Back to results
US 12,275,467 B2Granted
Ultrasonic wear measurement for a track pad
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsBenjamin Isaac Jones, Mircea Dumitru
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An onboard track machine wear measurement system has an ultra-sonic probe that is attached to an undercarriage of the machine that is disposed adjacent a track chain assembly, and a controller that is in communication with the ultra-sonic probe. The controller is configured to determine the thickness of a load bearing wall of a track component of the track chain assembly.
Claims20
A track pad comprising:
- a shoe member including a ground engaging surface, and defining a track chain traveling direction, a lateral direction perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction, and a vertical direction perpendicular to both the lateral direction, and the track chain traveling direction,
- the shoe member further defining a first lateral end, a second lateral end, a front end along the track chain traveling direction, and a rear end along the track chain traveling direction, a lateral distance from the first lateral end to the second lateral end, and a width from the front end to the rear end along the track chain traveling direction that is less than the lateral distance;
- a first link member extending upwardly from the shoe member,
- a first lug member extending from the first link member in a first direction parallel to the track chain traveling direction, and
- a second lug member and a third lug member both extending from the first link member in a second direction opposite of the first direction, forming a first fork portion;
- a first drive lug;
- a second drive lug;
- and
- a load bearing surface that is between the first drive lug and the second drive lug in the lateral direction and that includes a flat face that extends across a middle of the load bearing surface in the lateral direction,
- the ground engaging surface lacking apertures and the track pad defining an interior cored-out portion including a planar surface that is disposed both laterally and along the track chain traveling direction adjacent to the load bearing surface, and vertically underneath the load bearing surface,
- the shoe member further defining an interior hollow portion,
- the interior hollow portion being at least partially defined by a bottom interior surface that is disposed vertically below the planar surface,
- the bottom interior surface being spaced a minimum vertical distance from the planar surface, and
- the interior hollow portion having an hour glass configuration extending from the first lateral end to the second lateral end with a necked down region defined by the minimum vertical distance.
11 more elements
A track pad comprising:
- a shoe member including a ground engaging surface, and defining a track chain traveling direction, a lateral direction perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction, and a vertical direction perpendicular to both the lateral direction, and the track chain traveling direction, the shoe member further defining a first lateral end, a second lateral end, a front end along the track chain traveling direction, and a rear end along the track chain traveling direction, a lateral distance from the first lateral end to the second lateral end, and a width from the front end to the rear end along the track chain traveling direction that is less than the lateral distance;
- and
- a top surface extending laterally from the first lateral end to the second lateral end;
- wherein the ground engaging surface extends uninterruptedly from the first lateral end to the second lateral end,
- wherein the top surface includes a planar load bearing surface that is perpendicular to the vertical direction, that is between a first drive lug and a second drive lug in the lateral direction, and that includes a flat face that extends across a middle of the planar load bearing surface in the lateral direction,
- wherein the shoe member further defines an interior hollow portion that is partially defined by an interior planar surface that is disposed below the first planar load bearing surface,
- wherein the interior hollow portion is at least partially defined by a bottom interior surface that is disposed vertically below the interior planar surface,
- wherein the bottom interior surface is spaced a minimum vertical distance from the interior planar surface, and
- wherein the interior hollow portion has an hour glass configuration extending from the first lateral end to the second lateral end with a necked down region defined by the minimum vertical distance.
6 more elements
A track pad comprising:
- a shoe member defining a first lateral end and a second lateral end;
- a first link member extending upwardly from the shoe member;
- a second link member extending upwardly from the shoe member;
- a central support portion;
- a load bearing surface vertically disposed on top of the central support portion;
- a first drive lug disposed laterally adjacent the load bearing surface toward the first lateral end;
- a second drive lug disposed laterally adjacent the load bearing surface toward the second lateral end;
- a first lateral intermediate surface disposed laterally between the first drive lug and the first link member;
- and
- a second lateral intermediate surface disposed laterally between the second drive lug and the second link member,
- wherein the track pad defines:
- an interior cored-out portion that includes a planar surface,
- a first aperture that extends vertically through the first lateral intermediate surface to the interior cored-out portion, and
- a second aperture that extends vertically through the second lateral intermediate surface to the interior cored-out portion,
- wherein the shoe member further defines an interior hollow portion that is partially defined by the planar surface,
- wherein the interior hollow portion is at least partially defined by a bottom interior surface that is disposed vertically below the planar surface,
- wherein the bottom interior surface is spaced a minimum vertical distance from the planar surface, and
- wherein the interior hollow portion has an hour glass configuration extending from the first lateral end to the second lateral end with a necked down region defined by the minimum vertical distance.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.