Variable hardening depth in track link for a ground-engaging track
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B62D-055/21
B62D-055/20
출원번호
US-0933491
(2013-07-02)
등록번호
US-9290217
(2016-03-22)
발명자
/ 주소
Steiner, Kevin Lee
Thorson, Timothy Arthur
Diekevers, Mark Steven
Brewer, Caroline Marie
Kaufmann, Gregory J.
Akinlua, Temitope Olayemi
출원인 / 주소
Caterpillar Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Baker & Hostetler LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
2인용 특허 :
5
초록▼
A track link for a ground-engaging track includes an elongate link body having a lower hardness material forming a lower mounting surface for mounting a track shoe, and a sacrificial higher hardness material forming an upper rail surface for contacting rotatable track engaging elements. The lower ha
A track link for a ground-engaging track includes an elongate link body having a lower hardness material forming a lower mounting surface for mounting a track shoe, and a sacrificial higher hardness material forming an upper rail surface for contacting rotatable track engaging elements. The lower hardness and higher hardness materials transition at a material interface within the elongate link body, and the material interface is longitudinally non-uniform, such that the sacrificial higher hardness material has a varying depth from the upper rail surface to retard scalloping.
대표청구항▼
1. A ground-engaging track for a machine comprising: a track chain assembly including a first track chain and a second track chain extending in parallel with the first track chain, the first and second track chains each including a plurality of elongate track links having a lower mounting surface fo
1. A ground-engaging track for a machine comprising: a track chain assembly including a first track chain and a second track chain extending in parallel with the first track chain, the first and second track chains each including a plurality of elongate track links having a lower mounting surface for mounting a track shoe, and an upper rail surface configured to contact a rotating track-engaging element in the machine;each elongate link of the plurality of elongate track links further including a lower hardness material forming the lower mounting surface, and a sacrificial higher hardness material forming the upper rail surface, the lower mounting surface facing away from the upper rail surface in a height direction, a hardness of the sacrificial higher hardness material being greater than a hardness of the lower hardness material,the sacrificial higher hardness material transitioning to the lower hardness material at a material interface within the elongate link,the sacrificial higher hardness material having a first thickness and a second thickness each of which extending in the height direction from the upper rail surface to the material interface, the first thickness being different from the second thickness, the first thickness having a first hardness extending therethrough, the second thickness having a second hardness extending therethrough, wherein the first hardness is substantially equal to the second hardness. 2. The track of claim 1, wherein each elongate link of the plurality of elongate track links defines a first track pin bore and a second track pin bore spaced from the first track pin bore in a longitudinal direction, each of the first and second track pin bores extending through the elongate link in a lateral direction, wherein the lateral direction, the longitudinal direction, and the height direction are angularly offset from one another, the material interface extending in the longitudinal and the lateral directions through the elongate link between the upper rail surface and the first and second track pin bores, the track further comprising a plurality of track pins, each track pin of the plurality of track pins being received within one of the track pin bores and coupling together the first and second track chains. 3. The track of claim 2, wherein the lower hardness material has a varying depth extending from the lower mounting surface to the material interface, the varying depth of the lower hardness material defining a curving longitudinal contour having a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys. 4. The track of claim 3, wherein each elongate link of the plurality of elongate track links further defines a first and a second window each located longitudinally between the first and the second track pin bores in the longitudinal direction, each elongate link including a vertical strut located between the first and the second windows in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the curving longitudinal contour forms a center valley coincident with the vertical strut in the longitudinal direction. 5. The track of claim 4, wherein the center valley includes a deepest valley of the plurality of valleys, from the upper rail surface. 6. The track of claim 3, wherein the curving longitudinal contour forms a first peak aligned with the first track pin bore in the longitudinal direction, and a second peak aligned with the second track pin bore in the longitudinal direction. 7. The track of claim 2, wherein the plurality of elongate track links in the first track chain are mirror images of the plurality of elongate track links in the second track chain, and the track further comprises a plurality of track pins coupling together the first and second track chains, each track pin of the plurality of track pins being received within one of the track pin bores, anda plurality of bushings positioned upon the plurality of track pins. 8. The track of claim 7, wherein the upper rail surface has a center section extending between a first end section and a second end section, the second end section being offset from the first end section in the lateral direction, wherein the upper rail surface has a first upper rail surface width corresponding to the first end section, a second upper rail surface width corresponding to the second end section, and a third upper rail surface width corresponding to the center section, the third upper rail surface width being greater than each of the first upper rail surface width and the second upper rail surface width. 