Female part, retaining device and pin system for excavators and the like

Abstract

A female part, a retaining device and a pin system have the device, the female part and a male part, to assure the retention between the female part and a male part used in excavators and the like. The female part has a cavity and can be a wearing element, a tooth or an intermediate part (part between a point and a weld on or cast nose in a three part system) and the male part has a nose to be introduced into the cavity of the female part and this will usually be a tooth-holder, intermediate, cast nose, weld-on nose or an adapter.

Claims

1. A retaining device (3) for a female part (10) with a cavity (11) of excavators, comprising an elongated element (30) having a bent body with two arms (31) that extend from a first bent end (33) to a second end (39) opposite to the first bent end (33), wherein both arms terminate in free ends (36) at the second end, the retaining device further comprising: attaching means on the second end (39) for coupling the retaining device (3) to a wall or surface inside the cavity (11) of the female part (10), the attaching means are in a form of hook-shaped ends (34), each terminating in the free ends, and wherein, opposite the second end, each arm comprises in the following order: a first curve portion (c1) curved in a first direction towards the respective hook-shaped end, a first arm section (32), a second curve portion (c2) curved in a direction opposite to the first curve portion, a second arm section (35), and a third curve portion (c3), and wherein a common third section connects the third curve portion for each arm, thereby closing the first bent end, and wherein each of the first and second arm sections of one arm is substantially parallel to a corresponding section of the other arm.

2. The retaining device, according to claim 1, wherein said arms are not parallel.

3. The retaining device, according to claim 1, wherein said arms are parallel.

4. A retaining device (6) for a female part (10) with a cavity (11) of excavators, comprising an elongated element (60) having a bent body with two parallel arms (61) that extend from a first bent end (63) to a second end (69) opposite to the first bent end (63), wherein both arms terminate in free ends (62), the retaining device further comprising attaching means (66) on the second end (69) for coupling the retaining device (3) inside the cavity (11) of the female part (10), said attaching means (64, 65) comprising two components (64, 65) detachable from one another, wherein one of the two components (64) is attached to the free ends (62) of the device (6) maintaining the free ends together.

5. The retaining device, according to claim 4, wherein the two components (64, 65) are threaded to be attached and detached one from the other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To better understand the previous description, drawings in which several practical embodiments are depicted schematically and only by way of non-limiting example are attached.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a coupling between a female part and a male part.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a lateral view of a female part.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a lateral section of a female part.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of a female part with a retaining device fixed to it.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a detail of the retaining device fixed to the female part.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a lateral section of a female part with a retaining device fixed to it.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a detail of the second hole in the female part.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a lateral view of a female part with a retaining device fixed to it.

(10) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a retaining device.

(11) FIGS. 10 and 11 show different views of the retaining device shown in FIG. 9.

(12) FIG. 12 show a perspective view of a plug.

(13) FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a retaining device.

(14) FIG. 14 shows a detail of the second end of the retaining device.

(15) FIG. 15 shows a rear perspective view of a female part with the second embodiment of retaining device fixed to it.

(16) FIG. 16 shows a front perspective view of a female part with the second embodiment of retaining device fixed to it.

(17) FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a female part with a second hole that is blind in the inside surface of the wall.

(18) FIG. 18 shows a lateral section of the female part of FIG. 17.

(19) FIG. 19 shows a transversal section of the female part of FIGS. 17 and 18 through the second hole.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(20) The present invention and its embodiments will now be described attending to the figures and the numerical references contained therein.

(21) FIGS. 1 to 12 refer to a first embodiment of a retaining device, an intermediate element as female part 10 and pin system, while FIGS. 13 to 16 refer to a second embodiment of the same elements. FIG. 1 also shows a tooth holder 20 with a nose 21. Further, FIGS. 17 to 19 show an alternative embodiment, similar to the one in FIGS. 1 to 11, where the second hole is not a through hole but a blind hole, opened on the inside surface of the wall of the female part but closed on the exterior surface of said wall.

