US 11,987,303 B2
Track shoe with large cavities on ground engaging surfaces having a protruding sidewall or an oval perimeter
Benjamin Isaac Jones, Bartonville, IL (US); and Mircea Dumitru, Washington, IL (US)
Assigned to Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/201,408.
Prior Publication US 2022/0289321 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. B62D 55/21 (2006.01); B62D 55/20 (2006.01); B62D 55/26 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 55/21 (2013.01) [B62D 55/202 (2013.01); B62D 55/26 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A track chain member comprising:
a shoe member defining a track chain traveling direction, a lateral direction perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction, and a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction, and the lateral direction, the shoe member further defining a first lateral end, a second lateral end, and a ground engaging surface spanning from the first lateral end to the second lateral end; and
the track chain member further defining a midplane along the lateral direction, a first bottom void extending from the ground engaging surface and a second bottom void extending from the ground engaging surface, the first bottom void being disposed on one side laterally of the midplane and the second bottom void being disposed on the other side laterally of the midplane, forming a support pillar therebetween;
wherein the first bottom void at least partially forms a first pillar sidewall, and the second bottom void at least partially forms a second pillar sidewall in a cross-sectional plane having the lateral and the vertical directions, and the first pillar sidewall includes a convex blend that extends vertically from the ground engaging surface, and a concave blend that extends vertically from the convex blend and extends laterally of the convex blend in a direction of the midplane.