Chain assembly having a retention feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016339974-A1
Application number	US-201514718708-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 21, 2015
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A chain assembly having a retention feature is disclosed. The chain assembly may be used in conjunction with a mobile machine and may include a pair of track links and a track link connector. The track link connector may have an elongate, substantially cylindrical body having a length dimension and having a substantially annular exterior surface and first and second opposing end portions. The first end portion may be inserted into a bore of one of the track links and form an interface therebetween. The interface may have an axial length. The track link connector may further have a retention feature extending 360 degrees around a circumference of the exterior surface of the body at the interface. The retention feature may be a roughened surface and may cover a first portion of the interface closest to a center of the cylindrical body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A chain assembly for a track-type machine, comprising:
a first track link including a first bore at an inner track link portion; a second track link including a second bore at an outer track link portion; a track link connector including an elongate, substantially cylindrical body having a length dimension and including a substantially annular exterior surface and first and second opposing end portions, the first end portion being inserted into the first and second bores and forming an interface between the first end portion and the second bore, the interface between the first end portion and the second bore having an axial length; and a retention feature extending 360 degrees around a circumference of the exterior surface of the body at the interface, the retention feature being a roughened surface, wherein the retention feature is located only at a first portion of the interface that makes up approximately 5-80% of the axial length of the interface, wherein the interface includes a second portion that makes up approximately 20-95% of the axial length of the interface, and wherein the first portion is closer than the second portion to a center of the cylindrical body.

2 . The chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retention feature is a knurled surface.

3 . The chain assembly of claim 1 , further including a sealing feature that is located only at the second portion of the interface.

4 . The chain assembly of claim 3 , wherein the sealing feature is a smooth surface.

5 . The chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retention feature is configured to generate a retention force at the interface to cause the track link connector to resist axial movement with respect to the second track link.

6 . The chain assembly of claim 5 , wherein the retention feature is configured to cause the track link connector to resist axial movement with respect to the second track link approximately equally in two directions.

7 . The chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the track link connector is press fit to the second bore.

8 . The chain assembly of claim 7 , wherein the track link connector is configured to be press fit to the second bore from either of two directions.

9 . The chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the track link connector further includes a fluid reservoir formed therein.

10 . The chain assembly of claim 9 , further including a sealing feature that is located only at the second portion of the interface and is configured to inhibit fluid from the fluid reservoir from leaking through the interface.

11 . The chain assembly of claim 10 , wherein the sealing feature is a smooth surface.

12 . The chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the interface makes up approximately 25-50% of the axial length.

13 . A chain assembly for a mobile machine, comprising:
a first track link including a first bore at an inner track link portion; a second track link including a second bore at an outer track link portion; a track link connector including an elongate, substantially cylindrical body having a length dimension and including a substantially annular exterior surface and first and second opposing end portions, the first end portion being inserted into the first and second bores and forming a generally annular interface between the first end portion and the second bore, the interface between the first end portion and the second bore having an axial length; a retention feature extending 360 degrees around the interface; and a sealing feature extending 360 degrees around the interface; wherein the retention feature covers a first portion of the axial length of the interface, wherein the sealing feature covers a second portion of the axial length of the interface, and wherein the cylindrical body includes a constant diameter that covers the first portion and the second portion.

14 . The chain assembly of claim 13 , wherein the retention feature is a roughened surface.

15 . The chain assembly of claim 14 , wherein the sealing feature is a smooth surface.

16 . The chain assembly of claim 13 , wherein the track link connector is press fit to the second bore.

17 . The chain assembly of claim 16 , wherein the track link connector is configured to be press fit to the second bore from either of two directions.

18 . The chain assembly of claim 13 , wherein the track link connector further includes a fluid reservoir formed therein.

19 . The chain assembly of claim 18 , wherein the sealing feature is configured to inhibit fluid from the fluid reservoir from leaking through the interface.

20 . A track link connector, comprising:
an elongate, substantially cylindrical body having a length dimension and including a substantially annular exterior surface and first and second opposing end portions; a fluid reservoir formed in the cylindrical body; a retention feature extending 360 degrees around a circumference of the exterior surface of the body, the retention feature being a roughened surface; and a sealing feature extending 360 degrees around a circumference of the exterior surface of the body at the interface, the sealing feature being a smooth surface, wherein the retention feature is closer than the sealing feature to a center of the cylindrical body, and wherein the cylindrical body includes a constant diameter that covers the retention feature and the sealing feature.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Brooks Jennifer Ann
• Recker Roger Lee

Classifications

• B62D55/092

  with lubrication means (lubricating in general F16N) · CPC title

• B62D55/088 Primary

  with means to exclude or remove foreign matter, e.g. sealing means, self-cleaning track links or sprockets, deflector plates or scrapers · CPC title

• B62D55/21 Primary

  Links connected by transverse pivot pins · CPC title