Thrust Ring For Undercarriage In A Track-Type Machine

• US 20120002910A1
• Filed: 06/23/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Plouzek, John M., Snyder, Anthony R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,905,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 384/371
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/20 washers, e.g. for sealing
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/04 for axial load only
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/107 Grooves for generating pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49645 Thrust bearing

Abstract

A thrust ring for an undercarriage in a track-type machine includes an annular body having an outer circular edge and an inner circular edge defining a common center axis. A first set of oil grooves and a first set of thrust faces are positioned in an alternating arrangement on each of a first axial side and a second axial side of the annular body. Each of the oil grooves includes a cross sectional contour shaped to balance an oil flow property of the thrust ring with a strength property of the thrust ring, and defining a non-uniform curve which includes a plurality of curve segments each having a different radial attribute. The thrust ring defines a Plouzek value equal to 1.

Claims

1. A thrust ring for an undercarriage in a track-type machine comprising:

an annular body including an outer circular edge and an inner circular edge defining a common center axis, the annular body further including a first thrust surface on a first axial side of the annular body and a second thrust surface on a second axial side of the annular body;

the first thrust surface having a first set of oil grooves formed therein at spaced apart locations about the center axis, and a first set of thrust faces positioned in an alternating arrangement with the first set of oil grooves;

the second thrust surface having a second set of oil grooves formed therein and positioned at spaced apart locations about the center axis which are offset from locations of the first set of oil grooves, and a second set of thrust faces positioned in an alternating arrangement with the second set of oil grooves;

wherein each of the oil grooves extends from the inner circular edge to the outer circular edge and defines a throat area for supplying lubricating oil to the thrust faces on the corresponding axial side of the annular body, and each of the thrust faces extends from the inner circular edge to the outer circular edge and defines a face loading area for reacting face loads through the thrust ring; and

wherein the thrust ring defines a Plouzek value equal to one.

2. The thrust ring of claim 1 wherein each of the oil grooves includes a uniform longitudinal contour extending from the inner circular edge to the outer circular edge, the uniform longitudinal contour lying in a first plane which includes a plane of the center axis, and wherein each of the oil grooves further includes a non-uniform cross sectional contour extending from a first adjacent thrust face to a second adjacent thrust face, the non-uniform cross sectional contour lying in a second plane which is normal to the first plane and parallel the center axis.

3. The thrust ring of claim 2 wherein each of the oil grooves further includes:

a first lip surface and a second lip surface adjoining the first adjacent thrust face and the second adjacent thrust face, respectively, each of the first lip surface and the second lip surface defining a convex radius of curvature;

a first transition surface and a second transition surface adjoining the first lip surface and the second lip surface, respectively, each of the first transition surface and the second transition surface defining a first concave radius of curvature which is less than the convex radius of curvature; and

a basal surface adjoining each of the first transition surface and the second transition surface, the basal surface defining a second concave radius of curvature which is greater than the first concave radius of curvature and greater than the convex radius of curvature.

4. The thrust ring of claim 3 wherein the first concave radius of curvature is equal to about 0.15 millimeters, and wherein the second concave radius of curvature is equal to about 0.25 millimeters.

5. The thrust ring of claim 3 wherein the second concave radius of curvature defines a circle, the circle including a plurality of surface points of each of the first transition surface and the second transition surface, and a plurality of surface points of each of the first lip surface and the second lip surface.

6. The thrust ring of claim 5 wherein each of the first set of oil grooves and the second set of oil grooves includes a total of two oil grooves, and wherein each of the first set of thrust faces and the second set of thrust faces includes a total of two thrust faces.

7. The thrust ring of claim 6 wherein the oil grooves of the first set are positioned about 180°

from one another about the center axis, and wherein the oil grooves of the second set are positioned about 180°

from one another about the center axis, and wherein each of the oil grooves of the first set are positioned about 90°

from the oil grooves of the second set about the center axis.

