Caterpillar Inc.

Other

Novo Nordisk A/s

Ratiopharm Gmbh

Biogenerix Ag

David Jennings Hakes

Shawn DeFrees

Benoit Abello

Benjamin Isaac Jones

Gustavo Acosta

Jason Randall Beckerdite

Eric James Johannsen

Roger E Lawson

Udo Nott

Thomas Ellmann

Lewis C Hunt

Thomas E Oertley

David A Zopf

Robert J Bayer

Timothy A Thorson

Caryn Bowe

Temitope Olayemi Akinlua

Michael D Hasselbusch

Thomas J Yaniak

Chetan Vilas Dahiwal

Arthur James Bland

Swetha Suresh

Donald John Kalmes

Zoran Marjanovic

Daniel James Bezila

William P Shoemaker

Thomas J Kowalski

Brian Stuart Skauge

Gennaro Suanno

Tom Oertley

Brian Loeffler

Paul Palthey-Glomeau

Aaron Michael Tetzloff

Sami Saribas

Scott Willett

Jacob Pitman

Gary Clifford Yerby

Geoffrey Damien Chovanec

Thomas John Yaniak

Xi Chen

Shawn Defrees

Karl F Johnson

Shawn De Frees

Overheating of the rollers in a track on mobile equipment can result in failure of the track. Accordingly, embodiments are disclosed for a temperature monitoring device that can be installed within an oil fill hole of each roller. Each temperature monitoring device may monitor the oil temperature within a respective roller, and communicate that oil temperature or other temperature indication to a controller. The controller may alert a human operator or another system when the temperature of a roller exceeds a predefined threshold that is indicative of overheating.

Roller temperature monitoring

A roller mounting assembly for a ground-engaging track system includes a frame, and a roller block coupled to the frame and including a shaft support surface extending through the roller block. The roller mounting assembly further includes a damper resiliently deformable, relative to the roller block, to dampen loads transmitted between the roller block and the frame. Embodiments of a roller block assembly and a damping shim assembly are also disclosed.

Roller mounting and roller block assemblies for ground-engaging track system

A ground-engaging track system includes a center tread idler having an inner surface defining an idler axis of rotation, and an outer tread surface. The ground-engaging track system further includes a track contacted by the idler between parallel track chains and defining a track pitch dimension. The outer tread surface defines an outer diameter dimension, and a ratio of the track pitch dimension to the outer diameter dimension is between 28% and 37%. The outer diameter dimension may be one of the outer diameters of Table 1. The idler and track contact during service at fixed bushing-idler contact locations so as to bias wearing away material of the idler to form pockets imparting a sprocketed configuration to the idler during service.

Center tread idler in ground-engaging track system dimensioned to form a sprocketed idler wear pattern

A track roller includes a roller shell, a roller shaft extending through the roller shell, and a collar. The collar includes a center body interference-fitted upon the roller shaft, and a seal carrier. A clearance extends radially between a center body outer surface and a face seal assembly held in axial compression between the seal carrier and the roller shell. An oil void is formed in the center body and fluidly connected to the clearance to provide an increased oil volume for lubrication and heat-dissipation.

Track roller having collar forming oil void for improved seal lubrication

A component for a track-type machine comprises a body, a through-bore extending through the body forming an inner wall, and a bushing located in the through-bore. The bushing comprises a bearing surface, an outer surface engaging the inner wall, a flange extending from the outer surface and extending into the inner wall, and retention features located in the outer surface proximate the flange. The retention features comprise voids in the bushing filled-in by material of the body. Methods of manufacturing a component for a track-type system comprises casting-in-place a bushing with a flange and retention features into the component.

Cast-in track system component bushing

A sprocket segment includes a body with an attachment web including a first circumferential end and a second circumferential end. A sprocket region extends radially outwardly from the attachment web, including a plurality of lugs. The first circumferential end includes a dovetail recess including a first side flat surface extending circumferentially and radially from the first circumferential end, a second side flat surface extending circumferentially and radially from the first circumferential end, and an arcuate bottom surface extending radially between the first side flat surface and the second side flat surface.

