Caterpillar Inc.

Robert E Brashers

Robert L Meyer

Peter William Anderton

Albert L Woody

Star carrier roller assemblies have been used in certain tracked mobile machines, such as those used in the timber industry, that must operate in cold weather and/or over rough terrain. Due to interaction of the star carrier roller assembly with a track chain assembly, undesirable wear on the star carrier roller assembly occurs. The present invention includes at least one star carrier roller assembly for a tracked mobile machine that limits the wear on the star carrier roller assembly. The star carrier roller assembly includes a carrier roller positioned adjacent to a sprocket having a plurality of teeth. Each tooth includes a tooth width and a tooth angle. A ratio between the tooth width and a difference of a pitch length and a bushing diameter of a track chain assembly is less than 0.3, and the tooth angle is greater than or equal to zero degrees (0&deg;). The present invention further limits the wear of the star carrier roller assembly by maintaining a wear surface on the carrier roller less than three hundred degrees Fahrenheit (300&deg; F.) while attaching the sprocket to the carrier roller.

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Washington, IL, United States of America

Robert E Brashers