Connection of flush mounted adapter to ground engaging bucket lip

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.

1 . Ground engaging apparatus comprising:
 a lip having parallel top and bottom sides and a substantially planar transverse front edge extending from said top side to said bottom side;   an elongated support structure longitudinally extending transversely to said front edge and having a top portion extending rearwardly along said top side, and a front portion extending forwardly beyond said front edge, said front portion having a mounting section disposed forwardly of said lip, said mounting section having a rear side facing said front edge in a forwardly spaced relationship therewith and secured thereto by a weld area which, in response to an upwardly directed force on said front portion, is stressed substantially entirely in a shear mode.   
     
     
         2 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 said ground engaging apparatus is a bucket structure.   
     
     
         3 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 said support structure includes an adapter, said mounting section being a portion of said adapter.   
     
     
         4 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 said mounting section has a portion that projects transversely outwardly from said front portion.   
     
     
         5 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 said mounting section includes a pair of mounting wing structures projecting transversely outwardly from opposite sides of said front portion.   
     
     
         6 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 substantially all portions of said front edge lie in a plane.   
     
     
         7 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 said front edge has a substantially non-notched configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 no portion of said support structure extends rearwardly along said bottom side of said lip.   
     
     
         9 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 8  wherein:
 no portion of said support structure projects appreciably below said bottom side of said lip.   
     
     
         10 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 said ground engaging apparatus further includes a welding groove extending along an underside portion of said mounting section and being bounded along one side thereof by said front edge of said lip, said weld area being positioned in said welding groove, and said rear side of said mounting section being defined by a side of said welding groove.   
     
     
         11 . The ground engaging apparatus of  claim 5  wherein:
 said welding groove has opposite end portions extending along underside portions of said mounting wing structures.   
     
     
         12 . An ground engaging bucket structure useable in earth moving operations, comprising:
 a lip having substantially parallel top and bottom sides, and a front edge transversely extending from said top side to said bottom side;   an adapter having a length which extends transversely to said front edge, said adapter having a top leg portion extending rearwardly along said top side of said lip, and a nose portion forwardly extending outwardly from said lip and operative to removably support a wear member thereon, said nose portion having associated therewith a mounting section disposed forwardly of said lip and having a rear side surface spaced forwardly apart from and facing said front edge; and   a weld area intersecuring said front edge of said lip and said rear side surface of said mounting section and, in response to an upwardly directed force on said nose portion, being stressed substantially entirely in a shear mode.   
     
     
         13 . The ground engaging bucket structure of  claim 12  wherein:
 said adapter is a flush-mounted adapter.   
     
     
         14 . The ground engaging bucket structure of  claim 12  wherein:
 substantially all portions of said front edge lie in a plane.   
     
     
         15 . The ground engaging bucket structure of  claim 12  wherein:
 said front edge has a substantially non-notched configuration   
     
     
         16 . The ground engaging bucket structure of  claim 12  wherein:
 said mounting section projects transversely outwardly from said front portion.   
     
     
         17 . The ground engaging bucket structure of  claim 12  wherein:
 said mounting section includes a pair of mounting wing structures projecting transversely outwardly from opposite sides of said front portion.   
     
     
         18 . The ground engaging bucket structure of  claim 12  wherein:
 said ground engaging bucket structure further includes a welding groove extending along an underside portion of said mounting section and being bounded along one side thereof by said front edge of said lip, said weld area being positioned in said welding groove, and said rear side surface of said mounting section being defined by a side of said welding groove.   
     
     
         19 . The ground engaging bucket structure of  claim 17  wherein:
 said welding groove has opposite end portions extending along underside portions of said mounting wing structures.   
     
     
         20 . The ground engaging bucket structure of  claim 12  wherein:
 said ground engaging bucket structure is a loader bucket.