Roller frame assembly in ground-engaging track system having anti-backbending rollers and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11724757-B2
Application number	US-202017084162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2020
Priority date	Oct 29, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A ground-engaging track system includes a track roller frame, an idler, and anti-backbending rollers supported by the track roller frame at locations between track rollers and the idler. The anti-backbending rollers define an idler space receiving the idler partially therein and positioned to oppose backbending of a deflection-sensitive section of a ground-engaging track.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ground-engaging track system comprising:
a track roller frame including a front frame end and a back frame end;
an idler recoil assembly mounted to the track roller frame;
an idler supported by the idler recoil assembly at the front frame end, the idler including an idler tread surface extending circumferentially around an idler axis and being movable in fore-aft directions between a back stop position, and a forward position;
an inboard anti-backbending roller supported by the track roller frame;
an outboard anti-backbending roller supported by the track roller frame; and
an idler space is defined between the inboard anti-backbending roller and the outboard anti-backbending roller, and the idler tread surface is within the idler space at the forward position and at the back stop position of the idler;
a plurality of standard track rollers supported by the track roller frame and distributed longitudinally along the track roller frame back of the inboard anti-backbending roller and the outboard anti-backbending roller; and
wherein each of the inboard anti-backbending roller and the outboard anti-backbending roller is configured to contact only one of an inboard track chain and an outboard track chain in a track coupled to the track roller frame, and each of the plurality of standard rollers is configured to simultaneously contact both of an inboard track chain and an outboard track chain in a track coupled to the track roller frame.

2. The ground-engaging track system of claim 1 wherein the inboard anti-backbending roller and the outboard anti-backbending roller are freely rotatable relative to one another.

3. The ground-engaging track system of claim 2 wherein:
the inboard anti-backbending roller includes a first half shaft and a first roller shell supported upon the first half shaft for rotation about a first roller axis and having a first inside roller shell face; and
the outboard anti-backbending roller includes a second half shaft and a second roller shell supported upon the second half shaft for rotation about a second roller axis and having a second inside roller shell face.

4. The ground-engaging track system of claim 3 wherein the inboard anti-backbending roller and the outboard anti-backbending roller are coaxially arranged, and the idler space is a cylindrical volume extending continuously between the first inside roller shell face and the second inside roller shell face.

5. The ground-engaging track system of claim 2 wherein the first inboard anti-backbending roller includes a first roller tread surface and a first radially projecting circumferential flange adjacent to the first roller tread surface, and the outboard anti-backbending roller includes a second roller tread surface and a second radially projecting circumferential flange adjacent to the second roller tread surface.

6. The ground-engaging track system of claim 1 wherein a roller-to-roller spacing between the plurality of standard track rollers is different from a roller-to-roller spacing between a leading one of the plurality of standard track rollers and each of the inboard anti-backbending roller and the outboard anti-backbending roller.

7. The ground-engaging track system of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of standard track rollers includes a roller shell having an inboard tread surface and an outboard tread surface.

8. The ground-engaging track system of claim 1 further comprising a ground-engaging track including an inboard track chain of coupled together track links forming an inboard track rail contacted by the inboard anti-backbending roller, an outboard track chain of coupled together track links forming an outboard track rail contacted by the outboard anti-backbending roller, and a plurality of track shoes each attached to the inboard track chain and the outboard track chain.

9. A track roller frame assembly comprising:
a track roller frame including a front frame end, a back frame end, an upper frame side, and a lower frame side;
an idler supported for rotation at the front frame end;
an inboard anti-backbending roller supported by the track roller frame and including a first half shaft cantilever-supporting a first roller shell having a first roller tread surface and a first roller shell inside face, for rotation about a first roller axis;
an outboard anti-backbending roller supported by the track roller frame and including a second half shaft cantilever-supporting a second roller shell having a second roller tread surface and a second roller shell inside face, for rotation about a second roller axis;
the first roller shell inside face and the second roller shell inside face define an idler space extending in inboard-outboard directions between the inboard anti-backbending roller and the outboard anti-backbending roller, and the idler is positioned partially within the idler space; and
wherein the idler space is a volume extending continuously between the first inside roller shell face and the second inside roller shell face.

10. The track roller frame assembly of claim 9 wherein the inboard anti-backbending roller and the outboard anti-backbending roller are coaxially arranged.

11. The track roller frame assembly of claim 9 wherein the inboard anti-backbending roller includes a first radially projecting circumferential flange, and the outboard anti-backbending roller includes a second radially projecting circumferential flange.

12. The track roller frame assembly of claim 11 wherein the first roller tread surface extends axially between the first inside roller shell face and the first radially projecting circumferential flange, and the second roller tread surface extends axially between the second inside roller shell face and the second radially projecting circumferential flange.

13. The track roller frame assembly of claim 9 further comprising a first clamping mount attached to the track roller frame and supporting the first half shaft, a first face seal assembly sealing between the first half shaft and the first roller shell, a second clamping mount attached to the track roller frame and supporting the second half shaft, and a second face seal assembly sealing between the second half shaft and the second roller shell.

14. The track roller frame assembly of claim 13 wherein each of the first half shaft and the second half shaft includes an enlarged shaft head, and further comprising a journal bearing radially between each respective enlarged shaft head and roller shell, and a thrust bearing axially between each respective enlarged shaft head and roller shell.

15. A method of operating a ground-engaging track system comprising:
advancing a ground-engaging track of coupled together track links attached to track shoes about an idler and track rollers coupled to a track roller frame;
rotating the idler about an idler axis and rotating the track rollers about track roller axes, based on the advancing of the ground-engaging track;
urging a deflection-sensitive section of the ground-engaging track extending between the idler and a leading one of the track rollers upwardly based on contact between the deflection-sensitive section and a non-uniformity in at least one of a profile or a composition of an underlying substrate;
opposing backbending of the deflection-sensitive section with an anti-backbending roller supported by the track roller frame in contact with the ground-engaging track at a location longitudinally between the idler axis and the track roller axis of the leading one of the track rollers;
contacting each of the plurality of track rollers simultaneously to each of two tr

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Suanno Gennaro
• Abello Benoit
• Darges Michael James

Classifications

• B62D55/14 Primary

  Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers · CPC title

• B62D55/06

  with tracks without ground wheels · CPC title

• B62D55/202

  Wheel engaging parts; Wheel guides on links · CPC title

• B62D55/21

  Links connected by transverse pivot pins · CPC title

• B62D55/30

  Track-tensioning means · CPC title