Sprocket locking segments

A ground-engaging track system includes a track having a first track chain and a second track chain, and an idler having pockets formed in an outer idler rim to receive inboard rail protrusions on track links in the first track chain and the second track chain. The inboard rail protrusions project from an inboard link side, and a central pad of an upper rail surface in the track link includes an anti-scalloping bump-out formed on the inboard rail protrusion.

Ground-engaging track system and pocketed idler for same

A track chain assembly comprises a plurality of interlocking track chain members wherein each track chain member defines a track chain traveling direction, a lateral direction perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction, and includes a shoe member defining a shoe width along the lateral direction; and a first track pad member defining a first track pad maximum width along the lateral direction, and a second track pad member defining a second maximum track pad width along the lateral direction, wherein a ratio of either track pad maximum widths to the shoe member width ranges from 1:4 to 3:4. The first and the second track pad members each include a first projection disposed at one lateral extremity of the first track pad member and a second projection disposed at another lateral extremity of the second track pad member.

Roller path of a track pad for a track chain

Track link for ground-engaging track having rail protrusion for anti-scalloping

A sealed and lubricated rotatable track engaging element includes a roller and a roller shaft extending through the roller to support the roller for rotation about a major axis. A first thrust surface is fixed relative to the roller, and a second thrust surface is fixed relative to the roller shaft. A seal cavity extends between the roller and the roller shaft and is formed in part by each of the first thrust surface and the second thrust surface, and a thrust washer stack is within the seal cavity and trapped between the first thrust surface and the second thrust surface. The thrust washer stack includes an inner thrust washer contacting the roller to rotate at a first fractional speed of a speed of rotation of the roller, and an outer thrust washer contacting the inner thrust washer and the collar to rotate at a second fractional speed that is less than the first fractional speed.

Rotatable element in machine track having thrust washer stack for stepping down relative speeds

An isolated lubrication system for a drill bit is disclosed. The system comprises a body having a cutting arm with a journal and a rotary cutter mounted on the journal. The system also comprises a reservoir in a body to contain a fluid lubricant that isolated from communication outside the body. The system also comprises multiple conduits in communication with the reservoir and with respect to each other. The multiple conduits facilitate lubrication between the journal and the rotary cutter, including the bearings, by means of a gravitational force and/or a centrifugal force acting of the fluid lubricant. Further, the system comprises a sealing system. The sealing system includes a sealing cap provided to the reservoir, a seal provided between the journal and the rotary cutter, and a stepped passageway provided in a clearance between the rotary cutter and a cutting arm of the body.

Isolated lubrication system for drill bits

A track roller includes a body having an annular configuration defining an axis of rotation, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction disposed about the axis of rotation. The body also defines a thru-hole extending axially through the body that is centered on the axis of rotation. A blind void is disposed annularly about the axis of rotation, the blind void being spaced radially away from the thru-hole a predetermined minimum distance, forming a cantilever portion defining a flex point and a flex radial distance measured radially from the flex point to the thru-hole.

Track roller with reduced stiffness

A track chain assembly includes at least one track link having a shelf extending laterally from the a side surface and including a support surface spaced away from the top surface a predetermined distance measured perpendicularly to the top surface.

Shelf design for increased link life

A method of servicing a track chain assembly includes loosening a fastener to reduce a clamping force of a track link body on a track bushing. With the clamping force reduced, the method includes rotating the track bushing from a first position wherein a worn side of the track bushing faces a drive sprocket to a second position wherein an unworn side of the track bushing faces the drive sprocket. Once the track bushing in the second position, the method includes tightening the fastener to increase the clamping force on the track bushing. The method can be performed while leaving the track chain in place on a track machine.

Track chain and methods for bushing rotation

A ring seal system is disclosed. The ring seal system may include a first ring assembly that includes a first sealing surface. The ring seal system may include a second ring assembly that includes a second sealing surface. The ring seal system may include a plate, between the first ring assembly and the second ring assembly, that includes a first contact surface and a second contact surface. The ring seal system may include a coating on the first contact surface and the second contact surface. The first contact surface may be mechanically connected to the first sealing surface to form a first seal with the first sealing surface. The second contact surface may be mechanically connected to the second sealing surface form a second seal with the second sealing surface.

Plate between ring assemblies of a ring seal system

Growing community of inventors

Princeville, IL, United States of America

David Jennings Hakes