Ground Engaging Machine
A ground engaging tooth for a ground engaging machine is disclosed. The ground engaging tooth may comprise a non-ground-engaging end, a ground-engaging end, a body extending between the non-ground-engaging end, the ground-engaging end, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface. Further, the ground engaging tooth may comprise a coupling side including a pocket configured to receive a retaining device. Moreover, the ground engaging tooth may comprise a wear side including an integral-wear-insert. The integral-wear-insert may longitudinally extend along the bottom surface towards the ground-engaging end and vertically extend towards the top surface at the ground-engaging end.
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This disclosure generally relates to a ground engaging machine and, more particularly, to a ground engaging tooth for a ground engaging machine.
BACKGROUNDGround engaging machines, such as hydraulic mining shovels, draglines, electric rope shovels, excavators, track-loaders, bulldozers, skid-steer loaders, backhoe loaders and wheel loaders, are used in a variety of industries including, but not limited to, construction, agriculture and mining. Generally speaking, these machines include a frame, a power source supported by a frame, one or more motive devices operatively associated with the power source configured to transfer energy of the power source to ground and a work implement. In many instances the work implement may be a bucket configured to hold and carry a material the ground engaging machine is working on.
The material the ground engaging machine is working on may come in a variety of levels of hardness, compactness and abrasiveness. For example, the ground engaging machine may work on relatively soft, non-compacted and slightly abrasive, loamy soil or loose sand. Alternatively, and near the other end of the spectrum, the ground engaging machine may be called to work on hard, compacted and highly abrasive, tar, sand or concrete. In any event, as the level of hardness, compactness and abrasiveness increases, the ground engaging machine may utilize a ground engaging tooth (“GET”) positioned along an engagement edge of the work implement to penetrate the material worked on, thereby increasing productivity and decreasing damage to the work implement.
Although GETs are known, there is still room for improvement. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,774 (“Kuwano”) discloses a composite excavating tooth. More specifically, Kuwano discloses a tooth having a wear-resistant material centrally placed between top and bottom surfaces of the tooth. While Kuwano is arguably an effective and durable design, it may suffer from premature wear since the wear-resistant material is placed between the top and bottom surfaces of the tooth, rather than on a ground engaging surface.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more problems set forth above and/or other problems associated with the prior art.
SUMMARYIn accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a ground engaging tooth for a ground engaging machine is disclosed. The ground engaging tooth may comprise a non-ground-engaging end, a ground-engaging end opposite the non-ground-engaging end and a body. The body may extend between the non-ground-engaging end, the ground engaging end, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface. Further, the ground engaging tooth may comprise a longitudinal axis that may extend lengthwise through the body. Moreover, the ground engaging tooth may comprise a separation plane. The separation plane may extend through the body orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and may be positioned between the non-ground-engaging end and the ground engaging end. Additionally, the ground engaging tooth may include a coupling side that may extend between the non-ground engaging end, the separation plane, the top surface, the bottom surface, the left surface and the right surface and may include a pocket configured to receive a retaining device. Further, the ground engaging tooth may comprise a wear side that may extend between the ground-engaging end, the separation plane, the top surface, the bottom surface, the left surface and the right surface. The wear side may include an integral-wear-insert that may longitudinally extend along the bottom surface towards the ground-engaging end and vertically extends towards the top surface at the ground-engaging end.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a bucket for a ground engaging machine is disclosed. The bucket may comprise a first member and the first member may include a through-bore about which the bucket may rotate. Further, the bucket may comprise a casing. The casing may extend away from the first member and end at a top edge, a left edge, a right edge and an engagement edge. The casing may be configured to carry a material being worked on. Moreover, the bucket may include a ground engaging tooth. The ground engaging tooth may be fixedly attached to the bucket along the engagement edge and may be configured to engage the material being worked on. The ground engaging tooth may include a wear side extending between a ground-engaging end, a separation plane, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface. Further, the wear side may include an integral-wear-insert that may longitudinally extend along the bottom surface towards the ground-engaging end and may vertically extend towards the top surface at the ground-engaging end.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a ground engaging machine is disclosed. The ground engaging machine may include a frame, a power source supported by the frame and a motive device operatively associated with the power source configured to transfer energy of the power source to ground. Further, the ground engaging machine may include an arm having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end may be rotatably associated with the frame. Moreover, the ground engaging machine may include a bucket operatively coupled to the second end and the bucket may include an engagement edge. Additionally, the ground engaging machine may include a ground engaging tooth fixedly attached to the bucket along the engagement edge. The ground engaging tooth may be configured to engage the material worked on. Moreover, the ground engaging tooth may include a wear side extending between a ground-engaging end, a separation plane, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface and the wear side may include a cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert that longitudinally extends along the bottom surface towards the ground-engaging end and vertically extends towards the top surface at the ground-engaging end. The cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert may have a WearFactor between about 1.5 and about 2.5.
