US20120297649A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20120297649A1
Application number: US13/479,339
Authority: US
Inventors: Jesus Torres Gomar
Original assignee: Caterpillar Inc
Current assignee: Caterpillar Inc
Priority date: 2011-05-27
Filing date: 2012-05-24
Publication date: 2012-11-29
Also published as: CN103562467A; CN103562467B; EP2715000A1; WO2012166565A1

Abstract

A tooth tip for a ground engaging tool has an elongate body disposed along a longitudinal axis extending from a relatively wide back surface to a relatively narrow front surface. The tooth tip may also have a cavity extending from the back surface towards the front surface and a bottom surface extending between the back surface and the front surface. The bottom surface may include a front face proximate the front surface and a back face proximate the back surface. The front face and the back face may be separated by a ridge. The tooth tip may also include a scallop positioned on the bottom surface extending from a first end proximate the ridge to a second end located towards the front surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a tooth tip for a ground engaging tool.

BACKGROUND

Many construction and mining machines, such as excavators, wheel loaders, hydraulic mining shovels, cable shovels, bucket wheels, and draglines make use of buckets to dig material out of the earth. These buckets are subjected to extreme wear from the abrasion and impacts experienced during the digging operation. Buckets and other earth-working tools are often protected against wear by including ground engaging tools (GET). GET is typically fashioned as teeth, edge protectors, and other components which are attached to the bucket in the area where the most damaging abrasion and impacts occur. One purpose of the GET is to serve as wear material and absorb wear that would otherwise occur on the bucket. A GET is generally designed to be replaced when worn. In some arrangements, the teeth comprise one piece tips which are welded to a lip of the bucket. When these tips are worn, they are cut off the lip and replaced. In other arrangements, each tooth includes an adaptor which is either releasably attached to a nosepiece on a bucket lip, or is welded directly to the bucket lip. A tooth tip is releasably attached to the adaptor, typically with a locking pin. In this type of GET, the tooth tip is replaced when worn by removing the locking pin and sliding the tooth tip off the adaptor.

During the digging operation, the tooth tip of the GET is subject to large mechanical stresses. Rupture of the tooth tip during operation can increase the operating cost of the machine. If the tooth tip breaks and falls off the bucket during operation, it could be fed into a crusher or other processing machine and cause more expense and damage. Therefore, the tooth tip should be designed to withstand these large mechanical stresses. Typically, the tooth tip is an iron alloy component produced by casting. The casting and the subsequent heat treatment operations induce residual stresses on the tooth tip which add to the mechanical stresses during operation. In some cases these stresses may be large enough to cause failure of the tooth tip during fabrication and/or operation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,033 issued to Burris et al. (the '033 patent) and assigned to the assignee of the current application discloses a process for decreasing the residual stresses and increasing the fatigue life of a component such as a tooth tip. In the '033 patent, one or more post-fabrication operations (rolling, bending, pitting, etc.) are carried out to reduce the residual stress in the component after fabrication. While the process of the '033 patent may be suitable for some applications, for other applications it may not be optimal. The present disclosure is directed to overcoming this or other limitations in existing technology.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a tooth tip for a ground engaging tool is disclosed. The tooth tip has an elongate body disposed along a longitudinal axis extending from a relatively wide back surface to a relatively narrow front surface. The tooth tip may also have a cavity extending from the back surface towards the front surface and a bottom surface extending between the back surface and the front surface. The bottom surface may include a front face proximate the front surface and a back face proximate the back surface. The front face and the back face may be separated by a ridge. The tooth tip may also include a scallop positioned on the bottom surface extending from a first end proximate the ridge to a second end located towards the front surface.

In another aspect, a bucket for a machine is disclosed. The bucket includes an adapter coupled to the bucket and a tooth tip removably coupled to the adapter. The tooth tip may include an elongate body disposed along a longitudinal axis extending from a relatively wide back surface to a relatively narrow front surface, and a cavity extending from the back surface to a far end wall positioned towards the front surface. The cavity may be configured to removably couple with the adapter. The tooth tip may also include a bottom surface extending between the back surface and the front surface. The bottom surface may include a raised ridge region located proximately above the far end wall of the cavity, a front face extending from the ridge to the front surface, and a back face extending from the ridge to the back surface. The tooth tip may also include a scallop positioned on the bottom surface. The scallop may be an elongated depression extending along the longitudinal axis from a first end located on the ridge region to a second end positioned towards the front surface.

