Patent ID: 11912354
Assignee: CATERPILLAR INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 19:
20. A track pad comprising:
a shoe member including a ground engaging surface, and defining a track chain traveling direction, a lateral direction perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction, and a vertical direction perpendicular to both the lateral direction, and the track chain traveling direction, the shoe member further defining a first lateral end, a second lateral end, a front end along the track chain traveling direction, and a rear end along the track chain traveling direction, a lateral distance from the first lateral end to the second lateral end, and a length from the front end to the rear end along the track chain traveling direction that is greater than the lateral distance;
a first link member extending upwardly from the shoe member including:
a first lug member extending from the first link member in a first direction parallel to the track chain traveling direction, and
a second lug member and a third lug member both extending from the first link member in a second direction opposite of the first direction, the first lug member and the second lug member defining a first top rail surface;

wherein:
the track pad defines a first side cavity that extends from the first lateral end toward the second lateral end underneath the first top rail surface, the first side cavity being asymmetrical about the midplane of the track pad extending from the first lateral end to the second lateral end, the first side cavity jogging both
increasingly from the front end toward the rear end along the track chain traveling direction, and
downwardly from the first lateral end toward the ground engaging surface,

a first rib and a second rib extend from the first lateral end to the first link member bounding on either side the first side cavity,
a first blend transitions from the shoe member to the first rib, and a second blend transitions from the shoe member to the second rib,
the ground engaging surface defines:
a bottom void that is spaced laterally away from the first side cavity, forming a support column therebetween and at least partially underneath the first top rail surface, and
a first bottom lateral void that extends laterally underneath the first side cavity, forming a first wing therebetween that is drafted along the lateral direction, and

the track pad further defines a first void that is disposed between the second lug member and the third lug member below the first top rail surface and above the ground engaging surface, and proximate vertically, laterally, and along the track chain traveling direction to the jogging of the first side cavity.