Wear monitoring system for track type machine

• US 9,169,623 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Rebinsky, Douglas Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US13/870,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33.9, 701/31.1, 701/34.2, 701/34.4, 701/50, 305/136, 305/143, 305/153, 305/194
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/08 Endless track units; Parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/14 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/30 Track-tensioning means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/305 acting on pivotably mounted idlers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/32 Assembly, disassembly, repair or servicing of endless-track systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/02 Travelling-gear, e.g. associated with slewing gears drives therefor E02F9/20; for motor vehicles B60B, B60G; undercarriages for locomotives or railroad cars B61F; track-laying vehicles B62D; for cranes B66C23/18
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A wear monitoring system is disclosed for use with a track type machine. The wear monitoring system may have at least a first radius sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a change in radius of at least one idler wheel, and a displacement sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of a change in displacement of a track tensioning actuator. The wear monitoring system may also have a controller in communication with the first radius sensor and the displacement sensor. The controller may be configured to determine wear of a track link guided by the at least one idler wheel and tensioned by the track tensioning actuator based on the first and second signals.

Claims

1. A wear monitoring system for a track type mobile machine, comprising:

at least a first radius sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a change in radius of at least one idler wheel;

a displacement sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of a change in displacement of a track tensioning actuator; and

a controller in communication with the first radius sensor and the displacement sensor, the controller being configured to determine wear of a track link guided by the at least one idler wheel and tensioned by the track tensioning actuator based on the first and second signals.

2. The wear monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one idler wheel includes a first idler wheel and a second idler wheel;

the at least a first radius sensor includes;

a first radius sensor associated with the first idler wheel and configured to generate the first signal; and

a second radius sensor associated with the second idler wheel and configured to generate a third signal indicative of a change in radius of the second idler wheel; and

the controller is configured to determine the wear of the track link based on the first, second, and third signals.

3. The wear monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the wear of the track link as a difference of the change in displacement and the change in radius.

4. The wear monitoring system of claim 1, further including a communication device, wherein the controller is connected with the communication device and configured to selectively generate a message directed to an offboard entity when the wear of the track link exceeds a threshold value.

5. The wear monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively activate the track tensioning actuator to increase a tension in the track link.

6. The wear monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the wear determined by the controller based on the first and second signals is an average of wear within two links of a pair of links that are pinned to each other and coupled to a common track shoe.

7. The wear monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the first and second radius sensors are ultrasonic sensors having transducers embedded within the first and second idler wheels, respectively.

8. The wear monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to determine the wear of the track link as one-half of the difference of the change in displacement and the change in radius.

9. The wear monitoring system of claim 5, further including a track sag sensor, wherein the controller is configured to selectively activate the track tensioning actuator based on a signal generated by the track sag sensor.

10. The wear monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine the average wear of every pair of links within each chain of mobile machine.

11. A method of monitoring component wear of a track type machine, the method comprising:

sensing, using a radius sensor, a change in radius of at least one idler wheel of the track type machine;

sensing, using a displacement sensor, a change in displacement of a track tensioning actuator of the track type machine; and

determining, using a controller, wear of a track link of the track type machine guided by the at least one idler wheel and tensioned by the track tensioning actuator based on the change in radius and the change in displacement.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

sensing the change in radius includes sensing the change in radius of a first idler wheel and a second idler wheel; and

determining the wear of the track link includes determining the wear based on the change in radius of the first idler wheel, the change in radius of the second idler wheel, and the change in displacement.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the wear of the track link includes determining the wear as a difference of the change in displacement and the change in radius.

14. The method of claim 11, further including transmitting a message to service personnel directing the service personnel to provide a quote for a replacement track link and/or to schedule servicing of the track type machine.

15. The method of claim 11, further including:

sensing track sagging; and

selectively increasing tension in the track link based on the sensed track sagging.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining wear of a track link includes determining average wear in two track links of a pair of track links that are pinned together and connected to a common track shoe.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the wear of the track link includes determining the wear as one-half of the difference of the change in displacement and the change in radius.

18. The method of claim 16, further including determining the average wear in every pair of track links within each chain of the track type machine.

19. The method of claim 18, further including transmitting a message to service personnel when the average wear of at least one pair of at least one chain exceeds a threshold amount.