Expandable die for worn rubber chains regenerating

Abstract

The expandable die for worn rubber chains regenerating, which has been developed, will find application in the field of transport and agriculture, in particular for regenerating worn rubber chains for construction and agricultural machinery. The expandable die for worn rubber chains regenerating comprises a main body consisting of an oppositely arranged upper part (4.1) and a lower part (4.2). In the middle of the upper part (4.1) of the main body is arranged an upper fixed body (6), on both sides of which "m" upper movable bodies (5) are symmetrically arranged. Between the upper fixed body (6) and the upper movable bodies (5) calibrated inserts (7) of thickness b2 are embedded. In the middle of the lower part (4.2) there are a lower fixed body (3) and "n" lower movable bodies (1) distributed on both sides of the lower fixed body (3). Between the lower fixed body (3) and the lower movable bodies (1) spacers (2) of thickness b1 are embedded. Cavities are formed on the fixed bodies (3 and 6) and the movable bodies (1 and 5) to form both the drive or guide cams and the tread profile.

Description

[0001] Expandable die for worn rubber chains regenerating

[0002] Technical field

[0003] This invention relates to an expandable die for worn rubber chains regenerating, which will find application in the field of transportation and agriculture, and in particular for regenerating worn rubber chains for construction and agricultural machinery.

[0004] Prior art

[0005] In recent times, the design of the running gears of crawler machines: tractors, combine harvesters and the like has undergone a major change, with rubber chains of suitable performance being increasingly used instead of steel caterpillar chains. They are driven by supplying power from the main engine of the machine to a drive sprocket by means of a transmission mechanism. Its torque provides a peripheral force which transmits the corresponding tension in the rubber chain and ensures the movement of the machine with or without attached equipment.

[0006] Rubber chains for construction and agricultural equipment are made from a compound of natural and synthetic rubber with added anti-abrasive chemical agents to reduce the percentage of wear caused by friction on abrasive or compact surfaces. Retreading is a process that extends the life of the rubber chain for several more lifetimes by rebuilding the worn tread and the worn guide or drive cams, which has both economic and environmental advantages. The retreading process reuses the base of the chain, the so-called carcass, on which a new tread and new guide or drive cams are made. In this way, the cost of the rubber chain is significantly reduced compared to the cost of a new chain and the disposal of the already worn chain into the environment is prevented. Currently, the replacement of worn-out rubber chains is done with new ones. When worn chains are submitted for remanufacture, they are almost always found to be of a different length than standard for a standard number of cams. This leads to a difference in the pitch size of the drive cams, which further leads to a mismatch of this pitch with the pitch of the drive sprocket, and consequently to an inability of their working together. This results in excessive stress on some of the drive cams, shortening their life, which in turn shortens the service life of the rubber chain and necessitates its repair or regeneration.

[0007] There is no known expandable die which, being involved in the regeneration of old rubber chains, successfully removes the above-mentioned defects.

[0008] Technical nature of the invention

[0009] It is an object of the invention to provide an expandable die for regenerating worn rubber chains, which provides both precise adjustment of the pitches between the drive cams in the warm regeneration of worn rubber chains according to the actual established length of the rubber chain and with those of the rubber belt drive of the respective agricultural and construction machinery.

[0010] The problem is solved by creating an expandable die for regenerating worn rubber chains, which includes a main body consisting of an oppositely arranged upper part and a lower part. In the middle of the upper part of the main body is arranged an upper fixed body, on both sides of which are symmetrically arranged "m" number of upper movable bodies. Calibrated inserts of thickness b2 are inserted between the upper fixed body and the upper movable bodies. In the middle of the lower part there is a lower fixed body and 'n' numbers of lower movable bodies distributed on both sides of the lower fixed body. Between the lower fixed body and the lower movable bodies, spacers of calibrated inserts of thickness bl are incorporated. Cavities are formed on the fixed and movable bodies to form both the drive or guide cams and the tread profile.

[0011] The problem is solved by creating also an expandable die for worn rubber chains regeneration, which includes a main body consisting of oppositely arranged upper part and lower part. In the upper part of the main body are arranged "s" number of upper movable bodies, between which upper movable bodies are embedded calibrated inserts of thickness b2. In the lower part, "q" numbers of lower movable bodies are arranged, between which lower movable bodies spacers calibrated inserts of thickness bl are embedded. Cavities are formed on the movable bodies to form both the drive or guide cams and the tread profile.

[0012] An advantage of the developed expandable dies for worn rubber chains regeneration is that they provide the possibility of adjusting the pitches between the drive or guide cams according to the actual length of the rubber chain. It is also provided to achieve compatibility between the established pitch of the drive or guide cams of the rubber chain and that of the drive sprocket.

