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US 12,709,338 B2Granted
Arrangements for tractive elements of power machines
AssigneeDoosan Bobcat North America, Inc.
InventorDennis Agnew
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tractive element for a power machine can include a frame, an endless track, a drive sprocket, and a first set of split rollers. The first set of rollers can include a first roller rotatably coupled to the first plate with a first axis of rotation and a second roller rotatably coupled to the second plate with a second axis of rotation. The first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation can be spaced apart from one another with a first roller offset distance, along a front-to-back direction of the tractive element, that can provide improved ride quality.
Claims25
A tractive element for a power machine, the tractive element comprising:
- a frame having a first support plate spaced in a lateral direction from a second support plate;
- an endless track surrounding and being supported by the frame, the endless track including a plurality of embeds evenly spaced apart that define a pitch of the endless track;
- a drive sprocket rotatably coupled to the frame, the drive sprocket being configured to engage and rotate the endless track;
- and
- a first set of split rollers including a first roller rotatably coupled to the first support plate with a first axis of rotation and a second roller rotatably coupled to the second support plate with a second axis of rotation, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation being spaced apart from one another along a front-to-back direction of the tractive element to define a first roller offset distance;
- and
- a second set of split rollers including a third roller rotatably coupled to the first support plate with a third axis of rotation and a fourth roller rotatably coupled to the second support plate with a fourth axis of rotation, the third axis of rotation and the fourth axis of rotation being spaced apart from one another along the front-to-back direction of the tractive element to define a second roller offset distance;
- wherein the first, second, third, and fourth axes of rotation are arranged along the front-to-back direction with the first axis of rotation closest to a first end of the tractive element, the fourth axis of rotation closest to a second end of the tractive element that is opposite the first end, the second axis of rotation between the first and fourth axes of rotation, and the third axis of rotation between the second and fourth axes of rotation;
- wherein the first axis of rotation and the third axis of rotation are spaced apart from one another along the front-to-back direction of the tractive element to define a third roller offset distance;
- wherein a ratio of each of the first, second, and third roller offset distances to the pitch is not a multiple of 0.5;
- and
- wherein the ratio of the third roller offset distance to the pitch is greater than 0.5 and less than 0.6.
9 more elements
A power machine comprising:
- a power machine frame that supports a work element;
- an axle assembly including:
- a first front axle extending outwardly from a first side of the power machine frame, proximate a front of the power machine frame;
- a second front axle extending outwardly from a second side of the power machine frame, proximate the front of the power machine frame;
- a first rear axle extending outwardly from the first side of the power machine frame, proximate a rear of the power machine frame;
- and
- a second rear axle extending outwardly from the second side of the power machine frame, proximate the rear of the power machine frame;
- and
- a quad-track arrangement including:
- a first tractive element operatively coupled to the first front axle;
- a second tractive element operatively coupled to the second front axle;
- a third tractive element operatively coupled to the first rear axle;
- and
- a fourth tractive element operatively coupled to the second rear axle;
- wherein at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth tractive elements includes:
- a track frame having a first support plate spaced apart from a second support plate;
- an endless track surrounding and supported by the track frame, the endless track including a plurality of embeds that define a pitch;
- a drive sprocket rotatably coupled to the track frame, the drive sprocket being engaged with the embeds to rotate the endless track around the track frame;
- and
- a set of rollers including, in order from front to back:
- a first roller rotatably coupled to the first support plate with a first axis of rotation, a second roller rotatably coupled to the second support plate with a second axis of rotation, a third roller rotatably coupled to the first support plate with a third axis of rotation, and a fourth roller rotatably coupled to the second support plate with a fourth axis of rotation;
- and
- wherein a spacing between the first and second axes of rotation is greater than 0.5 times the pitch and less than 0.6 times the pitch.
20 more elements
A power machine comprising:
- a power machine frame that supports an operator station;
- a work element operably coupled to the power machine frame;
- a power source supported by the power machine frame and configured to power movement of the work element;
- and
- a tractive element secured to the power machine frame and configured to be powered by the power source to provide tractive force for the power machine, the tractive element including:
- a track frame having a first support plate spaced from a second support plate;
- an endless track surrounding and being supported by the track frame;
- a drive sprocket rotatably coupled to the track frame, the drive sprocket being configured to engage and rotate the endless track;
- and
- a first set of split rollers including a first roller rotatably coupled to the first support plate with a first axis of rotation and a second roller rotatably coupled to the second support plate with a second axis of rotation, wherein the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation are spaced apart along a front-to-back direction of the tractive element to define a first roller offset distance, a ratio of the first roller offset distance to a pitch of the endless track is not a multiple of 0.5, and the ratio of the first roller offset distance to the pitch of the endless track is greater than 0.5 and less than 0.6.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.