Abstract: The present invention relates to a fastening arrangement of a drive wheel (DW) for an endless track (E) of a tracked vehicle (V) the drive wheel (DW) comprising a hub member (H) and a drive sprocket member (S1, S2). Said drive sprocket member comprises a set of teeth (10) arranged around the circumference of said drive sprocket member (S1, S2), said teeth (10) being configured to engage with said endless track (E). Said drive sprocket member (S1, S2) further comprises a support member (20) for teeth (10) of said drive sprocket member. Said teeth (10) are configured to be removably attached to said support member (20). Said fastening arrangement is configured for fastening one or more teeth (10) of the set of teeth (10) to the support member (20). Said fastening arrangement comprises a set of dovetail shaped recesses (22) of said support member (20).

Abstract: A seal (21) is constituted by an outer lip portion (22) to be held in abutting engagement with an outer link portion (9) of a crawler belt (7), an inner lip portion (23) to be held in abutting engagement with a bush (11), and an interconnecting bridge portion (24) bridged and connected between the outer and inner lip portions (22, 23). The outer lip portion (22) on the side of track link, the inner lip portion (23) on the side of bush, and outer bridge portion (24A) and inner bridge portion (24B) of the interconnecting bridge portion (24) are formed in thicknesses (T1, T2, T1? and T2?), respectively, which are in the relations of (T2?T2?>T1?T1?). A maximum outside diameter portion (24C) of the interconnecting bridge portion (24) is located radially outward of a median point between inner and outer peripheral ends of the lip portion (23) on the side of bush. The inner lip portion (23) as a whole is uniformly pressed against an end face (11A) of the bush (11) by the interconnecting bridge portion (24).

Abstract: An elastic crawler traveling apparatus having an elastic crawler in a shape of an endless belt, a sprocket for a crawler belt arranged to be brought into contact with an inner face of the elastic crawler, a driven wheel, and a rolling wheel, the elastic crawler including a belt main body, a plurality of projections formed to project at intervals along a peripheral direction on an inner face of the belt main body, and a tension member embedded at an inner portion of the belt main body for restricting elongation of the belt main body, in which the sprocket has a contact portion to contact the belt main body and a contact width of the contact portion in a belt width direction of the elastic crawler is wider than a root width of the projection in the belt width direction.

Abstract: An endless flexible belt track produced from an elastomer comprises a steel cable (30) spirally wound in the thickness of the belt (12) and outer layers embedded in the thickness of the belt and formed successively from the turns (34) of the cable toward the outside, by: a first oblique layer (36) formed from wires that in turn form a first acute angle (A) to a perpendicular to the turns of the cable; a transversal layer (38) formed from wires that in turn form a right angle to the turns of the cable; and a second oblique layer (40) formed from wires that in turn form a second acute angle (B) to a perpendicular to the turns of the cable, the second acute angle (B) extending in the opposite direction to the first acute angle (A). Application to all-terrain vehicles.

Abstract: A seal (21) is constituted by an outer lip portion (22) to be held in abutting engagement with an outer link portion (9) of a crawler belt (7), an inner lip portion (23) to be held in abutting engagement with a bush (11), and an interconnecting bridge portion (24) bridged and connected between the outer and inner lip portions (22, 23). The outer lip portion (22) on the side of track link, the inner lip portion (23) on the side of bush, and outer bridge portion (24A) and inner bridge portion (24B) of the interconnecting bridge portion (24) are formed in thicknesses (T1, T2, T1′ and T2′), respectively, which are in the relations of (T2≈T2′>T1≈T1′). A maximum outside diameter portion (24C) of the interconnecting bridge portion (24) is located radially outward of a median point between inner and outer peripheral ends of the lip portion (23) on the side of bush.

Abstract: An endless belt for use with a heavy duty track vehicle comprises a body made of polymeric material wherein a series of longitudinally spaced guide members are integrally formed to the inner surface thereof while two rows of longitudinally spaced tread members are integrally formed to the outer surface thereof. Each tread member in each row has an outer edge area adjacent the outer edge of the body and an inner edge area terminating substantially at mid-section of the body. Each tread member of the first row is longitudinally offset relative to an adjacent tread member of the second row. Each inner edge area of the tread members is in vertical alignment with a corresponding one of the guide members of the inner surface of the body. Also, the pitch defined by two successive guide members differs in value from other pitches along the outer surfaces of the belt. This particular geometry of tread members and drive members is such as to reduce slitting damages to the track when driven as well as vibration.

Abstract: A track assembly includes a frame. The track assembly also includes a drive wheel and an idler wheel rotateably secured to the frame. The track assembly further includes an endless belt having an inner surface and an outer surface. The endless belt is disposed around the drive wheel and the idler wheel. The track assembly also includes a guide block secured to the inner surface of the endless belt. The track assembly further includes a first roller rotateably secured to the guide block.

Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a drive shaft and a sprocket drive assembly. The sprocket drive assembly includes a hub mechanically coupled to the drive shaft, a first side support secured to the hub, a second side support secured to the hub, and a plurality of engagement members each interposed between the first side support and the second side support. Each of the plurality of engagement members is rotatably secured to each of the first side support and the second side support. The drive mechanism further includes a track assembly which has a plurality of shoes which are secured to one another to form a track, and a plurality of drive lugs which are mounted to the plurality of shoes. Each of the plurality of drive lugs has a first grasping notch and a second grasping notch defined therein. The plurality of drive lugs includes a first drive lug and a second drive lug which are adjacent to each other.

Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a drive shaft and a sprocket drive assembly. The sprocket drive assembly includes a hub mechanically coupled to the drive shaft, a first side support secured to the hub, a second side support secured to the hub, and a plurality of engagement members each interposed between the first side support and the second side support. Each of the plurality of engagement members is rotatably secured to each of the first side support and the second side support. The drive mechanism further includes a track assembly which has a plurality of shoes which are secured to one another to form a track, and a plurality of drive lugs which are mounted to the plurality of shoes. Each of the plurality of drive lugs has a first grasping notch and a second grasping notch defined therein. The plurality of drive lugs includes a first drive lug and a second drive lug which are adjacent to each other.

Abstract: A drive system for a "Caterpillar" vehicle has at least one elastic belt track which is driven by a drive gear in accordance with the principle of a frictional connection, and a further gear which is supported coaxially to the drive gear so that the drive force can be transferred to the coaxially supported gear and it is engaged with the belt track through toothed elements.

Abstract: An improved radio-controlled track-driven vehicle comprises an innovative belt drive structure in which the rear wheels engage with the belt in positive drive, and the front wheels engage with the belt in frictional drive. According to one embodiment of the invention, the drive belt has taller central teeth that are received within a central groove of the front and rear wheels, and shorter lateral teeth that mesh with complementary toothed regions of the rear wheels and frictionally contact corresponding smooth cylindrical surfaces of the front driven wheels. In another embodiment of the invention, the belt teeth extend transversely across most of the width of the belt, with alternate teeth having disposed thereon a taller central tooth to be received within the wheel grooves.

Abstract: A wear indicator for a sprocket adapted to have an endless track arranged in driving association therewith. The sprocket has opposite side surfaces and a series of sprocket teeth disposed peripherally about the sprocket. Each sprocket tooth has a tip with track engaging surfaces extending away therefrom to define a tooth profile. The sprocket wear indicator includes a visual marker on a side surface of the sprocket for allowing a person to visually gauge wear of the tooth profile on the sprocket.

Abstract: A linear spacing device has first and second elongated components, which may be telescoping hollow tubes, each having linear surfaces engaging each other in sliding relationship. Each component has spaced holes disposed at regular linear intervals along its length. The intervals between the holes through the second component are different than the intervals between the holes through said first component. A pin or similar means is insertable through selected aligned holes through the first and second components to secure them in a selected orientation. Thus the overall length of the spacer can be adjusted in small increments substantially less than the diameter of the holes. The device further includes an extendable linear actuator engageable with a surface of each of the components to extend the overall length of the spacer. The actuator is removable from the device after the components are secured together.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the operable position of a roller means adapted to engage endless driven elements such as chains, belts, and the like. The apparatus includes a sprocket carrying assembly that is operably connected to the chain engaging sprocket. A hollow piston, having one end thereof rigidly attached to the chain driven piece of equipment, is slidably and non-rotatably received within the sprocket carrying assembly. The sprocket carrying assembly has a pressure receiving port and cavity therein that is adapted to receive pressurized grease. Seals are provided between the sprocket carrying assembly and piston to achieve a fluid-tight seal therebetween. The hollow piston has a screw member threadedly received therein that is adapted to be axially advanced into and out of the piston by rotating a shaft that extends through the fixed end of the piston. A locking mechanism is removably fastened to the machinery for selectively restricting the rotation of the shaft member.

Abstract: An endless track assembly for a vehicle includes a support plate having an elongated, horizontal guide slot formed in one end thereof. A support is slidably mounted in a guide groove and an idler sprocket is rotatably mounted on a support. The drive sprocket is rotatably mounted at the other end of the support plate and an endless track is entrained about the two sprockets. A spring is mounted between an abutment on the movable support member and an adjustable abutment member which is secured to the side of the support plate between the two sprockets. A chamber containing pressurized grease is disposed in engagement with the movable abutment to vary the position thereof to vary the force of the spring acting on the idler sprocket to in turn vary the tension of the endless track. A plurality of guide rollers are rotatably mounted in engagement with the endless track on the same side of the support member as the sprockets.

Abstract: A roller belt arrangement for caterpillar track-type vehicles and having several rotating belts that are connected via grippers that guarantee a positive drive and are secured to the belts via screw bolts. To prevent lateral bulging of the belt from occurring during securement of the grippers, which bulges lead to undesired shearing stresses in the belt body, in the vicinity of lateral edges of the gripper and/or their securement elements, the rubber cover layers are provided with notches that extend along the edges and prevent or reduce the stresses in the belt body caused by the bulging.

Abstract: A continuous track drive sprocket wheel for snow traversing vehicles being adapted to reduce track instability and improve track retention upon the vehicles. The sprocket wheel has an enlarged toothed flange providing improved guiding contact with the grousers and utilizing contact with typical tire guides to increase belt stability and reduce grouser and belt stresses, as well as to increase sprocket wheel durability.

Abstract: A drive sprocket assembly for driving an endless chain assembly for propelling a vehicle includes a housing, which is mountable to the power drive system of the vehicle, and a plurality of replaceable teeth structures which are secured to the housing. The housing includes a hub portion having a cushion band and spaced apart parallel flanges. Each tooth structure is in contact with the hub and is secured to the flanges by a plurality of retaining pins. Each tooth structure is resiliently isolated from the hub by the cushion band and from adjoining teeth structures by non-metallic pads. Conventional drive sprocket assemblies utilize a one-piece toothed sprocket, or sprocket segments having several teeth, bolted to a support member. These prior sprocket assemblies produce considerable noise from impacting of the sprocket teeth with an endless chain assembly.

Abstract: A sprocket and drive assembly for a tracked vehicle which includes individual track segments. Each track segment includes a rounded portion in the form of a number of spheres or a single cylinder, which is secured to an endless cable. The sprocket has a number of circumferential recesses in the form of cylindrical troughs or concave pockets. Rotation of the sprocket drives the track segments via the drive members which are engaged within the complementary shaped recesses of the sprocket.

Abstract: A drive mechanism comprises an endless belt wrapped around a drive wheel. The drive wheel includes flat facets formed on its outer surface which are arranged to become superimposed relative to plate-like shoes mounted on the belt to impart a positive drive to the belt.

Abstract: A sprocket assembly is disclosed for use as a drive or idler wheel for the endless tracks of a track type vehicle. Included is an inner rim rigidly and concentrically mounted to a hub and having a series of studs projecting radially outwardly therefrom at constant circumferential spacings. Each stud has fitted thereon a universal shock absorber having two or more concentric tubes of rigid material with a preloaded elastic member or members engaged therebetween. Disposed concentrically outwardly of the studded inner rim is an outer rim having a series of sprocket teeth formed on its circumference and defining an annular row of radial, inwardly open cavities to closely receive the respective shock absorbers on the studs of the inner rim. The shock absorbers damp the forces exerted between the inner and outer rims in all of the axial, radial, and rotational directions of the sprocket assembly.

Abstract: An aluminum or aluminum alloy wheel is disclosed for use in a back-to-back support wheel assembly in a track laying vehicle. Studs are embedded in the wheel rim edges 30 to reduce wear at the point of contact by the horns 34 of the track 36.

Abstract: A sprocket wheel assembly of a crawler vehicle which comprises a first inner tube mounted on a drive shaft, a second inner tube rotatably mounted on a final reduction gear casing and fixedly connected with the first inner tube, and an outer tube disposed so as to extend over the outer circumferences of the first and second inner tubes. A first elastic annular block unit is interposed between the first annular tube and one end section of the outer tube and a second elastic annular block unit is interposed between the second inner tube and the other end section of the outer tube. A sprocket wheel for driving a linked-together endless track is fixedly mounted to the outer tube.

Abstract: A sprocket wheel for a tracked vehicle, the sprocket wheel being in the form of an annular body having teeth integrally moulded of elastomeric material, the teeth including metal inserts moulded therein and providing track engaging surfaces in the inter-tooth valleys about the sprocket wheel.

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 roller system includes a replaceable rim assembly made up of two groups of multi-segments held to the hub in axially spaced position by a multi-segment retainer in the central space between the groups of rim segments, the rim segments retained against endwise movement on the hub by central locking surfaces, and the retainers held to the hub by removeable fasteners.

Abstract: Track roller for track-laying vehicles such as excavators having a shaft, a roller body rotatably supported thereon, two caps for limiting relative axial movement of shaft and roller body, and end pieces for attaching the track roller to the frame. The shaft has at its center a relatively large diameter, laterally thereof, spaced axially from each other, two relatively wide cylindrical bearing surfaces of larger diameter and, on its sides, ends of reduced diameter with elastic packings at suitable places between the end pieces and the caps and between the caps and the roller body, and an antifriction metal washer arranged between shaft and caps for the feeding of oil to those packings requiring lubrication which is effected from the oil space arranged between the bearing surfaces of the shaft and serves as an oil reservoir.

Abstract: The track belt assembly of the present invention comprises a plurality of shoes spaced about the periphery of a load-supporting structure. A reinforcing belt structure is disposed on the side of the shoe opposite the ground-engaging side thereof. Each shoe is secured at its lateral ends to the belt reinforcing structure by two separate anchor plates disposed on the side of the belt opposite that which is adjacent the shoes.

Abstract: A sprocket wheel of an endless track-type vehicle has a hub and a plurality of sprocket teeth segments fixedly secured to the outermost of the hub to engage a plurality of bushings of an endless track for driving the same. The hub comprises a substantially annular-shaped radially inner part, a substantially annular-shaped radially outer part arranged movably with respect to the inner part by the interposition of a plurality of deformable resilient block segments tightly inserted into an annular space defined by and between the inner and outer parts, and a stopper mechanism for preventing the deformable resilient block segments from an excessive deformation thereof.

Abstract: An inserting machine is provided with mechanisms which allow it to operate in conjunction with a rotary printing press. In a preferred embodiment, the inserting machine is driven synchronously by the press and is fed newspaper jackets directly from the printing press without the need for intervening jacket feeders or stackers. A diverting mechanism which oscillates is positioned previous to the shingling operation of the press folder to divide the single press stream into multiple streams by diverting alternate jackets to different conveyors which are driven at a slower throughput. The divided streams of jackets are transported via the conveyors to an inserting machine which has two inserting lines arranged in a tandem configuration in order to insert at double the speed of a single line inserter and also in order to compensate the folds in the stacks and to output a bundle rather than a stream.

Abstract: A wheel (16) in a continuous track assembly (12) has a hub (18) and a rim (20) connected to the hub (18). First apparatus (29) engages a track (14) of the assembly (12) to drive an associated work vehicle (10). Second apparatus (42) mounts the rim (20) in a movable relationship to the hub (18). The first apparatus (29) in movable relationship to the rim (20) to substantially absorb and isolate noise created by engagement of the wheel (16) and track (14) to drive the vehicle (10). The rim (20) is movable relative to the hub (18) to substantially isolate impact forces exerted on the wheel (16) resulting from operation of the vehicle (10).