(22) Attending to the first embodiment, FIG. 1 shows an intermediate 10 as a female part with a cavity 11 on the rear side and a nose on the front side, a tooth holder 20 as male element with a nose 21 on the front side, a pin 40 to assure the coupling between the female part or intermediate 10 and the tooth holder 20, a retaining device 3 to be attached to a wall 110 inside the cavity 11 of the intermediate 10 through a retention structure or retention configuration. The wall 110 of the intermediate 10 comprises two holes, a first hole 12 that serves to introduce the pin 40 when the nose 21 is introduced inside the cavity 11, and a second hole 13, with a retention structure or retention configuration within, used to place the attaching means 36 of the retaining device 3 to the cavity 11 of the intermediate 10. Once the retaining device 3 is attached to the wall of the cavity 11, the nose 21 is introduced into said cavity 11 and the retaining device 3 remains between the outside surfaces of the nose 21 and the wall 110 of the cavity, with the duct 22 of the tooth holder 20 and the first hole 12 of the intermediate 10 aligned. Afterwards, to assure the coupling of both parts 10, 20 the pin is introduced through the first hole 12, goes between the retaining device 3 and enters the duct 22 in the tooth holder. Also a plug 50 can be placed in the second hole 13 to guarantee the position of the attaching means 36 of the retaining device 3 and to prevent dirt from getting into said second hole 13.

(23) The retaining device 3 of this first embodiment comprises an elongated element 30 that determines a bent body with two substantially parallel arms 31 that extend from a first closed bent end 33 to a second end 39 that is opposite to the first one 33. Said arms are preferably straight between both ends 33, 39. On said second end 39 both arms 31 have free ends 36 that make up the attaching means 38 with a hook-shaped end 38 of said retaining device 3 to the intermediate 10. These attaching means 38 with hooked-shaped ends 38 are made up of the straight ends of the retaining device 31, followed by a section 34 and the free ends 36. Furthermore, the attaching means 38 are placed in the second hole 13 of the intermediate and are determined by hook-shaped ends 38 comprising the last free ends 36 ending each arm 31. This last free section or end 36 of the hook-shaped ends 38 are contained in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane that contains both arms 31 of the device 3.

(24) On the other hand, and on the other side of the device 3, and to help to position the retaining device 3 in the wall 110 of the cavity 11 as well as to guarantee that the retaining device 3 does not move when placed in the cavity 11 of the intermediate part 10, the first bent end 33 of the device 3 has a particular shape that is used to be introduced into a groove 15 in the wall 110 of the cavity 11 of the intermediate part 10. This particular shape specifically describes near the bent end 33 and on each of the arms 31 the following path: A first curve (c1) towards the hook-shaped end followed by a first arm section 32, A second curve (c2) after the first section 32, that is contrary to the first curve (c1), and that is followed by a second arm section 35, and A third curve (c3) that determines the bent end 33 of the device.

(25) The previous sections in one particular arm are substantially parallel to the equivalent sections of the other arm, while the bent end 33 is preferably at a similar height to the last free section 36 of the hook-shaped ends 38.

(26) The first curve (c1) has an angle, α, between 70° and 120°, preferably 100°, the second curve (c2) has an angle, β, between 90° and 140°, preferably 120°, and the third curve (c3) has an angle, γ, of about 90°.

(27) The above retaining device 3 will be attached to a female part 10, in this example an intermediate 10, with a particular retention configuration. The intermediate 10 is delimited outside by an upper, a lower, and two side surfaces or walls and the internal cavity 11 is delimited by an upper surface 113, a lower surface 111, a bottom end 112, two side surfaces or walls 110 and an opening that gives access to the cavity 11 and that is on the opposite side of the bottom end 112.

(28) At least one of said walls 110, although the two walls can be too, is provided with a first through hole 12 that traverses the wall for the subsequent introduction of a retention pin 40 after the intermediate part 10 has been coupled to the tooth holder 20. In this embodiment each of the side walls 110 has said first hole 12 and towards the bottom end 112 of the cavity comprises a second hole 13 with a retention structure or retention configuration. This second hole 13 is separated from the first hole 12 and the centers of each hole 12, 13 are preferably placed in the same axis being each of said holes symmetric in respect to said axis. The axis where the center of the holes is placed is preferably the axis that divides the wall of the female part into two similar size parts.

