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

Claim 8:
9. 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 top rail surface,
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; and

a second link member extending upwardly from the shoe member including:
a second top rail surface,
a fourth lug member extending from the second link member along the first direction parallel to the track chain traveling direction, and
a fifth lug member and a sixth lug member both extending from the second link member in the second direction opposite of the first direction,

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 a midplane of the track pad extending from the first lateral end to the second lateral end, the first side cavity jogging
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 second side cavity that extends from the second lateral end toward the first lateral end underneath the second top rail surface,
a bottom void that extends upwardly from the ground engaging surface, and
an upper slot disposed vertically above the bottom void, forming an “H” cross-section in a plane that is perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction.