Wheel substitutes for land vehicles – Endless belt having nonmetallic track or tread – Track formed of endless flexible belt
Patent
1994-01-24
1997-01-14
Stormer, Russell D.
Wheel substitutes for land vehicles
Endless belt having nonmetallic track or tread
Track formed of endless flexible belt
305177, 305197, B62D 5524
Patent
active
055932185
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a highly elastic rubber crawler to be mounted on a mobile working machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The main body of a conventional rubber crawler is formed of vulcanized rubber chiefly consisting of natural rubber. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, metal core bars 2' are embedded in the circumferential direction of the rubber crawler body 1' at a fixed interval; a number of steel cords 3' are aligned and embedded on the ground side of the core bar 2' (steel cords 3' are split on both sides of engageable holes H for a driving sprocket and embedded to comprise a layer under wing portions 2'b of the core bars 2'); and ground face lugs P formed of the vulcanized rubber are provided on the ground side of the rubber crawler body 1'.
To compare with a steel crawler, this rubber crawler has many advantages, especially in not damaging a paved road surface, and therefore has been in wide use.
However, it still has problems such as producing mechanical noise and vibrations due to lack of support for rolling wheels at the intervals between core bars, as well as having great weight because a great number of core bars, steel cords etc. are to be embedded in the crawler body to resist the great driving force from a driving sprocket. Besides, the driving sprocket may fall off the crawler due to the lack of the rigidity of the crawler body between the embedded core bars.
On the other hand, a rubber crawler wherein the whole body is composed of highly elastic and rigid urethane rubber seems to solve the above problems.
However, it also has the following problems: because the high elasticity of the crawler makes the whole crawler body hard to bend. distortion, its durability against extension is poor, and therefore cracking and cut flows grow rapidly in the continuously stretched parts. As a result, reinforcing members in the crawler body are exposed to the outside and to damage. this regard, urethane rubber is not always superior to vulcanized rubber, such as natural rubber, etc.)
The purpose of the present invention, therefore, is to solve the above problems with a highly elastic rubber crawler having no core bars. That is, no conventional core bars having projections are embedded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first aspect of the invention relates to a rubber crawler wherein engageable holes in which the top of teeth of a driving sprocket are fitted are provided in the middle of the crawler body at a fixed interval, engageable portions for being in mesh with the roots of teeth of the driving sprocket are provided between the engageable holes, projections for preventing the drive wheel from falling off the crawler are provided at both sides of the engageable holes and engageable portions on the inner peripheral face, and lugs project from the outer peripheral surface thereof. The inner peripheral layer including the projections is formed of highly rigid urethane rubber, while the outer peripheral layer including the lugs is formed of vulcanized rubber, such as natural rubber, or an equivalent elastic member. On the side of the inner peripheral layer in the vicinity of a border surface between the outer peripheral layer and the inner peripheral layer, on both sides of said engageable holes in the crawler body, first reinforcing cords having high strength are aligned and embedded in the circumferential direction of the crawler at both sides of the engageable holes and second reinforcing cords are aligned and embedded in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction at the engageable portions. The second reinforcing cords embedded at the engageable portion wrap above and below first the reinforcing cords aligned and embedded in the circumferential direction, and the opposite ends of the second wrapping reinforcing cords are overlapped and embedded in the upper center part so that strength against breaking can be increased on the whole surface of the engageable portion.
The above rubber crawler has no core bars, that is, no embedded conventional core bars
REFERENCES:
patent: 2476828 (1949-07-01), Skromme
patent: 3900231 (1975-08-01), Ohm
patent: 4057302 (1977-11-01), Caravito
patent: 4407550 (1983-10-01), Lapsys
patent: 4449627 (1984-05-01), Kell
Katoh Yusaku
Uchiyama Tsuyoshi
Fukuyama Gomu Kogyo Kabushiki Gaisha
Stormer Russell D.
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