Abstract: A crawler traction device for a crawler vehicle, in particular a tractor, the device having a carriage, a drive sprocket rotating about a first axis, an idler wheel rotating about a second axis parallel to the first axis. The track is looped about the drive sprocket and the idler wheel and meshes with the drive sprocket along a meshing arc. The traction device has a noise and vibration damping device having an auxiliary roller which rotates about a third axis parallel to the first axis and is eccentric with respect to the drive sprocket as well as smaller in diameter than the drive sprocket. The noise and vibration damping device only cooperates with the track along a portion of the track located, in use, immediately upstream from the meshing arc and interposed between the auxiliary roller and the terrain.

Abstract: A dynamically changing track support for a tracked vehicle, includes a body with one or more track engaging wheels mounted for rotation to the body and extending above the top of the body and below the bottom of the body. At least two arms are provided. Each arm has a body engaging end and a track engaging end. The track engaging ends of the arm extends outwardly past the body. The body engaging end is pivotally secured to the body for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal pivot axis. One or more track engaging wheels are mounted for concentric axial rotation about an axle positioned at the track engaging end of the each arm. Dynamically adjustment of the pivotal positioning of the arms relative to the body results in changes to track geometry while maintaining consistent tension.

Abstract: A tread assembly has front and rear main idler wheels supported by a frame. A continuous tread is provided around the idler wheels for supporting a cart on a bottom portion of the tread between the front and rear main idler wheels. An assembly is provided to permit the front idler wheels to pivot laterally as the cart encounters uneven ground, in order to improve weight distribution across the tread and the idler wheels. The rear idler wheel also has an assembly to permit the rear idler wheel to pivot laterally. An alignment feature is incorporated into the front idler wheel assembly to permit adjustment of the alignment of the front idler wheel relative to the rear idler wheel. A tensioning mechanism is provided at the rear idler wheel to maintain the tread in tension. A pivot is provided between the frame and the rear idler wheel, and located forward from the hub of the idler wheel, such that increased load on the frame tends to push the idler wheel rearward to further tension the tread.

Abstract: An idler guide unit for crawler type traveling apparatuses which attains the facilitation of clearance regulating operations and the reduction, which is owing to the facilitation of the mentioned operations, of traveling noise. This idler guide unit is formed so that the clearance regulating operations are carried out by using tapering blocks 26, position regulators 41, 50 for the tapering blocks 26 being also provided.

Abstract: A resilient track-tensioning device for tracked automotive vehicles has a track tensioning wheel arrangement (26) which includes a generally elongated pendular arm (38) which rotatably supports a track-tensioning wheel unit (62), a pretensioning or biassing arm (72) which is much shorter than the pendular arm and which has a first end-part for force transmission engagement with the pendular arm (38) at its end-part (74) that carries the track-tensioning wheel unit (62), and a second end-part for pivotal attachment to a carrier (20) through the medium of a pretensioning or biassing means (76). The device further includes an element (66) for adjustably fixing the distance between the rotational center of the track-tensioning wheel unit (62) and the attachment point (46) of the pendular arm (38). The invention also relates to a track support assembly which includes an inventive track-tensioning device.