GB731556A - Improvements in endless tracks for vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

731,556. Endless tracks for vehicles. URANUS TRAKTOREN AKT.-GES. Feb. 23, 1953 [March 6, 1952], No. 5032/53. Class 79(1). In a vehicular endless track formed of pivoted links 2, 4 and rollers 12 rotatably mounted in the pivots of adjacent links, means being provided for lubricating bearings 7 for the rollers and the pivots, the ends of the bearings are each closed by a sealing device comprising a spring-loaded outer lip 15, which both prevents entry of foreign matter and permits exit of excess lubricant, and an inner lip 16 which tightens on increase of pressure inside the bearing thus assisting the build-up of pressure required for adequate lubrication of the pivots. As shown the inner links 2 of one part of the track are mounted on a sleeve 1 within which is a bearing tube 3 secured to the outer links 4 of an adjacent part of the track. The bearings 7 are interposed between the tube 3 and a shaft 8 carrying the rollers 12 which are adapted to engage guiding rails (not shown). By means of a nipple 10 lubricant is introduced into an axial passage 9 having a radial duct 11 between the bearings 7. Lubricant from the duct 11 can thus pass to the bearings 7 and also by means of a passage 6 to an annular groove 5 for lubricating the members 1, 3. As shown in Fig. 2 the sealing device comprising the inner and outer lips 15, 16 is provided in a recess of each outer link 4. Sealing rings 18 co-operate with grooves 17 in the outer links to seal the space between adjacent inner and outer links 2, 4. As shown in Fig. 3 the sealing devices are arranged in recesses in the rollers 12, and the inner and outer links are both grooved to receive the rings 18. The inner lip 16 of each sealing device is provided with one or more perforations 19 and the rings 18 are resilient to admit of escape of lubricant.