Tracked vehicle tensioning
AssigneeHowe & Howe Inc.
InventorsForrest Joel Tripp, Anthony Victor Castro, William Edward McMaster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A track tensioning mechanism and method includes a bracket assembly coupled to an axle of a tensioner wheel configured to engage a track to be tensioned. The bracket assembly has its own axle, which is configured to rotatably engage with a body of the vehicle. The axle of the bracket assembly is laterally offset from the axle of the tensioner wheel, enabling the track to be loosened or tightened by rotating the bracket assembly about its own axle between first and second positions.
Claims19
A track tensioning mechanism for a tracked vehicle, comprising:
- a tensioner wheel configured to engage a track to be tightened, the tensioner wheel having a first axle about which the tensioner wheel can rotate;
- and
- a bracket assembly coupled to the first axle and having a second axle about which the bracket assembly can rotate relative to a body of the vehicle,
- wherein the second axle is laterally offset from the first axle, enabling the track to be loosened or tightened by rotating the bracket assembly about the second axle between first and second positions,
- wherein the bracket assembly includes a housing piece from which the second axle extends and a translating piece that extends between the housing piece and the first axle, the translating piece configured to translate relative to the housing piece for varying a distance between the first axle and the second axle.
A tracked vehicle, comprising a body and first and second suspension carriers having respective tracks, each of the first and second suspension carriers including a tensioning mechanism that includes:
- a tensioner wheel configured to engage a track to be tightened, the tensioner wheel having a first axle about which the tensioner wheel can rotate;
- and
- a bracket assembly coupled to the first axle and having a second axle about which the bracket assembly can rotate relative to a body of the vehicle,
- wherein the second axle is laterally offset from the first axle, enabling the track to be loosened or tightened by rotating the bracket assembly about the second axle between first and second positions,
- wherein the bracket assembly includes a pry bar receiver constructed and arranged to receive a pry bar to be used when rotating the bracket assembly about the second axle between first and second positions.
A method of controlling tension of a track of a tracked vehicle, comprising:
- applying a bracket assembly to a body of the tracked vehicle by inserting an axle of the bracket assembly into an opening at a side of the vehicle, the bracket assembly having a translating piece coupled to an axle of a tensioner wheel around which the track turns, the bracket assembly applied in a first position in which the track is loose;
- and
- rotating the bracket assembly about the axle of the bracket assembly from the first position to a second position, the track being tighter in the second position than it is in the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.