Cartridge assembly with a flexible thrust ring assembly for a track chain
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorEric James Johannsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible thrust washer member comprises a body including an annular skirt portion that defines an outer diameter and a central aperture having an inner diameter, wherein the body has a conical configuration that defines a conical axis and a radial direction and the outer diameter of the annular skirt portion is spaced away from the central aperture along the conical axis and along the radial direction, defining an axial dimension and a radial dimension and the body defines at least two slits that separate the annular skirt portion into a plurality of fingers.
Claims20
A flexible thrust washer assembly comprising:
- at least a first flexible thrust washer member that includes a body comprising:
- an annular skirt portion that defines a central aperture having an inner diameter, the annular skirt portion also defining an outer diameter;
- wherein the body has a conical configuration that defines a conical axis and a radial direction and the outer diameter of the annular skirt portion is spaced away from the central aperture along the conical axis and along the radial direction, defining an axial dimension and a radial dimension;
- and
- at least a second flexible thrust washer member that is similarly configured as the first flexible thrust washer member;
- wherein the assembly defines axial extremities of the assembly and an axial dimension therebetween, wherein a ratio between the axial dimension of the assembly to the radial dimension of the annular skirt of a flexible thrust washer member ranges from 6:
- 1 to 1:1.
A flexible thrust washer member comprising:
- a body including:
- an annular skirt portion that defines a central aperture having an inner diameter, the annular skirt portion also defining an outer diameter;
- wherein the body has a conical configuration that defines a conical axis and a radial direction and the outer diameter of the annular skirt portion is spaced away from the central aperture along the conical axis and along the radial direction, defining an axial dimension and a radial dimension;
- and
- wherein the body defines at least two slits that separate the annular skirt portion into a plurality of fingers that are configured to resiliently bend when a load is applied to the fingers.
A cartridge assembly for a track chain comprising:
- a first bearing member having a first end portion, a second end portion, a bore defined therethrough and a seal groove defined in said second end portion;
- a track pin disposed within said first bore of said bearing member;
- a bushing having a passage defined therethrough, said bushing being positioned relative to said track pin and said first bearing member such that said track pin is disposed within said passage and an end face of said bushing is positioned in an opposing relationship with said seal groove of said first bearing member;
- a first collar having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a bore defined therein, said first collar having a seal groove positioned in the second end portion of said first collar and being positioned relative to said track pin and said first bearing member such that said track pin is disposed within said bore and said second end portion of said first collar is positioned in an opposing relationship with said first end portion of said first bearing member;
- a seal assembly disposed in the seal receiving groove of the bearing member or the collar;
- and
- a flexible thrust washer assembly disposed into the seal receiving groove between the seal assembly and the track pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.