Assembly for an Excavating Apparatus with Flexible Reinforcement Collar

Abstract

A tooth assembly for excavating equipment may include an adapter having first and second tapered surfaces and first and second sides, the first and second tapered surfaces defining an opening at a first end of the adapter. The tooth assembly may also include a tooth horn having first and second tapered surfaces, the adapter configured to be removably coupled to the tooth horn at the first end of the adapter, the first and second tapered surfaces of the tooth horn abutting the first and second surfaces of the adapter in a coupled position. The first side of the tooth horn may be adapted to receive a removable insert. A retaining pin may be configured to be removably fastened to the removable insert, the retaining pin removably securing the adapter to the tooth horn. The retaining pin may include a flexible reinforcement collar.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tooth assembly, comprising:
 an adapter having first and second tapered surfaces, and first and second sides, the first and second tapered surfaces converging toward a first end of the adapter;   a tooth point coupled with the adapter at the first end, the tooth point having a contact edge opposite the first end of the adapter;   a second end of the adapter adapted to be removably coupled with a tooth horn;   the first side of the adapter including an internal cavity extending at least partially through the first side, the internal cavity adapted to receive a removable insert, the cavity having a complementary shape to the removable insert; and   a retaining pin operable to be removably fastened to the removable insert, the retaining pin removably securing the tooth point to the adapter, the retaining pin comprising a flexible reinforcement collar.   
     
     
         2 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a side of the tooth point defines at least one opening configured to receive the retainer pin, the side of the tooth point configured to secure the removable insert within the cavity of the adapter, and wherein the flexible reinforcement collar abuts at least a portion of the at least one opening of the tooth point when the retaining pin is in an installed configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar comprises an annular ring fastened to a head of the retaining pin. 
     
     
         4 . The tooth assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar at least partially comprises neoprene. 
     
     
         5 . The tooth assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar maintains the adapter and the tooth point in a snug alignment relative to each other in an installed configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The tooth assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar is operable to at least partially absorb shock between the adapter and the tooth point. 
     
     
         7 . A tooth assembly, comprising:
 an adapter having first and second tapered surfaces, and first and second sides, the first and second tapered surfaces defining an opening at a first end of the adapter;   a tooth horn having first and second tapered surfaces, the adapter configured to be removably coupled to the tooth horn at the first end of the adapter, the first and second tapered surfaces of the tooth horn abutting the first and second surfaces of the adapter in a coupled position;   the first side of the tooth horn including an internal cavity extending at least partially through the first side, the internal cavity adapted to receive a removable insert, the cavity having a shape complementary to the removable insert; and   a retaining pin operable to be removably fastened to the removable insert, the retaining pin removably securing the adapter to the tooth horn, the retaining pin comprising a flexible reinforcement collar.   
     
     
         8 . The tooth assembly of  claim 7 , wherein a side of the adapter defines at least one opening configured to receive the retainer pin, the side of the adapter configured to secure the removable insert within the cavity of the tooth horn, and wherein the flexible reinforcement collar abuts at least a portion of the at least one opening of the adapter when the retaining pin is in an installed configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The tooth assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar comprises an annular ring fastened to a head of the retaining pin. 
     
     
         10 . The tooth assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar at least partially comprises neoprene. 
     
     
         11 . The tooth assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar retains the adapter and the tooth horn in a snug alignment relative to each other in an installed configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The tooth assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar is operable to absorb shock between the adapter and the tooth horn. 
     
     
         13 . A retaining pin for a tooth assembly comprising:
 an elongated threaded portion operable to be fastened to a threaded portion of a removable insert;   a head portion, wherein the head portion is at least partially tapered and configured to abut a cooperatively shaped tapered portion of a removable insert, the removable insert operable to be positioned in a cavity of a replaceable machine component in an installed configuration; and   a flexible reinforcement collar coupled to the head portion.   
     
     
         14 . The retaining pin of  claim 13 , wherein the retaining pin is configured to removably secure a first component of the tooth assembly to a second component of the tooth assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The tooth assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar comprises an annular ring fastened to the head portion of the retaining pin. 
     
     
         16 . The tooth assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar at least partially comprises neoprene. 
     
     
         17 . The tooth assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar retains a first component of the tooth assembly and a second component of the tooth assembly in a snug alignment relative to each other in an installed configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The tooth assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the flexible reinforcement collar is operable to absorb shock between a first component of the tooth assembly and a second component of the tooth assembly.