Undercarriage assembly for a belted work machine

• US 5,997,109 A
• Filed: 09/19/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Power Systems Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kautsch, Dewaine A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Long Bae
• Application Number:
  US08/934,451
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 305/124, 305/128, 305/129, 305/132, 305/133, 305/134, 305/138, 305/130, 305/136
• US Class Current: 305/129
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/305 acting on pivotably mounted idlers

Abstract

The undercarriage assembly includes a roller frame and a pair of wheels held in spaced apart relation by the roller frame. An endless track belt is entrained about the pair of wheels. A bogie arm is pivotally connected to the roller frame at a pivot axis. The bogie arm includes a roller arranged and configured for supporting the track belt between the wheels. The undercarriage assembly also includes an elastomeric bearing positioned about the pivot axis of the bogie arm for reducing shock loads applied to the bogie arm. The elastomeric bearing can be arranged and configured to bias the bogie arm toward the track belt via torsion.

Claims

1. An undercarriage assembly for a belted work machine comprising:

a roller frame;

a pair of wheels held in spaced-apart relation by the roller frame;

an endless track belt entrained about the pair of wheels;

a bogie arm having a sleeve defining a bore and being pivotally connected to the roller frame at a pivot axis, said bogie arm including a roller arranged and configured for supporting the track belt between the wheels;

a pivot pin being secured to said roller frame about the pivot axis and extending through the bore of the bogie arm; and

an elastomeric bearing being bonded to the pivot pin, and frictionally engaging an interior surface of the sleeve of the bogie arm.

2. The undercarriage assembly of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric bearing is arranged and configured to bias the bogie arm toward the track belt via torsion.

3. The undercarriage assembly of claim 1, wherein the pivot pin is secured to the roller frame by U-bolts.

4. The undercarriage assembly of claim 1, wherein the bogie arm includes two rollers.

5. The undercarriage assembly of claim 1, wherein the bogie arm is pivotally moveable between first and second positions, wherein the roller of the bogie arm is oriented at a higher elevation when the bogie arm is in the first position than when the bogie arm is in the second position.

6. An undercarriage assembly for a belted work machine comprising:

a roller frame;

a pair of wheels held in spaced-apart relation by the roller frame;

an endless track belt entrained about the pair of wheels;

a leading bogie arm pivotally connected to the roller frame at a leading pivot axis, the leading bogie arm including a pair of rollers arranged and configured for supporting the track belt between the wheels;

a trailing bogie arm pivotally connected to the roller frame at a trailing pivot axis, the trailing bogie arm including a single roller arranged and configured for supporting the track belt between the wheels, the single roller being arranged and configured to trail the trailing pivot axis; and

a first elastomeric bearing positioned about the trailing pivot axis, said first elastomeric bearing providing a torsilastic spring configured to bias the bogie arm toward the track belt to prevent untracking of the track belt.

7. The undercarriage assembly of claim 6, wherein the pair of wheels include a drive wheel and an idler wheel.

8. The undercarriage assembly of claim 7, wherein the trailing bogie arm is located between the drive wheel and the leading bogie arm.

9. The undercarriage assembly of claim 6, wherein the center of gravity of the trailing bogie arm trails the trailing pivot axis such that the trailing bogie arm will pivot downward when not engaged by the track belt.

10. The undercarriage assembly of claim 6, further comprising an elastomeric pad positioned above the single roller of the trailing bogie arm for dampening shock loads.

11. The undercarriage of claim 6, further comprising a second elastomeric bearing positioned about the leading pivot axis for dampening shock loads.

12. The undercarriage of claim 6, further comprising an elastomeric bearing positioned about the trailing pivot axis and configured for torsionally biasing the trailing bogie arm toward the track belt to prevent untracking of the track belt.