a boss and a lock. The lip includes an inner face, an outer face, a digging edge and a series of through-holes spaced rearward of the digging edge. The bosses are each fixed to a face of the lip at a position rearward of the through-holes. The wear members each include slots to receive the boss adjacent their rear ends, and openings for receiving the locks at a position forward of the bosses. The openings are aligned with the through-holes in the lip. The lock includes a wedge and spool arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Esco Corporation
    Inventors: Robert K. Emrich, Terry L. Briscoe
  • Publication number: 20040237354
    Abstract: A coupling arrangement for securing two separable components in an excavating operation includes a wear component, a base component and a lock. The lock has a body having a configuration adapted to be received in a hole in the base component, and a rotatable locking member. The locking member includes a flange that is movable between a locking position wherein the flange holds the lock in the assembly and a release position wherein the flange permits the lock to be removed from the assembly. In the release position, the flange sets within the axial extension of the outline of the body. In the locking position, at least part of the flange sets outside the axial extension of the outline of the body. In one construction, the rotation of the locking member to the locking position tightens the fit of the wear component on the base component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: ESCO Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Publication number: 20040216334
    Abstract: A wear assembly for attaching wear members to a lip of an excavator includes a wear member, a boss and a lock. The lip includes an inner face, an outer face, a digging edge and a series of through-holes spaced rearward of the digging edge. The bosses are each fixed to a face of the lip at a position rearward of the through-holes. The wear members each include slots to receive the boss adjacent their rear ends, and openings for receiving the locks at a position forward of the bosses. The openings are aligned with the through-holes in the lip. The lock includes a wedge and spool arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicant: ESCO Corporation
    Inventors: Robert K. Emrich, Terry L. Briscoe
  • Patent number: 5937550
    Abstract: An extensible lock for securing a wear member to a support structure of an excavator. The lock includes a base and a body which are extensible and retractable to hold and release the wear member, respectively. The body includes an inclined bearing face which engages a complimentary bearing face on the wear member to pull the wear member onto the support structure and prevent its inadvertent release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Esco Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: 5709043
    Abstract: An excavating tooth for attachment to the digging edge of excavating equipment includes a wear member provided with bearing faces in a socket which extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tooth. The bearing faces are formed to widen significantly as they extend rearward to provide broad bearing surfaces at the rear ends of the wear member. The bearing faces are placed between the converging walls and the side walls of the socket at obtuse angles thereto to avoid areas of stress concentration. The bearing faces are further formed in a plurality of tiers to provide enhanced resistance to vertically applied loads at the front end of the member. The wear members are further secured to the adapter by locks which ease installation and removal of the wear members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Esco Corporation
    Inventors: Larren F. Jones, Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: 5666748
    Abstract: A wear cap for protecting the wearable surface of a structural member includes an outer wear surface and an inner mounting surface. The inner mounting surface is provided with a plurality of tabs and a lock which cooperate to securely attach the wear cap to the wearable surface. The tabs are inclined in a uniform direction at an acute angle to the mounting surface to minimize the amount of travel needed to install and remove the wear cap. The lock has a rigid hub and a shaft. The hub includes a pair of bearing faces which interact with the wear cap and the wearable surface to effectively prevent loss of the wear cap during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: ESCO Corporation
    Inventors: Robert K. Emrich, Eric D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 5469648
    Abstract: An excavating tooth for use on a wide variety of excavating equipment is comprised of a point, an adapter and a sandwich lock pin. The pin includes a rigid casing and a plurality of independently depressible protrusions. One of the protrusions resiliently engages a face defined on the nose of the adapter to tighten the connection of the point on the nose. One other of the protrusions extends into an opening defined by the point to secure the lock pin to the point. With respect to an external locking tooth, the opening defined in the point includes a pair of bosses which define a reduced portion of the opening. The reduced portion matingly receives and holds the ends of the rigid casing of the pin. The independent locking of the pin and the mating receipt of the casing in the point opening reduces the likelihood of pin loss due to overloading of the elastomeric material, wearing of the components or jacking forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Esco Corporation
