Patent ID: 6659573
Filing Date: 2003-12-09
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A crawler undercarriage mechanism, comprising:a plurality of running rollers; at least one drive sprocket wheel rotatable about an axis of rotation and having two opposing axial sides and a plurality of chain teeth circumferentially distributed thereon and defining a chain tooth root diameter, and a running tread arranged on both axial sides of said at least one drive sprocket and having a running tread outer diameter that is smaller than said chain tooth root diameter by a difference in diameter and thereby forming a wheel flange at each of said two opposing axial sides, each chain tooth of said plurality of chain teeth having two circumferentially facing involute contoured flanks and said running tread having a convex curved surface; and an endless chain comprising a plurality of individual chain links reeved about said plurality of running rollers and said at least one drive sprocket for movement in a running direction, wherein each of said plurality of individual chain links comprises a center, a base plate, inner and outer link plates, and chain bolts received in said inner and outer link plates for releasably connecting said chain individual links with one another, each of said individual chain, links further comprising two guide webs spaced apart and extending along the running direction of said endless chain symetrically relative to said center of said each of said individual chain links, each of said web guides having a concave bearing surface for interacting with the convex curved surface of said running treads, a guide surface for interacting with a respective one of said wheel flanges and an outer surface for interacting with said guide rollers, said each of said plurality of individual chain links further comprising a lower-level cam-like element connecting said two web guides and having a rectilinear flank defining a substantially flat surface for meshed engagement, with said involute flanks of said plurality of chain teeth.