Crawler Sprocket Lock Washer for Military Tracked Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chain running gears for military vehicles face issues with the crawler chain slipping off the drive wheel during cornering due to soil accumulation in the sprocket hollows, leading to a loss of form fit and preventing continued driving, and the replacement of locking washers is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A locking washer with a maximum outer diameter equal to or greater than the outer ring gear is attached to the outside of the drive wheel, providing lateral coverage to the crawler chain and allowing easy maintenance without dismantling the ring gear, ensuring the chain remains secured even with worn rubber pads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking washer is used to prevent the track chain from slipping off the drive wheel, then the reliability of the track chain connection is improved, but the complexity of maintenance increases because the outer toothed ring must be removed to replace the locking washer
Solution Approach 1:
The locking washer is designed as a separate, removable component that can be independently replaced without disassembling the outer toothed ring. The locking washer is secured to the drive wheel through a simplified attachment mechanism that allows easy removal and replacement, separating the maintenance operation from the complex toothed ring assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking washer is extracted as an independent maintenance component from the integrated toothed ring assembly. This allows the locking washer to be removed and replaced separately from the outer toothed ring, significantly simplifying the maintenance procedure while maintaining the reliability function.
2Reliability
If the locking washer diameter is increased to provide better lateral coverage, then the prevention of track chain slipping is improved, but the risk of obstructing track movement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking washer is designed with optimized local geometry that provides sufficient lateral coverage to prevent track chain slipping only where needed, while maintaining adequate clearance in other areas to allow proper track movement. The washer's outer diameter is carefully selected to balance these competing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking washer provides partial lateral coverage that is sufficient to prevent slipping during cornering maneuvers, without excessive extension that would obstruct normal track movement. The design achieves the minimum necessary coverage to address the slipping problem while avoiding harmful interference with track operation.
3Ease of repair
If the outer toothed ring is removed to replace the locking washer, then the accessibility for maintenance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance system is segmented into independent components where the locking washer can be replaced without affecting the outer toothed ring. This modular approach allows technicians to access and replace the locking washer through a simplified removal process that does not require disassembly of the complex toothed ring structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking washer is extracted as a standalone maintenance component with an independent replacement procedure. This extraction eliminates the need to disassemble the outer toothed ring for washing replacement, reducing maintenance complexity while maintaining accessibility to the locking washer for service.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a crawler sprocket (1), in particular for military tracked vehicles, comprising a crawler track (2), a drive wheel (3) having at least one gear rim (7) which engages in the crawler track (2) and faces the outer face of the vehicle, and further comprising a lock washer (8) fastened to the gear rim (7) to prevent the crawler track (2) from being thrown off when travelling in curves and the like. In order to reliably prevent the crawler track (2) from being thrown off, using easily maintained means, even when the corresponding tracked vehicle is travelling in curves and the like, according to the invention the lock washer (8) of the crawler sprocket (1) is fastened externally to the outer gear rim (7) of the drive wheel (3), wherein the lock washer (8) has a maximum outside diameter which corresponds at least to the maximum outside diameter of the gear rim (7).