US 12,428,078 B2Granted

Wheel-to-track conversion system

AssigneeStrickland Tracks Limited

InventorLuke Sheppard

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Abstract

A track assembly mounted to a rotating wheel drive of a vehicle that includes a frame with inboard and outboard frame members having a center gap between them. A bearing housing is mounted to the outboard frame member. A hub adaptor has a peripheral wall forming a hollow interior that receives the wheel drive. Separate annular flanges are connected to and extend away from inner and outer surfaces of the peripheral wall and connect to the wheel drive and a sprocket surrounding the hub adaptor. As the hub adaptor rotates within the bearing housing, the sprocket rotates within the center gap of the frame. Idler are rotatably connected to opposed ends of the frame. An endless track is routed over the sprocket and around the idlers. The endless track engages with and is driven by rotation of the sprocket in order to circulate the track about the frame in a generally triangular path.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A track assembly configured to mount to an outboard end of a rotating wheel drive of a vehicle, wherein the wheel drive has an inboard end located opposite the outboard end, the track assembly comprising:

a frame with a first end and a second end and is formed by an inboard frame member and an outboard frame member that are held in a rigid spaced apart configuration;
a center gap formed between the inboard and outboard frame members;
a bearing housing rigidly mounted to the outboard frame member;
a hub adaptor having a peripheral wall forming a hollow interior sized to receive a portion of the wheel drive, a first annular flange connected to and extending inwards from an inner surface of the peripheral wall and configured to rigidly connect to the outboard end of the wheel drive, and a second annular flange connected to and extending outwardly away from an outer surface of the peripheral wall, wherein the hub adaptor is configured to engage and to rotate with respect to the bearing housing;
a sprocket surrounding the hub adaptor and connected to the second annular flange thereof such that, as the hub adaptor rotates within the bearing housing, the sprocket rotates within the center gap of the frame;
an idler rotatably connected to the first and second ends of the frame;
and
an endless track arranged in a generally triangular configuration around the frame by being routed over a top portion of the sprocket to form an apex and also routed around each of the idlers to form a base that is wider than the apex, the endless track engaged with the sprocket at the apex and driven by rotation of the sprocket in order to circulate the track about the frame in a generally triangular path.

5 more elements

A quick connect method for mounting a track assembly to an outboard end of a rotating wheel drive of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing said wheel drive;
and
providing said track assembly, wherein the track assembly includes:
a frame with a first end and a second end and is formed by an inboard frame member and an outboard frame member that are held in a rigid spaced apart configuration;
a center gap formed between the inboard and outboard frame members;
a hub adaptor having a peripheral wall forming a hollow interior sized to receive a portion of the wheel drive, a first annular flange connected to and extending inwards from an inner surface of the peripheral wall and configured to rigidly connect to the outboard end of the wheel drive, and a second annular flange connected to and extending outwardly away from an outer surface of the peripheral wall;
a bearing housing rigidly mounted to the outboard frame member and having a ring-shaped lip that provides an inboard opening and an outboard opening that provides direct access to the first annular flange of the hub adaptor, wherein an outboard end of the peripheral wall of the hub adaptor extends in an outboard direction beyond both the first and second annular flanges of the hub adaptor and into the inboard opening of the ring-shaped lip of the bearing housing and wherein the peripheral wall of the hub adaptor is permitted to rotate within the bearing housing;
a sprocket surrounding the hub adaptor and connected to the second annular flange thereof such that, as the peripheral wall of the hub adaptor rotates within the bearing housing, the sprocket rotates within the center gap of the frame;
an idler rotatably connected to the first and second ends of the frame;
an endless track arranged in a generally triangular configuration around the frame by being routed over a top portion of the sprocket to form an apex and also routed around each of the idlers to form a base that is wider than the apex, the endless track engaged with and driven by rotation of the sprocket in order to circulate the track about the frame in a generally triangular path;
and
while directly accessing the first annular flange of the hub adaptor from an outboard side of the track assembly via the outboard end of the ring-shaped lip, mounting the first annular flange to the wheel drive.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/694,732Filed 15 Mar 2022 · us provisional application
Priority: 16 Mar 2021
Published: US 2022/0297774 A122 Sep 2022
Granted: 30 Sep 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B62D 55/04
Endless track vehicles: with tracks and alternative ground wheels, e.g. changeable from endless track vehicle into wheeled vehicle and vice versa
B62D 49/0635
Comprising traction increasing arrangements, e.g. all-wheel traction devices, multiple-axle traction arrangements, auxiliary traction increasing…:…
B62D 55/108
Suspension devices for wheels, rollers, bogies or frames: with mechanical springs, e.g. torsion bars
B62D 55/125
Arrangement, location, or adaptation of driving sprockets: final drives