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US 12,037,064 B2Granted
Master link and articulated chain assembly for machine
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsEric B. Weisbruch, Jeffrey Paul Nash, Donovan Stuart Clarke, Kevin Lee Steiner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An articulated chain assembly includes standard links, a master link, and pins pivotably coupling together the standard links and master link. The master link includes a first half link and a second half link, and bolt holes extending through the first half link and the second half link. A first bolt is within a first one of the bolt holes and has a necked-down bolt shank defining a lesser necked-down axial length. A second bolt is within a second one of the bolt holes and includes a necked-down bolt shank defining a greater necked-down axial length. The first bolt and second bolt may have unequal full axial lengths.
Claims20
An articulated chain assembly comprising:
- a plurality of links, a master link, and a plurality of pins pivotably coupling together the plurality of links and the master link to form an elongate chain;
- the master link including a first half link having a first outside surface and a first inside clamping surface, and a second half link having a second outside surface and a second inside clamping surface in facing contact with the first inside clamping surface;
- a first bolt hole in the master link extends between the first outside surface and first internal threads formed in the second half link and intersects each of the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface;
- a second bolt hole in the master link extends between the first outside surface and second internal threads within the second half link and intersects each of the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface;
- a first bolt within the first bolt hole defining a first full axial length and a first bolt axis and having a first bolt head, a first threaded end threadedly engaged with the first internal threads, and a first necked-down bolt shank defining a lesser necked-down axial length;
- a second bolt within the second bolt hole defining a second full axial length and a second bolt axis and having a second bolt head, a second threaded end threadedly engaged with the second internal threads, and a second necked-down bolt shank defining a greater necked-down axial length;
- a track shoe clamped to the master link by the first bolt and the second bolt;
- and
- the lesser necked-down axial length, as a proportion of the first full axial length, is less than the greater necked-down axial length as a proportion of the second full axial length.
6 more elements
A master link for an articulated chain assembly comprising:
- a first half link having a first outside surface, and a first inside clamping surface forming a first tooth set;
- a second half link having a second outside surface, and a second inside clamping surface forming a second tooth set and positionable in facing contact with the first inside clamping surface to interlock the first tooth set and the second tooth set;
- the first half link and the second half link together forming a first bolt hole and a second bolt hole, each of the first bolt hole and the second bolt hole having an unthreaded section within the first half link and an internally threaded section within the second half link, and intersecting the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface, and the first tooth set and the second tooth set each including both a tooth and a tooth root formed between the first bolt hole and the second bolt hole;
- a first bolt within the first bolt hole defining a first full axial length and a first bolt axis and having a first bolt head, a first threaded end threadedly engaged with the internally threaded section of the first bolt hole, and a first necked-down bolt shank defining a lesser necked-down axial length;
- a second bolt within the second bolt hole defining a second full axial length and a second bolt axis and having a second bolt head, a second threaded end threadedly engaged with the internally threaded section of the second bolt hole, and a second necked-down bolt shank defining a greater necked-down axial length;
- and
- the lesser necked-down axial length, as a proportion of the first full axial length, is less than the greater necked-down axial length as a proportion of the second full axial length.
4 more elements
A master link for an articulated chain assembly comprising:
- a first half link having a first outside surface and a first inside clamping surface forming a first tooth set;
- a second half link having a second outside surface and a second inside clamping surface forming a second tooth set;
- the first half link and the second half link together forming a first bolt hole and a second bolt hole, each of the first bolt hole and the second bolt hole having an unthreaded section within the first half link and an internally threaded section within the second half link, and intersecting the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface;
- a first bolt within the first bolt hole defining a first bolt axis and having a first bolt head, a first threaded end threadedly engaged with the internally threaded section of the first bolt hole and defining a thread major diameter and a thread minor diameter, and a first bolt shank;
- a second bolt within the second bolt hole defining a second bolt axis and having a second bolt head, a second threaded end threadedly engaged with the internally threaded section of the second bolt hole and defining a thread major diameter and a thread minor diameter, and a second bolt shank;
- at least one of the first bolt shank or the second bolt shank is necked-down between the respective first bolt head or second bolt head and first threaded end or second threaded end, and defines a necked-down shank diameter that is less than the respective thread minor diameter;
- and
- the thread minor diameter of the first bolt and the thread minor diameter of the second bolt are equal.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.