Modular Crawler-Track Unit for Forest Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing forest machines cause significant ground damage due to high surface pressure, especially on soft or uneven terrain, and existing crawler-track units are either too rigid or inefficient in power transmission, leading to limited mobility and increased stress on bogie structures.
Innovation Solution
A modular crawler-track unit with a crawler-track frame, sleeve shaft, crawler mat, drive wheel, idler wheel, and support means that conform to the ground surface, allowing for reduced surface pressure and improved mobility by separating the drive wheel from the drive shaft and using mechanical power transmission, enabling better traction and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a conventional axle with wheels is used, then the machine structure is simple, but the surface pressure on the ground is high causing ground damage
Solution Approach 1:
The conventional single axle with wheels is segmented into multiple swing-bogie axles, where each axle is independently suspended and can pivot. This segmentation distributes the machine weight over a larger ground area through multiple contact points, reducing surface pressure and ground damage while maintaining structural feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-plane wheel contact to a three-dimensional distributed contact system. The swing-bogie axles are arranged in multiple dimensions with independent suspension, creating a spatial distribution of contact points that increases the effective ground contact area and reduces pressure concentration
2Object-affected harmful factors
If steel crawler tracks are used, then ground pressure is distributed better, but the structure becomes too rigid causing difficulty on uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The crawler-track unit incorporates dynamic elements including swing-bogie axles with independent suspension that can pivot and adjust to terrain variations. The support means are arranged to conform to the ground surface shape, allowing the rigid crawler track to adapt dynamically to uneven terrain while maintaining even pressure distribution through the flexible bogie structure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a flexible crawler mat (thin film structure) that can deform and conform to the ground surface. This flexible mat works in conjunction with the swing-bogie axles to distribute pressure evenly while adapting to terrain irregularities, combining the pressure distribution benefits of rigid tracks with the adaptability of flexible materials
3Device complexity
If the drive wheel is mounted directly on the drive shaft, then the structure is compact, but power transmission efficiency is reduced and stress on bogie structures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive wheel is extracted from direct mounting on the drive shaft and positioned separately within the crawler-track frame. This separation allows for optimized power transmission pathways and reduces the concentration of stress on the bogie structures, improving reliability while maintaining acceptable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary power transmission mechanism is introduced between the drive shaft and the drive wheel. This intermediary system facilitates more efficient power transmission and distributes mechanical stress more evenly across the crawler-track unit, reducing stress concentration on the bogie structures while maintaining compact overall dimensions
Data Source
AI summary
A modular crawler-track unit for a forest machine has an engine, a chassis with a pivot bearing and a crawler-track frame. A sleeve shaft is attached to the crawler-track frame to support the crawler-track frame on the pivot bearing. A drive wheel is mounted in bearings in the crawler-track frame inside a circulation of a crawler mat. A support is arranged in the crawler-track frame inside the circulation to support a part of the crawler mat against the ground. A drive shaft is mounted in bearings in the crawler-track frame coaxially with the sleeve shaft to transmit power to the crawler-track unit. A shaft mounted in bearings on the crawler-track frame pivots the drive wheel to the crawler-track frame at a distance from the drive shaft. A power-transmission is fitted between the shaft and the drive shaft to transmit power from the drive shaft to the drive wheel.