Drive wheel structure on wheel-dump excavator track device

Abstract

A drive wheel structure for a bucket wheel excavator track device includes a frame assembly with a base (72), two sets of symmetrically arranged track assemblies, and each track assembly includes a front drive wheel (5), a track bracket (7), a rear support wheel (8), and several track sections (6) connected in series at equal intervals to form a closed loop. The key technical features are: the track bracket (7) is a wing-shaped structure with a horizontal center and downward-facing ends; a top support wheel assembly (73) is provided at the upper center of the track bracket (7); and front and rear ends of the track bracket (7) are respectively provided with front support wheels (731) and rear support wheels (733). It has the advantages of simple and compact structure and convenient and quick maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to track assemblies, specifically a drive wheel structure on the track device of a bucket wheel excavator, which is mainly applicable to the drive mechanism of open-pit bucket wheel excavators. Background Technology

[0002] The track structure of bucket wheel excavators is a core design feature that enables them to adapt to complex terrain and heavy-duty operations, demonstrating exceptional stability and reliability, especially in open-pit mining and large-scale earthmoving projects. Bucket wheel excavators can weigh hundreds of tons, and their tracks are significantly wider than those of ordinary construction machinery, featuring a flat-bottomed, barbed-free track design. This structure reduces the ground pressure to 15-30 kPa (compared to 80-120 kPa for ordinary wheeled machinery), allowing for stable operation on low-load-bearing surfaces such as loose sand and muddy swamps, avoiding the risk of sinking.

[0003] In traditional bucket wheel excavators, the track links and drive wheels frequently engage during movement. Because bucket wheel excavators are generally heavy and travel on complex terrain, the drive wheels engaging with the track links are prone to wear. Replacement is cumbersome, requiring a crane to disassemble the track shoes, remove the drive wheels and drive mechanism, assemble the new drive wheels and drive mechanism, and then reconnect the track shoes. This process not only requires additional lifting equipment but also consumes significant time for equipment scheduling, disassembly and alignment, and hoisting and installation. Furthermore, the disassembly and installation processes demand extremely high operational precision; improper operation can easily affect the assembly accuracy of the track system, severely impacting the equipment's operational efficiency and resulting in substantial time and financial costs.

[0004] Existing track assembly structures that facilitate component replacement, such as the "Excavator Track with Anti-Compression and Easy-to-Replace Track Pads" disclosed in utility model patent CN213228913U, include a fixed frame. Drive wheels are rotatably connected to both sides of the fixed frame via rotating shafts. A hinged track base is provided on the surface of the drive wheels, and gear teeth that mate with the drive wheels are fixedly connected to the inner surface of the hinged track base. A transmission roller that mates with the gear teeth is located at the top of the fixed frame. This utility model solves the problems of existing excavator tracks, which mostly use a single-pin track, are inconvenient to disassemble, cannot be quickly assembled, and are prone to damage and maintenance.

[0005] For example, the utility model patent CN210258607U discloses a "replaceable tracked drive wheel". This technical solution includes a wheel body, a hub, and at least two fixing buckles. The wheel body has an axial center hole in the middle. The outer end face of the hub is provided with an axial annular boss. The center hole and the annular boss are provided with intermeshing teeth. The fixing buckles are evenly fixed on the outer end face of the hub. The fixing buckles include a fixing base plate. The upper and lower ends of the fixing base plate are vertically fixed with an upper baffle and a lower baffle. The upper and lower baffles have locking rod holes on the same straight line. A locking rod is slidably sleeved in the locking rod hole. The upper end of the locking rod is connected to a wheel body fixing block. The wheel body fixing block is used to block the wheel body to prevent the wheel body from moving axially. The lower end of the locking rod is connected to a pull head. The middle of the locking rod is connected to a transverse spring stop bar. The locking rod is sleeved with a spring.

