Walking Assembly Roller Chain Sliding Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional walking assemblies in machines like dragline excavators experience premature wear and lubrication challenges due to high operating pressures and deflections, leading to potential component failure from point loading.
Innovation Solution
The walking assembly incorporates a sliding assembly with a support structure, plate member, pair of roller chains, and guiding assembly, allowing for rolling contact between the sliding shoe and roller chains, which reduces friction and facilitates easy lubrication, thereby minimizing wear and enhancing structural rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flat sliding surfaces are used between walking frame and walking shoe, then the structure is simple, but premature wear occurs due to high operating pressures and deflections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces flat sliding surfaces with curved, arc-shaped sliding surfaces that conform to each other. The first arcuate sliding surface on the walking frame and the second arcuate sliding surface on the walking shoe create a curved contact interface instead of a flat one. This curvature allows for better stress distribution and reduces point loading, thereby preventing premature wear while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the sliding surfaces from flat to arcuate with specific radii of curvature. The first arcuate sliding surface has a radius of curvature between 0.5 to 2 times the radius of the second arcuate sliding surface. This parameter change optimizes the contact stress distribution and improves wear resistance without significantly complicating the structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If flat sliding surfaces are used, then manufacturing is easy, but lubrication separation is challenging due to high operating pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The curved arcuate sliding surfaces create a conformal contact that better retains lubrication under high pressure. The curved geometry prevents lubrication separation by distributing the high operating pressures along the arc contact rather than concentrating them at a flat interface, making lubrication more effective while keeping manufacturing simple.
3Device complexity
If conventional sliding mechanism is used, then device complexity is low, but point loading causes premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
The arcuate sliding surfaces with optimized radius ratios distribute loads more evenly across the contact interface, eliminating point loading conditions. The curved geometry naturally spreads the contact stress over a larger area, improving reliability without adding complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the geometric parameters to arcuate surfaces with specific radius relationships (0.5 to 2 times ratio), the patent transforms the stress distribution pattern from concentrated point loading to distributed line loading, significantly improving component reliability while maintaining mechanism simplicity.
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 design replaces wear-prone sliding motions with rolling motions, reducing friction and allowing for effective lubrication, thus extending the lifespan of components and preventing premature failure.
Implementation Method 1
The pair of roller chains are adapted to roll on the contact surface of the plate member proximate the first side of the pair of roller chains
Data Source
AI summary
A walking assembly for a machine includes a walking shoe and a driving assembly including a walking frame, a driving member, and a linkage member pivotally coupled to the driving member and the walking shoe. The walking assembly also includes a sliding assembly coupled to the walking shoe and the walking frame. The sliding assembly includes a support structure adapted to be received within the walking shoe and sliding assembly plate member mounted on the support structure. The sliding assembly further includes a pair of roller chains adapted to roll on a contact surface of the plate member. The sliding assembly includes a sliding shoe adapted to be coupled with the walking frame that is in rolling contact with the pair of roller chains. The sliding assembly also includes a guiding assembly to retain the sliding shoe in rolling contact with the pair of roller chains.