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WO-2026096148-A1 - WEAR CAP FOR BUCKET LIP HAVING RAIL CHANNELS AND BUCKET LIP ASSEMBLY WITH SAME

WO2026096148A1WO 2026096148 A1WO2026096148 A1WO 2026096148A1WO-2026096148-A1

Abstract

A wear cap (44) in a bucket lip (22) in a bucket lip assembly (36) for a machine (10) includes a cap plate (54), and each of a first sidewall (64) and a second sidewall (66) downwardly dependent from the cap plate. A wear cap mounting space (68) is defined laterally between a first sidewall (64) and a second sidewall (66), and each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall includes a protrusion extending inwardly so as to define a rail channel (74, 76) for mounting the wear cap between the respective protrusion and the wear cap lower surface (62). The wear cap can be installed and retained solely by way of engagement with the rails on a bucket lip and interlocks with an adjacent coupler (38).

Inventors

  • MAMMEN, Chad
  • SERRURIER, DOUGLAS C.
  • Sinn, Eric T.
  • BRADSHAW, NICHOLAS
  • LEE, Cameron D.
  • MCCAFFREY, Brandon H.

Assignees

  • CATERPILLAR INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251002
Priority Date
20241031

Claims (15)

  1. 1. A wear cap (44) for a bucket lip (22) comprising: a cap plate (54) including a wear cap upper surface (56) extending from a wear cap forward edge (58) to a wear cap back edge (60), and a wear cap lower surface (62); a first sidewall (64) and a second sidewall (66) each downwardly depending from the cap plate; a wear cap mounting space (68) is defined laterally between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and extends vertically to the wear cap lower surface; the first sidewall and the second sidewall including a first protrusion (70) and a second protrusion (72), respectively, each extending inwardly at a location that is longitudinally between the wear cap forward edge (85) and the wear cap back edge; and a first rail channel (74) and a second rail channel (76), each in communication with the wear cap mounting space, are defined, respectively, between the first protrusion and the second protrusion and the wear cap lower surface.
  2. 2. The wear cap of claim 1 wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall each include a sidewall lower edge (78, 79) extending forward and angularly downward from the cap plate, and wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall each include a forward projecting sidewall tip (80, 82).
  3. 3. The wear cap of claim 2 wherein the sidewall tips each include a terminal corner (84), and a sidewall forward edge (85) extending upward from the respective terminal corner and angularly oriented to the respective sidewall lower edge.
  4. 4. The wear cap of any of claims 1-3 wherein the wear cap forward edge includes a laterally extending coupler contact surface (86), and a first cutout (88) and a second cutout (90) are defined, respectively, between each of the sidewall tips and the coupler contact surface.
  5. 5. The wear cap of any of claims 1-4 wherein: a wear cap width dimension is defined between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and a mounting station shielding dimension (94) is defined between the wear cap upper surface and each respective terminal corner; and the mounting station shielding dimension is from 25% to 75% of the wear cap width dimension.
  6. 6. The wear cap of any of claims 2-5 wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion each include an upward facing rail hooking surface (96) defining an acute angle with the respective sidewall lower edge.
  7. 7. The wear cap of any of claims 1-6 wherein the first rail channel and the second rail channel each extend to a respective contoured forward surface (98) transitioning between a rail channel outer wall (100) and a sidewall inner surface (102).
  8. 8. The wear cap of any preceding claim wherein the wear cap lower surface forms a lip contact surface (104) extending to the wear cap back edge, and a mounting station contact surface (106) located vertically below the lip contact surface.
  9. 9. The wear cap of claim 8 wherein the first rail channel and the second rail channel are defined, respectively, between the first protrusion and the second protrusion and the mounting station contact surface, and wherein the lip contact surface and the mounting station contact surface are oriented parallel to one another and each is planar.
  10. 10. A wear cap (44) for a bucket lip (22) comprising: a cap plate (54) including a wear cap upper surface (56) extending from a wear cap forward edge (58) to a wear cap back edge (60), and a wear cap lower surface (62); a first sidewall (64) and a second sidewall (66) each downwardly depending from the cap plate and including a first protrusion (70) and a second protrusion (72), respectively, each extending inwardly so as to form a first rail channel (74) and a second rail channel (76) for hooking the wear cap to rails formed by a mounting station (32, 34) of a bucket lip; and the first sidewall and the second sidewall further including a first sidewall tip (80) and a second sidewall tip (82), respectively, each forward projecting, for hooking the wear cap under a coupler (38) mounted upon the mounting station (34) of the bucket lip.
  11. 11. The wear cap of claim 10 wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall each include a sidewall lower edge (78, 79) extending forward and angularly downward from the cap plate; and wherein the first sidewall tip and the second sidewall tip each extend to a location positioned forward of the wear cap forward edge, and a cutout (88, 90) is formed between the wear cap forward edge and each respective first sidewall tip and second sidewall tip.
  12. 12. The wear cap of claim 10 or 11 wherein a wear cap width dimension is defined between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall extends to a distance below the wear cap upper surface that is at least 25% of the wear cap width dimension.
  13. 13. The wear cap of any of claims 1-12 wherein: the wear cap lower surface (62) forms a lip contact surface (104) extending to the wear cap back edge, and a mounting station contact surface (106) located vertically below the lip contact surface; and the first rail channel and the second rail channel are defined, respectively, between the first protrusion and the second protrusion and the mounting station contact surface.
  14. 14. The wear cap of any of claims 10-13 wherein the wear cap forward edge includes a coupler contact surface (86), and each of a first cutout (88) and a second cutout (90) are defined, respectively, between the first sidewall tip and the second sidewall tip and the coupler contact surface; and wherein the first cutout and the second cutout each extend laterally outward from the coupler contact surface, and then vertically downward to the respective first sidewall tip and second sidewall tip.
  15. 15. A bucket lip assembly (36) comprising: an elongate bucket lip (22) including a bucket lip upper surface (26), a bucket lip forward edge (35), and a plurality of mounting stations (32, 34) arranged along the bucket lip forward edge; each of the plurality of mounting stations including a mounting station upper surface (26) vertically below the bucket lip upper surface, and each of a first rail (50) and a second rail (52) laterally outward of the mounting station upper surface; a wear cap (44) installed on one of the plurality of mounting stations and including a cap plate (54), and each of a first sidewall (64) and a second sidewall (66) downwardly depending from the cap plate; and the first sidewall and the second sidewall including, respectively, a first protrusion (70) and a second protrusion (72) each extending inwardly and forming a first rail channel (74) and a second rail channel (76) hooking the wear cap to the respective first rail and second rail.