In yet another aspect, a tooth tip for a ground engaging tool is disclosed. The tooth tip includes an elongate body extending along a longitudinal axis from a relatively wide back surface to a relatively narrow ground engaging front surface. The tooth tip may include a cavity extending into the elongate body from the back surface to a far end wall positioned towards the front surface. The cavity may be configured to removably couple with an adapter of the ground engaging tool. The tooth tip may also include a scallop positioned on the far end wall. The scallop may be a depression that extends into the elongate body by a depth of between about 5-30% of a depth of the cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a bucket of an earthmoving machine;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a portion of the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the tooth tip ofFIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of another exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4B is a top view of the tooth tip ofFIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the tooth tip ofFIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an illustration showing the relative positions of a riser and a scallop in an exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of another exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the tooth tip ofFIG. 7A;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of another exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the tooth tip ofFIG. 8A;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of another exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the tooth tip ofFIG. 9A;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of another exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the tooth tip ofFIG. 10A;

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of another exemplary tooth tip that may used with the bucket ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of the tooth tip ofFIG. 11A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates abucket10 of a machine having a plurality of tooth tips12 (hereinafter “tip12”). Eachtip12 is removably coupled to thebucket10 using anadapter14 that is rigidly attached to cuttingedge16 of thebucket10 usingbolts18. Thecutting edge16 may be a separate member affixed to bottom20 of thebucket10 or may itself constitute a portion of thebucket bottom20. Although theadapter14 is illustrated as being attached to thecutting edge16 usingbolts18, this connection mechanism is only exemplary. In general, theadapter14 may be attached to thecutting edge16 by any methods, such as, by welding.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of the bottom20 ofbucket10 along atip12.Adapter14 includes arearward extension14athat is attached to thecutting edge16, and a forwardly extendingprojection14bthat extends past thecutting edge16. Theprojection14bof theadapter14 fits within a correspondingly shapedpocket22 on thetip12. Apin34 extends transversely through mating cavities on thetip12 and theprojection14bto secure thetip12 to theadapter14. Thetip12 may be detached and removed from theadapter14 by removing thepin34.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a perspective and a cross-sectional view of an embodiment oftip12 that may be removably coupled to theadapter14 ofFIG. 2. InFIG. 3A,tip12 is shown with the bottom surface facing up to show details of the bottom surface. In the discussion that follows, reference will be made to bothFIGS. 3A and 3B.Tip12 includes an elongate body disposed along alongitudinal axis88, that tapers from a relatively wide rearwardly positioned backsurface32 to a narrow forwardly positioned ground engagingfront surface30. On its sides, thetip12 may be bounded by atop surface28, abottom surface24, and side surfaces26. Back surface32 may include thepocket22 that receives theprojection14bofadapter14 therein.Pocket22 may be a cavity that extends, from theback surface32, along thelongitudinal axis88 into thetip12 by a depth D. In some embodiments, the depth D ofpocket22 may be between 20-50% of a total length L of thetip12. Also, in some embodiments, thepocket22 will have a similar shape as theprojection14bof theadapter14. In such embodiments, the interior surfaces of thepocket22 may contact the corresponding surfaces of theprojection14b. During operation of thebucket10, the loads acting on thetip12 may be transferred to the adapter14 (and from theadapter14 to the bucket10) through the mating surfaces of thepocket22 and theprojection14b. The size and shape of thepocket22 and theprojection14bare selected to reliably withstand the contact stresses generated due to the above-described load transfer.

The ground engagingfront surface30 of thetip12 may have a shape and size suited for the application of thetip12.Bucket10 ofFIG. 1 is configured to dig into, and scrape, rock and dirt. Therefore, in the embodiments oftip12 described herein, thefront surface30 of thetip12 is adapted to penetrate through rock and dirt. To assist in this function,front surface30 oftip12 has a generally convergent or pointed shape. Thetop surface28 of thetip12 may also have a contour that is appropriate for the function of thetip12. In some embodiments, thetop surface28 may include multiple surfaces that are together contoured to withstand the operating stresses on thetip12. In some embodiments, thetop surface28 may also include features (such as, for instance, loops, etc. not shown herein) that may serve as a handle to transport thetip12.Tip12 also includes abottom surface24 and side surfaces26 that are sized and shaped for efficient operation of thetip12 while withstanding wear and stresses induced during operation. The side surfaces26 may each include acavity34a, that aligns with a cavity (not shown) extending transversely throughprojection14bof theadapter14, (seeFIG. 2) and receive thepin34 therethrough.

