Including Spring Device (e.g., Coil Spring) Patents (Class 305/146)
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Patent number: 11286013Abstract: A track system comprising a dynamic tensioning device located between an idler wheel and the support frame as to apply proper tension in the track. The dynamic tensioning device is adapted to block at its current length upon the occurrence of a determined condition. The dynamic tensioner is adapted to substantially maintain its length when an acceleration and or deceleration of the track system reaches a predetermined value. For instance, such characteristic is relevant in an event of emergency braking. A dynamic tensioner would become contracted and the tension in the endless track would become too low. A low tension could cause the endless track to ratchet.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2020Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: SOUCY INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Yves Sauvageau, Andre Leger
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Patent number: 10207755Abstract: A bulkhead assembly for a track adjust cylinder of an undercarriage system is provided. The bulkhead assembly includes a bulkhead having an opening to receive the track adjust cylinder. A guide element having a hollow cylindrical configuration is attached to the bulkhead and supports the track adjust cylinder. A seal member is axially aligned with respect to the guide element. The seal member has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the guide element. A set of composite bearings is axially aligned with respect to the seal member.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2016Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: John Bradley Edelin, Dewakar Venkata Jonnakuti, Ronald Jerome Maier
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Patent number: 10113656Abstract: Valve assemblies are provided in a track tensioning system or in other applications. The valve assemblies allow pressurized fluid (grease or hydraulic fluid from a power machine) to be introduced or evacuated from the same port. The valve assemblies use either a single check ball or poppet configuration, or a dual check ball or poppet configuration which are moveable from a first configuration, in which fluid is blocked in one direction while allowing flow in the other direction, to a second configuration where the reverse is true. A track tensioning element includes piston retaining features which retain a piston within a track tensioning cylinder tube. A track tensioning element can also include a no-pre-load spring positioned in-line with the tensioning cylinder. Disclosed track tensioning systems and track tensioning elements can, in various embodiments, utilize any combination of all or some of the disclosed features.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2016Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: Clark Equipment CompanyInventors: Thomas J. Tokach, Jason R. Coombs
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Patent number: 9988111Abstract: An idler wheel recoil assembly mounts an idler wheel to a roller frame of an undercarriage of a track-type machine. The idler wheel recoil assembly includes a recoil shaft and spring mounted on the roller frame for reciprocal movement of the recoil shaft, and a swing arm pivotally connected to a guard mounted on the roller frame by a guard mounting assembly and having the idler wheel rotatably mounted thereon. A yoke is pivotally connected between the recoil shaft and the swing arm. A guard mounting assembly connects the guard to the roller frame of the undercarriage and has a plurality of mounting positions for securing the guard to the roller frame, with an idler rise height of the idler wheel relative to the roller frame being different when the guard is secured to the roller frame in each of the plurality of mounting positions of the guard mounting assembly.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2016Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Ronald Jerome Maier, John Bradley Edelin, Dewakar Venkata Jonnakuti, Sanjog Suresh Mankar
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Patent number: 9394015Abstract: Continuously tracked vehicles such as tippers and bulldozers endure stresses and strains and it is desirable to reduce these stresses to extend their efficiency and life. A continuous track system is provided, comprising: a support structure supporting at least one jockey wheel and at least two tensioner wheels for supporting a track; two tensioners, one end of each tensioner being pivotably connected to the support structure, the two tensioner wheels being rotatably connected to an opposite end, for inducing tension in the track, wherein an axle of each tensioner wheel is pivotably connected by a link member to an axle of an adjacent jockey wheel; a controller for controlling the tensioners, wherein the controller maintains tension in the track by controlling the tensioners; a drive sprocket for rotation of the track; and a slew ring for attaching the support structure to a chassis of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2014Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Inventor: Andrew Cox
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Patent number: 9381960Abstract: A recoil system for a track assembly having a track roller frame and an idler movable is provided. The recoil system includes a spring, a track adjust cylinder, an end plate and a track adjust piston received in the track adjust cylinder. The track adjust cylinder and the track adjust piston are movable in first and second directions in response to movement of the idler with movement of the track adjust cylinder in a second direction compressing the spring against the end plate. The track adjust cylinder is adapted to rotate with the first end of the spring relative to the track adjust piston as the spring compresses and extends in response to movement of the track adjust cylinder in the first and second directions and wherein the second end of the spring is fixed against rotation relative to the end plate.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2015Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventor: Joshua Nuechterlein
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Patent number: 9016810Abstract: In a road construction machine, in particular a road milling machine (1), with a machine frame (2), and a chassis (4) with preferably several crawler track units (6), said chassis (4) carrying the machine frame (2), where the crawler track units (6) comprise a chain (12) which continuously revolves around at least one guide wheel (8) and at least one drive wheel (10), as well as several track rollers (14) which roll on the chain (12) and carry the machine frame (2), where the drive wheel (10) or preferably the guide wheel (8) is provided with an adjustment device (18), which enables the reciprocal spacing of the axles (20,22) of the drive wheel and guide wheel (8,10) to be adjusted for adaptation to a current lengthening of the chain (12), and where in addition to the adjustment device (18), a spring element (24) is provided which allows, using the adjusted spacing as a basis, a shortening of the spacing between the axles (20,22) of the drive wheel and guide wheel (8,10) against the spring force in the eventType: GrantFiled: March 17, 2010Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Wirtgen GmbHInventors: Peter Busley, Burkhard Frank, Cyrus Barimani, Günter Hähn
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Patent number: 8523298Abstract: In a tracklaying gear with a frame having an idler wheel linear guide in which at least one guide piece holding the idler wheel axle is movable, and on which a tensioning means of a tensioning device supported in the frame can act in the guidance direction, at least one mechanically guided and centered elastomer spring body is installed to bulge under axial compression, such that the spring body can be readjusted, the elastomer spring body consisting of an elastomer material largely incompressible as a spring.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Joseph Vögele AGInventor: Arthur Braun
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Patent number: 8079650Abstract: A spring loaded track tensioning assembly for a track on a track driven vehicle has a spring subassembly that is retained on a spring shaft under a preload with a first fixed spring retainer and a second slidable spring retainer. The spring shaft has an outer end that extends beyond the second spring retainer and the outer end is slidably received in a bore in a piston or actuator shaft of a grease cylinder, with the end of the actuator shaft bearing on the second spring retainer. The grease cylinder contacts and applies a force to the second spring retainer, for initial positioning of the tensioning assembly, and additional loads on the first spring retainer that compress the spring cause the outer end of the spring shaft to slide in the bore of the actuator shaft as the second spring retainer slides along the spring shaft.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2009Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: Clark Equipment CompanyInventors: Thomas Tokach, William Shelbroun
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Patent number: 8042628Abstract: A vehicle, having a main body is equipped to be fitted mechanically with devices to form a wheeled vehicle, or with devices to form a crawler vehicle. The main body having of the vehicle houses the common components utilized in both configurations such as the engine and the gear box of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2008Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: CNH America LLCInventor: Giorgio Bordini
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Publication number: 20100237691Abstract: In a road construction machine, in particular a road milling machine (1), with a machine frame (2), and a chassis (4) with preferably several crawler track units (6), said chassis (4) carrying the machine frame (2), where the crawler track units (6) comprise a chain (12) which continuously revolves around at least one guide wheel (8) and at least one drive wheel (10), as well as several track rollers (14) which roll on the chain (12) and carry the machine frame (2), where the drive wheel (10) or preferably the guide wheel (8) is provided with an adjustment device (18), which enables the reciprocal spacing of the axles (20,22) of the drive wheel and guide wheel (8,10) to be adjusted for adaptation to a current lengthening of the chain (12), and where in addition to the adjustment device (18), a spring element (24) is provided which allows, using the adjusted spacing as a basis, a shortening of the spacing between the axles (20,22) of the drive wheel and guide wheel (8,10) against the spring force in the eventType: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2010Publication date: September 23, 2010Applicant: WIRTGEN GMBHInventors: Peter Busley, Burkhard Frank, Cyrus Barimani, Günter Hähn
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Publication number: 20090273233Abstract: A spring loaded track tensioning assembly for a track on a track driven vehicle has a spring subassembly that is retained on a spring shaft under a preload with a first fixed spring retainer and a second slidable spring retainer. The spring shaft has an outer end that extends beyond the second spring retainer and the outer end is slidably received in a bore in a piston or actuator shaft of a grease cylinder, with the end of the actuator shaft bearing on the second spring retainer. The grease cylinder contacts and applies a force to the second spring retainer, for initial positioning of the tensioning assembly, and additional loads on the first spring retainer that compress the spring cause the outer end of the spring shaft to slide in the bore of the actuator shaft as the second spring retainer slides along the spring shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2009Publication date: November 5, 2009Applicant: Clark Equipment CompanyInventors: Thomas J. Tokach, William C. Shelbourn
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Publication number: 20090072617Abstract: An automatic track tensioning system is provided for use with a track-type work vehicle for automatically tensioning an endless track chain of the work vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventor: Arto Alfthan
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Patent number: 6001036Abstract: A variable setting track system is provided including a track frame. A wheel assembly includes a wheel slidable with respect to the frame. A track is situated about the wheel and the track frame. Also included is a hydraulic mechanism coupled to the wheel for urging the same against the track.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 1998Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Inventors: Jim O'Brien, Marvin Engstrom
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Patent number: 5906150Abstract: Valves 4,5 are disposed in such a portion which is defined in an end portion of a piston 30 of an adjusting cylinder body 1 and which does not contact a load giving body 7, thereby preventing deformation by compression caused in incorporation positions of the valves 4,5 and leakage of a filling within the cylinder body 1.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 1997Date of Patent: May 25, 1999Assignee: Shinn Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd.Inventors: Makoto Sakai, Shoji Koga
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Patent number: 5851058Abstract: A tensioning device has an inner end plate mounted on a frame, a sleeve fixed to the end plate and extending along an axis toward an idler wheel over which is spanned a flexible endless element (e.g. a drive chain or conveyor belt), and an axially compressible stack of inner and outer spring rings. The stack is closely surrounded by the sleeve, forms an annular friction spring, and has one end bearing axially on the plate and an opposite end. An outer end plate bears axially toward the frame end plate on the opposite end of the annular friction spring, and a hydraulic unit is braced axially between the outer end plate and the idler wheel. The inner spring rings have substantially frustoconical outer surfaces and the outer spring rings have substantially frustoconical inner surfaces engaging the outer surfaces of the inner rings.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 1996Date of Patent: December 22, 1998Assignee: Intertractor AktiengesellschaftInventors: Holger Humbek, Heinz-Dieter Kramer
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Patent number: 5794731Abstract: A shock absorption device for an idler wheel of a tracked vehicle is provided between an outer mounting element fixed to a chassis and an inner mounting element operatively connected with the idler wheel and includes a spring mechanical unit suspended on the fixed element and a hydraulic unit supported on the lower mounting element and operatively connected with a free end of the spring unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 1996Date of Patent: August 18, 1998Assignee: Intertractor AGInventor: Helmut Klaus