Attachment of a heel shroud

Abstract

A heel shroud assembly for connection of a heel shroud to an excavator bucket is disclosed. The heel shroud assembly includes a locking arm arranged to pivot about an axis of the heel shroud, and a restraining means is arranged to selectively restrict the pivoting of the locking arm.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A locking arm being part of a heel shroud assembly for connection to an excavator bucket, the locking arm is arranged to pivot about an axis of the heel shroud, the locking arm including a bucket engaging portion and a projection. 
     
     
         3 . A locking arm as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the bucket engaging portion and the projection extend on opposite sides of the axis. 
     
     
         4 . A locking arm as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the bucket engaging portion is generally prismatic in shape. 
     
     
         5 . A locking arm as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the bucket engaging portion has a generally convex outer surface arranged, in use, to contact a bucket sidewall; and a generally inner concave surface arranged, in use, to contact a boss fixed to the bucket sidewall. 
     
     
         6 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A locking arm as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the projection is cylindrical or part-cylindrical. 
     
     
         14 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A heel shroud for connection to an excavator bucket, the heel shroud being generally L-shaped, having a sidewall-abutting portion generally perpendicular to a floor-abutting portion, the sidewall-abutting portion including a lock receiving cavity. 
     
     
         28 . A heel shroud as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the lock receiving cavity extends in a channel generally centrally of the sidewall-abutting portion, from an outer edge remote from the floor-abutting portion towards the floor-abutting portion. 
     
     
         29 . A heel shroud as claimed in  claim 28  including a cylindrical bearing aperture extending on either side of the lock receiving aperture. 
     
     
         30 . A heel shroud as claimed in  claim 29  wherein an axle of a locking arm is located within the cylindrical bearing aperture. 
     
     
         31 . A heel shroud as claimed  claim 27 , wherein the sidewall-abutting portion has a sidewall-abutting face and the floor-abutting portion has a floor-abutting face. 
     
     
         32 . A heel shroud as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the sidewall-abutting face includes forwardly locating surfaces along outer lateral sides of the sidewall-abutting face arranged to locate, in use, against a bucket sidewall; rearwardly spaced locating surfaces alongside the lock receiving cavity arranged to locate, in use, against an outer portion of a boss fixed to the bucket sidewall; and a tapered region adjacent the floor-abutting portion arrange to locate, in use, about an inner region of a boss fixed to the bucket sidewall. 
     
     
         33 . A heel shroud as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the floor-abutting face is perpendicular to the sidewall-abutting face. 
     
     
         34 . A heel shroud as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the floor-abutting face includes at least two channels arranged to receive locating rails. 
     
     
         35 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . An excavator bucket arranged to receive a heel shroud, the excavator bucket including a sidewall boss fixed to a sidewall of the excavator bucket and a floor boss fixed to a floor of the excavator, the sidewall boss and the floor boss combining to form an attachment location for a heel shroud, wherein the floor boss includes locating rails arranged to receive a floor-abutting face of a heel shroud and the sidewall boss includes a locking-arm receiving recess arranged to receive a bucket engaging portion of a locking arm associated with the heel shroud. 
     
     
         43 . An excavator bucket as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein the floor boss is generally U-shaped. 
     
     
         44 . An excavator bucket as claimed in  claim 43 , wherein each locating rail is of a stepped configuration, with the width of each locating rail narrowing away from the U-shaped bend. 
     
     
         45 . An excavator bucket as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein the locking-arm receiving recess of the sidewall boss extends from a restraining means receiving cavity in a direction towards the excavator floor. 
     
     
         46 . An excavator bucket as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein the sidewall boss includes a locating arm receiving recess alongside at least one side of the restraining means receiving cavity, the locating arm receiving recess facing the excavator sidewall. 
     
     
         47 . An excavator bucket as claimed in  claim 46 , wherein the locating arm recess includes a resilient locator receiving cavity. 
     
     
         48 . An excavator bucket as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein the sidewall boss includes a relatively shallow outer portion remote from the floor boss and a relatively deeper inner portion arranged to abut the floor boss.