Walk-behind apparatus with continuous tracks
AssigneeBarreto Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsGregory L. Barreto, Stephen Barreto, Lucas T. Barreto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A walk-behind apparatus can include a carriage assembly and one or more continuous track drive systems made up of one or more drive wheels and/or idler wheels, a continuous track, and a tensioning system. The tensioning system can include a biasing member, a tension rod, and a pivot joint. The tensioning system can be configured such that when the pivot joint pivots outward away from the carriage assembly to a first state and inward toward the carriage assembly to a second state and there is more tension on the continuous track in the second state than in the first state.
Claims20
A walk-behind apparatus comprising:
- a carriage assembly;
- a hydrostatic pump;
- and
- two drive assemblies, each drive assembly comprising:
- a hydraulic motor, hydraulicly coupled to the hydrostatic pump;
- a pivotable idler wheel pivotably coupled to the carriage assembly at a pivot point, wherein the pivot point is fixed relative to the carriage assembly;
- a fixed idler wheel rotatably coupled to the carriage assembly;
- a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the carriage assembly;
- a continuous track extending around the pivotable idler wheel, the fixed idler wheel, and the drive wheel;
- and
- a tensioning system comprising:
- a tensioner rod with a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion is coupled to the pivotable idler wheel;
- and
- a lever member pivotably coupled to the carriage assembly and to the second end portion of the tensioner rod, wherein pivoting the lever member outward away from the carriage assembly results in the pivotable idler wheel moving in a first direction relative to the carriage assembly and reducing tension in the continuous track, and wherein pivoting the lever member inward toward the carriage assembly results in the pivotable idler wheel moving in a second direction relative to the carriage assembly and increases tension in the continuous track.
A walk-behind apparatus comprising:
- a carriage assembly;
- and
- one or more drive assemblies, each drive assembly comprising:
- a pivotable idler wheel pivotably coupled to the carriage assembly at a pivot point wherein the pivot point is fixed relative to the carriage assembly;
- a drive wheel;
- a continuous track extending around the pivotable idler wheel and the drive wheel;
- and
- a tensioning system comprising:
- a tensioner rod with a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the second end portion is coupled to the pivotable idler wheel;
- and
- a lever member pivotably coupled to the carriage assembly and pivotably coupled to the first end portion of the tensioner rod, wherein the lever member pivots outward away from the carriage assembly to a first state and inward toward the carriage assembly to a second state to move the pivotable idler wheel from a first position to a second position, and wherein there is more tension on the continuous track in the second state than in the first state.
A track drive assembly comprising:
- a pivotable idler wheel pivotable relative to a fixed pivot point;
- a drive wheel driven by a hydraulic motor;
- a continuous track extending around the pivotable idler wheel and the drive wheel;
- and
- a tensioning system comprising:
- a tensioner rod with a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the second end portion is coupled to the pivotable idler wheel;
- and
- a lever member pivotably coupled between a carriage assembly and the first end portion of the tensioner rod, wherein the lever member pivots outward away from the carriage assembly to a first state and inward toward the carriage assembly to a second state, and wherein there is more tension on the continuous track in the second state than in the first state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.