(29) Furthermore, the inner side of the wall 110, where the first 12 and second 13 holes are placed has a groove 15, placed between the first hole 12 and the open end of the cavity 11, being said groove 15 aligned with said two holes 12, 13.

(30) Said first 12 and second 13 holes, as well as the groove 15 are placed within a recess or lowered surface 14 practiced in the wall 110 inside the cavity 11, so that the depth of the recess or lowered surface of the wall 14 is smaller than the depth of the groove 15, which at the same time is the same or larger than the width of the elongated body 30 of the retaining device 3. Therefore, the groove 15 is at a lower level in the wall than the lowered surface 14. Said lowered surface 14 extends from the second hole 13 to the groove 15, containing said second hole 13, the groove 15 and the first hole 12, surrounding the same.

(31) The shape of the first hole 12 is preferable circular although other shapes are possible depending of the cross section of the pin 40 to be introduced through the first hole 12. The shape of the second hole 13, determining the retention structure or retention configuration, is basically T-shaped, as can be seen in FIG. 7, with a horizontal slot 131 crossed by a perpendicular slot 132 that determine said T-shape. The horizontal side or slot 131 of the T is directed to the first hole 13 of the female part 10 and the vertical side or slot 132, perpendicular to said first side 132. At both sides of said horizontal slot 131 is determined an intermediate surface 133 between the inside surface and the exterior surface of the wall 110, being said intermediate surface 133 connected to the inside surface of the wall 110 through another surface.

(32) Furthermore, the groove 15, as seen in FIG. 4, can also have a T shape, although is not compulsory, with the narrower side of the T groove 15 at the upper level of the wall 110 of the cavity 11 and the wider side of the T groove 15 determining the lower level of said wall 110 and being placed at the same level or below the level of the recess or lowered surface 14 in the wall 110. Anyway, other shapes for the groove 15 are possible, as the important feature of said groove is that the retaining device 3 is maintained inside the recces or lowered surface 14 preventing said retaining device 3 from moving in any direction. Therefore the groove 15 should be placed within the wall 110 with at least one aperture to allow the introduction in the wall 110 of the end 33 of the retaining device 3. Furthermore, the purpose of the lowered surface 14 is to position the retaining element 3 so that it does not interfere between the cavity 11 of the female part 10 and the nose 21 of the male part 20, and to prevent the retaining device 3 from moving backward or forward. The groove 15 could be independent of the recces or lowered surface 14 or connected to the same.

(33) Before coupling the intermediate 10 and the tooth holder 20, the retaining device 3 has to be attached to the inside wall 110 of the intermediate 10. Therefore, the first bent end 33 of the retaining device 3 is introduced into the groove 15 to position the device 3 within the wall 110. Specifically, the second arm section 35 is placed inside the groove 15. Once the first end 33 is placed in the groove 15 the retaining device 3 should be attached through its attaching means 36 to the wall 110.

(34) The attachment is made through the hooked-shaped ends 38 attaching means 38 in the arms 31 of the retaining device 3. Said hooked-shaped 38 ends are placed inside the second hole 13 so that the last free section 36 ending each arm 31 are positioned on the sides of the horizontal slot 131 of the second hole 13, specifically supported on the surface 133 within the hole 13 where the free ends 36 of the hook-shaped end 38 are placed, facing the outside of the wall 110. To attach this second end 39 of the retaining device 3 to the inside wall 110, the two last free sections 36 of each arm 31 are brought together by exerting pressure and afterwards are passed through the horizontal slot 131 of the T-shaped second hole 13. To achieve the expansive force on the arms 31 that serve to firmly attach the free ends 36 within the second hole 13 the distance between the arms 31 at the free ends 36 is slightly greater than the distance at the first bent end 33. Once the last straight sectors 36 of the hooked-shaped ends 38 of the arms 31 have crossed the second hole 13, the pressure exerted on both free ends 36 should be released and the arms 31 will separate so that the hooked-shaped ends 38 will embrace the intermediate surfaces 133 from the wall 110. As mentioned, the last free sections 36 will face the outside of the wall 110, supported on the intermediate surface 133, and the side section 34 of the hooked-shaped end will have the length of the surface connecting the inside surface of the wall 110 and the intermediate surface 133, and the other parts of the retaining device 3 will remain inside the cavity 11 of the intermediate part 10.

