Replaceable wear pad, as well as method for manufacturing wear pads for a crawler track

A replaceable wear pad apparatus for a crawler track of a construction machine, the crawler track including a plurality of base plates, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a wear pad molded from a wear pad material, the wear pad including:
• (1) an upper tread surface;
• (2) a bottom surface;
• (3) a length;
• (4) a width;
• and
• (5) first and second downward projections extending parallel to the length of the wear pad, each of the downward projections including an intermediate recess interrupting the projections;
• (b) first and second reinforcing elements fixedly embedded in the first and second projections, respectively, each reinforcing element including:
• (1) upper and lower sides;
• (2) an intermediate portion lying in an upper plane located above the intermediate recess of the respective downward projection of the wear pad;
• (3) first and second outer portions each lying in a lower plane lower than the upper plane, the outer portions being on opposite sides of the intermediate portion;
• (4) at least one hexagonal recess defined in each of the outer portions;
• and
• (5) a peripheral edge completely embedded in the wear pad material;
• (c) a plurality of nuts, each of the nuts including:
• (1) a hexagonal outside contour received in one of the hexagonal recesses;
• (2) a nut surface engaging the upper surface of its associated reinforcing element;
• and
• (3) a threaded bore extending upward above the reinforcing element;
• and
• (d) a plurality of bearing collars, each one of the bearing collars extending downward from one of the reinforcing elements below one of the holes and terminating essentially flush with the bottom side of the wear pad, a lower end of each bearing collar being free of any wear pad material;
• and
• (e) wherein the wear pad includes a plurality of blind cavities defined therein, each of the cavities being co-axial with and above one of the threaded bores of one of the hexagonal nuts.

A replaceable wear pad apparatus for a crawler track of a construction machine, the apparatus comprising:

• a wear pad molded from a wear pad material, the wear pad including an upper tread surface and a bottom surface, the wear pad having a length and a width, the wear pad including first and second downward projections extending parallel to the length of the wear pad, each of the downward projections including at least one intermediate recess interrupting the projections;
• first and second reinforcing elements fixedly embedded in the first and second projections, respectively, each reinforcing element including upper and lower sides;
• wherein each of the reinforcing elements includes an intermediate portion lying in an upper plane located above the intermediate recess of the respective downward projection of the wear pad, and first and second outer portions each lying in a lower plane lower than the upper plane, the outer portions being on opposite sides of the intermediate portion;
• wherein each of the reinforcing elements includes at least one vertical hole extending through each of its outer portions;
• and
• further comprising a plurality of fastening devices, each of the fastening devices being located co-axial with one of the holes and engaging the upper surface of its associated reinforcing element, the fastening device including a threaded bore extending upward above the reinforcing element.

A replaceable wear pad apparatus for a crawler track of a construction machine, the crawler track including a plurality of base plates, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one reinforcing element having upper and lower sides, and having a peripheral outer edge, the reinforcing element including at least two spaced holes defined therethrough from the lower side to the upper side;
• a wear pad molded from a wear pad material so that the wear pad material is fixedly bonded to the reinforcing element and there can be no relative movement between the wear pad and the reinforcing element, the complete peripheral outer edge of the reinforcing element being embedded in the molded wear pad material, the wear pad including an upper tread surface and a bottom surface, the wear pad including at least two blind cavities defined therein co-axial with and above the holes of the reinforcing element, the blind cavities being closed so that they do not extend to the upper tread surface;
• and
• at least two fastening devices one of which is received in each of the cavities;
• and
• at least two bearing collars extending downward from the reinforcing element and terminating essentially flush with the bottom side of the wear pad for engaging one of the base plates of the crawler track, the lower end of each bearing collar being free of any wear pad material.