US 12,275,468 B2
Scallop-resistant track link and method of making same
Kevin Steiner, Tremont, IL (US)
Assigned to Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed on Sep. 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/484,788.
Application 17/484,788 is a division of application No. 16/113,744, filed on Aug. 27, 2018, granted, now 11,186,331.
Prior Publication US 2022/0009569 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. B62D 55/21 (2006.01); B62D 55/06 (2006.01); C21D 1/18 (2006.01); C21D 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 55/21 (2013.01) [B62D 55/06 (2013.01); C21D 1/18 (2013.01); C21D 9/0087 (2013.01); C21D 2221/00 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making a track link comprising:
heat treating an elongate link body having a lower shoe-mounting surface and an upper rail surface such that a material extending throughout the elongate link body is hardened;
tempering the elongate link body such that a portion of the material that is hardened and forms a first and a second track pin bore in the elongate link body is softened;
forming, by way of the heat treating and the tempering of the elongate link body, a scallop-retarding pattern of varying hardness where the elongate link body has a first lower hardness zone extending circumferentially around the first track pin bore, a second lower hardness zone extending circumferentially around the second track pin bore, and a higher hardness zone that includes the upper rail surface; and
the upper rail surface extending longitudinally in the elongate link body, and the higher hardness zone extending in a first longitudinal direction to a first higher hardness zone end and in a second longitudinal direction to a second higher hardness zone end, and the first higher hardness zone end and the second higher hardness zone end being located longitudinally outward of a first center axis defined by the first track pin bore and a second center axis defined by the second track pin bore, respectively.