Lock assembly for ground engaging tool

Abstract

A locking assembly for locking a ground engaging tool such as a shroud to a bucket lip. The bucket lip has a C-shaped boss fixed thereto. The ground engaging tool has a recess to receive a lock, the recess having an opening which is shorter in axial length than the recess. The lock is arranged to pivot about the boss as the ground engaging tool is slid rearwardly relative to the bucket lip. When the lock is located entirely within the recess, it can be accessed through a rear tunnel and tightened to hold the assembly in place.

1 . A locking assembly for locking a ground engaging tool to a bucket;
 the bucket including a pivot surface oriented away from a digging edge of the bucket;   the ground engaging tool including a lock receiving cavity, the lock receiving cavity having an opening in an outer surface thereof, the lock receiving cavity having an axial length, the opening having an axial length less than that of the cavity,   the locking assembly including a lock, the lock having an operating axis, the lock having a bucket engagement portion and a GET engagement portion, the lock having an axial length greater than that of the opening of the lock receiving cavity;   the ground engaging tool being moveable relative to the bucket between:
 a first position in which the lock can be positioned such that the bucket engagement portion abuts the pivot surface of the bucket and the GET engagement portion extends through the opening of the receiving cavity; and 
 a second position in which the lock can locate within the lock receiving cavity with the bucket engagement portion abutting the pivot surface of the bucket and the GET engagement portion abutting a bearing surface of the ground engaging tool, wherein the locking assembly is arranged such that the lock is able to pivot about the pivot surface of the bucket as the ground engaging tool moves between its first position and its second position. 
   
     
     
         2 . A locking assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lock is able to be extended in an axial direction between a release position and a locked position, the lock having an axial length when in the locked position greater than when in the release position. 
     
     
         3 . A locking assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lock is arranged to bear against the pivot surface of the bucket and the bearing surface of the ground engaging tool in order to lock the bucket and the ground engaging tool in a fixed relationship. 
     
     
         4 . A locking assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the locking assembly includes a resilient member having an active portion arranged, in use, to locate between an upper wall of the lock receiving cavity and the lock, the active portion being compressible so as to provide a force to the lock acting away from the upper wall and a force to the upper wall acting away from the lock. 
     
     
         5 . A locking assembly for locking a ground engaging tool to a bucket;
 the bucket including a bearing surface oriented towards a digging edge of the bucket;   the ground engaging tool including a lock receiving cavity, the lock receiving cavity having a bearing surface facing away from a wear end of the ground engaging tool;   the locking assembly including a lock, the lock having an operating axis, the lock having a bucket engagement portion and a GET engagement portion spaced along the operating axis;   the bucket engagement portion including a release bearing surface oriented towards the GET engagement portion, and the GET engagement portion including a release bearing surface oriented towards the bucket engagement portion;
 whereby, during release of the locking assembly, the lock can be contracted along its operating axis such that the release bearing surface of the bucket engagement portion bears against the bearing surface of the bucket, and the release bearing surface of the GET engagement portion bears against the bearing surface of the lock receiving cavity. 
   
     
     
         6 . A locking assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the GET engagement portion includes a laterally extending collar on which the release bearing surface is located. 
     
     
         7 . A ground engaging tool having a digging edge;
 the ground engaging tool including a lock receiving cavity, the lock receiving cavity having a first axial end oriented towards the digging edge and a second axial end oriented away from the digging edge, an axial length of the lock receiving cavity being defined between the first axial and the second axial end;   the lock receiving cavity having an opening in an outer surface thereof, the opening having an axial length less than that of the cavity,   the lock receiving cavity including a front surface extending from the first axial end of the lock receiving cavity to a front edge of the opening, the front surface extending partially in the axial direction, the front surface having an uppermost portion which is angled at an angle between 20° and 40° relative to the outer surface.   
     
     
         8 . A ground engaging tool as claimed in  claim 7  wherein, in use, the front surface is arranged to locate above a boss affixed to an excavator bucket. 
     
     
         9 . A ground engaging tool as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the lock receiving cavity may have a bearing surface at the second axial end thereof facing towards a wear end of the ground engaging tool;
 the bearing surface having a reduced transverse dimension relative to side walls of the receiving cavity.   
     
     
         10 . A ground engaging tool as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the receiving cavity includes a spacer receiving portion having an increased transverse direction relative to side walls of the receiving cavity. 
     
     
         11 . A bucket arranged to receive at least one ground engaging tool, the bucket including a boss arranged to associate with the ground engaging tool, the boss including a pivot surface oriented away from an edge of the bucket and a bearing surface oriented towards the edge of the bucket, the bearing surface being further from the bucket edge than the pivot surface. 
     
     
         12 . A bucket arranged to receive at least one ground engaging tool, the bucket having a digging edge, the bucket including a boss arranged to associate with the ground engaging tool,
 wherein the boss includes a first arm parallel to the digging edge and at least one second arm parallel to the first arm and spaced from the first arm in a direction perpendicular to the digging edge.   
     
     
         13 . A bucket as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the boss includes two second arms which are aligned in the same direction, and which are spaced from each other by a gap. 
     
     
         14 . A bucket as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the gap is between 25% and 50% of the length of the first arm. 
     
     
         15 . A lock for securing a ground engaging tool to a bucket, the lock having an operating axis, the lock having a bucket engagement portion and a GET engagement portion spaced along the operating axis,
 wherein the bucket engagement portion includes a concave bearing surface oriented away from the lock and a convex reverse surface oriented towards the GET engagement portion.   
     
     
         16 . A lock as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the lock includes a main body portion having a narrow width portion narrower than the width of the bucket engaging portion. 
     
     
         17 . A lock as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the narrow width portion is located between the bucket engaging portion and side walls of the main body portion. 
     
     
         18 . A lock as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the GET engagement portion includes an axial extension having an outer bearing face. 
     
     
         19 . A lock as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the outer bearing face is circular. 
     
     
         20 . A lock as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the GET engagement portion includes a release bearing surface oriented towards the bucket engagement portion. 
     
     
         21 . A lock as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the GET engagement portion includes a laterally extending collar on which the release bearing surface is located. 
     
     
         22 . A method of locking a ground engaging tool to a bucket;
 the bucket including a pivot surface oriented away from a digging edge of the bucket;   the ground engaging tool including a lock receiving cavity, the lock receiving cavity having an opening in an outer surface thereof, the lock receiving cavity having an axial length, the opening having an axial length less than that of the cavity,   the method including the steps of locating the ground engaging tool on the edge of the bucket; moving the ground engaging tool rearwardly until the lock receiving cavity locates above the pivot surface; inserting a lock into the opening of the lock receiving cavity until a bucket engagement portion of the lock locates against the pivot surface; moving the ground engaging tool rearwardly until the lock is able to pivot about the pivot surface and locate entirely within the lock receiving cavity, and tightening the lock such that a GET engagement portion of the lock bears against a bearing surface of the ground engaging tool.   
     
     
         23 . A method of locking a ground engaging tool to a bucket as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the method includes an additional step following pivoting of the lock and before tightening, the additional step being locating a resilient member within the lock receiving cavity such that an active portion of the resilient member locates between the lock and a front surface of the lock receiving cavity and is placed into compression on tightening of the lock.