Two piece tool holder assembly

Abstract

A tool holder assembly on a rotating unit, e.g. drum of an earth strata cutting assembly, includes a base mountable to the rotating unit and a removable member mounted to the base and having a support block for carrying an earth strata cutting tool. The base includes an upright member. In one aspect, the removable member substantially encloses the upright member and the removable member includes a V-shaped surface engaging a V-shaped surface of the upright member for a close tolerance fit. In another aspect, the removable member partially encloses the upright member and the removable member includes a circular surface engaging a circular surface of the upright member for a close tolerance fit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tool holder assembly for carrying a cutting tool on a rotating unit of an cutting assembly, comprising:
 a base fixedly mountable to the rotating unit, wherein the base comprises an upright member and a planar member supporting the upright member; and   a removable member mounted on the base and including a support block constructed and arranged to carry the cutting tool, wherein the removable member is constructed and arranged to substantially enclose the upright member and abut against the planar member of the base.   
     
     
         2 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the upright member of the base comprises a tapered upper surface and the removable member comprises a corresponding tapered surface adjacent the tapered upper surface of the upright member. 
     
     
         3 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the upright member and the removable member are constructed and arranged to be secured together through a close tolerance fit. 
     
     
         4 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a retaining element extending through the removable member and the upright member of the base for removably connecting the removable member to the base. 
     
     
         5 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 2 , wherein at least the removable member comprises a wedge-like body angularly supporting the support block at a desired angle of attack. 
     
     
         6 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the wedge-like body of the removable member comprises two spaced apart side walls joined together by a mediate portion and forming an open area that receives the upright member of the base. 
     
     
         7 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 6 :
 wherein the upright member of the base comprises spaced apart side walls, an arcuate surface at a first end, and a V-shaped surface at an opposed second end;   wherein the mediate portion of the wedge-like body of the removable member comprises a V-shaped surface corresponding to the V-shaped surface of the upright member of the base; and   wherein the arcuate surface of the upright member of the base is constructed and arranged to receive a shank of a cutting tool when the cutting tool is carried by the support block of the removable member.   
     
     
         8 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the upright member of the base and the wedge-like body of the removable member are wedged together through a close tolerance fit and wherein the V-shaped surface of the upright member engages the V-shaped surface of the wedge-like body of the removable member. 
     
     
         9 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 8 :
 wherein the upright member of the base further comprises an aperture;   wherein the spaced apart side walls of the wedge-like body of the removable member each comprise an aperture which are in alignment with the aperture of the upright member when the removable member is positioned on the upright member, and   wherein the tool holder assembly further comprises a retaining element extending through the aperture of the upright member and each aperture of the spaced apart side walls of the wedge-like body of the removable member in order to removably secure the removable member to the base of the tool holder assembly.   
     
     
         10 . A tool holder assembly for carrying a cutting tool on a rotating unit of an cutting assembly, comprising:
 a base fixedly mountable to the rotating unit, wherein the base comprises an upright member and a planar member supporting the upright member; and   a removable member mounted on the base and including a support block constructed and arranged to carry the cutting tool, wherein the base comprises an upright member and a planar member supporting the upright member and wherein the removable member is constructed and arranged to partially enclose the upright member of the base.   
     
     
         11 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the upright member of the base and the removable member are constructed and arranged to be secured together through a close tolerance fit. 
     
     
         12 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a retaining element extending through the removable member and the upright member of the base for removably connecting the removable member to the base. 
     
     
         13 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the removable member further comprises a wedge-like body angularly supporting the support block at a desired angle of attack. 
     
     
         14 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 13 :
 wherein the wedge-like body of the removable member comprises spaced apart sidewalls joined together by a mediate portion and forming an open area for receiving the upright member of the base; and   wherein one of the spaced apart sidewalls of the removable member extends a partial depth of the removable member.   
     
     
         15 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 14 :
 wherein the upright member of the base comprises spaced-apart side walls, a flat surface at a first end, and a curved surface at the opposed second end;   wherein the mediate portion of the wedge-like body of the removable member comprises a curved surface corresponding to and engaging the curved surface of the upright member of the base; and   wherein the flat surface of the upright member of the base is constructed and arranged to support a surface of a cutting tool when the cutting tool is carried by the support block of the removable member.   
     
     
         16 . The tool holder assembly of  15 , wherein the upright member of the base and the wedge-like body of the removable member are wedged together through a close tolerance fit with at least the curved surface of the upright member engaging the curved surface of the wedge-like body of the removable member. 
     
     
         17 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 16 ;
 wherein the upright member of the base further comprises an aperture;   wherein one of the spaced apart side walls of the wedge-like body of the removable member comprises an aperture which is in alignment with the aperture of the upright member when the removable member is positioned on the upright member; and   wherein the tool holder assembly further comprises a retaining element extending through the aperture of the upright member and the aperture of one of the spaced apart sidewalls of the wedge-like body of the removable member in order to removably connect the removable member to the base of the tool holder assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The tool holder assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the upright member of the base further comprises an arcuate member extending along a surface of one of the sidewalls concentric to the aperture of the upright member and outwardly into the open area formed by the spaced apart sidewalls of the removable member.