Tooth and Adaptor Assembly

Abstract

A tooth and adaptor assembly is provided for a dipper bucket. The assembly can have an adaptor having a rear portion for attaching to the dipper bucket, a tooth capable of releasable attachment to the adaptor and a retainer pin for securing the tooth to the adaptor. The adaptor comprises a tapering intermediate portion that narrows to a rectangular front portion, and a wedge portion that extends perpendicularly therefrom. The adaptor further comprises at least one socket cavity for receiving a leg extension having an inwardly pointing hook disposed on the tooth. The tooth has a tip at its front end for digging and a socket at its rear end configured to receive the front and intermediate portions of the adaptor. A passageway is formed between the wedge portion and the leg hook for receiving a retainer pin to secure the tooth to the adaptor.

1 . An adaptor for releasably attaching a tooth to an excavation tool, said adaptor comprising:
 a) a rear portion configured for attaching to an excavation tool;   b) a front portion configured for a sliding fit with a corresponding socket disposed on a tooth;   c) an intermediate portion comprising an exterior surface and a base adjacent to the rear portion, the intermediate portion narrowing in cross-sectional area from the base to the front portion;   d) a wedge portion extending from a sidewall disposed on the intermediate portion; and   e) a socket cavity disposed in the sidewall near the wedge portion wherein a passageway is formed when a leg extension extending from the tooth is inserted into the socket cavity when the tooth is seated on the adaptor, the passageway configured to receive a retainer pin for releasably attaching the tooth to the adaptor.   
     
     
         2 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the excavation tool is a dipper bucket or a front-end loader bucket. 
     
     
         3 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the rear portion is U-shaped and configured to attach to a lip of the excavation tool. 
     
     
         4 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the front portion comprises a key further comprising a substantially flat front end. 
     
     
         5 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 4  wherein the flat front end is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the adaptor. 
     
     
         6 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 5  wherein the cross-sectional area of the key is polygon-shaped. 
     
     
         7 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the polygon is a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, a trapezoid, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon or an octagon. 
     
     
         8 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 5  wherein the cross-sectional area of the key is elliptical-shaped. 
     
     
         9 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 4  wherein the base is substantially circular in cross-section. 
     
     
         10 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the intermediate portion is cone-shaped as it narrows from the base to the key. 
     
     
         11 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the intermediate portion is elliptical in cross-section and the key is rectangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         12 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 11  wherein the key further comprises a substantially flat front end that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the adaptor. 
     
     
         13 . The adaptor as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the passageway is substantially parallel to the sidewall disposed on the intermediate portion. 
     
     
         14 . A tooth for releasably attaching to an adaptor coupled to or mounted on an excavation tool, the tooth comprising:
 a) a longitudinal body comprising a front tip portion configured for excavating disposed on one end and a rear portion disposed on an opposing end;   b) a socket disposed on the rear portion, the socket comprising a mouth, a side wall and an interior mating surface configured for a sliding fit onto an exterior surface of an adaptor; and   c) at least one leg extension extending from the longitudinal body, the leg extension further comprising at least one inwardly pointing hook.   
     
     
         15 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 14  wherein the excavation tool is a dipper bucket or a front-end loader bucket. 
     
     
         16 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 14  wherein the socket narrows in cross-sectional area from the mouth to a bottom key-way that substantially corresponds to a front portion of the adaptor. 
     
     
         17 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the bottom key-way comprises a bottom flat surface that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal body. 
     
     
         18 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 17  wherein the cross-sectional area of the bottom key-way is polygon-shaped. 
     
     
         19 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 18  wherein the polygon is a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, a trapezoid, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon or an octagon. 
     
     
         20 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 17  wherein the cross-sectional area of the bottom key-way is elliptical shaped. 
     
     
         21 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 14  wherein the mouth is substantially circular in cross-section. 
     
     
         22 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the socket defines a cone-shaped opening as it narrows from the mouth to the bottom key-way. 
     
     
         23 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 22  wherein the cone-shaped opening is elliptical in cross-section and the bottom key-way is rectangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         24 . The tooth as set forth in  claim 23  wherein the bottom key-way comprises a bottom flat surface that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal body. 
     
     
         25 . A tooth and adaptor assembly for an excavation tool, the assembly comprising:
 a) an adaptor comprising:
 i) a rear portion configured for attaching to an excavation tool, 
 ii) a front portion configured for a sliding fit with a corresponding socket disposed on a tooth, 
 iii) an intermediate portion comprising an exterior surface and a base adjacent to the rear portion, the intermediate portion narrowing in cross-sectional area from the base to the front portion, 
 iv) a wedge portion extending from a sidewall disposed on the intermediate portion, and 
 v) a socket cavity disposed in the sidewall near the wedge portion wherein a passageway is formed when a leg extension extending from the tooth is inserted into the socket cavity when the tooth is seated on the adaptor, the passageway configured to receive a retainer pin for releasably attaching the tooth to the adaptor; and 
   b) the tooth configured to releasably attach to the adaptor, the tooth comprising:
 i) a longitudinal body comprising a front tip portion configured for excavating disposed on one end and a rear portion disposed on an opposing end, 
 ii) a socket disposed on the rear portion, the socket comprising a mouth, a side wall and an interior mating surface configured for a sliding fit onto an exterior surface of an adaptor, and 
 iii) at least one leg extension extending from the longitudinal body, the leg extension further comprising at least one inwardly pointing hook. 
   
     
     
         26 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 25 , further comprising a retainer pin configured to be removably inserted into the passageway when the tooth is substantially seated on the adaptor, whereupon inserting the retainer pin into the passageway, the tooth is substantially secured to the adaptor. 
     
     
         27 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 26 , further comprising means for securing the retainer pin to the assembly. 
     
     
         28 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the retainer pin comprises a threaded end, and the means comprises a nut configured to threadably receive the threaded end. 
     
     
         29 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the retainer pin comprises a threaded end, and the means comprises a threaded hole disposed in the tooth configured to threadably receive the threaded end. 
     
     
         30 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 25  wherein the excavation tool comprises a dipper bucket or a front end loader bucket.