Guide rail for crawler track
First Claim
1. A crawler track system comprising:
- a track including a plurality of shoes coupled together, the shoes configured to engage a sprocket to drive the track, each shoe including a first end, a second end, and a wear portion positioned between the first end and the second end, the wear portion having a shoe hardness; and
at least one guide rail supporting the track over a portion of a path of the track, each guide rail including a base having an outer surface and a coating positioned on the outer surface, the outer surface of the base having a base hardness, the coating contacting the wear portion of each of the shoes as the shoes move along the portion of the track path, the coating having a coating hardness less than the shoe hardness,wherein the shoe hardness of each wear portion is initially less than the base hardness, and after a work-hardening period the shoe hardness of the wear portion is equal to or greater than the base hardness.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A crawler mechanism includes a frame, a track including a plurality of shoes coupled together and supported for movement relative to the frame along a direction of travel, a sprocket, and a guide rail. The frame includes a first end, a second end, a first side extending between the first end and the second end and proximate a support surface, and a second side. Each shoe includes an intermediate portion having a first hardness. The sprocket drives the plurality of shoes to move along the second side of the frame. The guide rail is coupled to the second side of the frame and includes a base having an outer surface and a coating bonded to the outer surface. The coating contacts the intermediate portion of the shoes as the shoes move along the second side of the frame, and the coating defines a second hardness less than the first hardness.
64 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A crawler track system comprising:
-
a track including a plurality of shoes coupled together, the shoes configured to engage a sprocket to drive the track, each shoe including a first end, a second end, and a wear portion positioned between the first end and the second end, the wear portion having a shoe hardness; and at least one guide rail supporting the track over a portion of a path of the track, each guide rail including a base having an outer surface and a coating positioned on the outer surface, the outer surface of the base having a base hardness, the coating contacting the wear portion of each of the shoes as the shoes move along the portion of the track path, the coating having a coating hardness less than the shoe hardness, wherein the shoe hardness of each wear portion is initially less than the base hardness, and after a work-hardening period the shoe hardness of the wear portion is equal to or greater than the base hardness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A crawler track system comprising:
-
a track including a plurality of shoes coupled together, the shoes configured to engage a sprocket to drive the track, each shoe including a first end, a second end, and a wear portion, the wear portion having a shoe hardness; and at least one guide rail supporting the track over a portion of a path of the track, each guide rail including a base having an outer surface and a layer positioned on the outer surface, the outer surface of the base having a base hardness, the layer contacting the wear portion of each of the shoes as the shoes move along the portion of the track path, the layer having a layer hardness less than the shoe hardness, wherein the shoe hardness of each wear portion is initially less than the base hardness, and after a work-hardening period the shoe hardness of the wear portion is equal to or greater than the base hardness. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for work-hardening a crawler track including a plurality of shoes, each of the shoes including a wear portion, the method comprising:
-
providing a coating on an outer surface of at least one guide rail, the outer surface having a base hardness and the coating having a coating hardness; driving the crawler track to move the shoes along a plurality of rollers and along the at least one guide rail, the rollers exerting a compressive force on each wear portion to work-harden each wear portion during a work hardening period, the work-hardening increasing a hardness of the wear portion from a first hardness less than the base hardness to a second hardness equal to or greater than the base hardness, the coating preventing direct contact between the wear portion and the outer surface of the guide rail for at least the duration of the work-hardening period. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
Specification