(35) The second hole 13 can be closed by a plug 50 that has the counter shape of the hole 13 and prevents dirt from getting into the pin system. The plug 50 is introduced into said second hole 13, on the outside side of the intermediate 10, blocking the position of the retaining device 3 as well as preventing the entrance of dirt inside the cavity 11 of the intermediate part 10.

(36) As can be seen in FIG. 4, the intermediate 10 comprises two retaining devices 3, one on each of the inside walls 110. However, the intermediate or female part 10 can include means for attaching the retaining device 3 only on one wall 110, independently of including one first hole 12 on each wall 110. The intermediate or female part 10 can even include means for attaching a retaining device 3 on both walls 110.

(37) Alternatively, and as shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, a female part or intermediate 200 is shown with one first through hole 220 and a blind second hole 230. Said second hole 230 having the same retention structure or retention configuration to retain and receive the attaching means 36 of the retaining device 3 to the cavity 260 of the intermediate 200 as the second hole 13 previously described in FIGS. 1 to 12. Specifically, this second hole 230 of this new embodiment is T-shaped too but can only be accessed from the interior surface 210 of the wall of the intermediate 200, that is to say, from inside the cavity 260. As previously described for the embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 11, the female part or intermediate 200 comprises a cavity 260 delimited outside by an upper, a lower, and two side surfaces or walls and the internal cavity 260 is delimited by an upper surface 213, a lower surface 211, a bottom end 212, two side surfaces or walls 210 and an opening that gives access to the cavity 260 and that is on the opposite side of the bottom end 212.

(38) As previously detailed, said first 220 and second 230 holes, as well as the groove 250 are placed within a recess or lowered surface 240 practiced in the wall 210 inside the cavity 260, so that the depth of the recess or lowered surface of the wall 240 is smaller than the depth of the groove 250, which at the same time is the same or larger than the width of the elongated body 30 of the retaining device 3. Therefore, the groove 250 is at a lower level in the wall than the lowered surface 240. Said lowered surface 240 extends from the second hole 230 to the groove 250, containing the lowered surface 240 said second hole 230, the groove 250 and the first hole 220, surrounding the same.

(39) The retention structure or retention configuration of the second hole 230 for attaching the retention device 3 to the female element 200 is preferably the T-shaped structure as the one described for the embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 11.

(40) Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 13 to 16. This retaining device 6 is to be attached to a female part 10 comprising a first hole 12 for the insertion of a pin 40 and a second hole 13, with an alternative retention structure or retention configuration, for attaching the retaining device 6 to the female device 10 as will be described.

(41) The retaining device 6 in this second embodiment comprises one elongated element 60 determining a bent body with two substantially parallel arms 61 that extend from a first closed bent end 63 to a second end 69 opposite to the first end 63, where both arms 61 have free ends 62. On this second end 69 the retaining device 6 comprises attaching means 64, 65 for coupling the retaining device 6 inside the cavity 11 of the female part 10. These attaching means 64, 65 comprise two components that are detachable one from the other, and being one of the components 64 attached to the free ends 62 of the device 6 maintaining both free ends 62 together. These free ends 62 of the arms 61 are curved one towards the other, that is to say that the end of one arm faces the end of the opposite arm, determining a rectangular shaped retaining device 3.

(42) The first component 64 that maintains both free ends 62 together is preferably a hollow cylinder 64 with a thread 67 inside that is crossed through orifices by the free ends 62 of the arms 61 of the retaining device 6. This first component 64 is to be threaded to a second component 65 that has a thread 66 on one end and a nut shape on the other end. Due to the threaded relation between both components 64, 65 they can be attached and detached between them.

