Arcuate Crawler Shoes for Track Assembly Vibration Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional track assemblies experience shock loading and vibration due to flat spots on round surfaces, leading to noise and operator discomfort, as planar wear surfaces slide on round surfaces, causing uneven bearing forces and increased wear.
Innovation Solution
The track assembly features arcuate crawler shoes with laterally spaced-apart links and a dual-sprocket drive wheel configuration, where the hub rides on arcuate wear surfaces, reducing sliding and distributing bearing forces more evenly, and utilizing a dual-sprocket drive wheel to engage multiple pins simultaneously for increased torque transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If planar wear surfaces are used on chain links, then manufacturing is simpler, but sliding on round surfaces creates flat spots causing shock loading and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing planar wear surfaces with arcuate (curved) wear surfaces on the chain links. This curved surface matches the round surface of the drive wheel, eliminating flat spot formation during sliding contact. The arcuate geometry allows continuous rolling contact without the冲击 loads generated by flat spots, thereby reducing vibration and shock loading while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
2Device complexity
If planar wear surfaces slide on round surfaces, then the structure is simpler, but bearing forces become uneven increasing wear
Solution Approach 1:
The arcuate wear surface geometry is designed to conform to the round surface of the drive wheel hub. This curvature matching ensures that bearing forces are distributed evenly across the contact area during rotation, preventing localized stress concentrations that would lead to uneven wear. The curved surface maintains continuous contact without gaps, improving component reliability and longevity.
3Device complexity
If conventional single sprocket drive is used, then device complexity is lower, but torque transmission efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the drive wheel into two separate sprockets mounted on the same axis, each engaging with different sets of chain links. This segmentation allows torque to be transmitted through multiple independent contact points simultaneously, increasing the total effective contact area and improving power transmission efficiency. The dual sprocket configuration distributes the load across more pins and wear surfaces, reducing stress on individual components while enhancing overall torque capacity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces machine vibration, increases component longevity by minimizing stress on sprocket teeth and pins, and enhances operator comfort by maintaining hub roundness and distributing forces more evenly.
Implementation Method 1
planar wear surfaces of the chain links engage round surfaces of the drive wheel, the idler wheel, and/or the rollers, and slide over the round surfaces as the track assemblies are driven
Implementation Method 2
at least one bore configured to receive a pin that transfers tractive forces from the sprocket to the ground engaging surface
Implementation Method 3
the hub of the drive wheel may be configured to ride on the arcuate wear surface
Data Source
AI summary
A crawler shoe is disclosed for use with a mobile machine having a track assembly with a sprocket. The crawler shoe may have a ground engaging surface, and laterally spaced-apart links connected at a side opposite the ground engaging surface. The laterally spaced-apart links may each have an arcuate wear surface configured to provide hub support against bearing forces of the sprocket, and at least one bore configured to receive a pin that transfers tractive forces from the sprocket to the plate.