Track roller

• US 3,866,985 A
• Filed: 03/04/1974
• Issued: 02/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gerald E. Whitehurst
• Inventors: Whitehurst, Gerald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. Henson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Church, Gene A.
• Application Number:
  US05/447,986
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 308/18,20,36.1,109 305/14,28,27
• US Class Current: 384/418
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/15 Mounting devices, e.g. bushings, axles, bearings, sealings with lubrication means B62D55/092
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 13/02 Bearings

Abstract

A track roller having a rim for rotation about an elongated shaft including a pair of cylindrical retainer sleeves individually positionable in axially spaced, radially supporting relation within a centrally disposed bore formed through the rim and about a respective one of a pair of axially spaced bearing surfaces formed on a relatively large diameter center portion of the shaft. Each of the retainer sleeves is provided with a flange formed on one end thereof having a radially outwardly extending flange portion positionable along a respective one of a pair of opposed, axially spaced end faces of the rim and a radially inwardly extending flange portion positionable along a respective one of a pair of opposed thrust surfaces defined at the opposite ends of the center portion of the shaft. A plurality of elongated tie bolts are extendible between the retainer sleeves axially to clamp the outwardly extending flange portions against the opposed end faces of the rim to secure the rim and retainer sleeves in unitary assembly about the shaft.

Claims

1. A track roller for rotation about a predetermined axis comprising;

a cylindrical rim concentric to said axis and including a pair of opposed, axially spaced end faces and a longitudinal, centrally disposed bore formed therethrough transpiercing said end faces;

an elongated, longitudinally disposed shaft including a relatively large diameter center portion having a pair of axially spaced cylindrical bearing surfaces formed thereon and opposite ends defining a pair of opposed, axially spaced thrust surfaces;

a pair of cylindrical retainer sleeves individually positionable in axially spaced, radially supporting relation within said bore of said rim and about a respective one of said bearing surfaces of said shaft, each of said retainer sleeves being provided with a flange formed on one end thereof having a radially outwardly extending flange portion positionable along a respective one of said end faces of said rim and a radially inwardly extending flange portion positionable along a respective one of said thrust surfaces of said shaft; and

tie means extendible between said retainer sleeves axially to clamp said outwardly extending flange portions of said retainer sleeves against the opposed end faces of said rim to secure said rim and said retainer sleeves in unitary assembly about said shaft.

2. The track roller of claim 1 including;

a pair of cylindrical sleeve bearings individually press fitted into a respective one of said retainer sleeves and engageable with a corresponding one of said bearing surfaces of said shaft for rotatably supporting said retainer sleeves therearound; and

a pair of annular thrust bearings individually mounted to a respective one of said inwardly extending flange portions of said retainer sleeves in thrust engaging relation with a corresponding one of said opposed thrust surfaces of said shaft to limit axial movement of the unitary assembly relative to said shaft.

3. The track roller of claim 2 wherein one of said retaIner sleeves is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores formed therethrough in axially offsetting relation intermediate said rim and said shaft, and the other of said retainer sleeves is provided with a like plurality of threaded apertures formed in its other end opposite said flange and positionable in axial alignment with said circumferentially spaced bores;

and said tie means includes a plurality of elongated tie bolts individually extendible through said circumferentially spaced bores and screw threadably engageable with said threaded apertures.

4. The track roller of claim 3 including;

a pair of reduced diameter mounting end portions individually axially extending from the opposite ends of said center portion of said shaft; and

a pair of support brackets embracing each of the mounting end portions for attaching said shaft to a supporting frame.

5. The track roller of claim 4 including lubricating means comprising a relatively large annular shaped fluid reservoir defined between said shaft and the rim and intermediate said retainer sleeves to contain a relatively large supply of lubricating fluid for lubricating said bearings during extended periods of operation.

6. The track roller of claim 5 including seal means to prevent the escape of said lubricating fluid from said track roller comprising a pair of rotary seal elements disposed between the inwardly extending flange portions of each of said retainer sleeves and the respective one of the mounting end portions of the shaft, and a pair of static seals disposed between the outwardly extending flange portions of each of said retainer sleeves and respectively associated end faces of said rim.