Deere & Company

Peter J Murfey

Jeff Lubben

A track support member and drive assembly are disclosed. The drive assembly includes the track support member, an axle housing, driveshaft, hub, drive wheel, track drive frame, rollers and track. The driveshaft extends through the axle housing. The track support member is connected to the axle housing, and the driveshaft extends through the track support member. The hub rotates with the driveshaft, and the drive wheel. The drive frame is connected to the track support member, and the rollers are connected to the drive frame. The track is connected to the drive wheel and rollers. Rotation of the driveshaft rotates the hub and drive wheel which rotates the track about the drive wheel and rollers. The track support member can be a single integrated piece including an attachment ring for connecting to the axle housing, and undercarriage support arm(s) for connecting to the track drive frame.

Track support member and assembly

An apparatus for lubricating power transfer components is described. The apparatus includes a first shaft enclosed by a housing with a main cavity, and an inboard bearing and an outboard bearing supporting the first shaft. An inboard bearing cavity and an outboard bearing cavity surround, respectively, the inboard and outboard bearings. Lubrication fluid flows from an entrance port in the housing, through a flow passage within a wall of the housing to the inboard bearing cavity, through a flow passage within the first shaft from the inboard bearing cavity to the outboard bearing cavity, and through an overflow port in a wall of the outboard bearing cavity. A second shaft provides rotational power to the first shaft (e.g., via an idler gear). A lubrication deflector, such as a frustoconical deflector, surrounds a portion of a second shaft and extends into the main cavity of the housing.

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Cedar Falls, IA, United States of America

Peter J Murfey