Wear pad for a crawler track of a tracked vehicle, crawler track and construction machine

Abstract

In a wear pad for a crawler track (2) of a tracked vehicle, wherein the wear pad (1) comprises an outer tread surface (14), and a bottom side (16) opposite the tread surface (14) from which at least one protrusion (30) protrudes, the wear pad (1) comprises fastening means (26) for fastening to the crawler track (2), it is specified for the following features to be achieved: that the protrusion of the wear pad (1) on the bottom side (16) features a contour which extends, at least partially, at an angle deviating from the longitudinal direction (34) of the wear pad (1).

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A wear pad for a crawler track of a tracked vehicle, comprising: an outer tread surface; a bottom side opposite the tread surface; at least one protrusion protruding from the bottom side, the protrusion including a contour extending, at least partially, at an angle deviating from a longitudinal direction of the wear pad; and a fastener configured to fasten the wear pad to the crawler track.

18. The wear pad of claim 17, wherein: the fastener includes at least two fasteners arranged at a distance to one another in the longitudinal direction of the wear pad.

19. The wear pad of claim 17, further comprising: at least one reinforcing element, at least a major part of the reinforcing element being enclosed by wear pad material.

20. The wear pad of claim 19, wherein: the at least one reinforcing element is at least partially integrated in the at least one protrusion of the wear pad.

21. The wear pad of claim 19, wherein: the fastener includes at least two fasteners arranged at a distance to one another in the longitudinal direction of the wear pad; and the at least two fasteners are integrated in the reinforcing element.

22. The wear pad of claim 19, wherein: the at least one reinforcing element terminates essentially flush with the wear pad material in at least two areas spaced in the longitudinal direction, and the at least one reinforcing element is otherwise embedded in the at least one protrusion.

23. The wear pad of claim 22, wherein: the fastener includes at least two fasteners arranged at a distance to one another in the longitudinal direction of the wear pad and attached to the reinforcing element; and the at least two areas of the reinforcing element are arranged adjacent the at least two fasteners.

24. The wear pad of claim 17, wherein: the wear pad has a length and a width, and a length-to-width ratio of the wear pad is in a range of from 2.5 to 5.0.

25. The wear pad of claim 24, wherein: the length-to-width ratio of the wear pad is in a range of from 3.5 to 4.0.

26. The wear pad of claim 17, in combination with the crawler track, wherein: the wear pad protrudes relative to the crawler track at least on an outer side of the crawler track as seen transverse to a direction of movement of the crawler track.

27. The wear pad of claim 17, in combination with the crawler track, wherein: the wear pad has a width transverse to the longitudinal direction; and a ratio of the width of the wear pad to a return radius of the crawler track is in a range from 0.2 to 0.4.

28. The wear pad of claim 17, in combination with the crawler track, wherein: the wear pad has a width transverse to the longitudinal direction; and a ratio of the width of the wear pad to a return radius of the crawler track is in a range from 0.25 to 0.3.

29. The wear pad of claim 17, wherein: the at least one protrusion extends, at least in part, non-linearly in the longitudinal direction.

30. The wear pad of claim 29, wherein: the at least one protrusion extends in a curved fashion relative to the longitudinal direction.

31. The wear pad of claim 29, wherein: the at least one protrusion extends in an undulating fashion relative to the longitudinal direction.

32. The wear pad of claim 17, wherein: the at least one protrusion extends, at least in part, linearly in the longitudinal direction.

33. The wear pad of claim 32, wherein: the at least one protrusion extends in an oblique fashion relative to the longitudinal direction.

34. The wear pad of claim 32, wherein: the at least one protrusion extends in an angular fashion relative to the longitudinal direction.

35. The wear pad of claim 17, wherein: the at least one protrusion has a changing width in the longitudinal direction.

36. The wear pad of claim 17, wherein: the at least one protrusion is of stepped design.

37. The wear pad of claim 17, wherein: the wear pad is made of an elastomer material.

38. The wear pad of claim 37, wherein: the elastomer material comprises polyurethane.

39. The wear pad of claim 37, wherein: the elastomer material is through-colored in a bright color.

40. The wear pad of claim 37, wherein: the elastomer material is through-colored in yellow.

41. The wear pad of claim 37, wherein: the elastomer material is through-colored in a fluorescent color.

42. The wear pad of claim 17, in combination with the crawler track, and the tracked vehicle, the tracked vehicle being a milling machine including multiple crawler track links continuously revolving in a direction of movement, the crawler track links being coupled to one another in an articulated fashion, each crawler track link including at least one wear pad fastened to an outer side of the crawler track link.

