Wheel substitutes for land vehicles – With interposed friction drive belt
Patent
1981-09-09
1984-03-27
Rolla, Joseph J.
Wheel substitutes for land vehicles
With interposed friction drive belt
305 40, B62D 5508
Patent
active
044389825
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new type of ground-engaging contact-element for endless-track vehicles. It is a known technique to improve the contact between a vehicle and the ground, on which it moves by providing the vehicle with bands or chains. Especially those vehicles being used in forestry, agriculture, military and other activities requiring cross-country ride, have been constructed with such bands or chains. Certain vehicles are constructed in such a way that they always are driven with bands, whereas others are provided with rubber-wheels, which--when necessary--can be equipped with bands, whereby the rubber-wheels are working inside the loop of the band. The band consists usually of two longitudinal drag-elements, as for instance drawing-chains or similar elements, between which a number of transversely flexibly fitted elements of steel or similar material run, giving ground-contact between vehicle and ground.
A factor--very essential when using bands on cross-country vehicles--is that the band must not damage the ground, either by cross-country rides, for instance when thinning forest, whereby roots from remaining and growing forest may not be damaged, or during transports on asphalted roads when the road surface may not be damaged.
The contact-elements are in all known constructions inflexible in the driving direction of the vehicle. In order to function as band-plates in driving-band for cross-country vehicles they have therefore been formed relatively short in the driving direction and flexibly connected as stiff links in the drawing-element. With such relatively short contact-elements, the ground-pressure will be concentrated to a relatively small surface, whereby ground-damages easily can arise.
It has been attempted to solve this problem by placing pressure equalizing units of elastic material between the stiff contact-elements. It is also known to let band-loops of plastic or rubber create the contact between vehicle and under-layer. Such continuous band-loops are known for instance as band for snow-vehicles and light band-waggons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Contrary to all earlier constructions of elements for ground-contact, the present invention offers elements flexible as well in the driving direction as in the transverse direction. By building up the elements of flexible material they cannot only be bent in relation to each other, like previously known band-plates, but they can also be bent within the elements themselves. In this way each element can be made relatively long and thus offer a larger unbroken bearing-surface. In those cases, where the contact-elements are included in constructions with longitudinal chain-loops, each of these flexible elements can be applied on several between themselves flexibly connected links in the longitudinal chain-loops. Previously known stiff elements can--as mentioned above--of geometrical reasons only be fastened with one link in each connected chain.
The invention, the special characteristics of which appear in the patent claims, is best illustrated with reference to enclosed drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIGS. 1, 1a and 1b show embodiments of an element for ground contact (band-plate) in plan view.
FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b show embodiments of a band-plate seen in the driving direction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Between two parallel running drawing-elements, (i.e. chains) on the drawing marked only with the dotted line 3, band-plates (or ground-engaging contact elements) 1 are adjusted. Each of these band-plates 1 is made of elastic polymer material and formed as an X in the shown model. The corners 2 of the plate are each connected with a link 4 in the drag-element. In order to strengthen the plate it can be made with a reinforcement, not shown in the figures. The chains 3 have articulately connected links 4, some of which are releasable links which have cross members 5 which press through holes 6 in the enlarged corners 2 of the band-plates 1.
The system made possible by the newly invented contact-e
REFERENCES:
patent: 1783161 (1930-11-01), Stewart
patent: 1805037 (1931-05-01), Burrell
patent: 1824545 (1931-09-01), Hodell
patent: 3136378 (1964-06-01), Patee
patent: 3387896 (1968-06-01), Sobota
patent: 3770039 (1973-11-01), Pfoertner
patent: 4262723 (1981-04-01), de Previnquieres
Gislaved Aktiebolag
Huppert Michael S.
Rolla Joseph J.
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