Including Self-cleaning Endless Belt Patents (Class 305/112)
  • Patent number: 10759505
    Abstract: A crayfish or crawfish harvesting apparatus employs an improved drive that uses hydraulic wheels (e.g., rubber tired wheels) encircled by one or more endless belts. One or more hydraulic motor drives can be used to drive the wheels. Lugs or guide lugs are placed on opposing sides of each wheel and are preferably connected to the belt. Fasteners (e.g., bolts or rivets) attach cleats (e.g., steel u-shaped channel cleats) to the belts and lugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Inventor: John B. Coast
  • Patent number: 9610986
    Abstract: A drive apparatus for a track of a snowmobile includes a drive shaft and a drive sprocket coupled to the drive shaft. The drive sprocket includes a first drive member having a plurality of teeth configured to engage drive lugs on an inner surface of the track and a second drive member having plurality of teeth configured to enter the openings formed in the track upon rotation of the drive shaft. First and second connecting webs extend between the teeth of the first and second drive members, respectively. The first and second connecting webs each have first and second side angled surfaces aligned an angle of less than 180° relative to each other to minimize snow build up on the first and second drive members, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Conn
  • Patent number: 8827382
    Abstract: A track cleaning system for continuous cleaning of an endless track assembly on a machine so equipped. The system has at least one first side wiper bar assembly, and at least one second side wiper bar assembly. The system also has at least one track shoe that is a member of the endless track assembly. A track assembly inside cavity is formed by a track assembly outer periphery of the endless track assembly, where upon rotational operation of the endless track assembly, the track cleaning system rotates about the track assembly inside cavity. Debris is scraped from and away from the track assembly inside cavity and removed. As a result, less debris is introduced to the endless track assembly components of the endless track assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Inventor: Michael R. Jeffs
  • Patent number: 8474554
    Abstract: An unmanned guided vehicle that is at least twice as fast as those of the prior art, lighter, less vulnerable, and more reliable than the prior art having at least one of: a dual-action dogleg suspension system; a track system comprising a plurality of cleats, a rubber insert secured to each cleat, and two cables serially joining each cleat to make up a track; a track guide system comprising a shark fin secured to each cleat that runs through a plurality of track guides; a dry clutch and braking system; a tubular chassis comprising a tubular center chassis and a tubular suspension chassis; a spring-loaded piston track tension compensator system; a flat drive tooth drive sprocket system that allows for clearing foreign debris from between the teeth; and a suspension carrier modular design assembly system comprising a passenger side suspension carrier, center cage, and driver's side suspension carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Howe and Howe Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael David Howe, Geoffrey Scott Howe
  • Patent number: 8297718
    Abstract: A rubber crawler for a tracked vehicle involves an endless rubber belt body for revolving around first and second members that are spaced from each other, which belt body has an outer peripheral face including a plurality of lugs that protrude outwardly from the belt body, each of which lugs has a ground-contacting surface and a sidewall extending outwardly from the belt body to the ground-contacting surface, the sidewall having a groove extending transversely to the length direction of the belt body, and each of which lugs is at least partially made of material that is deformable, at the groove of the sidewall, when the belt body bends to facilitate removal of soil from the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Artic Investments S.A.
    Inventor: Koenraad Pringiers
  • Publication number: 20120139334
    Abstract: A rubber crawler for a tracked vehicle involves an endless rubber belt body for revolving around first and second members that are spaced from each other, which belt body has an outer peripheral face including a plurality of lugs that protrude outwardly from the belt body, each of which lugs has a ground-contacting surface and a sidewall extending outwardly from the belt body to the ground-contacting surface, the sidewall having a groove extending transversely to the length direction of the belt body, and each of which lugs is at least partially made of material that is deformable, at the groove of the sidewall, when the belt body bends to facilitate removal of soil from the groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventor: KOENRAAD PRINGIERS