Bucket lip and bucket lip assembly for machine having lip wings

Abstract

A bucket lip includes an elongate one-piece casting and each of a first lip wing projecting upward at a location adjacent to a first lateral edge and a second lip wing projecting upward at a location adjacent to a second lateral edge of the casting. The first lip wing and the second lip wing each include a base section that is laterally asymmetric, and a bucket wing attachment section. Embodied in a bucket lip assembly, wing shroud bosses may be attached to outboard sides of the first lip wing and the second lip wing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bucket lip comprising:
 an elongate one-piece casting including an upper lip side having an upper lip surface extending in a lateral direction between a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, and in a fore-aft direction between a forward lip edge and a back lip edge, and a lower lip side;   a first lip wing projecting upward at a location adjacent to the first lateral edge;   a second lip wing projecting upward at a location adjacent to the second lateral edge; and   the first lip wing and the second lip wing each having an outboard transition surface defining a smaller radius of curvature, and an inboard transition surface defining a larger radius of curvature and transitioning to the upper lip surface.   
     
     
         2 . The bucket lip of  claim 1  wherein the first lip wing and the second lip wing each include a planar outboard surface located above the respective outboard transition surface, and a planar inboard surface located above the respective inboard transition surface. 
     
     
         3 . The bucket lip of  claim 2  wherein each of the planar outboard surface and the planar inboard surface is vertically oriented, and a height of the planar outboard surface is about twice a height of the planar inboard surface or greater. 
     
     
         4 . The bucket lip of  claim 1  wherein the inboard transition surface extends from the planar inboard surface to the upper lip surface, and the larger radius of curvature includes a compound radius of curvature. 
     
     
         5 . The bucket lip of  claim 4  wherein the compound radius of curvature includes a larger upper radius and a smaller lower radius. 
     
     
         6 . The bucket lip of  claim 5  wherein the smaller radius of curvature of the outboard transition surface is equal in size to the smaller lower radius of the inboard transition surface. 
     
     
         7 . The bucket lip of  claim 5  wherein the larger radius ranges from 225 millimeters to 375 millimeters, and the smaller radius ranges from 75 millimeters to 125 millimeters. 
     
     
         8 . The bucket lip of  claim 1  wherein the first lip wing and the second lip wing each include a front surface sloped back upwardly away from the forward lip edge and having a curved profile matched, in part, to curvatures of each of the outboard transition surface and the inboard transition surface. 
     
     
         9 . The bucket lip of  claim 1  wherein the inboard transition surface includes a back corner surface defining a corner radius of curvature from 60 millimeters to 100 millimeters. 
     
     
         10 . The bucket lip of  claim 1  wherein each of the first lip wing and the second lip wing is formed integrally in the elongate once-piece casting, and further comprising a plurality of mounting stations arranged along the front lip edge. 
     
     
         11 . The bucket lip of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of mounting stations includes a first endmost station adjacent to the first lateral edge and a second endmost station adjacent to the second lateral edge, and the first lip wing and the second lip wing are intersected by a vertical midplane defined by the first endmost station and a vertical midplane defined by the second endmost station, respectively. 
     
     
         12 . A bucket lip comprising:
 an elongate one-piece casting including an upper lip surface, a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a forward lip edge, and a back lip edge;   a first lip wing projecting upward at a location adjacent to the first lateral edge;   a second lip wing projecting upward at a location adjacent to the second lateral edge; and   the first lip wing and the second lip wing each having a base section attached to the upper lip surface, and a bucket wing attachment section extending upwardly from the respective base section; and   the base section in each of the first lip wing and the second lip wing is laterally asymmetric about a midplane defined by the respective bucket attachment section.   
     
     
         13 . The bucket lip of  claim 12  wherein each respective bucket wing attachment section includes an outboard boss-mounting surface that is planar, and each respective base section includes an outboard transition surface that is curved. 
     
     
         14 . The bucket lip of  claim 13  wherein each respective bucket wing attachment section includes an inboard surface that is planar and located opposite to the respective outboard boss-mounting surface, and a vertical height of each outboard boss-mounting surface is about twice a vertical height of the opposite respective inboard surface or greater. 
     
     
         15 . The bucket lip of  claim 13  wherein each respective base section includes an inboard transition surface that is curved and transitions to the upper lip surface. 
     
     
         16 . The bucket lip of  claim 15  wherein each outboard transition surface defines a smaller radius of curvature, and each inboard transition surface defines a larger radius of curvature. 
     
     
         17 . The bucket lip of  claim 16  wherein the larger radius of curvature includes a compound radius of curvature including a larger upper radius and a smaller lower radius. 
     
     
         18 . A bucket lip assembly comprising:
 a bucket lip including an upper surface, a lower surface, a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a forward lip edge, and a back lip edge;   the bucket lip further including a first lip wing projecting upward at a location adjacent to the first lateral edge and a second lip wing projecting upward at a location adjacent to the second lateral edge;   the first lip wing and the second lip wing each having a laterally asymmetric base section attached to the upper lip surface, and a bucket wing attachment section extending upwardly from the respective base section;   a first wing shroud boss attached to an outboard side of the bucket wing attachment section of the first lip wing; and   a second wing shroud boss attached to the outboard side of the bucket wing attachment section of the second lip wing.   
     
     
         19 . The bucket assembly of  claim 18  wherein each respective base section includes an outboard transition surface defining a smaller radius of curvature, and an inboard transition surface defining a larger radius of curvature and transitioning to the upper lip surface. 
     
     
         20 . The bucket assembly of  claim 18  wherein the bucket lip further includes a plurality of coupler mounting stations in an alternating arrangement with a plurality of shroud stations along the forward lip edge, and further comprising a first bucket side wing attached to the first lip wing and a second bucket side wing attached to the second lip wing.