B62D55/244

Band Track with Fiber-Reinforced Living Hinges

A band track including a band having an inner surface, an outer surface, a first side face, and a second side face; a plurality of teeth extending from the inner surface and spaced apart circumferentially around the inner surface; a plurality of lugs extending from the outer surface and each spaced a distance apart circumferentially around the outer surface; a plurality of living hinges defined within the band circumferentially between each of the plurality of teeth; and at least one fiber-reinforcement disposed circumferentially within a neutral plane of the plurality of living hinges and a method of making the same.

Track system for traction of a vehicle
10647367 · 2020-05-12 · ·

A track system for traction of a vehicle (e.g., a construction vehicle such as a compact track loader). The track system comprises a track comprising a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground and an inner side opposite to the ground-engaging outer side. The track system comprises a track-engaging arrangement for driving and guiding the track around the track-engaging arrangement. The track-engaging arrangement comprises a drive wheel for driving the track and a plurality of roller wheels for rolling on the inner side of the track along a bottom run of the track. The track system comprises a frame for supporting components of the track system, including the roller wheels. The frame may be configured to avoid constraining the roller wheels, which may allow the roller wheels to be wider and better distributed loading onto the track. A rolling contact interface between a roller wheel and the inner side of the track may be nonparallel to a widthwise direction of the track.

RUBBER CRAWLER
20200140026 · 2020-05-07 · ·

Provided is a rubber crawler 10 in which a rubber lug 11 is formed on an outer circumferential side of an endless rubber elastic body, cores 12 are disposed in the rubber elastic body at a constant pitch in a crawler circumferential direction, and sprocket engaging holes 13 to be engaged with sprockets S are formed between cores 12 adjacent to each other in the crawler circumferential direction. The sprocket engaging holes 13 are provided with a rubber film 14, which has a shape protruding toward a crawler inner circumferential side.

Endless track assembly for supporting an implement or vehicle
10633041 · 2020-04-28 · ·

A track assembly includes an elongated main frame supported for pivotal movement on a transverse axis and having opposite end portions supporting a set of end wheels. An endless flexible belt extends around the end wheels and has an upper run and a lower run for engaging the ground. A plurality of longitudinally spaced bogie wheels are positioned below the main frame and engage the lower run of the belt. The bogie wheels are carried by bogie frames supported for vertical movement and also for tilting movement relative to a plane defined by the axes of the end wheels. The bogie frames are urged or biased downwardly against the lower run of the belt by compression members extending from the main frame and preferably in the form of annular rubber spring members.

TRACKED VEHICLE AND CHASSIS THEREFOR
20200122793 · 2020-04-23 · ·

A tracked vehicle with a chassis comprising an upper frame structure connected to a lower frame structure, the lower frame structure spanning a longitudinal distance along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein over a first portion of the longitudinal distance, the lower frame structure overlaps with the upper frame structure and wherein over a second portion of the longitudinal distance, the lower frame structure does not overlap with the upper frame structure. The tracked vehicle may also comprise an operator cabin, power plant mounted to the upper frame structure and a plurality of track assemblies for traction of the tracked vehicle. Each track assembly is o mounted to the lower frame structure of the chassis and comprises a drive wheel; an end wheel; and a plurality of support wheels therebetween; and an endless track disposed around the plurality of wheels for engaging a ground on which the tracked vehicle travels.

Track kit
20200122791 · 2020-04-23 ·

A track kit for a vehicle (2), having two track assemblies (1, 1), each track assembly having an endless track (5), a front idler wheel (8), an intermediate support member (6) with at least one track engaging element (7), a rear idler wheel (9), a drive wheel (10), at least one swing arm (11, 12) and a shock absorber connecting assembly (13, 14), wherein the endless track (5) has an external side featuring ground lugs (15) for ground engagement and an internal side featuring drive lugs (16) for engagement with the drive wheel (10), and the internal side is circumferentially trained around and in contact with the front idler wheel (8).

Grouser assembly for endless track systems

A grouser assembly is selectively attachable to an endless track having a carcass, side edges and traction lugs. The grouser assembly includes a body having top and bottom faces. The body includes a recess defined in the bottom face that is shaped to receive a traction lug of the endless track. The grouser assembly further includes ground-contacting projections connected to the body and extending away from the top face, and first and second attachment assemblies connected to the body. The second attachment assembly has an attached configuration and a released configuration, and is positioned relative to the first attachment assembly such that when (i) the traction lug is received in the recess, (ii) the first attachment assembly attaches the grouser assembly to the carcass, and (iii) the second attachment assembly is in the attached configuration, the second attachment assembly attaches the grouser assembly to the endless track.

Crawler

A crawler includes crawler body formed by an elastic body shaped into an endless loop, a tensile body embedded in the crawler body and wound around a circumferential direction of the crawler body, guide projections formed at an inner circumferential surface of a width direction central portion of the crawler body and spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the crawler body, a flat face, upon which a rotating wheel provided at a vehicle rolls, forming an inner circumferential surface further toward a width direction outer side of the crawler body than the guide projections and an inclined face, upon which the rotating wheel rolls, inclined from an outer side end portion of the flat face in a crawler body width direction such that a thickness of the crawler body gradually increases toward the width direction outer side and circumferential inner side of the crawler body.

TRACK SYSTEM FOR TRACTION OF A VEHICLE
20200094895 · 2020-03-26 ·

A track system for traction of a vehicle (e.g., a snowmobile, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) etc.). The track system comprises a track and a track-engaging assembly for driving and guiding the track around the track-engaging assembly. The track system may have features to enhance its traction, floatation, and/or other aspects of its performance, including the track that may comprise reinforcing material (e.g., reinforcing polymeric material) that is stronger (e.g., stiffer, harder, and/or more resistant to wear) than elastomeric material of the track, such as to improve rigidity characteristics of the track, reduce noise generated by the track system, improve a resistance to wear of the track, and/or reduce a weight of the track. The reinforcing material may be provided as one or more thin layers constituting at least part (e.g., of a periphery) of one or more components of the track (e.g., a carcass, traction projections, and/or drive/guide lugs).

MOTORIZED TOWING VEHICLE
20200094917 · 2020-03-26 ·

The invention is related to the class of small-scale tracked transportation vehicles, which can be used for towing a person and cargo using a sledge, for example. The motorized towing vehicle comprises a frame supporting a caterpillar drive, a platform supporting an engine with a transmission, a luggage space, an assembly for connecting to the object being towed object, a control device, and an object being towed. The caterpillar drive includes a caterpillar track, a metal subframe, a driven shaft and a driving shaft with pinions, and torsion-type wheel bogie. The control device consists of a steering wheel with handles and controls. The object being towed comprises a driver's workplace. The frame consists of a platform and a rigid framework enclosing the platform along the entire perimeter, including the luggage compartment with an additional luggage space above. The design of the frame and platform is asymmetrical relative to the track because of an extension of the platform in one direction. The subframe is in the form of metal side plates connected to the frame with brackets bent into an S-shape. The subframe plates accommodate a track tightening mechanism in the form of an eccentric and self-aligning bearings. An all-weather hood is used for protecting the engine and luggage space. The road performance of the motor towing vehicle has been improved.