During operation of thebucket10, thebottom surface24 serves as the primary wear surface of thetip12. Thebottom surface24 includes afront face24aand aback face24bthat meet together at aridge38. Theridge38 may be a raised region of thebottom surface24 that may be above a far end of the pocket22 (that is, the far end of the pocket is on the shadow of the ridge). An increased thickness T₁of material at theridge38 may enable thetip12 to withstand stresses during operation. From theridge38, thefront face24aextends forwardly towards thefront surface30, and theback face24bextends rearwardly towards theback surface32. Thebottom surface24 includes ariser36 that projects therefrom. Although theriser36 may be positioned in either the front or the

back face

24a,24b, in some embodiments, theriser36 may be located on thefront face24a. As is known in the art, during casting, molten metal enters a mold (having a cavity shaped like tip12) through a down sprue. After filing the mold, a small amount of additional molten material is provided to serve as a reservoir to prevent cavities due to shrinkage. After solidification of the molten metal, and subsequent machining operations, some amount of metal remains as theriser36. Although theriser36 is shown as projecting from thebottom surface24, this is not a requirement. In some embodiments, the machining operations after casting may remove substantially all the excess metal and leave theriser36 flush with thebottom surface24.

During casting, the molten metal at all regions of the mold may not solidify at the same time or rate. Due to differences in heat transfer rates, regions of thinner cross-section of the mold often solidify faster than regions of thicker cross-section. Due to this uneven solidification, residual stresses are induced at different regions of the solidified casting. Typically, after casting, the as-cast tip is heat treated to impart desirable wear resistant properties to the tip. Although not shown or discussed herein, the heat treatment operation may transform a layer of material on the surface of thetip12 to a wear-resistant microstructure (such as, martensite). The heat treatment may involve heating the tip to within the austenitic range of the material, and quenching thetip12 to form martensite. Since thicker cross-sections cool at a slower rate than thinner cross-sections, further residual stresses may be induced in some regions of thetip12 after heat treatment. In atypical tip12, it is known that these residual stresses (sum of the stresses induced during casting and the stresses induced during heat treatment) are especially high at the far end of the pocket22 (that is, corresponding to the region marked A inFIG. 3B) due to the thickness of the metal in adjoining regions. In some instances, these high stress regions of thetip12 may develop cracks and fail during operation.

In order to reduce these residual stresses, thebottom surface24 of thetip12 may include one ormore scallops40 thereon. Thescallop40 is a depression or a basin formed on thebottom surface24 that may serve to even out the temperature distribution at different regions of thetip12 during casting and heat treatment. Elimination of material at the region of ascallop40 may decrease the thickness of the cross-section in this region, and thus promote a more even temperature distribution. In general, thescallop40 may have any size and shape. The shape of thescallop40 may depend upon the size of thetip12 and the application thetip12 is used for. For instance, increasing the size and depth of thescallop40 may decrease the thickness of the cross-section and thereby promote a more even temperature distribution and reduced residual stresses. However, reducing the thickness of the cross-section may also reduce the strength of thetip12. Therefore, the size, shape, and distribution of thescallops40 on thebottom surface24 may be selected based on a trade-off between the residual stress and the strength. Further, the shape of ascallop40 should not significantly affect the flow of molten metal into all regions of the mold during casting.

In the embodiment ofFIGS. 3A and 3B, thescallop40 is shown to be a generally tear-drop shaped shallow depression that extends from afirst end52 at theridge38 to asecond end54 located towards thefront surface30. In the illustrated embodiment, the width and depth of thescallop40 tapers from thefirst end52 towards thesecond end54. That is, the width and depth of thescallop40 at a location proximate thefirst end52 is greater than those at a corresponding location proximate thesecond end54. In the illustrated embodiment, theriser36 intersects thescallop40 proximate thesecond end52 such that the scallop and theriser36 share a surface at thesecond end54. That is, in the embodiment oftip12 illustrated inFIGS. 3A and 3B, thescallop40 is a generally tear-drop shaped depression that extends along thelongitudinal axis88 from a wider and deeperfirst end52 at theridge38 to a narrower and shallowersecond end54 that intersects with theriser36. However, this shape and configuration is not a requirement. In some embodiments, thefirst end52 may be positioned rearwardly of theridge38, such that thescallop40 extends from afirst end52 positioned on theback face24bto asecond end54 positioned on thefront face24a. In some embodiments, thescallop40 may extend from theridge38 towards both thefront surface30 and theback surface32.

