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US 2023/0415830 A1Published application
Track assembly with resilient axle suspension supports
OwnerGlen Brazierinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endless track assembly that mounts to a vehicle drive linkage. The track assembly includes a belted track, drive sprocket and sets of internal idler/road wheels that support interior track surfaces. Road axles having an appended, radially extending flange couple to axle housings at the framework shaped to contain one or more resilient cushions and an axle wear plate. The resilient cushions are supported in mating cooperation with channels at the axle flange and channels and appendages at the axle housings to independently compress and expand with road axle movement relative to the track framework over undulating terrain.
Claims20
A track assembly for a vehicle having a chassis, an engine and a plurality of axles, comprising:
- a) a track having an interior surface from which a plurality of drive lugs project and an exterior surface from which a plurality of ground lugs project and including a surface region defining a footprint whereat the track ground lugs engage the terrain;
- and
- b) a framework including a drive sprocket, a plurality of idler wheels supported from a plurality of axles and a plurality of housings, wherein each housing contains one of said axles and wherein said track is circumferentially trained around said framework such that the drive lugs engage said sprocket and said idler wheels contact interior surfaces of said track;
- c) wherein a plurality of said plurality of axles each include a flange plate projecting from a body of said axle and wherein said flange plate is mounted in one of said housings;
- and
- d) a plurality of cushion members supported to said housings to contact said flange plates to resist motion of said axles to pivot or rise and fall in said housings, whereby said track idler wheels can independently rise and fall and conform to changing terrain contours.
3 more elements
A track assembly for a vehicle having a chassis, an engine and a plurality of axles, comprising:
- a) a track having an interior surface from which a plurality of drive lugs project and an exterior surface from which a plurality of ground lugs project and including a surface region defining a footprint whereat the track ground lugs engage the terrain;
- and
- b) a framework including a drive sprocket, a plurality of idler wheels supported from a plurality of axles and a plurality of housings, wherein each housing contains one of said axles, wherein each housing includes a transverse channel and wherein said track is circumferentially trained around said framework such that the drive lugs engage said sprocket and said idler wheels contact interior surfaces of said track;
- c) wherein a plurality of said plurality of axles each include a flange plate projecting from a body of said axles and wherein said flange plate is mounted in one of said housings;
- d) wherein each of said housings includes a wear plate supported to contact said axle body with movement of said axle in each of said housings;
- e) a plurality of elastomer members supported to said housings to contact each flange plate such that movement of each of said flange plates in each of said housings compresses or expands each of said elastomer members to resist motion of said axles to pivot or rise and fall in each of said housings, whereby said idler wheels can independently rise and fall and induce said track to conform to changing terrain contours.
3 more elements
A track assembly for a vehicle having a chassis, an engine and a plurality of axles, comprising:
- a) a track having an interior surface from which a plurality of drive lugs project and an exterior surface from which a plurality of ground lugs project and including a surface region defining a footprint whereat the track ground lugs engage the terrain;
- and
- b) a framework including a drive sprocket, a plurality of idler wheels supported from a plurality of axles and a plurality of housings, wherein each housing contains one of said axles, wherein each housing includes first and second transverse channels and wherein said track is circumferentially trained around said framework such that the drive lugs engage said sprocket and said idler wheels contact interior surfaces of said track;
- c) wherein a plurality of said plurality of axles each include a flange plate projecting from a body of said axle, wherein each flange plate includes first and second transverse channels and wherein each flange plate mounts in one of said housings;
- d) wherein each of said housings includes a wear plate supported to contact said axle body with movement of each of said axles in each of said housings;
- e) a plurality of elastomer members supported between the first and second channels of each of said housings and said flange plate at each housing such that movement of each of said flange plates in each of said housings compresses or expands each of said elastomer members to resist motion of said axles to pivot or rise and fall in each of said housings, whereby said idler wheels can independently rise and fall and induce said track to conform to changing terrain contours.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.