Back to results
US 5,069,509 AGranted
Endless track chain with rotatable sleeve
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsMark L. Johnson, Thomas E. Oertley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endless track chain is provided with a rotatable sleeve that is mounted about the track bushing to provide the track with longer external bushing life. The rotatable sleeve is sealed and lubricated, as is the standard track joint. However, each is separate from the other with its own supply of lubricant. As a consequence, a failure of a seal for the rotatable sleeve has no effect on the track hinge joint.
Claims25
A track hinge joint for articulately, coupling a pair of outboard link ends of a one set of links of an endless track chain to a pair of inboard link ends of an adjoining set of links of said track chain, said joint comprising:
- a pin non-rotatably secured to said outboard link ends;
- a bushing rotatably received about said pin and non-rotatably secured to said inboard link ends;
- a cylindrical sleeve rotatably mounted about said bushing;
- first means for sealing and lubricating said joint, said first lubricating means having a first supply of lubricant and for supplying said lubricant between the pin and bushing;
- and
- second means for sealing and lubricating said joint, said second lubricating means having a second supply of lubricant for supplying said lubricant between the bushing and sleeve, said second lubricant supply being separate from said first lubricant supply.
3 more elements
A track hinge joint, comprising:
- a pair of outboard link ends, each having a pin bore therethrough;
- a pair of inboard link ends, each having a bushing bore therethrough;
- a pin having opposite end link portions and a central bushing portion, said link portions being non-rotatably secured within respective ones of said pin bores of said outboard link ends;
- a bushing having a pin bore therethrough, a pair of opposite end link portions and an outer central sleeve portion, said pin bore being rotatably received about the central bushing portion of said pin and said opposite link portions of the bushing each being non-rotatably received within a respective one of the bushing bores of said inboard link ends;
- a cylindrical sleeve disposed about said bushing and between said inboard link ends, said sleeve having an inner bore and a predetermined length, said inner bore being sized to rotatably mount the sleeve about the central sleeve portion of said bushing and said length being sufficient to permit the sleeve to be rotatably received between said inboard link ends;
- first means for sealing and lubricating said joint, said first sealing and lubricating means, including a first cavity formed within said pin to contain a first supply of lubricant and means for communicating said lubricant with the pin bore of said bushing and the central bushing portion of said pin;
- and
- second means for sealing and lubricating said joint, said second sealing and lubrication means including a second cavity formed in said bushing to contain a second supply of lubricant, said second cavity being open to the bushing bore of said sleeve and the outer central sleeve portion of said bushing and said second supply of lubricant being separate from said first supply of lubricant.
5 more elements
An endless track chain for track-type vehicles, comprising:
- a link assembly including a plurality of adjoining link sets, each link set having a right-hand link and a left-hand link, each right- and left-hand link having an outboard end and an opposite inboard end that is overlapped by the respective opposite outboard end of the link in the adjoining link set of the link assembly, each outboard link end having a pin bore therethrough and each inboard link end having a bushing bore therethrough;
- a plurality of track shoes, one of which is releasably fastened to each of said link sets;
- a plurality of hinge joints for articulately coupling each link set to its adjoining link set, each hinge joint comprising;
- a pin having opposite end link portions and a central bushing portion, said link portions being non-rotatably secured within respective ones of said pin bores of said outboard link ends;
- a bushing having a pin bore therethrough, opposite end link portions, and an outer central sleeve portion, said pin bore being rotatably received about the central bushing portion of said pin and said opposite end link portions of the bushing each being non-rotatably received within a respective one of the bushing bores of said inboard link ends;
- a cylindrical sleeve having an inner bushing bore and being rotatably disposed about said bushing and between said inboard link ends;
- first means for sealing and lubricating said joint, said first sealing and lubricating means including a first cavity formed within said pin to contain a first supply of lubricant and means for communicating said lubricant with the pin bore of said bushing and the central bushing portion of said pin;
- and
- second means for sealing and lubricating said joint, said second sealing and lubrication means including a second cavity formed in said bushing to contain a second supply of lubricant, said second cavity being open to the bushing bore of said sleeve and the outer central sleeve portion of said bushing and said second supply of lubricant being separate from said first supply of lubricant.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.