    Inventors: Larren F. Jones, Robert K. Emrich, Ian R. Bingham
  • Patent number: 5074062
    Abstract: A method of replacing a worn point of an excavating tooth wherein the point is held in place by a pin lock including a shearable top flange and torque-resisting, forwardly extending rib, the method including exerting a downward force on the pin lock to shear the top flange while the forwardly extending rib guides the pin lock downwardly and out of locking engagement with aligned slots in the tooth adapter nose and point rearwardly extending ear, removing the worn point and installing a new point along with a new pin lock including a top flange and forwardly extending rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: Esco Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick C. Hahn, Kirk E. Yoresen, William A. Fewless, Robert K. Emrich, Michael J. Secrist
  • Patent number: 4965945
    Abstract: An excavating tooth having a socket-equipped point mounted on an adapter nose and secured with a vertical pin on one side of the nose, the nose being grooved for receipt of the pin and equipped with a resilient keeper extending transversely of the point length, the point having a least one side wall extending rearwardly beyond the socket, the side wall having integral, vertically spaced apart lug portions having forwardly facing surfaces bearing against the pin, the nose groove providing a rearwardly facing surface bearing against the pin intermediate the lug bearing surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: ESCO Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: 4811505
    Abstract: An excavating tooth assembly including an adapter, a point equipped with rearwardly projecting tongues, and locking means including a vertical pin external of the adapter nose held in place by a shrouded spring loaded plug disposed perpendicularly to the line of mounting the point on the adapter, the pin having arcuate front and back surfaces for wedging engagement with laterally projecting ears on the nose and a laterally projecting lug on a point tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: ESCO Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: 4761900
    Abstract: An excavating tooth assembly including an adapter, a point equipped with rearwardly projecting tongues, and locking means including a vertical pin external of the adapter nose held in place by a shrouded spring loaded plug disposed perpendicularly to the line of mounting the point on the adapter, the pin haivng arcuate front and back surfaces for wedging engagement with laterally projecting ears on the nose and a laterally projecting lug on a point tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: ESCO Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: 4326348
    Abstract: An excavating tooth assembly including an adapter, a wear cap for the adapter and a point in which the point and adapter have primary cooperating stabilizing surfaces and in which the point and wear cap have secondary cooperating stabilizing surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1982
    Assignee: ESCO Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: 4317300
    Abstract: An earth working tooth with wear cap wherein the wear cap has a closed forward end with horizontally extending side wings to mate with longitudinal side grooves of the adapter, the forward end being equipped with forwardly extending side projections to defer wear which would jeopardize the wings and grooves and simultaneously promote build-up of earth to protect the releasable lock between the tooth point and adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1982
    Assignee: ESCO Corporation
    Inventors: Robert K. Emrich, William H. Prather, John M. Burkhart
  • Patent number: RE33042
    Abstract: An excavating tooth assembly including an adapter, a point equipped with rearwardly projecting tongues, and locking means including a vertical pin external of the adapter nose held in place by a shrouded spring loaded plug disposed perpendicularly to the line of mounting the point on the adapter, the pin having arcuate front and back surfaces for wedging engagement with laterally projecting ears on the nose and a laterally projecting lug on a point tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: ESCO Corporation
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich
  • Patent number: RE43693
    Abstract: A coupling arrangement for securing two separable components in an excavating operation includes a wear component, a base component and a lock. The lock has a body having a configuration adapted to be received in a hole in the base component, and a rotatable locking member. The locking member includes a flange that is movable between a locking position wherein the flange holds the lock in the assembly and a release position wherein the flange permits the lock to be removed from the assembly. In the release position, the flange sets within the axial extension of the outline of the body. In the locking position, at least part of the flange sets outside the axial extension of the outline of the body. In one construction, the rotation of the locking member to the locking position tightens the fit of the wear component on the base component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Inventor: Robert K. Emrich