Wheel substitutes for land vehicles – Wheel on top of upper track run
Patent
1981-08-10
1983-02-15
Scherbel, David A.
Wheel substitutes for land vehicles
Wheel on top of upper track run
305 27, B62D 5510, B62D 5530
Patent
active
043737587
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
This invention relates generally to endless track undercarriages and more particularly to bogey configurations suited for use in soft-bottom undercarriages of track-type vehicles.
Background Art
Most land vehicles utilize either wheels or crawler tracks for the purpose of supporting the frame of the vehicle above the ground and for converting power into motion. Crawler tracks, which typically have a relatively great area of ground contact, are fairly rugged and can be designed to substantially conform to depressions and other irregularities in the ground. They are most commonly chosen for vehicles which will be operating where conditions are severe, such as deep snow, battlefields, marshy areas, heavy construction sites, etc.
Typically, endless track undercarriages include a front and a rear idler, which are freely turning wheels around which a track is placed. Several freely turning rollers are mounted between the idlers to transfer the weight of the vehicle to the ground by limiting the upward movement of the track. Further included is a track drive sprocket which serves to convert power from the engine into motion of the tracks, and hence of the vehicle. The idlers and rollers are supported by a roller frame. In many designs, the drive sprocket is located at the extreme rear of the crawler track and replaces one of the idlers.
The technology of endless track type undercarriages has advanced to the point where they are reasonably reliable, durable and efficient. However, there is much yet to be done toward improving the ability of these undercarriage systems to absorb mechanical shocks. It would be further advantageous to improve the load sharing capability of the track rollers. This would equalize the pressure exerted upon the ground by each incremental length of the track. Advancement in these areas will serve to increase the rate at which the vehicles can travel, which is currently limited in most cases by the amount of mechanical shock the vehicle and its operator can absorb. It will also serve to improve the vehicle performance in mud and other conditions where a poor distribution of weight across the track can result in the vehicle becoming unduly mired in the surface across which it is travelling.
In existing crawler track undercarriage systems, mechanical shock is generally dealt with in two manners. The more obvious is through use of traditional shock absorbers. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,836,446, issued to Christie on Dec. 15, 1931, a system is detailed in which the rollers are rotatably mounted on an end of a connecting member. Another end is rotatably connected to the roller frame. The freedom of movement of the member and hence the roller is limited by a coil spring. A related system, using a resilient pad placed between the connecting member and a mechanical stop, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,708 issued to Purcell et al. on Nov. 27, 1973. Holt, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,317,651, issued Sept. 30, 1919, teaches a similar system involving leaf springs. A combination of a leaf spring suspension for the roller-roller frame mounting and the encasement of each roller axle in a resilient material is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 1,547,053 issued to Kegresse on July 21, 1925.
A second commonly used system for lessening the amount of shock and the magnitudes of the point loadings transferred from the crawler tracks to the remainder of the vehicle involves the use of some load transfer mechanism. In its simplest form, this is achieved by rotatably connecting two or more rollers to a rigid member known as a bogey which is pivotally connected to the roller frame. When an undercarriage with bogey-mounted rollers passes over a projection, such as a rock, the bogey is caused to rotate about its pivotal connection. This allows the track to deflect upwardly at the point overlying the rock while forcing that part of the track under the corresponding adjacent roller to move downward. In this manner, the pressure exerted upon the ground by the track is reduced at points where a crawler u
REFERENCES:
patent: 3774708 (1973-11-01), Purcell et al.
patent: 4339156 (1982-07-01), Livesay
Caterpillar Tractor Co.
Phillips Richard F.
Scherbel David A.
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