Track Tension Monitoring System
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorSean David Lawson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tension monitoring system for a track-type machine, including a track adjuster configured to be attached to a front idler and a rear idler of a roller frame of a track-type drivetrain, and move the front idler relative to the roller frame; a sensor mounted to the front idler configured to measure a position of the front idler relative to the roller frame; and a controller connected to the sensor configured to receive a front idler position in response to a wear indicator of a service interval for the track-type machine, evaluate the front idler position reading compared to a predicted front idler position, calculate an adapted wear rate and an adjustment interval, and rewrite a predicted wear rate based on the adjustment interval.
Claims20
A work machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- an implement supported by the frame;
- a track-type drivetrain attached to the frame and configured to support the frame and provide motive power to the work machine, the track-type drivetrain including a roller frame, a sprocket, a rear idler, a front idler, a roller, and a track;
- a track adjuster mounted on the roller frame and configured such that the front idler is adjustable on the roller frame relative to the rear idler to adjust a track tension of the track;
- a sensor associated with at least one of the front idler or the track adjuster;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- obtain, via the sensor, position information of the front idler relative to the rear idler that is different from calibration position information;
- determine, based on the position information and the calibration position information, a change in the track tension from a first track tension, that corresponds to the calibration position information, to a second track tension that corresponds to the position information;
- and
- cause, based on the change in the track tension, adjustment of the front idler, via the track adjuster, to restore the track tension to the first track tension.
A tension monitoring system for a track-type machine, comprising:
- a track adjuster configured to be coupled to a front idler and a rear idler of a roller frame of a track-type drivetrain, and to move the front idler relative to the rear idler;
- a sensor associated with at least one of the roller frame or the track adjuster and configured to indicate a position of the front idler relative to the rear idler;
- and
- a controller connected to the sensor and configured to:
- obtain, at a first service interval that is based on a first predicted wear rate associated with a track of the track-type machine, a first position of the front idler, wherein the first service interval defines a first timing for adjustment of a track tension of the track;
- determine, based on a difference between the first position and a first predicted position of the front idler at the first service interval:
- a second wear rate that is different from a predicted second wear rate;
- and
- a second service interval, based on the second wear rate, that is different from a predicted second service interval;
- and
- set, based on the second service interval, a second timing for adjustment of the track tension.
A method of monitoring track tension of a track-type work machine, comprising:
- providing a track-type drivetrain attached to a frame of a work machine, including a roller frame, a sprocket, a rear idler, a front idler, a roller, and a track, the roller frame including a track adjuster configured to space the front idler relative to the rear idler, thereby adjusting tension in the track;
- attaching a sensor to the front idler configured to measure a front idler position;
- connecting the sensor to a controller;
- programming a predicted wear rate on the controller, the predicted wear rate configured to provide a predicted idler position at a service interval of the track-type work machine based on an undercarriage life measurement;
- measuring the front idler position via the sensor, at the service interval;
- determining that the front idler position is different from the predicted idler position, the controller then calculating an adapted wear rate, calculating an adjustment interval, and rewriting the predicted wear rate based on the adjustment interval.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.