(43) The female part 10, where the previous retaining device 6 is to be attached, comprises similar features as the previously described female part or intermediate 10.

(44) The female part or intermediate part 10 is delimited outside by an upper, a lower, and two side surfaces or walls and the internal cavity 11 is delimited by an upper surface 113, a lower surface 111, a bottom end 112, two side surfaces or walls 110 and an opening that gives access to the cavity 11 and that is on the opposite side of the bottom end 112.

(45) At least one of said walls 110, although the two walls 110 can be too, is provided with a first through hole 12 that traverses the wall for the subsequent introduction of a retention pin 40 after the adaptor 10 has been coupled to the tooth holder 20. In this embodiment each of the side walls 110 has said first hole 2 and towards the bottom end 112 of the cavity comprises a second hole 13 with the retention structure or retention configuration. Said first 12 and second 13 holes are placed within a recess or lowered surface 14 practiced in the wall 110 inside the cavity 11.

(46) The shape of the first hole 12 is preferable circular although other shapes are possible depending of the cross section of the pin 40 to be introduced through the first hole 12. The shape of the second hole 13, and of the retention structure or retention configuration, is basically circular for the introduction within of the first component 64 of the attaching means of the retaining device 6.

(47) Before coupling the adaptor 10 and the tooth holder 20, the retaining device 6 has to be attached to the inside wall 110 of the female part or intermediate 10. Therefore, the first component 64 of the attaching means is introduced into the second hole 13 and the second component 65 is threaded to the first component 64 from outside of the female part 10 with the use of a tool and turning the nut shape of the second component 65. In this way, the retaining device 6 is attached to the female part 10 and placed with the lowered surface 14 inside the wall 110 of the cavity 11 of said female part 10.

(48) Once the retaining device 3, 6 is attached in the cavity 11 of the female part or intermediate part 10, the same can be coupled to the tooth holder 20 by the introduction in the cavity 11 of the female part or intermediate 10 of the nose 21 of the tooth-holder 20. The retaining device 3, 6 will be situated between the inside wall 110 of the cavity 11 of the female part or intermediate 10 and the outside wall of the tooth-holder 20. Once coupled, the coupling is assured by the introduction of the pin 40 through the first hole 12 of the adaptor and the duct 22 of the tooth-holder 20, passing between the two arms 31, 61 of the retaining device 3, 6.

(49) The pin 40 causes the separation of the both parallel arms 31, 61 of the retaining device 3, 6 that separate or expand inside the lowered surface 14 of the wall 110, and allows the introduction of the pin 40 until at least one of the arms 31, 61 meets at least one notch or slot 41 made on the surface of the pin 40 that houses the arm 31, 61. The pin 40 can have one or two notches 41 on one end or on both ends, depending if one or two retaining devices 3, 6 are going to be used on the intermediate or female part 10. To facilitate the user correctly inserting the pin between the two parallel arms 31, 61, the pin has to be introduced in a specific manner. Preferably, the base of the pin 40 that remains outside the male female part, to be worked with a tool, has a projection on one side that is placed in a window within the first hole on the outside of the female part.

(50) Once the female part or intermediate 10 has to be replaced, the pin 40 has to be extracted from the coupling, and therefore the pin 40 will have to be rotated with a tool placed within a housing in the base of the pin 40 that will release the pin 40 from the arms 31, 61 as they come out of said notch or notches 41 in the pin 40. To facilitate the extraction of the pin 40, the outside surface adjacent to the first hole 12 can comprise two inclination ramps opposite to one another and concentric to said orifice or hole 12 to allow the rotation of the pin in both directions when it has to be removed.

(51) Therefore a pin system for excavators and the like is formed by the retaining device 3, 6, the pin 40, the intermediate part or female part 10 and the male part 20.

(52) Although during the description it is mentioned and shown in the figures that the retaining devices are attached to the side walls of the female cavity to fix in position the pins introduced laterally in the coupling, it is also possible that the retaining devices are attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the cavity and therefore the pin would be introduced from the upper or the lower side.