US Patent 10059390 Mid-roller with reduced-friction guide

A mid-roller (30) for a tracked work vehicle has a shaft (44) and a pair of hubs (50) assembled about the shaft (44), each hub having a cylindrical housing (52) with a flange portion (66) projecting radially outward. Each mid-roller also has a pair of metallic roller wheels (70) mounted on the pair of hubs, each roller wheel having a radial face connected to the flange portion of its respective hub and an outer cylindrical housing (76) symmetrical with the shaft axis (46) defining an outer peripheral surface (82) having an elastomeric coating (84) bonded thereon configured to engage the inner surface of the endless track belt. Each mid-roller also has a pair of non-metallic, ring-shaped reduced-friction guides (90). Each roller wheel has one of said reduced-friction guides mounted thereon such that the reduced-friction guide interacts with the track guide blocks such that the reduced-friction guide is configured to be the point of contact between the mid-roller and the track guide blocks.