Work vehicle chassis articulation joint
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsBrandon J. Kuboushek, Steven T. Blasen, Gary Ralph Fichtinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An articulated chassis work vehicle has an articulation joint rotatably coupling separate engine and equipment frames of the vehicle chassis. The articulation joint can have upper and lower joint assemblies. One or both of the upper and lower joint assemblies are constructed and arranged so that a corresponding bearing assembly is located between a single tab-like lug of each frame. In one arrangement, the articulation joint does away with clevis connections at both the upper and lower joint assemblies such that the available space within the articulation joint defined between the innermost upper and lower lugs is not reduced by additional lug and bearing components of either joint assembly.
Claims20
An articulation joint for a work vehicle having a chassis including a first frame coupled to a second frame by the articulation joint, the first frame including a first lug and a second lug and the second frame including a first lug and a second lug, the articulation joint comprising:
- a first joint assembly that includes a first bearing assembly coupled between the first frame first lug and the second frame first lug;
- and
- a second joint assembly spaced along a pivot axis from the first joint assembly, the second joint assembly including a second bearing assembly coupled between the first frame second lug and the second frame second lug;
- wherein the first frame first lug is positioned at a side of the first joint assembly opposite the second joint assembly and wherein a space within the articulation joint defined between the second frame first lug and the second joint assembly is uninterrupted by the first joint assembly.
An articulation joint for a work vehicle having a chassis including a first frame coupled to a second frame with the articulation joint, the first frame including a first frame lug with a first frame lug aperture and the second frame including a second frame lug with a second frame lug aperture, the articulation joint comprising:
- a pin received in the first frame lug aperture and fastened to the first frame lug, the pin defining a bearing portion;
- a bearing cone engaged with the bearing portion of the pin and defining a cone raceway;
- a bearing cup received in the second frame lug aperture and defining a cup raceway;
- and
- a plurality of rollers arranged between the cone raceway and the cup raceway;
- wherein the pin extends into the second frame lug aperture but does not extend through the second frame lug aperture.
An articulated chassis work vehicle, comprising;
- a first frame that defines an upper first frame lug with an upper first frame lug aperture, and a lower first frame lug with a lower first frame lug aperture;
- a second frame that defines an upper second frame lug with an upper second frame lug aperture, and a lower second frame lug with a lower second frame lug aperture;
- and
- an articulation joint rotationally coupling the first frame to the second frame and including:
- an upper joint having an upper bearing assembly that includes:
- an upper pin received in the upper first frame lug aperture and fastened to the upper first frame lug, the upper pin defining an upper bearing portion;
- an upper bearing cone engaged with the upper bearing portion of the upper pin and defining an upper cone raceway;
- an upper bearing cup received in the upper second frame lug aperture and defining an upper cup raceway;
- a plurality of upper rollers arranged between the upper cone raceway and the upper cup raceway;
- and
- a lower joint having a lower bearing assembly that includes:
- a lower pin received in the lower first frame lug aperture and fastened to the lower first frame lug, the lower pin defining a lower bearing portion;
- a lower bearing cone engaged with the lower bearing portion of the lower pin and defining a lower cone raceway;
- a lower bearing cup received in the lower second frame lug aperture and defining a lower cup raceway;
- and
- a plurality of lower rollers arranged between the lower cone raceway and the lower cup raceway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.