[0006] For example, the invention patent application CN107719496A discloses a "drive wheel for a large excavator". This technical solution includes a drive wheel body and bosses evenly distributed along its outer circumference. The drive wheel body and the bosses are separate components. Each boss is an independent part. The connecting surface of the boss is provided with a jaw-shaped groove, and the ears on both sides of the jaw-shaped groove are provided with connecting holes. The drive wheel body disc is provided with an integrally formed annular boss of equal thickness around its outer circumference. The thickness of the annular boss is less than the thickness of the drive wheel body disc, so that the bottom two sides of the annular boss form symmetrical outwardly expanding annular shoulders. The circumferential edge of the annular boss is provided with alternating teeth and grooves to form toothed bosses and grooved bosses. The jaw-shaped groove of the boss is engaged with the grooved boss and toothed boss in the toothed groove. The connecting holes of the boss ears are connected and fixed to the through holes of the toothed bosses by bolts. The bottom surfaces of the ears on both sides of the boss are tightly engaged with the annular shoulders.

[0007] For example, the invention patent application CN107719495A discloses a "drive wheel for a large open-pit mine excavator". The technical solution includes a wheel body and wheel teeth, which are set separately. The wheel body is set with an integrally formed annular flange of equal thickness around the middle of its outer edge. The thickness of the annular flange is less than the thickness of the wheel body disc, so that symmetrical outwardly expanding annular shoulders are formed on both sides of the bottom of the annular flange. The wheel teeth are set as two symmetrical annular gear rings. Multiple teeth are evenly arranged around the circumference of the annular gear rings. The inner ring of the annular gear rings is splined to the annular shoulders of the wheel body. The annular gear rings are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the annular flange. The annular gear rings are fixed to the annular flange by countersunk bolts at the position below the teeth. The teeth and the top of the middle annular flange are combined to form a U-shaped groove with an outward opening on the axial cross-section. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drive wheel structure for the track device of a bucket excavator, which fundamentally solves the above-mentioned problems and has the advantages of simple and compact structure and convenient and quick maintenance.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: The drive wheel structure on the track device of the bucket wheel excavator includes a frame assembly with a base, two sets of symmetrically arranged track assemblies, and each track assembly includes a front drive wheel, a track bracket, a rear support wheel, and several track sections that are connected in series at equal intervals to form a closed loop. The key technical points are: The track support is an airfoil structure with a horizontal center and downward ends. The upper center of the track support is equipped with a top support wheel set, and the front and rear ends of the track support are respectively equipped with front support wheels and rear support wheels. The front and rear protrusions of the lower part of the track support are respectively hinged with front travel wheel sets and rear travel wheel sets. The front travel wheel set or rear travel wheel set includes a primary travel frame with a symmetrical structure that is hinged to the track support, a pair of secondary travel frames with a symmetrical structure that are respectively hinged to the front and rear ends of the primary travel frame, a pair of tertiary travel frames with a symmetrical structure that are respectively hinged to the front and rear ends of the secondary travel frames, and four sets of bottom support wheels installed on each tertiary travel frame. The inner side of each track section is formed by the outer wall protrusion to form a U-shaped groove. The front support wheel, the rear support wheel, and the bottom support wheel are limited and supported in the U-shaped groove, so that the closed-loop U-shaped groove formed by several track sections is spaced apart from the outer edge of the track support. At the same time, when adjacent track sections rotate in opposite directions around the coaxial axis, the adjacent outer wall protrusions form a meshing groove. The front drive wheel is a smooth wheel. The front drive wheel is fixed with meshing blocks at equal intervals around the center of the circle via meshing block pins. The meshing blocks include meshing protrusions with a pair of pin holes at the bottom and meshing shoulders symmetrically arranged on both sides of the meshing protrusions. The meshing shoulders are inclined downward so that the meshing surfaces of the outer edges of each meshing protrusion and the contact surfaces of the shoulders on the outer edges of each meshing shoulder are located on the same annular surface. When the front drive wheel rotates, the meshing protrusions and / or meshing shoulders engage in the meshing grooves of the track links.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: In terms of overall technical solution, this invention addresses the pain point of wear and replacement of drive wheels in the track device of bucket wheel excavators. Through innovative design of the drive wheel structure, it achieves a revolutionary optimization of the replacement process, completely eliminating the complex process of overall disassembly and installation that must be carried out by a crane in the traditional replacement method, and building a fast, efficient and labor-saving drive wheel wear component replacement system.