As described previously, the size and shape of thescallop40 may be selected based on the application. In some embodiments of thetip12, numerical simulations indicate that a substantially tear-drop shapedscallop40 having a width “w” proximate the first end between about 50-75% of a width “W” of thetip12, a length “1” (between the first and second ends52,54) between about 10-30% of an overall length “L” of thetip12, and a thickness “t₁” proximate thefirst end52 between about 10-40% of a wall thickness “T₁” at the base of thescallop40 were found to reduce the residual stresses at critical regions of thetip12 without significantly decreasing its strength. In some other embodiments, the width w, length l, and thickness t₁of between 60-70% of the width W, 20-30% of the length L, and 20-30% of the wall thickness T₁, respectively, were found to be suitable.

In some embodiments, thescallop40 may be a generally concave shaped depression on thebottom surface24. Thescallop40 may have a curved (or a rounded) base with a varying depth, or a flat base with a constant depth. Thescallop40 may be positioned on one or both of the front and back faces24a,24b. Although thescallop40 ofFIGS. 3A and 3B includes only a single depression, in some embodiments,scallop40 may include multiple depressions of the same or different sizes and shapes. These multiple depressions may form a connected network of depressions on thebottom surface24. In some embodiments, themultiple scallops40 may be distributed on different surfaces of the tip12 (such as, for example, thebottom surface24,top surface28, side surfaces26, etc.).

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate another embodiment oftip112 having a different configuration ofscallop140 on thebottom surface24.FIG. 4A illustrates the perspective view,FIG. 4B the top view, andFIG. 4C the cross-sectional view oftip112. In the discussion that follows, reference will be made toFIGS. 4A-4C. Thescallop140 extends from afirst end52 on theridge38 to asecond end54 positioned on thefirst face24atowards thefront surface30. Theriser36 is located within thescallop140 such that a perimeter of theriser36 forms thesecond end54 of thescallop140, and a top surface of theriser36 forms a base140aof thescallop140. The base140aof thescallop140 is substantially flat and parallel to thelongitudinal axis88 of thetip18. Since the base140ais aligned with thelongitudinal axis88, the base140ais inclined with respect to thefront face24a. At thefirst end52, awall140b, inclined at an angle θ₁with respect to a vertical axis (that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis88) rises upwardly and connects the base140ato theridge38. At thesecond end54, awall140c, inclined at an angle θ₂with respect to the vertical axis proceeds downwardly and connects the base140ato thefront face24a. In general, the angles θ₁and θ₂may have any valve. In some embodiments, for suitable residual stress reduction and manufacturability, angle θ₁may vary between 30° and 40°, and angle θ₂may vary between 5° and 15°. In some other embodiments, the angle θ₁may vary between 32° and 37°, and angle θ₂may vary between 8° and 13°. Although the

walls

140band140care illustrated (inFIGS. 4A-4C) as being straight, it is also contemplated that these walls may be curved.

Although theriser36 projects from the base140aof thescallop140 in thetip112 ofFIGS. 4A-4C, this is only exemplary. In some embodiments, as illustrated intip212 ofFIG. 5, theriser36 may be sunken in ascallop240. In such an embodiment, the base240aofscallop240 is below thefront face24a. Inscallop240, the

walls

240band240cmay be inclined (with respect to a vertical axis) such that the size of thescallop240 decreases towards the base240a. These

walls

240b,240cmay make any angle with the vertical axis. In some embodiments, these

walls

240b,240cmay be inclined by about 20°-40° with respect to the vertical axis. As discussed with respect to scallop140 (ofFIG. 4A-4C), the

walls

240b,240cofscallop240 may also be curved. The base240amay be substantially parallel to (or aligned with) the longitudinal axis88 (similar tobase140aof scallop140), or may be inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis. It is also contemplated that, in some embodiments, the base240amay be substantially parallel to thefront face24a.

In general, a scallop and a riser may be positioned at any location on thebottom surface24 of a tip.FIG. 6 schematically illustrates ascallop340 and ariser36 positioned on thebottom surface24 of atip312. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 6, theriser36 is positioned such that acenter36aof theriser36 is located forwardly of the scallopsecond end54. In such an embodiment, the shape ofscallop340 resembles the substantially tear-drop shape ofscallop40 ofFIGS. 3A and 3B. In other embodiments, thescallop340 and theriser36 may be positioned closer together. That is, theriser36 may move rearwardly towards the scallop340 (as illustrated by arrow X), or thescallop340 may move forwardly towards theriser36. As theriser36 moves closer to thescallop340, thecenter36aof theriser36 may move rearwards of the scallopsecond end54, and thescallop340 may assume a substantially elongated shape (similar toscallop140 ofFIGS. 4A-4C). As theriser36 moves even closer to thescallop340, theriser36 may be positioned substantially within thescallop340, and thescallop340 may assume a substantially circular shape.

