Idler wheel with tapered webbing
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsBrian B. Umbach, Martin Tagore Joseph Xavier, Seiji Iijima
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An idler wheel may include an annular rim portion, an annular hub portion configured to be positioned about an axle, a webbing extending from an outer surface of the hub portion to an inner surface of the rim portion, the webbing including a first radius portion converging with the inner surface of the rim portion, a second radius portion converging with the outer surface of the hub portion, a taper transition point, and a first tapered portion between the first radius portion and the taper transition point. The idler wheel may further include a second tapered portion between the second radius portion and the taper transition point.
Claims20
An idler wheel, comprising:
- an annular rim portion;
- an annular hub portion configured to be positioned about an axle;
- a webbing extending from a surface of the hub portion to a surface of the rim portion, the webbing including:
- a first radius portion converging with the surface of the rim portion;
- a second radius portion converging with the surface of the hub portion;
- a taper transition point;
- a first tapered portion between the first radius portion and the taper transition point, wherein the first tapered portion tapers in thickness from an end of the first radius portion to the taper transition point;
- and
- a second tapered portion between the second radius portion and the taper transition point, wherein the second tapered portion tapers in thickness from an end of the second radius portion to the taper transition point;
- wherein the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion each taper in an axial direction of the idler wheel towards the taper transition point to form a concave profile of the webbing between the hub portion and the rim portion.
An idler wheel, comprising:
- an annular rim portion;
- an annular hub portion configured to be positioned about an axle;
- a webbing extending from a surface of the hub portion to a surface of the rim portion, the webbing including:
- a taper transition point between the surface of the hub portion and the surface of the rim portion;
- a first tapered portion between the surface of the hub portion and the taper transition point, wherein the first tapered portion tapers substantially linearly in thickness toward to the taper transition point;
- and
- a second tapered portion between the surface of the rim portion and the taper transition point, wherein the second tapered portion tapers substantially linearly in thickness toward to the taper transition point;
- wherein the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion each taper in an axial direction of the idler wheel towards the taper transition point to form a concave profile of the webbing between the hub portion and the rim portion.
An idler wheel, comprising:
- an annular rim portion;
- an annular hub portion configured to be positioned about an axle;
- a webbing extending from a surface of the hub portion to a surface of the rim portion, the webbing including:
- a first radius portion converging with the surface of the rim portion;
- a second radius portion converging with the surface of the hub portion;
- a first tapered portion extending a first length from an end of the first radius portion and tapering in thickness along the first length;
- and
- a second tapered portion extending a second length from an end of the second radius portion and tapering in thickness along the second length;
- wherein the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion each taper in an axial direction of the idler wheel towards a taper transition point to form a concave profile of the webbing between the hub portion and the rim portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.