[0011] This invention utilizes a split drive wheel structure consisting of a "smooth wheel body + detachable meshing blocks." The front drive wheel is a smooth wheel, and its meshing function with the track links is achieved by meshing blocks mounted on the smooth wheel via meshing block pins. This disassembles the traditional drive wheel's overall meshing structure into multiple independent, replaceable meshing blocks. When a meshing block becomes severely worn due to prolonged engagement and needs replacement, it is not necessary to disassemble the entire drive wheel. Simply control the main unit to move, causing the drive wheel to rotate, disengaging the worn meshing block from the track links. At this point, the meshing block pin securing the worn block can be directly removed, the worn component removed, and then the new meshing block precisely aligned and re-secured with the meshing block pin, thus smoothly replacing the worn component.

[0012] The entire replacement process does not require large auxiliary equipment such as cranes, greatly simplifying the operation process. This not only significantly shortens the downtime for maintenance after drive wheel wear and reduces losses due to equipment downtime caused by maintenance, but also reduces the number of operators and skill requirements, saving labor costs. It truly achieves "fast, time-saving, and labor-saving" replacement of worn drive wheel parts, greatly improving the convenience and economy of maintaining the track system of bucket excavators. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in use of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of part A in the middle. Figure 2a for Figure 2 A cross-sectional structural diagram.

[0015] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the front drive wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following combination Figures 1-2 The specific content of the present invention will be described in detail through specific embodiments. The drive wheel structure on the track device of the bucket excavator includes a frame assembly with a base 72, two sets of symmetrically arranged track assemblies, and each track assembly includes a front drive wheel 5, a track bracket 7, a rear support wheel 8, and a number of track sections 6 that are connected in series at equal intervals to form a closed loop.

[0018] The track support 7 is an airfoil structure with a horizontal center and downward ends. The upper center of the track support 7 is provided with a top support wheel set 73. The front and rear ends of the track support 7 are respectively provided with front support wheels 731 and rear support wheels 733. The front and rear protrusions of the lower part of the track support 7 are respectively hinged to the front and rear travel wheel sets 74 and rear travel wheel sets 75. The front travel wheel set 74 or the rear travel wheel set 75 includes a first-level travel frame 741 with a symmetrical structure that is hinged to the track support 7, a pair of second-level travel frames 742 with a symmetrical structure that are respectively hinged to the front and rear ends of the first-level travel frame 741, a pair of third-level travel frames 743 with a symmetrical structure that are respectively hinged to the front and rear ends of the second-level travel frames 742, and four sets of bottom support wheels 744 installed on each third-level travel frame 743. The inner side of each track section 6 is formed by the outer wall protrusion 61 to form a U-shaped groove. The front support wheel 731, the rear support wheel 733, and the bottom support wheel 744 are limited and supported in the U-shaped groove, so that the closed-loop U-shaped groove formed by several track sections 6 is spaced apart from the outer edge of the track bracket 7. At the same time, when adjacent track sections 6 rotate in opposite directions around the coaxial axis, the adjacent outer wall protrusions 61 form a meshing groove. The front drive wheel 5 is a smooth wheel, which is mounted on the track bracket 7 via the drive shaft 53 and driven by the motor reducer 71. The front drive wheel 5 is fixed with meshing blocks 51 at equal intervals around the center of the circle via meshing block pins 52. The meshing block 51 includes a meshing protrusion 511 with a pair of pin holes at the bottom and meshing shoulders 512 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the meshing protrusion 511. The outer end 5122 of the meshing shoulder 512 is inclined downward, so that the meshing surface 5111 of the outer edge of each meshing protrusion 511 and the shoulder contact surface 5121 of the outer edge of each meshing shoulder 512 are located on the same annular surface. When the front drive wheel 5 rotates, the meshing protrusion 511 and / or the meshing shoulder 512 are engaged in the meshing groove of the track section 6.