In addition to, or in place of, the scallops positioned on thebottom surface24, scallops may also be positioned at other locations on tip.FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate another embodiment oftip412 having ascallop440 located in thepocket22.FIG. 7A illustrates a perspective view oftip412 whileFIG. 7B illustrates a cross-sectional view.Scallop440 is positioned onfar end wall22aof thepocket22, and extends along thelongitudinal axis88 towards thefront surface30 of thetip412. However, in some embodiments,scallop440 may additionally or alternatively be positioned on other surfaces of thepocket22.Scallop440 may have any depth, width W₁, and height h₁. Increasing the size (depth, width w₁, and height h₁) of thescallop440 may assist in reducing the wall thickness of the tip412 (and thereby promote a more even temperature distribution) and reduce the residual stresses in thetip412. However, increasing the size of thescallop440 may decrease the strength of thetip412. Therefore, the size of thescallop440 may be selected such that a desirable reduction in residual stresses is obtained without significantly decreasing the strength. In general, the depth of thescallop440 may be between about 5-30% of the pocket depth (measured from theback surface32 to thefar end wall22a), the width w₁may be between about 25-100% of the total width W₁of thepocket22 at thefar end wall22a, and the height h₁may be between about 25-100% of the height H₁of thepocket22 at thefar end wall22a. In some embodiments, the depth may be about 15-30% of the pocket depth.

Although asingle scallop440 having a width w₁and height h₁that is roughly 80% of W₁and H₁, respectively, is illustrated inFIGS. 7A and 7B, other embodiments may have a different configuration of scallops.FIGS. 8A and 8B show another embodiment oftip512 having a different configuration ofscallop540.FIG. 8A illustrates the perspective view oftip512 whileFIG. 8B illustrates a cross-sectional view.FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate two horizontally extendingscallops540, spaced apart from each other along a vertical axis.Scallops540 extend substantially the entire width of thefar end wall22a. However, in other embodiments, thescallops540 may have a different width.FIGS. 9A and 9B show another embodiment oftip612 having a different configuration ofscallop640.FIG. 9A illustrates the perspective view oftip612 whileFIG. 9B illustrates a cross-sectional view.FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate four horizontally extendingscallops640 spaced apart from each other in both a vertical and a horizontal direction.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show another embodiment oftip712 having a different configuration ofscallop740.FIG. 10A illustrates the perspective view oftip712 whileFIG. 10B illustrates a cross-sectional view.Scallop740 extends substantially the entire height of thefar end wall22a, and has a width between about 80-90% of the width of thefar end wall22a.FIGS. 11A and 11B show another embodiment oftip812 having twoscallops840 that are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction. The

scallops

540,640,740, and840 may have any depth, width, and height. In some embodiments, the dimensions of these scallops may be within the ranges discussed previously with respect to scallop440 ofFIGS. 7A and 7B.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The disclosed ground engaging tool tooth tip may be applied in any application where it is desired to prolong the useful life of the tooth tip. Scallops on the tool tip reduce the residual stresses that are induced in the tool tip as a result of casting and heat treatment processes. Reducing the residual stresses reduces the total stress at critical regions of the tool tip during operation and thereby reduce the likelihood of cracking of the toothtip. An exemplary method of fabricating a tool tip of the current disclosure is described below.

With reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B,tip12 of a bucket may be fabricated from an iron alloy using a casting process. As is known in the art, during casting, the iron alloy is melted and poured into a mold having a hollow cavity in the desired shape of thetip12. The shape of the hollow cavity may be configured to form thescallop40 on thebottom surface24 of thetip12. After filling the cavity, the liquid metal is allowed to solidify. During solidification, heat from the liquid metal will be transferred to the atmosphere outside the mold, as the liquid metal cools. Since it is easier for thinner cross-sections to transfer heat to the atmosphere, different regions of the mold will cool at different rates. Cooling at different rates will cause some regions of the mold to solidify faster than other regions. This uneven solidification of the tip during casting induces residual stresses in critical regions of the tip.