Description

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention are illustrated in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0031] The following is shown:

[0032] FIG. 1 an exploded-view representation of a first embodiment of a wear pad according to the invention and of an associated crawler track link of a crawler track,

[0033] FIG. 2 a perspective representation of a crawler track link from the inside with a wear pad according to the invention,

[0034] FIG. 3 a perspective representation of the bottom side of the first embodiment of a wear pad,

[0035] FIG. 4 a top view of the bottom side of a second embodiment,

[0036] FIG. 5 a top view of the bottom side of a third embodiment,

[0037] FIG. 6 a section of a protrusion with integrated reinforcing element,

[0038] FIG. 7 an embodiment of a fastening means accommodated in the reinforcing element,

[0039] FIG. 8 an enlarged representation of a detail according to FIG. 6,

[0040] FIG. 9 a crawler track with wear pads in perspective view, and

[0041] FIG. 10 an exploded-view drawing of a crawler track link with wear pad and intermediate plate in accordance with prior art.

[0042] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a crawler track 2 which runs on exchangeable wear pads 1. Such crawler tracks 2 revolving continuously in the direction of movement 44 are required in the ground-engaging units of a tracked vehicle, for example, a road milling machine.

[0043] The crawler track 2, with its track links 3 or crawler track links 4, respectively, revolves around two return rollers 8 and 10, one of which is driven. The return radius r is measured based on the outer radius of the crawler track 2 which equals approximately half the height of the crawler track 2. The ratio of the width of the wear pad 1 in the direction of movement 44 to the return radius r is in the range between 0.2 and 0.4, preferably between 0.25 and 0.3. The crawler track has a height of, for example, approx. 600 mm.

[0044] Such pitch improves the operational smoothness of the crawler track 2. In this design, the length-to-width ratio of the wear pad 1 is in the range between 2.5 and 5, preferably in the range between 3.5 and 4. The wear pad 1 has a length of, for example, approx. 300 mm, and a width of approx. 80 mm.

[0045] Multiple support rollers 12 are arranged in the lower return side of the crawler track 2 which support the machine weight and run on the track links 3.

[0046] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a perspective view of a first embodiment according to the invention of a crawler track link 4 with a wear pad 1 fastened directly to the crawler track link 4 without an intermediate plate 6. In the wear pad 1, fastening means 26 and fastening holes 20 for fastening screws 28 coaxial hereto are specified for fastening the exchangeable wear pad 1 to the crawler track link 4 adapted to the wear pad 1. To this end, the crawler track link 4 comprises through-holes 32, arranged coaxially to the fastening holes 20 of the wear pad 1, for accommodation of the fastening screws 28. In this design, the fastening means 26 are preferably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the wear pad 1 and preferably in the area of the free ends.

[0047] In contrast to the prior art according to FIG. 10, the crawler track links 4 require no intermediate plate 6 and are connected to one another in an articulated fashion via bearing eyes 50, 52, wherein the bearing eyes 50 engage with the bearing eyes 52 of a neighbouring crawler track link 4, and there are coupled to one another in an articulated fashion, for example, via a non-depicted bearing bolt. The wear pad 1 is preferably fastened to the crawler track link 4 with two fastening screws 28 only.

[0048] The embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 3 shows a wear pad 1 comprising a protrusion 30 with a curved outer contour as seen in top view which may also be essentially elliptic in design.

[0049] In all of the embodiments, the wear pads 1 are preferably made of a wear pad material 36 reinforced as appropriate, preferably an elastomer material, for example, polyurethane which, in accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, is through-coloured in a bright fluorescent colour, preferably signal yellow (RAL 1003).

[0050] It is also understood that, in contrast to FIG. 2, the protrusion 30 does not have to end flush with the end edges of the wear pad 1 in the longitudinal direction 34 but may also end shortly behind the fastening holes 20.

[0051] The wear pad 1 may preferably comprise cast-in reinforcing elements 18 which preferably extend in the longitudinal direction 34 of the wear pad 1. In the first embodiment, one reinforcing element 18 only is arranged in the wear pad 1. Fastening means 26 may be anchored in proximity to the free ends of a reinforcing element 18 which interact with fastening screws 28 through the through-bores 20 of the reinforcing element 18. It is understood that the fastening means 26 may alternatively also be made of screw bolts protruding vis--vis the wear pad 1 which, on the inner side of the crawler track link 4, are screw-fastened with a nut.

[0052] The wear pads 1 have a tread surface 14 on their outer side, as well as a bottom side 16 facing the crawler track link 4 which extends essentially parallel to the tread surface 14.

[0053] The fastening means 26 are suitable for accommodating fastening screws 28 that can be screwed in from the bottom side 16 of the wear pad 1. To this end, the crawler track links 4 comprise suitable through-bores 32 which extend coaxially to the fastening holes 20 and the fastening means 26 of the wear pad 1. It is essential in this design that at least one section 22 of the reinforcing element 18, in the mounted state of the wear pads 1, rests directly on the crawler track link 4 or terminates flush with the wear pad material 36.