These and other aspects and features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Various aspects of the disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like elements, unless specified otherwise. Referring now to the drawings and with specific reference to
Further, the ground engaging machine 20 may include an arm 28. The arm 28 may include a first end 30 and a second end 32 opposite the first end 30. The first end 30 may be rotatably associated with the frame 22. Further, as pictured, the arm 28 may be articulated. Therefore, the arm 28 may comprise a full range of movement wherein the second end 32 of the arm 28 may extend fully away from the first end 30. Alternatively, the second end 32 of the arm 28 may comprise a full range of movement wherein the second end 32 of the arm 28 may move towards the frame 22 of the ground engaging machine 20 near to the first end 30 of the arm 28.
The ground engaging machine 20 may additionally include a bucket 34. The bucket 34 may be operatively coupled to the second end 32 of the arm 28. For example, while referring to
Further, the bucket 34 of the ground engaging machine 20 may include a ground engaging tooth 52. As shown in
Turning to
Referring now to
The coupling side 72 may extend between the non-ground-engaging end 54, the separation plane 70, the top surface 60, the bottom surface 62, the left surface 64 and the right surface 66. The coupling side 72 may include a pocket 76 that is configured to receive retaining device 78 (shown in phantom in
Alternatively, the wear side 74 may be the side of the ground engaging tooth 52 configured to engage the material being worked on by the ground engaging machine 20. The wear side 74 may extend between the separation plane 70, the ground-engaging end 56, the top surface 60, the bottom surface 62, the left surface 64 and the right surface 66. The wear side 74 may include an integral-wear-insert 80 and the integral-wear-insert 80 may longitudinally extend along the bottom surface 62 of the wear side 74 towards the ground-engaging end 56. At the ground-engaging end 56, the integral-wear-insert 80 may vertically extend towards the top surface 60 of the wear side 74.
Turning to
Additionally, the integral-wear-insert 80 depicted in
Furthermore, the integral-wear-insert 80 may be a cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert 90. More particularly, the first material 86 in solid phase may be placed inside of mold formed in the shape of the ground engaging tooth 52. Moreover, the first material 86 in solid phase may be placed at the ground-engaging end 56 of the wear side 74 of the mold. Subsequently, liquid phase second material 88 may be poured into the mold where the heat of the liquid phase second material 88 may remelt or dissolve a limited amount of the solid phase first material 86, when the first material is white iron or tungsten carbide, forming a continuous cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert 90 that may longitudinally extend along the bottom surface 62 of the wear side 74 towards the ground-engaging end 56 and towards the top surface 60 of the wear side 74 at the ground-engaging end 56. Further, the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert 90 may extend between the left surface 64 and the right surface 66 at the ground-engaging end 56 and between the left surface 64 and the right surface 66 moving towards the separation plane 70 along the bottom surface 62.
Turning to
Referring now to
The coupling side 72 of this example of the ground engaging tooth 52 may extend between the non-ground-engaging 54, the separation plane 70, the top surface 60, the bottom surface 62, the left surface 64 and the right surface 66. The coupling side 72 may also include a pocket 76 that is configured to receive retaining device 78 (shown in phantom in
Referring now to
Turning to
Turning back to
Additionally, the integral-wear-insert 80 and second-integral-wear-insert 96 depicted in
Furthermore, the integral-wear-insert 80 and the second-integral-wear-insert 96 may be a cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert 90. More particularly, the first material 86 in solid phase may be placed inside of mold formed in the shape of the ground engaging tooth 52. Moreover, the first material 86 in solid phase may be placed at the ground-engaging end 56 of the wear side 74 of the mold. Subsequently, liquid phase second material 88 may be poured into the mold where the heat of the liquid phase second material 88 may remelt or dissolve a very limited amount of the solid phase first material 86, when the first material is white iron or tungsten carbide, forming a continuous cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert 90 that may longitudinally extend along the bottom surface 62 of the wear side 74 towards the ground-engaging end 56 and towards the top surface 60 of the wear side 74 at the ground-engaging end 56. Further, the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert 90 may extend between the left surface 64 and the right surface 66 at the ground-engaging end 56 and between the left surface 64 and the right surface 66 moving towards the separation plane 70 along the bottom surface 62.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYIn general, the present disclosure may find use in many applications including, but not limited to, increasing wear life of a ground engaging tooth 52 used on a bucket 34 of a ground engaging machine 20 used in the construction, agricultural and mining industries. Ground engaging machines 20 with which this disclosure finds usefulness include, but are not limited to, hydraulic mining shovels, draglines, electric rope shovels, excavators, track-loaders, bulldozers, skid-steer loaders, backhoe loaders, wheel loaders and the like. While being useful to any of the machines and industries described above, this disclosure may find particular usefulness with ground engaging machines 20 having a bucket 34 with a ground engaging tooth 52 fixedly attached along the engagement edge 50 of the bucket 34. Further, this disclosure may find usefulness when the ground engaging tooth 52 is used in abrasive environments such as, but not limited to, mining coal, oil sands and other abrasive materials. More particularly, the present disclosure finds usefulness by extending the wear life and improving wear shape of a ground engaging tooth 52 utilized on a bucket 34 of a ground engaging machine 20 used to mine abrasive materials such as, but not limited to, coal, oil sands and other abrasive materials.
