Moldboard wear strip

Abstract

A moldboard assembly is disclosed. The moldboard assembly may include a blade and a wear strip in sliding contact with the blade. The wear strip may include a high visibility material that is transferred onto the blade at a predetermined percentage of a useful life of the wear strip.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A moldboard assembly, comprising:
 a blade; and   a wear strip in sliding contact with the blade, the wear strip including a high visibility material that is transferred onto the blade at a predetermined percentage of a useful life of the wear strip.   
     
     
         2 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the blade includes a rail mounted thereto, and wherein the high visibility material is transferred onto the rail of the blade. 
     
     
         3 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined percentage of the useful life of the wear strip is within a range of about eighty percent (80%) to about ninety percent (90%). 
     
     
         4 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the high visibility material is composed of at least one of a paint, a crayon, a chalk, a graphite, and a wax. 
     
     
         5 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the high visibility material is colored. 
     
     
         6 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the high visibility material includes a gradient of at least two colors which when transferred onto the blade indicates various predetermined percentages of the useful life of the wear strip. 
     
     
         7 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the gradient includes a first color that is transferred onto the blade at about seventy percent (70%) of the useful life of the wear strip, a second color that is transferred onto the blade at about seventy-five percent (75%) of the useful life of the wear strip, and a third color that is transferred onto the blade at about eighty percent (80%) of the useful life of the wear strip. 
     
     
         8 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the high visibility material is embedded within the wear strip at a predetermined depth that correlates to the predetermined percentage of the useful life of the wear strip. 
     
     
         9 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the high visibility material is embedded at multiple positions within at least one side of the wear strip. 
     
     
         10 . The moldboard assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the multiple positions of the high visibility material are staggered relative to each other. 
     
     
         11 . A machine, comprising:
 a frame;   a blade; and   a mounting assembly operatively configured to mount the blade to the frame, the mounting assembly including:
 a mounting bracket, and 
 a wear strip disposed within the mounting bracket and configured to facilitate movement of the blade within the mounting bracket, the wear strip including a high visibility material embedded therein, the high visibility material configured to be transferred onto the blade at a predetermined percentage of a useful life of the wear strip. 
   
     
     
         12 . The machine of  claim 11 , wherein the high visibility material is colored and composed of at least one of a paint, a crayon, a chalk, a graphite, and a wax. 
     
     
         13 . The machine of  claim 11 , wherein the blade includes a rail received within the mounting bracket and in contact with the wear strip, and wherein the high visibility material is configured to be transferred onto the rail of the blade. 
     
     
         14 . The machine of  claim 11 , wherein the high visibility material includes a gradient of at least two colors which when transferred onto the blade indicates various predetermined percentages of the useful life of the wear strip. 
     
     
         15 . The machine of  claim 11 , wherein the gradient includes a first color that is transferred onto the blade at about seventy percent (70%) of the useful life of the wear strip, a second color that is transferred onto the blade at about seventy-five percent (75%) of the useful life of the wear strip, and a third color that is transferred onto the blade at about eighty percent (80%) of the useful life of the wear strip. 
     
     
         16 . A wear strip for a moldboard assembly of a machine, comprising:
 a U-shaped body including a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a third side connecting the first side and the second side; and   a colored material embedded within the third side and at least one of the first side and the second side of the U-shaped body at a predetermined depth that correlates to a predetermined percentage of a useful life of the wear strip, the colored material configured to be exposed and transferred to a blade of the moldboard assembly when the wear strip reaches the predetermined percentage of its useful life.   
     
     
         17 . The wear strip of  claim 16 , wherein the predetermined percentage of the useful life of the wear strip is about eighty percent (80%). 
     
     
         18 . The wear strip of  claim 16 , wherein the U-shaped body is configured to receive at least part of a rail of the blade of the moldboard assembly, and wherein the colored material is further configured to be transferred onto at least two surfaces of the rail. 
     
     
         19 . The wear strip of  claim 16 , wherein the colored material is embedded at multiple, staggered positions within each of the third side and the at least one of the first side and the second side of the U-shaped body. 
     
     
         20 . The wear strip of  claim 16 , wherein the colored material includes a gradient of at least two colors which when transferred onto the blade indicates various predetermined percentages of the useful life of the wear strip.