[0054] In the first and all further embodiments, the reinforcing element 18 in the wear pad 1, for example, in the form of a reinforcing rail, extends in at least one protrusion 30 protruding, on the bottom side 16 of the wear pad 1, from the bottom side 16.

[0055] In this design, the reinforcing element 18 is preferably only specified in the longitudinally extending protrusion 30, and may follow the contour of the same in the sense that the reinforcing element 18 is essentially adapted to the outer contour of the protrusion 30 in the longitudinal direction 34. Provided that this is possible, as in the embodiment according to the FIGS. 1 to 3 as well as 6, for example, the reinforcing element 18 may also extend essentially rectilinearly in the longitudinal direction 34. The reinforcing element 18 may itself also form a part of the protrusion 30.

[0056] It is understood that the protrusion 30 may, for example, also be divided into two or more protrusions 30 in the longitudinal direction 34, or that two protrusions 30 extend essentially parallel to one another on the bottom side 16 of the wear pad 1.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a wear pad 1 with an undulating protrusion 30 as seen in top view which protrudes from the bottom side 16 of the wear pad. The bottom side 16 rests on the crawler track link 4, wherein the protrusion 30 engages with a corresponding indentation 38 of the crawler track link 4.

[0058] The respective indentation 38 of the crawler track link 4 is adapted to the respective contour and shape of the protrusions 30, as they are evident from the FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0059] It is understood that the protrusion 30 is at least partially in engagement with the indentation 38 in such a fashion that a form-fit exists, as a minimum, in the longitudinal direction 34 of the wear pad 1. This does not require the protrusion 30 to completely match the contour of the indentation 38. Preferably, however, the protrusion 30 is designed complementary to the indentation 38 of the crawler track link 4.

[0060] In the embodiment according to FIG. 5, a protrusion protruding from the crawler track link 4 may also engage with a recess 46 of the protrusion 30 according to FIG. 5.

[0061] It is understood in this design that the reinforcing element 18 according to FIG. 5 may likewise comprise a recess corresponding to the recess 46 which the preferably complementary protrusion of the crawler track link 4 may engage with as appropriate with exclusively metallic contact.

[0062] The fastening holes 20 of the wear pad 1 are coaxial to the through-bores 32 of the crawler track link.

[0063] In the longitudinal direction 34 of the wear pad, the reinforcing element 18 terminates essentially flush with the wear pad material 36 in at least two points spaced in the longitudinal direction 34. The section 22 of the reinforcing element 18, which terminates essentially flush with the wear pad material 36, is preferably coaxial to the fastening hole 20 of the wear pad 1.

[0064] FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section in the longitudinal direction 34 through the wear pad and the reinforcing element 18 integrated in the protrusion 30.

[0065] FIG. 7 shows a possible embodiment of an anti-torsion protection for the fastening means 26, which may be accommodated in the reinforcing element 18 in a sunken fashion.

[0066] The fastening means 26 may also be of integral design with the reinforcing element 18 or be fastened to the same, for example, by means of a non-detachable connection.

[0067] A protective cap 40 preferably sits on the fastening means 26 which, on the one hand, creates a free space for the free end of the fastening screw 28 during casting-in of the reinforcing element with the wear pad material 36, and prevents that wear pad material 36 can enter the thread of the fastening means 26. The fastening means 26 may alternatively also be a cap nut or a rivet nut.

[0068] In this embodiment, the section 22 of the reinforcing element 18, which is in contact with the crawler track link 4, is designed as an annular collar coaxial to the fastening hole 20.

[0069] It is not mandatory, however, for the section 22 of the reinforcing element to fully enclose the fastening hole 20.

[0070] As is evident from FIG. 10, the exchangeable wear pads 1 according to the prior art are fastened in a detachable fashion, via an intermediate plate 6, on track links 3 of the continuously revolving crawler track 2 coupled to one another in an articulated fashion.

[0071] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a wear pad 1 according to the prior art with the subjacent intermediate plate 6 which is in turn fastened to the track links 3. A total of four fastening screws 24 serve the purpose of fastening the wear pad 1 on the intermediate plate 6, and another four fastening screws 27 are screw-fastened, through through-holes 35 of the intermediate plate 6 and through-holes 33, with two track links 3 revolving parallel to one another.

[0072] All transverse forces occurring in the prior art are absorbed by the total of eight fastening screws 24, 27, loading the screw connections accordingly.

[0073] The embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 8, on the other hand, require no intermediate plate 6 and can be fastened by means of only two fastening screws 28 in such a fashion that the screw connections are relieved from transverse forces to the greatest possible extent.

[0074] The crawler track 2 in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 8 corresponds to the representation in FIG. 9 with the exception that the intermediate plate 6 and the track links 3 are replaced by crawler track links 4.