Replaceable wear pad

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 edge, the reinforcing element including at least two longitudinally spaced holes defined therethrough;
• a wear pad molded from a wear pad material, the peripheral edge of the reinforcing element being completely 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 longitudinally spaced 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 formed integrally with the reinforcing element and extending downward from the reinforcing element and terminating essentially flush with the bottom side of the wear pad for engaging one of the base plate plates of the crawler track, a lower end of each bearing collar being free of any wear pad material, each one of the bearing collars surrounding one of the holes of the reinforcing element.

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

• a reinforcing element including an upper side, a lower side, first and second longitudinally spaced holes extending through the reinforcing element, first and second longitudinally spaced multi-sided recesses integrally defined in the upper side above the first and second holes respectively, each multi-sided recess having a floor and multiple walls;
• first and second multi-sided nuts shaped complementary to and closely received in the multi-sided recesses, each of the nuts including a threaded bore co-axial with and extending above a respective one of the holes;
• and
• a wear pad molded from a wear pad material, at least a part of the upper side and at least a part of the lower side of the reinforcing element being embedded in the wear pad material, the wear pad including an upper tread surface extending entirely over the first and second nuts so that the first and second nuts are not accessible from the tread surface.

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;
• first and second reinforcing elements embedded in the first and second projections, respectively, each reinforcing element including:
• first and second lengthwise outer portions each outer portion including a hole therethrough and a hexagonal socket located above the hole, each socket including a socket floor;
• and
• at least one intermediate portion located between the outer portions;
• wherein the at least one intermediate portion is located above the at least one intermediate recess and the at least one intermediate portion projects to a higher level than the outer portions;
• and
• a plurality of hexagonal nuts, one of the nuts received in each of the sockets and embedded in the wear pad material, each nut having a threaded bore communicated with its associated hole.