[0019] The above method allows the meshing block 51 to replace the original drive wheel gear and mesh with the track link. When the meshing block 51 is severely worn and needs to be replaced, the meshing block 51 to be replaced is rotated to a non-meshing state by moving the main unit, the meshing block pin 52 is pulled out, the new meshing block 51 to be replaced is removed, and the new meshing block 51 is replaced. It is then fixed again with the meshing block pin 52 to complete the replacement.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 5 front drive wheel, 51 meshing block, 511 meshing protrusion, 5111 meshing surface, 512 meshing shoulder, 5121 shoulder contact surface, 5122 outer end, 52 meshing block pin, 53 drive shaft; 6 Track joints, 61 Outer wall protrusions; 7 Track support, 71 Motor reducer, 72 Base, 73 Top support wheel set, 731 Front support wheel, 732 Middle support wheel, 733 Rear support wheel, 74 Front travel wheel set, 741 Primary travel frame, 742 Secondary travel frame, 743 Tertiary travel frame, 744 Bottom support wheel, 75 Rear travel wheel set; 8. Rear support wheel.

Claims

1. A drive wheel structure on a track device of a bucket wheel excavator, comprising a frame assembly with a base (72), two sets of symmetrically arranged track assemblies, each track assembly comprising a front drive wheel (5), a track bracket (7), a rear support wheel (8), and a plurality of track segments (6) connected in series at equal intervals to form a closed loop, characterized in that: The track support (7) is a wing-shaped structure with the middle horizontal and both ends downward. The upper middle part of the track support (7) is provided with a top support wheel set (73). The front and rear ends of the track support (7) are respectively provided with a front support wheel (731) and a rear support wheel (733). The front and rear protrusions of the lower part of the track support (7) are respectively hinged to a front travel wheel set (74) and a rear travel wheel set (75). The front travel wheel set (74) or the rear travel wheel set (75) includes a first-level travel frame (741) with a symmetrical structure that is hinged to the track support (7), a pair of second-level travel frames (742) with a symmetrical structure that are respectively hinged to the front and rear ends of the first-level travel frame (741), a pair of third-level travel frames (743) with a symmetrical structure that are respectively hinged to the front and rear ends of the second-level travel frame (742), and four sets of bottom support wheels (744) installed on each third-level travel frame (743). The inner side of each track section (6) is formed by the outer wall protrusion (61) to form a U-shaped groove. The front support wheel (731), the rear support wheel (733), and the bottom support wheel (744) are limited and supported in the U-shaped groove, so that the closed-loop U-shaped groove formed by several track sections (6) is spaced apart from the outer edge of the track bracket (7); at the same time, when adjacent track sections (6) rotate in opposite directions around the coaxial axis, the adjacent outer wall protrusions (61) form a meshing groove. The front drive wheel (5) is a smooth wheel. The front drive wheel (5) is fixed with meshing blocks (51) at equal intervals around the center of the circle via meshing block pins (52). The meshing block (51) includes a meshing protrusion (511) with a pair of pin holes at the bottom and meshing shoulders (512) symmetrically arranged on both sides of the meshing protrusion (511). The meshing shoulders (512) are inclined downward so that the meshing surfaces (5111) of the outer edge of each meshing protrusion (511) and the shoulder contact surfaces (5121) of the outer edge of each meshing shoulder (512) are located on the same annular surface. When the front drive wheel (5) rotates, the meshing protrusion (511) and / or the meshing shoulder (512) are engaged in the meshing groove of the track section (6).

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