Since the presence of thescallop40 decreases the thickness of the cross-section at critical regions of thetip12, the liquid metal in the mold will cool in a more even manner, and thereby reduce the induced residual stresses. After solidification, excess solidified metal may be removed, and the as-cast tip12 may be heat treated. During heat treatment, thetip12 is heated to a high temperature and then quenched. During quenching, the presence of thescallop40 allows all regions of thetip12 to cool in an even manner and reduce the residual stresses induced in the tip12 a result of uneven cooling. Since the residual stresses in thetip12 is reduced without subjecting thetip12 to a post-fabrication stress relieving operation, the cost of the tooth tip is decreased.

As discussed previously, although a tooth tip for a bucket of an earthmoving machine is discussed herein, in general, the tooth tip may be applied to any application. For instance, an embodiment of a disclosed tip may be coupled to a ripper shank and serve as a ripper tip. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed tooth tip. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed tooth tip. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A tooth tip for a ground engaging tool, comprising:

an elongate body disposed along a longitudinal axis extending from a relatively wide back surface to a relatively narrow front surface;

a cavity extending from the back surface towards the front surface;

a bottom surface extending between the back surface and the front surface, the bottom surface including a front face proximate the front surface and a back face proximate the back surface, the front face and the back face being separated by a ridge; and

a scallop positioned on the bottom surface extending from a first end proximate the ridge to a second end located towards the front surface.

2. The tooth tip ofclaim 1, wherein the cavity extends from the back surface to a far end wall located proximate a shadow of the ridge.

3. The tooth tip ofclaim 1, further including a riser on the bottom surface, the riser being a feature formed as a result of a casting operation used to fabricate the tooth tip.

4. The tooth tip ofclaim 3, wherein the scallop has a substantially tear-drop shape.

5. The tooth tip ofclaim 4, wherein a width and a depth of the scallop tapers from the first end to the second end.

6. The tooth tip ofclaim 5, wherein the riser intersects the scallop proximate the second end such that the scallop and the riser share a surface at the second end.

7. The tooth tip ofclaim 3, wherein the riser is positioned substantially within the scallop.

8. The tooth tip ofclaim 7, wherein the riser projects upwardly from a bottom of the scallop.

9. The tooth tip ofclaim 1, wherein the scallop has a flat base that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.

10. The tooth tip ofclaim 1, wherein the tooth tip is configured to be removably coupled to a bucket of a machine at the cavity.

11. A bucket for a machine, comprising:

an adapter coupled to the bucket;

a tooth tip removably coupled to the adapter, the tooth tip including:

a cavity extending from the back surface to a far end wall positioned towards the front surface, the cavity being configured to removably couple with the adapter;

a bottom surface extending between the back surface and the front surface, the bottom surface including a raised ridge region located proximately above the far end wall of the cavity, a front face extending from the ridge to the front surface, and a back face extending from the ridge to the back surface; and

a scallop positioned on the bottom surface, the scallop being an elongated depression extending along the longitudinal axis from a first end located on the ridge region to a second end positioned towards the front surface.

12. The bucket ofclaim 11, wherein the tooth tip further includes a riser positioned on the front face, the riser being a feature formed as a result of a casting operation used to fabricate the tooth tip.

13. The bucket ofclaim 12, wherein the riser intersects the scallop proximate the second end such that the scallop and the riser share a surface at the second end.

14. The bucket ofclaim 12, wherein the riser is positioned substantially within the scallop.

15. The bucket ofclaim 11, wherein the scallop has a substantially tear-drop shape, and a width and a depth of the scallop tapers from the first end to the second end.

16. A tooth tip for a ground engaging tool, comprising:

an elongate body extending along a longitudinal axis from a relatively wide back surface to a relatively narrow ground engaging front surface;

a cavity extending into the elongate body from the back surface to a far end wall positioned towards the front surface, the cavity being configured to removably couple with an adapter of the ground engaging tool; and

a scallop positioned on the far end wall, the scallop being a depression that extends into the elongate body by a depth of between about 5-30% of a depth of the cavity.

17. The tooth tip ofclaim 16, wherein the scallop extends from the far end wall towards the front surface.

18. The tooth tip ofclaim 16, wherein the scallop includes a plurality of scallops spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction.

19. The tooth tip ofclaim 16, wherein the scallop includes a plurality of scallops spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction.

20. The tooth tip ofclaim 16, wherein the scallop includes a plurality of scallops, at least some scallops of the plurality of scallops being spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction and some scallops of the plurality of scallops being spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction.