Abstract: A track chain member comprises a shoe member defining a track chain traveling direction and a lateral direction perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction and a first rib defining a first concave radial portion.

Abstract: A track chain member comprising a shoe member defining a track chain traveling direction and a lateral direction, the shoe member further defining a first lateral end, a second lateral end, and a ground engaging surface spanning from the one end to the other end; wherein the shoe member further defines a first side void proximate the first lateral end, a second side void proximate the second lateral end, and the first side void terminates a first predetermined distance from the first lateral end and the second side void terminates a second predetermined distance from the second lateral end.

Abstract: A track chain member comprises a shoe member defining a track chain traveling direction and a lateral direction perpendicular to the track chain traveling direction, the shoe member further defining a first lateral end, a second lateral end, and a ground engaging surface spanning from the first lateral end to the second lateral end; wherein the shoe member further defines a main central void disposed on the ground engaging surface that is centered along the lateral direction of the shoe member with respect to the first and the second lateral ends.

Abstract: A crawler track includes a link and is driven in a direction of travel by a sprocket having a plurality of teeth. The link includes a pad, a first grouser, and a second grouser. The pad defines a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a first end, and a second end spaced apart from the first end along the direction of travel. The pad defines at least one opening extending through the pad between the first surface and the second surface, and the opening is operable to receive a sprocket tooth. The first grouser is positioned on the first surface proximate the first end of the pad, while the second grouser is positioned on the first surface proximate the second end of the pad. The first grouser and the second grouser extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the track.

Abstract: A crawler track includes a link and is driven in a direction of travel by a sprocket having a plurality of teeth. The link includes a pad, a first grouser, and a second grouser. The pad defines a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a first end, and a second end spaced apart from the first end along the direction of travel. The pad defines at least one opening extending through the pad between the first surface and the second surface, and the opening is operable to receive a sprocket tooth. The first grouser is positioned on the first surface proximate the first end of the pad, while the second grouser is positioned on the first surface proximate the second end of the pad. The first grouser and the second grouser extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the track.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a track pad for a chain of a chain wheel drive, the track pad having a bearing surface provided with at least one grouser (1, 2), extending in the lateral direction of the bearing surface, wherein at least one flat part (4, 5) is provided next to at least one grouser part (1, 2) in the lateral direction of the bearing surface. Further, the invention comprises a track pad for a chain of a chain wheel drive, the track pad having a bearing surface provided with at least one grouser (32, 33) protruding from a base plate (40), the grouser (32, 33) extending in the lateral direction of the bearing surface, wherein the bearing surface of the base plate has a profile in the lateral direction.

Abstract: Carbon dioxide is sequestered in a formation using dual or multiple completion and injection methods that reduce or eliminates upward leak rates of the sequestered carbon dioxide. The dual or multiple completion and injection method involves the injection of a benign fluid such as brine (water) into a permeable layer of the formation located above the sequestration layer and which is separated form the sequestration layer by a nearly impermeable layer. The water is injected at the same time the carbon dioxide is injected.

Abstract: An endless track for traction of a vehicle, such as a construction vehicle, an agricultural vehicle, a forestry vehicle or a military vehicle. In one embodiment, the endless track comprises a plurality of track sections connected to one another. Each track section comprises: a body having an inner side for facing wheels of the vehicle and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground; and a connector for connecting the track section to an adjacent one of the track sections at a joint, the joint being flexible in a widthwise direction of the endless track.

Abstract: An annular elastic track having sprocket-driven protrusions on the inner circumference and lugs on the outer circumference. The annular elastic track comprises a plurality of annular thin plates spaced radially from one another with a predetermined interval and embedded in layers in the track in its circumferential direction. The annular thin plates are a plurality of concentric annular plates having different diameters or a spirally formed single thin plate. Such an annular elastic track is used for vehicles as well as a monocycle comprising a flat plate-shaped cross-section, at least two external rollers arranged outside the annular elastic track for applying a load onto it, at least one internal roller arranged inside the annular elastic track to hold the track by these internal and external rollers therebetween, and crank device including pedals provided inside the annular elastic track for driving one of said external and internal rollers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a track specially designed for vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles. This track, which is transversely curved, allows the vehicle to move when in an upright position or when tilted sideways. Its main characteristics are that it comprises a curved belt, consisting of flexible straps and rigid curved runners, as well as internal support belts supporting the sides of the runners which are in contact with the ground. The claims of the invention relate to the transversal curvature of the track and to the use of internal support belts.

Abstract: An endless track drive system for use on a track vehicle such as a bulldozer includes a plurality of polymeric endless track drive members integrally interconnected in a closed loop to form an endless track, each drive member including at least one frictional drive face, and at least one continuous reinforcement member encased within and further interconnecting the plurality of drive members. Each drive member of the endless track preferably includes at least two lateral frictional drive faces sloping inwardly with respect to a transverse direction of the endless track for engagement with a drive wheel. The endless track also preferably includes tread members which are either integrally formed with, bonded to or removably fastened to the drive members, and the tread members may be bias-ply, fiber reinforced or cable reinforced.

Abstract: A track wheel consisting of a longitudinal curved track mounted in an oval eometry on two support rollers. The track wheel is in effect an oval wheel with two axles. The axles of the two support rollers are mounted either directly or indirectly to the vehicle. The rollers support and guide both ends of the track in the small curvatures and transfers vehicle load to a surface at the lower curved part of the track. The track will withstand a high bending load in one direction, where it engages a surface, but it will also bend easily in the other direction, as it is guided over the two support rollers.

Abstract: An endless track (27) for tracked vaheicles comprising an endless flexible band (33) and a plurality of spaced elongated tread elements (41) provided on the outer surface of the band. Each tread element (41) is formed of resilient material and extends transversely of the direction of travel of the track. The tread elements (41) are each in the form of a loop having a ground engaging portion and a pair of side wall portions which are load supporting when the loop is in contact with the ground. The tread elements (41) may be formed integral with, or formed separately of and secured to, the endless flexible band (33). A track assembly is also described and claimed.

Abstract: A demolition and compaction track shoe and assembly for a crawler vehicle track includes a central opening and diagonally oriented demolition blades protruding sufficiently outwardly to be primarily useful in demolishing large rocks, home appliances, and similar materials of a type generally encountered in a land fill site. The diagonally oriented demolition blades cooperate with transversely disposed grouser blades to obtain a smoother riding, stable, self-cleaning track. The grouser blades extend only part way across the track shoe in a manner leaving a lateral spacing or gap between the adjacent ends of the grousers so as to provide a scissoring action on debris captured between adjacent grousers of adjacent track shoes in the track.

Abstract: The invention disclosed is that prefabricated wear pads are applied to the track link bodies of tracked vehicles by inserting projections of the pads through apertures in the link body from one side of the apertures and locking means co-acts with the projections to lock same to the body. Suitably, the locking means are push engagement with said projections to lock the pads to the link bodies as opposed to the conventional method of moulding the pad around and through the links. In an alternative arrangement, the locking means are cast in locking engagement with the projections as opposed to the push fitting.

Abstract: A land mine resistant road wheel and track assembly for tracked vehicles which each road wheel includes a center hub surrounded by a plurality of fiberglass support rings whch are, in turn, surrounded by a fiberglass rim member. The entire road wheel is encapsulated in polyurethane which fills the spaces within and between the support rings, but which does not extend into the center hub or into bores aligned with the openings of the support rings, which bores receive mounting bolts for the road wheel. The road wheels are utilized singly and are received in circular grooves formed in the shoes which form the track. The shoes which form the track are made of fiberglass which is molded around a steel yoke. Each steel yoke is provided with a pair of key slots therethrough, each slot of which receives a link that rotates ninety degrees in order to lock in the key slot.

Abstract: A low-cost track shoe for tracked vehicles is fabricated from sheet metal stock or scrap pieces according to three alternate shoe structure disclosed herein. The shoe structures of this invention include a plurality of linkage members welded between a bottom plate and a top plate in such a manner as to form unitary assemblies which can be interconnected by means of hinge joints to form any desired track length. The various shoe structures of this invention teach different arrangements of the linkage members and different linkage member structures for obtaining track shoes readily interchangeable with conventional track shoes manufactured by sandcasting methods of the prior art.

Abstract: A drive sprocket includes a plurality of equispaced rollers which mesh with complementary shaped receptacles defined by surface portions of drive lugs of adjacent sections of a track. The surface portions of adjacent drive lugs leave a gap at the bottom of the receptacle defined thereby for permitting material such as mud or snow and the like to be pushed therethrough by the sprocket rollers. The axis of pins interconnecting adjacent track sections is aligned with the axis of a sprocket roller when the roller is located in the receptacle formed by the drive lugs of the adjacent track sections.

Abstract: A track section of a track-laying tractor drive track includes a track link having a sprocket-engageable member defined by a base in the form of a generally semi-cylindrical bar and a wear cap removably received on the bar. The wear cap is in the form of a cylindrical segment having its opposite ends separated by more than 180 degrees and when mounted in place on the base, the opposite ends of the wear cap are respectively located in close proximity to a grouser removably secured to the track link and adapted to be located in close proximity to a grouser of an adjacent link whereby the wear cap is retained in position as long as the grousers are in position.

Abstract: A method for making replacement grouser bars particularly contoured to fit rock worn grouser shoes from blanks cut from inexpensive sheet metal. The blank has a straight lower edge and a curved upper edge such that the bar is thicker at the ends than in the middle. The straight lower edge is easily double beveled and the blank is reverse forged to obtain a finished grouser bar having a straight upper edge and a curved lower edge, the bar still being thicker at the ends than in the middle.

Abstract: A track block for a track-laying vehicle. The block is characterized by an elongated unitary beam, with two diverging links extending radially in a common direction from opposite ends of the beam. The links are constructed to straddle, and to be hinged to, the beam in an adjacent block. Cantilevered from a central portion of the beam, and extending generally in the same direction as and coplanar with the links, is a road-wheel bearing plate, through which received road-wheel bearing forces are carried directly to the links solely through the beam.

Abstract: A crawler shoe for a mining shovel or the like includes a portion in which a cylindrical hole is provided for receiving a steel pin which pivotally connects the crawler shoe to an adjacent shoe. The portion in which the hole is provided is fabricated of a work-hardenable steel alloy, such as Hadfield-Manganese Alloy, and the wall of the hole is work-hardened by a tool which expands the diameter of the hole slightly and at the same time compresses and hardens the steel defining and adjacent the hole to a predetermined depth and to a predetermined degree of hardness. The tool comprises a plurality of radially arranged, slightly skewed, rotatable rollers which are mounted on a rotatable body insertable into the hole and which are movable radially outwardly to roll and exert pressure on the wall surface defining the hole.

Abstract: A drive system comprising an endless tread belt made up of identical tread belt links and a cooperating drive tumbler is disclosed. The link is formed with a ground engaging bottom face, a drive wheel engaging top face, and connecting ears along its forward and aft sides which are suitable to interdigit with the ears of other links so as to form a belt. The link also has a guiding cog rising upwardly from the central region of the top face, a bearing surface on each lateral side of the guiding cog, aligned drive surfaces on the forward and aft sides of the guiding cog located between the link bottom face and link top face, and a slot in alignment with the drive surfaces.

Abstract: A track structure for a crawler track of a crawler vehicle, a crawler track employing such a track structure, and method of making the track structure are provided wherein the track structure comprises an ultra high molecular weight polymeric material having a molecular weight of at least two million. The track structure may also be defined as a laminated construction having at least a portion thereof utilizing ultra high molecular weight polymeric material and the track structure may also have friction elements embedded in the polymeric material.

Abstract: A plurality of sections are fitted together so that they fit around an uninflated tire and they are fastened together to form a rigid cylinder. The tire is then inflated thus holding the now solid rim or track in position. Each section includes a curved base and a ground-surface engaging projection extending therefrom. The curved base includes a planar plate portion at one end and a trailing jaw portion at the other end. The plate portion of one section engages the jaw portion of the next adjacent section and the jaws are then closed over the plate and a fastener such as a rivet or the like, is placed through the jaws and through the plate thus forming the rigid connection. There is room provided in the engagement of the plate with the jaws to adjust the sections before fastening same so that the desired diameter of the finished rim or track may be obtained.

Abstract: A low ground pressure track shoe includes a ground-engaging surface defined, in part, by downwardly converging arcuate surfaces having a radius of curvature, at various points along the length of the shoe, which is slightly less than the distance between the pivot connections of a track link with which the shoe is adapted for use. The ground-engaging surface has a central lowermost flat rectangular surface constituting approximately one-ninth of the vertically projected surface area of the shoe.

Abstract: A tread belt drive system for heavy mobile equipment includes an endless tread belt made up of a plurality of identical links joined together by link connecting pins. Each of the links has a ground engaging bottom and a top having a cog, or cog portion, positioned medially of the link ends, which cog has fore and aft driving surfaces. A pair of longitudinally extending tumbler rim and roller engaging surfaces which extend above the cog are positioned on the top of the link, one on each side of the cog. The links have fore and aft pin connections with the pin center below the engaging surfaces in alignment with the driving surfaces. The drive system also includes rollers which support the weight of the equipment and drive and idler tumbers each having a rim and teeth.

Abstract: An endless self-laying tread or track such as used on self-propelled mining machines and the like, the tread or track being comprised of a plurality of articulated crawler pads configured so as not only to effect good ground engagement but also to assist in preventing the tread or track from becoming clogged. A plurality of the crawler pads are arranged in interdigitated relationship and connected by elongated pins. As so connected open ended spaces are provided at either side of the tread for engagement by the teeth of a driving sprocket. By this arrangement such teeth may be wider and thicker. The space occupied by such a sprocket tooth, being open ended, greatly facilitates the dispersement of any accumulated packing between the tooth and the crawler pads in a sideways direction. One or more pins or pintles are used to connect each adjacent pair of interdigitated pads.