8. A thrust ring for an undercarriage in a track-type machine comprising:

an annular body including an outer circular edge and an inner circular edge defining a common center axis, the annular body further including a first thrust surface on a first axial side of the annular body and a second thrust surface on a second axial side of the annular body, the first thrust surface having a first set of thrust faces, and the second thrust surface having a second set of thrust faces;

each of the first thrust surface and the second thrust surface further including a set of oil grooves formed therein at spaced apart locations about the center axis and in an alternating arrangement with the corresponding set of thrust faces, each of the oil grooves extending from the inner circular edge to the outer circular edge and defining a throat area for supplying lubricating oil to the thrust faces on the corresponding axial side of the thrust ring;

each of the oil grooves defining a longitudinal groove axis and having a cross sectional contour extending from a first adjacent thrust face to a second adjacent thrust face, the cross sectional contour being shaped to balance an oil flow property of the thrust ring with a strength property of the thrust ring, and defining a non-uniform curve within a plane oriented parallel to the center axis of the thrust ring and normal to the longitudinal groove axis; and

the curve having a first and a second lip curve segment each defining a convex radius of curvature and including a maximum point of the curve, the curve further having a first and a second transition curve segment each adjoining one of the first and second lip curve segments and defining a first concave radius of curvature, and a basal curve segment defining a second concave radius of curvature which is greater than the first concave radius of curvature and including a minimum point of the curve.

9. The thrust ring of claim 8 wherein:

each of the first set of thrust faces and the second set of thrust faces include coplanar thrust faces, and the thrust ring includes an axial thickness between a plane of the first set of thrust faces and a plane of the second set of thrust faces; and

each of the oil grooves includes an axial groove depth defined by the curve and a groove width defined by the curve, the axial groove depth being equal to at least about 10% of the axial thickness, and the groove width being equal to at least about 200% of the axial groove depth.

10. The thrust ring of claim 9 wherein the axial thickness is equal to about 11 millimeters, the axial groove depth is equal to about 1.3 millimeters, and the groove width being equal to about 2.7 millimeters.

11. The thrust ring of claim 9 wherein the first set of oil grooves are positioned at a first set of groove locations about the center axis, and wherein the second set of oil grooves are positioned at a second set of groove locations about the center axis, each of the groove locations of the second set being offset from the groove locations of the first set by about 90°

about the center axis.

12. A method of making a thrust ring for an undercarriage in a track-type machine comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of thrust faces on each of a first axial side and a second axial side of an annular thrust ring body, the annular thrust ring body having an inner circular edge and an outer circular edge defining a common center axis;

forming a plurality of oil grooves on each of the first axial side and the second axial side, the oil grooves having an alternating arrangement with the thrust faces on the corresponding axial side;

the step of forming the plurality of oil grooves further including a step of balancing an oil flow property of the thrust ring against a strength property of the thrust ring at least in part by shaping a groove surface of each of the oil grooves according to a non-uniform curve between a first adjacent thrust face and a second adjacent thrust face; and

the non-uniform curve including a first and a second lip curve segment each having a first radial attribute, a first and a second transition curve segment each adjoining one of the lip curve segments and each having a second radial attribute, and a basal curve segment having a third radial attribute.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of balancing further includes shaping first and second transition surfaces which define the transition curve segments according to a first concave radius of curvature, shaping a basal surface which defines the basal curve segment according to a second concave radius of curvature which is greater than the first concave radius of curvature, and shaping first and second lip surfaces which define the lip curve segments according to a convex radius of curvature.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the step of balancing further includes balancing a flow area property which is negatively correlated with a size of the second concave radius of curvature with a ring thickness property which is positively correlated with the size of the second concave radius of curvature; and

the step of balancing further includes balancing a flow area property which is negatively correlated with a size of the first concave radius of curvature with a stress diffusion property which is positively correlated with the size of the first concave radius of curvature.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of forming further includes forming a first set of the oil grooves on the first axial side at a first set of groove locations, and forming a second set of the oil grooves on the second axial side at a second set of groove locations which are offset from the first set of groove locations about the center axis.