Patent Publication Number: US-2018029652-A1

Title: Arrangement for coupling main frame with equalizer bar of a machine

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to coupling of an equalizer bar with a main frame of a machine, and in particular, to coupling the main frame with the equalizer bar by one or more bearings. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Machines, such as track type machines, typically include a main frame supported on an undercarriage. An equalizer bar is commonly used to allow a degree of flexibility in movement of the undercarriage relative to the main frame. A central portion of the equalizer bar is pivotally coupled to the main frame by a pin, while either ends of the equalizer bar are connected with the undercarriage. 
     Generally, the pin is press-fit into a bore of the frame and a corresponding bore of the equalizer bar. Because machines operate in rugged conditions, the pin may be exposed to external environment and may become corroded over time. Thus, the pin may become jammed inside the bore and is difficult to be removed at the time of servicing. In certain situations, for removing the pin, the pin may need to be cut or lanced out. This makes the associated service operation labor intensive and time consuming. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,413 discloses an elastomeric bearing assembly for use with the equalizer link of a tractor and an associated pin structure for securing the elastomeric bearing assembly and the equalizer link to the roller frame assembly of the tractor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure provides for an arrangement for pivotally coupling an equalizer bar with a saddle member of a main frame of a machine. The saddle member includes one or more bores. The equalizer bar includes a central portion. The arrangement includes a pin and one or more bearings. The pin extends through each of the one or more bores and couples the saddle member with the central portion of the equalizer bar. The one or more bearings positioned inside each of the one or more bores for rotatably supporting the pin. 
     The present disclosure further provides for an assembly. The assembly includes a main frame, an equalizer bar, a first bearing, a second bearing, and a pin. The main frame includes a laterally-extending saddle member having a first bore and a second bore. The equalizer bar includes a third bore. The first bore, second bore and the third bore are alignable along a first axis with the third bore positioned between the first bore and the second bore. The first bearing is positioned within the first bore. The second bearing is positioned within the second bore. The pin extends in the first axis and at least partially extends in each of the first bearing, the third bore, and the second bearing. 
     In yet another aspect, a machine is disclosed. The machine includes a main frame including a laterally-extending saddle member having one or more bores, an undercarriage supporting the main frame, an equalizer bar including a central portion and a pair of distal end portions, a pin, and one or more bearings. The central portion pivotally couples to the saddle member and the pair of distal end portions couple to the undercarriage. The one or more bearings are positioned inside each of the one or more bores. The pin extends through each of the one or more bores for coupling the main frame with the central portion of the equalizer bar. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of a machine, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an assembly of the machine having a main frame with a saddle member, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of the assembly depicting the saddle member, an equalizer bar, and one or more bearings, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the assembly depicting the saddle member coupled with the equalizer bar, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of the one or more bearings, in accordance with an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an arrangement depicting a pin coupling the saddle member with the equalizer bar, in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary machine  100 . The machine  100  defines a longitudinal axis LL′. The machine  100  may include a track-type machine or a wheel-type machine. The machine  100  may include loaders, compactors, dozers, excavators, or any other suitable machine. The machine  100  may be an earth moving machine, a construction machine, a mining machine, an agricultural machine, a forest machine, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the machine  100  is a dozer. However, those skilled in the art would appreciate that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to the machine  100  as the dozer. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the machine  100  includes an undercarriage  102 , an engine  104 , an implement  106 , an operator station  108 , and an assembly  110 . The undercarriage  102  may include a first track  112  supported on a first track frame  114 , and a second track  116  supported on a second track frame  118 . The first track  112  and the second track  116  include a plurality of track shoes  120 . The first track  112  and the second track  116  facilitate machine  100 &#39;s movement. For moving the machine  100 , the first track  112  and the second track  116  are powered by the engine  104 . 
     The engine  104  may be a heat engine, or any other source generating power. The engine  104  may include a spark ignited engine, a compression ignited engine. In an embodiment, the engine  104  may be a two stroke engine, a four stroke engine, a six stroke engine, etc. 
     The engine  104  also provides power to various auxiliary equipment of the machine  100 , including the implement  106  for performing work. The implement  106  may be a blade, a bucket, a ripper, a hammer, a grapple or any other suitable implement. A single implement or multiple implements may be attached to machine  100  for performing desired work. In the illustrated embodiment, two implements are attached to the machine  100 . One of the implement  106  is a blade attached at a front of the machine  100  while the other implement is a ripper attached to rear of the machine  100 . 
     The engine  104  and all other components of the machine  100  are controlled from the operator station  108 , such as by an operator stationed within the operator station  108 . The operator station  108  may include a control panel (not shown) for operating the machine  100 . The control panel may enable the operator of the machine  100  to control various functionalities of the machine  100 . The control panel may include physical controls/levers, and/or touchscreens. The operator station  108 , the engine  104 , the undercarriage  102 , and the implement  106  are coupled to and supported by the assembly  110 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the assembly  110  includes a main frame  122  and an equalizer bar  124 . The main frame  122  includes a saddle member  126 . In the illustrated embodiment, the saddle member  126  is extending transverse of the machine  100 . The saddle member  126  is laterally extending relative to the main frame  122 . The saddle member  126  has an inverted U-shaped cross-section, and includes a first plate  128  and a second plate  130  (best shown in  FIG. 3 ). The first and second plates  128 ,  130  are laterally spaced from each other. The saddle member  126  further includes one or more bores. For example, the first plate  128  of the saddle member  126  includes a first bore  132  and the second plate  130  of the saddle member  126  includes a second bore  134 . The first bore  132  and the second bore  134  are co-axial and defined along a first axis XX′. The first axis XX′ is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis LL′ of the machine  100 . It may be noted that the term substantially parallel is meant to include general manufacturing and other applicable tolerances. 