Description

Description WEAR CAP FOR BUCKET LIP HAVING RAIL CHANNELS AND BUCKET LIP ASSEMBLY WITH SAME Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to protective structures for a bucket lip in a machine, and more particularly to a wear cap for shielding areas of a bucket lip during service. Background Many different types of heavy-duty machinery are known throughout the world for use in material handling, construction, demolition, forestry, and mining, for example. Such machines are typically equipped with an implement system, commonly hydraulically actuated, including a bucket that captures material to be lifted and dumped. In mining applications, it is common for such machines to be built quite large and robust, with large bucket capacities configured for capturing, lifting, and dumping enormous amounts of material at a working face of a mine. Operating conditions in such applications can be extremely harsh, with the material captured and moved being heavy, hard, abrasive, and sometimes needing to be broken apart by action of the bucket. One type of mining machine widely deployed in the field is generally known as a hydraulic mining shovel and includes a large bucket mounted to a boom assembly and operated to capture, lift, and dump blasted material at the working face of a mine. Buckets in such applications are often built, sometimes on-site, from multiple different parts including a so-called bucket lip that is arranged at a forward edge of the bucket. Such bucket lips are typically equipped with various protective structures, often replaceable, including edge shrouds, wing shrouds, wear caps, and various wear plates, as well as ground-engaging tip structures for penetrating the material. In modern hydraulic mining shovels and similar equipment, the bucket lip and attachments can be among the more complex components of the machine. Due to the demands placed upon such machines the bucket components are typically built quite robust, often necessitating their being quite heavy, difficult to manufacture and/or install, or having other shortcomings. A bucket lip may also be equipped with multiple interrelated attachments in contact with one another and the bucket lip itself, creating challenges as to managing loads, fitment of parts, servicing and replacement schedules, and still others. The art provides ample room for improvements and development of alternatives to known strategies. One bucket lip is known from United States Patent No. 9404240B2 to Kunz. Summary In one aspect, a wear cap for a bucket lip includes a cap plate having a wear cap upper surface extending from a wear cap forward edge to a wear cap back edge, and a wear cap lower surface. The wear cap further includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall each downwardly depending from the cap plate. A wear cap mounting space is defined laterally between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and extends vertically to the wear cap lower surface. The first sidewall and the second sidewall include a first protrusion and a second protrusion, respectively, each extending inwardly at a location that is longitudinally between the wear cap forward edge and the wear cap back edge. A first rail channel and a second rail channel, each in communication with the wear cap mounting space, are defined, respectively, between the first protrusion and the second protrusion and the wear cap lower surface. In another aspect, a wear cap for a bucket lip includes a cap plate having a wear cap upper surface extending from a wear cap forward edge to a wear cap back edge, and a wear cap lower surface. The wear cap further includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall each downwardly dependent from a cap plate and including a first protrusion and a second protrusion, respectively, each extending inwardly so as to form a first rail channel and a second rail channel for hooking the wear cap to rails formed by a mounting station of a bucket lip. The first sidewall and the second sidewall further include a first sidewall tip and a second sidewall tip, respectively, each forward projecting, for hooking the wear cap under a coupler mounted upon the mounting station of the bucket lip. In still another aspect, a bucket lip assembly includes an elongate bucket lip having a bucket lip upper surface, a bucket lip forward edge, and a plurality of mounting stations arranged along the bucket lip forward edge. Each of the plurality of mounting stations includes a mounting station upper surface vertically below the bucket lip upper surface, and each of a first rail and a second rail laterally outward of the mounting station upper surface. The bucket lip assembly further includes a wear cap installed on one of the plurality of mounting stations and including a cap plate, and each of a first sidewall and a second sidewall downwardly depending from the cap plate. The first sidewall and the second sidewall include, respectively, a first protrusion and a second protrusion each exte