Detachable road protecting device for tracked vehicles

Track and road protecting means for use with individual track elements of an endless tracked vehicle, successive track elements of said endless track having a transverse cleat on the outboard surface thereof adjacent one end thereof, comprising, in combination:

• a somewhat flexible, somewhat deformable, yet normally substantially shape-retaining block under a load adapted to fit on the outboard face of a single track element of a endless track and positioned thereon,
• said block substantially rectangular in plan, side and end views and having substantially rectangular, paired and parallel sets of side faces, end faces and inboard and outboard load bearing faces,
• the length of said block a substantial part of the distance from cleat to cleat of successive track elements,
• the height of the block greater than the cleat height from the clean outboard surface of the track element, and
• the width of the block at least a substantial portion of the width of the track,
• an elongate, non-extensible element received substantially centrally of and secured within said block and extending laterally thereof from side to side of the block,
• means for removably connecting said non-extensible element to the opposite side edges of an indivdual track element positioned laterally of each of the side faces of said block,
• tensining means laterally positioned of one side face of said block with the inward portion thereof connected to one end of the said non-extensible element and the outward portion thereof engaging one connecting means, and
• rigid coupling means laterally positioned of the other side face of said block with the inward portion thereof connected to the other end of the non-extensible element and the outward portion thereof engaging the other connecting means,
• said tensioning means including a nut fixed to one end of the non-extensible element and a bolt carried by the removable connecting means on one side of the block.

Track and road protecting means for use with individual track elements of an endless tracked vehicle, successive track elements of said endless track having a transverse cleat on the outboard surface thereof adjacent one end thereof, comprising, in combination:

• a somewhat resilient, somewhat flexible, somewhat deformable, yet normally substantially shape-retaining block under load adapted to fit on the outboard face of a single track element of an endless track and positioned thereon,
• said block substantially rectangular in plan, side and end views and having substantially rectangular, paired and parallel sets of side walls, end walls and inboard-outboard load bearing walls,
• the length of said block a substantial part of the distance from cleat to cleat of successive track elements,
• the height of the block substantially greater than the cleat height from the clean outboard surface of the track element, and
• the width of the block at least a substantial part of the width of the track,
• an elongate, non-extensible element received substantially centrally of and secured within said block and extending laterally thereof from side to side of the block,
• individual hook means positioned laterally of each of the side walls of said block in positive, removable engagement with the track element side edge, and
• a separate connecting element communicating between and interconnecting each said individual hook means and one end of said non-extensible element,
• said separate connecting elements, in the said connection between said hook means and said elements, placing said block under tension against said track element, whereby to retain said block positioned on the outboard face of said track element,
• one of said connecting elements including a nut fixed to one end of the non-extensible element and a bolt carried by and engaging the said hook means on one side of the block.