[0013] Description of the attached figures

[0014] This invention is illustrated in the appended figures, where:

[0015] Figure 1 is a partial cross-section of a rubber-belt drive; and

[0016] Figure 2 represents a cross-section of an expandable die for regenerating worn rubber chains according to the invention. Examples of embodiments of the invention

[0017] In the warm regeneration of rubber chains, the worn drive or guide cams on the inner side of the chain and the tread pattern on the outer side of the rubber chain 9 are simultaneously restored, thanks to the use of the created die comprising two parts 4.1 and 4.2 with movable bodies, allowing realization of different pitch of the drive or guide cams and of the tread of the rubber chain 9, which are the same in the drive and tread parts of the regenerated rubber chain 9.

[0018] The expandable die for regenerating worn rubber chains, shown in Figure 2, includes a main body comprising an oppositely disposed upper part (4.1) and a lower part (4.2). In the middle of the upper part (4.1) of the main body an upper fixed body (6) is arranged, on both sides of which are symmetrically arranged "m" number of upper movable bodies (5). Between the upper fixed body (6) and the upper movable bodies (5) calibrated inserts (7) of thickness b2 are embedded. In the middle of the lower part (4.2) there is a lower fixed body (3) and "n" numbers of lower movable bodies (1) distributed on both sides of the lower fixed body (3). Between the lower fixed body (3) and the lower movable bodies (1), spacers (2) of calibrated thickness bl are embedded. Cavities are formed on the fixed bodies (3 and 6) and the movable bodies (1 and 5) to form both the drive or guide cams and the tread profile.

[0019] An expandable die for regenerating worn rubber chains, not shown in Figure, was also formed and includes a main body consisting of an oppositely disposed upper part (4.1) and a lower part (4.2). In the upper part (4.1) of the main body "s" number of upper movable bodies (5) are arranged, between which upper movable bodies (5) calibrated inserts (7) of thickness b2 are embedded. In the lower part (4.2) "q" number of lower movable bodies (1) are arranged, between which lower movable bodies (1) spacers calibrated inserts (2) of thickness bl are embedded. Cavities are formed on the movable bodies (1 and 5) for forming both the drive or guide cams and the tread profile.

[0020] The manufacture of both types of dies is with auxiliary inserts of a thickness providing the standard pitch in the manufacture of the chain 9. For each modified pitch of chain 9 to be remanufactured, the standard inserts are replaced with calibrated inserts of the appropriate thickness providing the desired pitch of the drive or guide cams. This ensures even distribution of the drive or guide cams on the inside of the chain 9 and even distribution of the tread pattern on the outside of the retreaded rubber chain. Further, by varying the thickness of the lower rubber layer located below the steel-rope layer of the chain, a compatibility is achieved between the established pitch of the drive or guide cams of the rubber chain 9 and that of the drive sprocket 8, i.e. there is a relationship between the pitch of the drive or guide cams and the thickness of the rubber layer below the steel-rope layer. Therefore, by adjusting the thickness of the rubber layer below the wire rope layer, the necessary correspondence between the pitch of the drive cams of the rubber chain 9 and the pitch of the drive sprocket 8 is achieved.

[0021] In preparing the created dies for operation, the standard inserts are replaced by calibrated ones with a thickness providing the required pitch corresponding to the actually established length of the chain 9, ensuring stretching and clamping of both the fixed bodies 3 and 6 and the corresponding number of movable bodies 1 and 5 together with the inserts 2 and 7. These actions are repeated for each chain to be regenerated to achieve the desired pitch corresponding to the specific length established.

[0022] The developed expandable dies are also applicable to the manufacture of new rubber chains.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An expandable die for worn rubber chains regenerating, characterized in that it comprises a main body comprising an oppositely arranged upper part (4.1) and a lower part (4.2), wherein in the middle of the upper part (4. 1) of the main body is arranged an upper fixed body (6), on both sides of which symmetrically arranged "m" number of upper movable bodies (5), wherein between the upper fixed body (6) and the upper movable bodies (5) calibrated inserts (7) of thickness b2 are embedded, and in the middle of the lower part (4. 2) a lower fixed body (3) is arranged and "n" number of lower movable bodies (1) distributed on both sides of the lower fixed body (3), and between the lower fixed body (3) and the lower movable bodies (1) spacers calibrated inserts (2) with thickness bl are embedded, wherein cavities are formed on the fixed bodies (3 and 6) and the movable bodies (1 and 5) to form both the drive or guide cams and the tread profile.

2. An expandable die for worn rubber chains regenerating, characterized in that it comprises a main body comprising an oppositely disposed upper body (4.1) and a lower body (4.2), wherein "s" number of upper movable bodies (5) are disposed in the upper body (4.1) of the main body, calibrated inserts (7) having a thickness b2 are interposed between the upper movable bodies (5), and in the lower part (4. 2) "q" number of lower movable bodies (1) are arranged, between which lower movable bodies (1) spacers calibrated inserts (2) of thickness bl are embedded, wherein cavities are formed on the movable bodies (1 and 5) for forming both the drive or guide cams and the tread profile.

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