Wheel substitutes for land vehicles – Tracks or treads – With guide means for interfitting with sprocket wheel or roller
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-08
2002-05-14
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Wheel substitutes for land vehicles
Tracks or treads
With guide means for interfitting with sprocket wheel or roller
C301S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06386654
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to drive belts for track-type machinery and, more particularly, to a protective cover for guide blocks on a drive belt.
BACKGROUND
Agricultural and construction machines often operate in soils such as mud and sand where it is difficult for conventional wheel type machines to gain traction. Therefore, alternate types of machines capable of operating in such adverse soil conditions are in demand.
One type of such machine is one having an undercarriage incorporating a track assembly as shown in
FIG. 1
including a driving sprocket wheel
10
, an idler wheel
12
, a drive belt
14
which extends around the driving sprocket wheel
10
and the idler wheel
12
, and a plurality of roller wheels
16
arranged in contact with the inner surface
18
of a ground contact region of the drive belt
14
between the driving sprocket wheel
10
and the idler wheel
12
. A conventional drive belt
14
has a plurality of rubber lugs
20
formed on its outer circumference
22
, and a plurality of protruding guide blocks
24
formed on the inner surface
18
to protrude at a central region thereof and spaced to each other by a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the drive belt
14
. The guide blocks
24
are engaged by a plurality of driving members
26
such as drive pins, teeth, or the like disposed between the wheel portions and adapted to drive the drive belt
14
.
To accommodate the guide blocks
24
, each of the wheels
10
,
12
,
16
includes an inner wheel portion
28
and an outer wheel portion
30
spaced from each other on an axle
32
at a distance at least the width of the guide blocks
24
. The inner wheel portion
28
and the outer wheel portion
30
also help keep the drive belt
14
in alignment with driving sprocket wheel
10
.
A plurality of guide rollers
60
guide and support the belt
58
between the drive and idler wheels
50
,
54
as shown in FIG.
7
. The tensioning means
62
tensions the elastomeric drive belt
58
between the drive wheel
50
and the idler wheel
54
.
As in the positive drive system, the guide blocks
64
in the friction drive system undergo wear and tear, requiring the replacement of the entire belt
58
even if only a few of the guide blocks
64
on the belt
58
are damaged. Thus, as in the positive drive system, it is desirable to provide means for protecting components subject to heavy wear and tear, thereby increasing the life of the belt
58
.
Another type of such machine which may utilize the protective cover is a friction drive system as is shown in
FIG. 7. A
belted work machine
46
includes a drive wheel
50
, an idler wheel
54
, and endless belt which extends around the drive wheel
50
and idler wheel
54
. The plurality of the guide blocks
64
are spaced to each other by a predetermined distance. The guide blocks
64
are received by guide channels
66
.
During operation, continuous frictional contact between the guide blocks, the driving members, and the idler wheel can cause damage to the guide blocks. Further, when the machine maneuvers over sloped surfaces, the forces on the guide blocks increase due to the fact that the guide blocks support the forces required to drive the machine over the terrain, along with force components of the machine's weight. The increased forces cause greater wear and tear on the guide blocks, requiring replacement of the entire drive belt even if only a few of the guide blocks on the drive belt are damaged. It is desirable to provide means for protecting components subject to heavy wear and tear, thereby increasing the effective life of the drive belt.
Referring to
FIG. 8
, the configuration of the preferred drive wheel structure
68
and the endless belt
58
are shown. The guide block
64
is received by the guide channel
66
.
Currently, there are devices requiring additional structure on the track assembly to improve the alignment of the guide blocks with the idler wheels. Purcell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,515 discloses guide rollers for a flexible drive belt including first and second rotatable guide rollers adapted to contact guide blocks on the drive belt and guide them into the space between the inner and outer wheel portions of the idler wheel
10
. The Purcell et al. device prolongs the useful life of the flexible guide blocks by guiding them into the opening between spaced idler wheels, thereby lessening frictional contact and damage between the idler wheel and the guide blocks. The Purcell et al. device does not, however, disclose means for a covering the guide block to help protect it from wear.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment of the present invention, a protective cover member for a guide block on a drive belt includes an inner portion shaped to substantially conform to at least a portion of the outer surface of the guide block. The cover member is attached to the guide block using suitable attachment means such as bonding the cover member to the guide block, mechanical fasteners such as screws or bolts, and/or using an interference design whereby the cover member is retained by frictional forces or by snapping around a portion of the guide block. The outer surface of the cover member is shaped and sized to be engaged by drive members associated with a sprocket drive wheel. The cover member may be constructed of material that is capable of withstanding higher temperatures and forces compared to the material of the guide blocks.
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Grob Robert J.
McGinnis Sean C.
Singer Stephen M.
Steiner Kristine R.
Caterpillar Inc.
Haverstock Garrett & Roberts
Jenkens & Gilchrist
Morano S. Joseph
Nguyen Long Buo
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