Roller collar configured to reduce seal packing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296437-B2
Application number	US-201213667917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2012
Priority date	Nov 2, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A roller collar is provided in a roller assembly of a machine, such as a track carrier roller of a track-type undercarriage. The roller assembly includes a roller mounted on a shaft and having a seal retaining lubricant between the roller and the shaft. The collar and an inner surface of the roller form a seal cavity placing the seal in fluid communication with an ambient atmosphere surrounding the roller. The roller collar extends over an opening into the seal cavity, such as with an outwardly extending flange or teeth or with an outer surface configured to increase a distance to be traveled to enter the seal cavity, and to reduce the amount of abrasive material entering the seal cavity and potentially compromising the integrity of the seal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roller assembly, comprising
a roller shaft;
a roller rotatably mounted on the roller shaft with a first end of the roller shaft extending beyond a roller outward surface that is an axially outermost surface of the roller, the roller and the roller shaft defining a lubricant reservoir there between, and with the roller outward surface of the roller defining an outward rim of the roller, wherein the outward rim comprises an annular inner surface extending axially inwardly from the roller outward surface of the roller and having at least two inner diameter portions each having an inner diameter, wherein the inner diameter for one of the inner diameter portions is less than the inner diameter of an adjacent inner diameter portion that is more proximate the roller outward surface of the roller;
an annular seal disposed proximate the first end of the roller shaft and between the roller and the roller shaft and forming a substantially water-tight seal of the lubricant reservoir; and
an annular collar disposed on the first end of the roller shaft and received in the outward rim of the roller, the annular collar comprising an annular outer surface extending axially inwardly from a collar outward surface that is an axially outermost surface of the annular collar and having at least two outer diameter portions each having an outer diameter wherein the outer diameter for one of the outer diameter portions is less than an outer diameter of an adjacent outer diameter portion that is axially more proximate the collar outward surface of the annular collar, wherein each of the at least two outer diameter portions of the annular outer surface corresponds to one of the at least two inner diameter portions of the annular inner surface of the outward rim, the outward rim of the roller and the annular outer surface of the annular collar define a seal cavity placing the annular seal in fluid communication with an ambient atmosphere surrounding the roller, and the at least two inner diameter portions and the at least two outer diameter portions define a labyrinth from the ambient atmosphere to the seal cavity and the annular seal.

2. The roller assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least two inner diameter portions of the annular inner surface comprises three inner diameter portions and the at least two outer diameter portions of the annular outer surface comprises three outer diameter portions.

3. The roller assembly of claim 1 , wherein the annular inner surface of the outward rim comprises a transition portion between each pair of adjacent inner diameter portions having a planar surface, and wherein the annular outer surface of the annular collar comprises a transition portion between each pair of adjacent outer diameter portions having a planar surface.

4. The roller assembly of claim 3 , wherein the planar surfaces of the transition portions of the annular inner surface and the annular outer surface are perpendicular to the roller shaft.

5. The roller assembly of claim 1 , comprising a seal packing guard comprising:
a first annular guard portion having an inward surface connected to the outward surface of the roller and extending axially outwardly from the inward surface to an outward surface beyond an outer surface of the annular collar, the first annular guard portion having an annular inner surface with an inner diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the annular outer surface of the annular collar, and
a second annular guard portion connected to the first annular guard portion and having an inner surface with an inner diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the outer surface of the roller shaft proximate the first end, and is less than the outer diameter of the annular outer surface of the annular collar, and the second annular guard portion having an inward surface defining, in cooperation with the outer surface of the annular collar, a seal cavity extension in fluid communication with the seal cavity.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc
• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Weeks Allen Jay
• Vanderveen Jeffrey Scott
• Johannsen Eric

Classifications

• B62D55/15 Primary

  Mounting devices, e.g. bushings, axles, bearings, sealings {(with lubrication means B62D55/092)} · CPC title