     The equalizer bar  124  is positioned transverse of the machine  100 . The equalizer bar  124  includes a central portion  136 , a first end portion  138 , and a second end portion  140 . The central portion  136  includes a third bore  142 . The first end portion  138  includes a first hole  144  for coupling to the first track frame  114 . The second end portion  140  includes a second hole  146  for coupling to the second track frame  118 . The equalizer bar  124  is pivotably coupled to the saddle member  126 , by an arrangement  148 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6 , the arrangement  148  includes a pin  150  and one or more bearings. The one or more bearings, for example, include a first bearing  152  and a second bearing  154 . The first bearing  152  may be received in the first bore  132  of the first plate  128 . The second bearing  154  may be received in the second bore  134  of the second plate  130 . It may be noted that more than one bearings may also be used in a single bore without deviating from the scope of the present invention. In an embodiment, the first bearing  152  may be a self-lubricating bearing. In another embodiment, the first bearing  152  may be a non-metallic bearing. It may be noted that the second bearing  154  is identical to the first bearing  152  in terms of material and physical dimensions. 
     The first bearing  152  includes one or more axial ends, an inner surface  156 , and an outer surface  158 . The one or more axial ends include a first axial end  160  and a second axial end  162 . The inner surface  156  may include a coating  164 , a first groove  166 , and a second groove  168 . The coating  164  is configured for reducing friction between the inner surface  156  and the pin  150 . The coating  164  may include fiberglass, polytetrafluoroethylene or any other suitable lubricant. In an embodiment, the inner surface  156  may be entirely made of the coating  164 . 
     The first groove  166  may provide a seat for a first sealing member  170 . The second groove  168  may provide a seat for a second sealing member  172 . Thus, the first groove  166  and the second groove  168  may have suitable shapes corresponding to that of the first sealing member  170  and the second sealing member  172 , respectively. The first and second sealing members  170 ,  172  are configured to isolate the inner surface  156  from any impurities, thereby providing effective lubrication. The first and second sealing members  170 ,  172  may include O-rings and/or any other suitable sealing means. 
     In an embodiment, the first groove  166  and the second groove  168  may be located near the first axial end  160  and the second axial end  162  of the first bearing  152 , respectively. Both the first groove  166  and the second groove  168  include a first wall  174  (best shown in  FIG. 6 ) and a second wall  176  (best shown in  FIG. 6 ). The first wall  174  is situated towards the first axial end  160  of the bearing  152  and the second wall  176  is situated towards the second groove  168  of the bearing  152 . The first wall  174  has a first height  178  (best shown in  FIG. 6 ) and the second wall  176  has a second height  180  (best shown in  FIG. 6 ), respectively. In an embodiment, the first height  178  may be equal to the second height  180 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first height  178  is less than the second height  180 . As the first height  178  is less than the second height  180 , contact between the pin  150  and the first axial end  160  of the first bearing  152  is avoided, limiting any damage that will be caused at the first axial end  160 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the pin  150  may be at least partially received and rotatably supported by the first bearing  152  and the second bearing  154 . The pin  150  is supported by the first bearing  152  inside the first bore  132  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), and by the second bearing  154  inside the second bore  134 . In the assembled position, the equalizer bar  124  is arranged between the first plate  128  and the second plate  130  such that the first bore  132 , the second bore  134 , and the third bore  142  align with each other along the first axis XX&#39;. The pin  150  extends through the first bore  132 , the second bore  134 , and the third bore  142  to pivotably couple the equalizer bar  124  with the saddle member  126 . Further, the first bearing  152  is positioned inside the first bore  132  and the second bearing  154  is positioned inside the second bore  134  for rotatably supporting the pin  150 . The first bearing  152  and the second bearing  154  are press fitted within the first bore  132  and the second bore  134 . In the assembled position, the inner surface  156  of the first bearing  152  and an inner surface of the second bearing  154  contacts the pin  150 . 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     During assembly, an operator (not shown) positions the equalizer bar  124  transverse to the main frame  122  of the machine  100 . The operator then places the first bearing  152  and the second bearing  154  inside the first bore  132  and the second bore  134 , respectively. In an embodiment, the operator places bearings  152 ,  154  in position by press-fitting. The operator positions the equalizer bar  124  such that the third bore  142  at the central portion  136  of the equalizer bar  124  aligns with the first bore  132  and the second bore  134  of the saddle member  126 . The operator then places the pin  150  inside the first bearing  152 , the third bore  142 , and the second bearing  154 . In an embodiment, the operator places the pin  150  inside in a slip-fit manner. 
     In operation, the machine  100  encounters uneven terrain during movement. The first track  112  and the second track  116  move up and down while negotiating such terrain. As the first track  112  and the second track  116  are coupled to the equalizer bar  124 , the equalizer bar  124  pivots about the pin  150 . The pin  150 , according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, is rotatably supported by the bearings  152 ,  154 , thereby avoids jamming due to corrosion. This makes replacement of the pin  150  less cumbersome and effortless. Further, the lubrication in the bearings  152 ,  154  also makes the replacement of the pin  150  easier and less time consuming.