Caterpillar Inc.

Jerry A Metz

Peter William Anderton

Michael H Haselkorn

Daniel L Mikrut

Kenneth R Watts

William A Holt

Steve L Arianoutsos

Harry M Yousefnia

Billy R Bedford

David G Kupper

Harry B Newman

Alan P Dremann

Multiple circumferential rows of textured features are formed between the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge of a seal. The multiple circumferential rows of textured features form a boundary for incoming dirt and wash away abrasive particles as well as act as lubricant wells. The multiple rows provide additional protection from leakage and wear.

Wear improvement to textured lip seal

A seal ring having a frustoconical spring completely encapsulated within an annular body provides a bias force to an annular lip seal of the annular body to assure positive contact with an opposed face of an adjacently disposed member of a joint assembly. The seal ring requires minimal counterbore depth in the member in which the seal ring is mounted, and no modifications are required in the spring or in the base of the counterbore to provide retention of the spring in the joint.

Seal assembly having an encapsulated cone spring

A track seal assembly (174) adapted to seal a track joint (172) includes a track link and a ceramic seal member (186). The track seal further includes an elastomeric member (176) positioned between the track link and the ceramic seal member (186). The track seal (174) further includes a bushing (184) having a ceramic end face (187). The end face (87) of the bushing defines a ceramic bushing face (187) that interfaces with the ceramic seal member (186) so as to form a seal interface.

Track joint sealing assembly for sealing a track joint in a track chain

A track seal assembly adapted to seal a track joint includes a track link and a first ceramic seal member. The track seal further includes a first elastomeric member positioned between the track link and the first ceramic seal member. The track seal further includes a bushing having an end face. The track seal also includes a second ceramic seal member secured to the end face of the bushing, wherein (1) the first ceramic seal member contacts the second ceramic seal member so as to form a seal interface, (2) the end face of the bushing has a counter bore defined therein, and (3) the second ceramic seal member is positioned within the counter bore of the bushing.

Track joint sealing assembly for sealing a track joint having ceramic

An end face seal for sealing between first and second articulately coupled members of a track joint is disclosed. The seal is provided with a flexible dirt shield of elastomeric material. The dirt shield extends radially outwardly from the seal ring and has a distal end that is adapted to sealingly engage the first member at a location externally of the load ring to prevent the ingress of abrasive materials between the seal ring and the load ring and eliminate the abrasive erosion of the load ring, thereby maintaining the axial seal bearing force of the load ring against the seal ring throughout the useful life of the seal.

End face track seal with dirt seal

A shear loaded face seal having means for increasing the torque transfer capacity of the shear loaded face seal between its support ring and its load ring along their mating interface is disclosed. In such a shear loaded face seal, the load ring is of a deformable rubber and the support ring is rigid. A varying torque is transmitted through the shear loaded face seal along the interface between the load ring and the seal ring. The torque transfer means comprises a surface texture on the mating surfaces of the support ring that has a configuration sufficient to generate a projected area that is at least five per cent of the surface area of a non-textured surface of equivalent dimensions. The surface texture is provided by a plurality of uniformly spaced micro splines that are oriented normal to the direction of the torque.

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Morton, IL, United States of America

Jerry A Metz