Track assemblies for track driven vehicles
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsArthur BLAND, Li ZHANG, Yaodong ZHOU
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A track link for a chain assembly of a mobile machine, including: a first track link configured to be connected a plurality of other track links, the first track link including: a link body including a top surface and a bottom surface, and a cavity formed in an interior of the link body and extending to the bottom surface, a sensing device installed within the cavity of the link body; and a track shoe installed on the bottom surface of the link body, where the track shoe covers the cavity in the link body.
Claims20
A track link for a chain assembly of a mobile machine, comprising:
- a first track link configured to be connected a plurality of other track links, the first track link comprising:
- a link body including a top surface and a bottom surface, and
- a cavity formed in an interior of the link body and extending to the bottom surface,
- a sensing device installed within the cavity of the link body;
- and
- a track shoe installed on the bottom surface of the link body, wherein the track shoe covers the cavity in the link body.
A mobile machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- a driving mechanism coupled to the frame and configured to generate a torque output;
- a drive sprocket coupled to the driving mechanism;
- and
- a chain assembly configured to be driven by the drive sprocket, to propel the mobile machine across a ground surface, the chain assembly comprising:
- a plurality of track links configured to be connected to one another to form the chain assembly, the plurality of track links including a first track link comprising:
- a link body including a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and
- a cavity formed in an interior of the link body and extending to the bottom surface,
- a sensing device installed within the cavity of the link body, wherein the sensing device is configured to sense a wear parameter indicative of an amount of wear of the top surface of the link body, and to transmit the wear parameter;
- and
- a track shoe installed on the bottom surface of the link body, wherein the track shoe covers the cavity in the link body.
A mobile machine, comprising:
- a driving mechanism configured to generate a torque output;
- a drive sprocket coupled to the driving mechanism;
- a roller frame;
- at least one roller coupled to the roller frame;
- at least one idler coupled to the roller frame;
- and
- a chain assembly configured to be driven by the drive sprocket, to propel the mobile machine across a ground surface, the chain assembly comprising:
- a plurality of track links configured to be connected to one another to form the chain assembly, the plurality of track links including a first track link comprising:
- a link body including a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and
- a cavity formed in an interior of the link body and extending to the bottom surface,
- a sensing device installed within the cavity of the link body, wherein the sensing device is configured to sense a wear parameter indicative of an amount of wear of the top surface of the link body caused by at least one of the at least one roller, the at least one idler, or the drive sprocket, wherein the sensing device is configured to transmit the wear parameter;
- and
- a track shoe installed on the bottom surface of the link body, wherein the track shoe covers the cavity in the link body;
- and
- a controller configured to receive the wear parameter from the sensing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.