Wheel substitutes for land vehicles – Endless belt having nonmetallic track or tread – Track formed of endless flexible belt
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-05
2001-03-20
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Wheel substitutes for land vehicles
Endless belt having nonmetallic track or tread
Track formed of endless flexible belt
C305S162000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203126
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The traction device of this invention provides additional traction for snowmobiles adaptable for a variety of conditions, including ice, deep powder snow, grass and other surfaces. In addition, this traction device includes a specially designed composite stud that is effective for use on off-road winter surfaces, such as snow, ice and deep powder, while being nondestructive for use on paved road surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete. The present traction device includes a number of elements to constitute a traction device pediment, which may remain permanently attached to the snowmobile track, and a variety of interchangeable components, selectively attachable to the pediment for providing traction for a specific terrain.
2. Description of the Related Art
Studs for snowmobile tracks are described, for example, by Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,055, issued Jul. 19, 1988. The Anderson studs have shanks, which pass through apertures in a snowmobile track, and planar heads that, when mounted on the shanks, create a bulge of the track material about the perimeter of the head. As the track travels continuously about the snowmobile drive and idler wheels, these bulges produce vibration adding to the noise level and riding discomfort.
Musselman, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5.234,266, issued Aug. 10, 1993, also describes traction studs for attachment to the snowmobile track. The Musselman studs are said to decrease the disadvantages noted in the Anderson studs. However, the Musselman device provides only a single traction tip, perhaps best suited to icy terrain, and does not enhance traction for other types of weather and surface conditions.
The 1998 edition of the catalog, Parts Unlimited, published by Lemans Corp., Janesville, Wis., at pages 270-293, inter alia, relates to a wide variety of traction enhancing devices for attachment to a snowmobile track. While these products can provide additional traction under several surface conditions, these products tend to fall into two classes. One class, as represented, for example, by the Woody's brand, ROADRUNNER, by the Roetin brand, and by the Saber brand, require insertion and removal of the device components from the track inner surface to attach differently shaped stud tips. Another class, as represented, for example, by the Woody's brand of studs, which are screw-attachable to T-nuts, do allow replacement of the stud component from the outside of the snowmobile track, but require positioning the T-nut on the inner track surface during screwing and unscrewing the individual studs.
Accordingly, there is a need for a traction device for snowmobile tracks and the like which provides a pediment that may remain permanently attached to the track, while providing means to remove quickly and easily and replace a variety of studs suitable for specific terrain conditions. In addition, there is a need for a lighter weight traction device to decrease the overall weight of a plurality of traction devices positioned on a snowmobile track and the like, to allow increased speed and fuel economy. There is also a need for a traction device that will provide needed traction on off-road conditions, while being nondestructive to paved roadways, such as asphalt and concrete. Recent legislation in some states, including Minnesota, prohibits the use of steel or other hard metal studs on paved roadways, due to their destructive effect on such surfaces. These and other advantages are provided by the traction device of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A traction device of this invention is designed and adapted for mounting on an endless track, such as a snowmobile track, and includes these components. An axial threaded shank has a head at one end. A T-nut has a base and a neck extending from the base, so that the neck is mountable on the shank, with the base at the shank head. In use, the shank had and T-nut are positioned at an inner track surface and the threaded shank extends through an opening in the track. A washer plate is threadably fastenable on the T-nut on the shank. In use the washer plate is positioned at an outer track surface and locks tightly on the shank. These three components, the shank, the T-nut and the washer plate comprise a pediment for the traction device. The pediment may remain permanently attached to the track for interchangeably receiving a variety of studs for different terrain conditions. When no stud is required, the threaded shank may be capped with a blind tip. When needed, a stud is threadably mountable on the washer plate on the shank, to fasten the stud to the shank.
In an alternative embodiment of a traction device of this invention, the base and the T-nut together may constitute a back piece, having the features of the base and mounted T-nut, and the stud and the washer plate may constitute a top, having the features of the washer plate and the stud. The alternative embodiment of the traction device may otherwise incorporate all of the features of the first embodiment, described herein.
A novel stud for a traction device for mounting on a snowmobile track or the like is nonmetal, such as composite. The stud has a metal insert, which may be interiorly threaded, for attachment to a traction device pediment of this invention. Alternatively, the stud or the metal insert may have a threaded shaft extending therefrom, for attachment to a base of a known traction device, such as the T-nut bases described in the
Parts Unlimited
1998 catalog, referred to above.
A novel paddle of this invention is mountable on a plurality of traction device supports of this invention mounted across a width of the track. The paddle has three faces extending across the track width. One face is provided with a plurality of apertures for each receiving a threaded shank of a pediment. The other two faces angle toward each other, axially outward from the track, with access between the two faces for positioning fastening means on each shank for retaining the paddle on the track.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4758055 (1988-07-01), Anderson
patent: 5188441 (1993-02-01), Rubel
patent: 5234266 (1993-08-01), Musselman et al.
patent: 5641214 (1997-06-01), Kafka
patent: 5676437 (1997-10-01), Holmgren et al.
patent: 5685621 (1997-11-01), Nugent
Snowmobile Parts Unlimited 1998 Catalog pp. 272-293, Oct. 1997.
Forrest Peter
Jaisle Cecilia M.
Northern Freight Brokers, Inc.
Reid Malcolm D.
Stormer Russell D.
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