Komatsu Corporation

Seiji Miyaura

Teiji Yamamoto

Hiroyuki Nakaishi

Kenichi Hisamatsu

Akira Hashimoto

A fitting space having an annular opening, in which an elastic ring whose diameter of a section is D is to be fitted, is formed between a pin-press-fit hole of a link and an exposed end portion of a pin. A link inner wall face and a pin outer peripheral face in the fitting space are formed with tapered faces whose diameters decrease as they go toward an inmost of the fitting space at angles &agr; and &bgr; (&agr;>&bgr;) with respect to the axial line of the pin, respectively. The elastic ring contacts with the respective tapered faces in the fitting space at the angles &agr; and &bgr; with respect to a perpendicular passing a center of its section. Dimensions d and d between contact points at the respective tapered faces and a horizontal line passing the center of the section of the elastic ring, the diameter D of the section of the elastic ring, and the angles &agr; and &bgr; have a relation of &agr;>&bgr;, D>d &plus;d (where d &equals;D/2&middot;cos &agr;, d &equals;D/2&middot;cos &bgr;). Therefore, the links and the pin can be connected to each other securely and firmly with a sufficient holding force to the pin in the axial direction. Thus, assembly of the links and the pin can be carried out easily at a low cost.

Link-and-pin fixing structure for a crawler chain

In a travelling crawler belt in which a pair of left and right links are connected by pins respectively press-fitted into the corresponding links, a fixing end surface of the pin or the links is continuously and locally pressed and deformed in an axial direction of the pin from the fixing end surface, along an inner or outer peripheral portion of an opening of a pin-press-fit hole. Then, a part of the opening peripheral portion of the end of the pin or the link is enlarged or reduced in diameter, so that the diametrically increased or reduced portion is retained and fixed to a mating retaining space. With this fixing method, it is possible to easily and strongly couple the links and the pin, and to obtain a fixing structure of the links and the pin for a crawler belt capable of sufficiently securing a holding force of the pin in the axial direction. When the pin is fixed at the time of the assembling of the pin, an existing press can be used without requiring any exclusive machine, and it is possible to easily and reliably assemble the links and the pin for the crawler belt.

Growing community of inventors

Oosaka-fu, Japan

Seiji Miyaura