In general, the present disclosure may employ a ground engaging tooth 52 depicted in either
The Wear Factor may be described by the formula:
WD=WB/WI
-
- WD=the Wear Factor;
- WB=the average tip length loss in millimeters per hour of machine operation of at least three brand new ground engaging teeth that do not utilize the integral-wear-insert disclosed herein after being used on the bucket of a ground engaging machine to mine oil sand overburden for about 725 hours; and
- WI=the average tip length loss in millimeters per hour of machine operation of at least three brand new ground engaging teeth that do utilize the integral-wear-insert disclosed herein while simultaneously being used on the same bucket of the same ground engaging machine to mine the same oil sand overburden for about 725 hours.
An example of data used to determine the Wear Factor is depicted in Table 1 below.
In addition to the above, the integral-wear-insert leads to a ground engaging tooth 52 having a heretofore unseen Pitch Factor ranging between about −1.0 and −4.0. More specifically, this structure leads to a ground engaging tooth 52 having a −2.45 Pitch Factor, a level heretofore unseen with a ground engaging tooth 52 lacking the integral-wear-insert 80 disclosed herein.
The Pitch Factor may be described by the formula:
PD=PB/PI
-
- PD=the Pitch Factor;
- PB=the average tip pitch of at least three brand new ground engaging teeth that do not utilize the integral-wear-insert disclosed herein after being used on the bucket of a ground engaging machine to mine oil sand overburden for about 725 hours, wherein tip pitch is defined as the angle between the plane of the centerline of the tooth pocket and the plane that extends through the point where the centerline of the tooth pocket meet and the point at the longest end of the tooth; and
- PI=the average tip pitch of at least three brand new ground engaging teeth that do utilize the integral-wear-insert disclosed herein while simultaneously being used on the same bucket of the same ground engaging machine to mine the same oil sand overburden for about 725 hours, wherein tip pitch is defined as the angle between the plane of the centerline of the tooth pocket and the plane that extends through the point where the centerline of the tooth pocket meet and the point at the longest end of the tooth.
An example of data used to determine the Pitch Factor is depicted in Table 2 below.
Furthermore, the integral-wear-insert disclosed herein leads to a ground engaging tooth 52 having a heretofore unseen Sharpness Factor ranging between about 1.0 and 3.0. More specifically, this structure leads to a ground engaging tooth 52 having a Sharpness Factor of about 2.03, a level heretofore unseen with a ground engaging tooth 52 lacking the integral-wear-insert 80 disclosed herein.
The Sharpness Factor may be described by the formula:
SD=SB/SI
-
- SD=the Sharpness Factor;
- SB=the average tip sharpness of at least three brand new ground engaging teeth that do not utilize the integral-wear-insert disclosed herein after being used on the bucket of a ground engaging machine to mine oil sand overburden for about 725 hours, wherein tip sharpness is defined as the angle at the endpoint of the tip where the top surface intersects with the bottom surface; and
- SI=the average tip sharpness of at least three brand new ground engaging teeth that do utilize the integral-wear-insert disclosed herein while simultaneously being used on the same bucket of the same ground engaging machine to mine the same oil sand overburden for about 725 hours, wherein tip sharpness is defined as the angle at the endpoint of the tip where the top surface intersects with the bottom surface.
An example of data used to determine the Sharpness Factor is depicted in Table 3 below.
As graphically represented in these figures, the ground engaging tooth of
The above description is meant to be representative only, and thus modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, these modifications fall within the scope of present disclosure and are intended to fall within the appended claims.
Claims
1. A ground engaging tooth for a ground engaging machine, comprising:
- a non-ground-engaging end;
- a ground-engaging end opposite the non-ground-engaging end;
- a body, the body extending between the non-ground-engaging end, the ground engaging end, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface;
- a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis extending lengthwise through the body;
- a separation plane, the separation plane extending through the body orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and being positioned between the non-ground-engaging end and the ground engaging end;
- a coupling side, the coupling side extending between the non-ground engaging end, the separation plane, the top surface, the bottom surface, the left surface and the right surface, the coupling side including a pocket configured to receive a retaining device;
- a wear side, the wear side extending between the ground-engaging end, the separation plane, the top surface, the bottom surface, the left surface and the right surface, the wear side including an integral-wear-insert, the integral-wear-insert longitudinally extends along the bottom surface towards the ground-engaging end and vertically extends towards the top surface at the ground-engaging end.