9. The track of claim 8, wherein the center section of the upper rail surface having the first thickness of the sacrificial higher hardness material, and the first end section and the second end section of the upper rail surface having the second thickness of the sacrificial higher hardness material, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness. 10. A track link for a ground-engaging track in a machine comprising: an elongate link body including an inboard side and an outboard side each extending between first and second link body ends each having formed therein a track pin bore communicating between the inboard and outboard sides and configured to receive a track pin for coupling the elongate link body with adjacent elongate link bodies in a track chain;the elongate link body further including a lower mounting surface for mounting a track shoe, and an upper rail surface configured to contact a rotating track-engaging element in the machine;the elongate link body further including a lower hardness material forming the lower mounting surface, and a sacrificial higher hardness material forming the upper rail surface, the lower mounting surface facing away from the upper rail surface in a height direction, a hardness of the sacrificial higher hardness material being greater than a hardness of the lower hardness material, the sacrificial higher hardness material transitioning to the lower hardness material at a material interface within the elongate link body;the sacrificial higher hardness material having a first thickness and a second thickness each of which extending in the height direction from the upper rail surface to the material interface, the first thickness being different from the second thickness, the first thickness having a first hardness extending therethrough, the second thickness having a second hardness extending therethrough, wherein the first hardness is substantially equal to the second hardness. 11. The track link of claim 10, wherein the elongate link body defining a first adjacent window and a second adjacent window located between the first track pin bore and the second track pin bore, the elongate link body including a vertical strut located between the first adjacent window and the second adjacent window, and wherein the varying depth of the sacrificial higher hardness material is greatest at a location coincident with the vertical strut in the height direction. 12. The track link of claim 10, wherein the upper rail surface is substantially planar and includes a center section extending between a first end section and a second end section laterally offset from the first end section, wherein the upper rail surface has a first upper rail surface width corresponding to the first end section, a second upper rail surface width corresponding to the second end section, and a third upper rail surface width corresponding to the center section, the third upper rail surface width being greater than each of the first upper rail surface width and the second upper rail surface width. 13. The track link of claim 12, wherein the center section of the upper rail surface having the first thickness of the sacrificial higher hardness material, and the first end section and the second end section of the upper rail surface having the second thickness of the sacrificial higher hardness material, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness. 14. The track link of claim 10, wherein the varying depth of the sacrificial higher hardness material defines a curving longitudinal contour having a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys. 15. The track link of claim 14, wherein the plurality of peaks and the plurality of valleys are finite in number, and include a first and a second peak at locations coincident with the first and second track pin bores in the height direction, respectively, and a valley at a location between the first and second peaks in the height direction. 16. A track system for a machine comprising: a rotatable track engaging element;a track extending about the rotatable track engaging element, and having a track chain formed by a plurality links coupled together, each link of the plurality of links including a lower surface and an upper rail surface contacting the rotatable track engaging element; andeach link of the plurality of links further including a lower hardness material forming the lower surface, and a sacrificial higher hardness material forming the upper rail surface, the lower mounting surface facing away from the upper rail surface in a height direction, a hardness of the sacrificial higher hardness material being greater than a hardness of the lower hardness material, the sacrificial higher hardness material transitioning to the lower hardness material at a material interface within each link,the sacrificial higher hardness material having a first thickness and a second thickness each of which extending in the height direction from the upper rail surface to the material interface, the first thickness being different from the second thickness, the first thickness having a first hardness extending therethrough, the second thickness having a second hardness extending therethrough, wherein the first hardness is substantially equal to the second hardness. 17. The track system of claim 16, wherein the track further includes a second track chain and a plurality of track pins coupling the first and second track chains together in a chain assembly having parallel rails formed by the upper rail surfaces, and the second track chain including a plurality of links each being a mirror image of the plurality of links forming the first track chain. 18. The track system of claim 17, wherein the upper rail surface in each link of the plurality of links in the first and second track chains has a center section extending between a first end section and a second end section in a longitudinal direction, the first section having a first width, the second section having a second width, and the center section having a third width, the third width being greater than each of the first width and the second width, and wherein the center section having a third thickness extending in the height direction and the first section and the second section each having a fourth thickness extending in the height direction, the third thickness being greater than the fourth thickness. 19. The track system of claim 18, wherein each link of the plurality of links defines a first track pin bore, a second track pin bore, a first window, and a second window adjacent to the first window, the first window and the second window being positioned between the first track pin bore and the second track pin bore in the longitudinal direction, and wherein each link of the plurality of links includes a vertical strut located between the first window and the second window and adjacent to a greatest thickness of the sacrificial higher hardness material. 20. The track system of claim 19, wherein the material interface extends through the link and is located between the upper rail surface and the first track pin bore and the second track pin bore therein in the height direction.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (5)
Sho,Tomoyoshi; Yamashita,Tatsuo, Link and producing method of the same.
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