Wheel substitutes for land vehicles – With interposed friction drive belt
Patent
1982-04-13
1984-05-15
Scherbel, David A.
Wheel substitutes for land vehicles
With interposed friction drive belt
305 54, B62D 5520, B62D 5526
Patent
active
044484593
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to a track shoe and elastomeric grouser assembly adapted for use in an endless track assembly and more particularly to the precompression and sealing of the elastomeric grouser on the track shoe.
BACKGROUND ART
Rubber-tired tractors have long been preferred by agricultural farmers over track-type tractors since the rubber-tired tractors have roading capabilities; that is, they cause relatively little damage to road surfaces. To adapt a track-type tractor to agricultural use, it has been the practice to alter the track shoes of the track-type tractor for roading purposes by attaching rubber grousers thereto. Typically, this is accomplished by bonding a rubber grouser to the outer face of a steel anchor plate which is, in turn, bolted to the track shoe. A typical such grouser arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,635,596, issued on July 12, 1927 to R. H. White.
A common problem encountered with known rubber grouser arrangements is that during operation, moisture and particles of soil, rock, ice, and the like are forced into the bonded boundary area between the rubber grouser and the steel anchor plate. The bond between the steel and rubber thus becomes progressively weakened and destroyed, requiring repair or replacement of the rubber grousers. Furthermore, in operation of known roadable track-type tractors, portions of the rubber grouser adjacent to the anchor plate are subjected to high tensile stresses in operation, further promoting bond failure of the rubber grouser-anchor plate assembly.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a grouser assembly is secured on a track shoe, the grouser assembly including an elastomeric grouser and an anchor plate bonded to the grouser. The invention further includes positioning the anchor plate between a pair of laterally-spaced ribs secured on the track shoe and wrapping a pair of lip portions of the elastomeric grouser over opposite sides of the anchor plate. Each lip portion is thereby compressed between a track shoe rib and a corresponding one of the fore and aft sides of the anchor plate to form a static seal thereat. This arrangement also establishes a compressive preloading of the elastomeric material intermediate the anchor plate and the ribs.
The compressive pre-load thus imposed on the lip portions of the grouser, positioned at regions of the grouser assembly which are normally highly stressed during operation of the track shoe, serves to substantially isolate the bonded boundary area between the anchor plate and the grouser in order to substantially reduce the chances of bond failure thereat. Stresses imposed on the bolts attaching the grouser assembly on the track shoe are reduced to thus reduce the number and size of the bolts required. In addition, the compressed lip portions form static seals to prevent the ingress of moisture, dirt and the like to the bond region, which could further promote bond failure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages and objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a track shoe having a grouser assembly embodiment of the present invention secured thereon, for the purpose of reference the positions of the adjoining track shoes are shown;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating the track shoe bolted to a track link with the grouser assembly being shown in its secured position, the view being taken in lateral cross section as indicated by arrows II--II in FIG. 1, in this view displacement of the elastomeric material of the grouser due to compressive loading is shown in somewhat exaggerated form for the purpose of illustration;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrates means for attaching the grouser assembly to the track shoe, the view being taken generally in the direction of arrows III--III in FIG. 1, in this view displacement
REFERENCES:
patent: 1296512 (1919-03-01), Hatfield
patent: 1314722 (1919-09-01), White
patent: 1635596 (1927-07-01), White
patent: 3017225 (1962-01-01), Ruf
patent: 4165906 (1979-08-01), Fix
patent: 4303278 (1981-12-01), Fehling
Becker Danny J.
Kortering Randall L.
Caterpillar Tractor Co.
Pence O. Gordon
Scherbel David A.
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