2. The ground engaging tooth according to claim 1, wherein the integral-wear-insert horizontally extends between the left surface and the right surface at the ground-engaging end and wherein the integral-wear-insert further horizontally extends between the left surface and the right surface along the bottom surface.
3. The ground engaging tooth according to claim 1, wherein the integral-wear-insert includes a longitudinal thickness at the ground-engaging end and a vertical thickness along the bottom surface.
4. The ground engaging tooth according to claim 3, wherein the vertical thickness increases as the integral-wear-insert longitudinally extends away from the ground-engaging end towards the separation plane.
5. The ground engaging tooth according to claim 1, wherein the integral-wear-insert is a cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert.
6. The ground engaging tooth according to claim 1, wherein the integral-wear-insert comprises a first material and the remaining body comprises a second material.
7. The ground engaging tooth according to claim 6, wherein the first material comprises a abrasion resistance greater than the second material.
8. The ground engaging tooth according to claim 6, wherein the first material is selected from a group consisting of white iron, tungsten carbide and aluminum oxide.
9. The ground engaging tooth according to claim 1, wherein the integral-wear-insert comprises between about 5% by volume and about 15% by volume of the wear side.
10. A bucket for a ground engaging machine, comprising:
- a first member, the first member including a through-bore about which the bucket may rotate;
- a casing, the casing attached to and extending away from the first member and ending at a top edge, a left edge, a right edge and an engagement edge, the casing configured to carry a material being worked on;
- a ground engaging tooth, the ground engaging tooth fixedly attached to the bucket along the engagement edge configured to engage the material being worked on, the ground engaging tooth including a wear side extending between a ground-engaging end, a separation plane, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface, the wear side including an integral-wear-insert that longitudinally extends along the bottom surface towards the ground-engaging end and vertically extends towards the top surface at the ground-engaging end.
11. The bucket according to claim 10, wherein the integral-wear-insert horizontally extends between the left surface and the right surface at the ground-engaging end and further wherein the integral-wear-insert extends between the left surface and the right surface along the bottom surface.
12. The bucket according to claim 10, wherein the integral-wear-insert includes a longitudinal thickness at the ground-engaging end and a vertical thickness along the bottom surface and further wherein the vertical thickness increases as the integral-wear-insert longitudinally extends away from the ground-engaging end towards the separation plane.
13. The bucket according to claim 10, wherein the integral-wear-insert is a cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert.
14. The bucket according to claim 13, wherein the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert comprises a first material and the remaining wear side comprises a second material and further wherein the first material comprises a abrasion resistance greater than the second material.
15. The bucket according to claim 10, wherein the integral-wear-insert comprises between about 5% by volume and 15% by volume of the wear side.
16. A ground engaging machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- a power source supported by the frame;
- a motive device operatively associated with the power source configured to transfer energy of the power source to ground;
- an arm having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end rotatably associated with the frame;
- a bucket, the bucket operatively coupled to the second end and including an engagement edge;
- a ground engaging tooth fixedly attached to the bucket along the engagement edge configured to engage a material worked on, the ground engaging tooth including a wear side extending between a ground-engaging end, a separation plane, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface, the wear side including a cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert that longitudinally extends along the bottom surface towards the ground-engaging end and vertically extends towards the top surface at the ground-engaging end, wherein the ground engaging tooth with the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert has a Wear Factor between about 1.5 and about 3.0.
17. The ground engaging machine according to claim 16, wherein the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert has a Pitch Factor about −1.0 and about −4.0.
18. The ground engaging machine according to claim 16, wherein the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert has a Sharpness Factor between about 1.0 and about 3.0.
19. The ground engaging machine according to claim 16, wherein the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert horizontally extends between the left surface and the right surface at the ground-engaging end, wherein the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert extends between the left surface and the right surface along the bottom surface, wherein the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert includes a longitudinal thickness at the ground-engaging end and a vertical thickness along the bottom surface, wherein the vertical thickness increases as the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert longitudinally extends away from the ground-engaging end towards the separation plane, wherein the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert comprises a first material and the remaining wear side comprises a second material and further wherein the first material comprises a abrasion resistance greater than the second material.
20. The ground engaging machine according to claim 16, wherein the cast-in-place-integral-wear-insert comprises between about 5% by volume and 15% by volume of the wear side.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 19, 2016
Publication Date: Aug 24, 2017
Applicant: Caterpillar Inc. (Peoria, IL)
Inventors: George B. Kokos (Dunlap, IL), James O. Barlow (Metamora, IL), Thomas Majewski (East Peoria, IL), Thomas Yaniak (Washington, IL), Adam M. Dean (Morton, IL), Vasil Tasovski (Fremont, CA)
Application Number: 15/048,484