Self-adjusting tooth/adapter connection system for material displacement

Abstract

An excavation tooth point longitudinally extending along an axis and having a pocket area extending inwardly through a rear end thereof is telescoped onto a nose portion of an adapter structure by inserting the nose portion into the tooth point pocket area. The inserted nose portion has a tapered side opening therein that is positioned between a corresponding pair of similarly tapered tooth side wall openings. To removably couple the tooth point to the adapter nose an elongated, wedge shaped connector member is inserted, small end first, through the generally aligned tooth and adapter openings. A bolt is then passed through a central opening in a flat spring member and tightened into a threaded axial opening in the small connector member end. The tightening of the bolt causes tapered side surfaces of the connector member to engage correspondingly tapered side surfaces of the tooth point and adapter openings in a manner axially tightening the tooth onto the adapter nose, and also longitudinally bends the originally straight spring member against an external side surface portion of the tooth point. The bent spring member exerts a longitudinal force on the connector member to thereby cause it to resiliently hold the tooth point in an axially tightened orientation on the adapter nose, and automatically tighten the tooth further onto the adapter nose in response to tooth/adapter interface wear that would otherwise cause undesirable 'play' between the tooth point and the adapter nose portion.