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US 4,301,884 AGranted
Track suspension and drive for snowmobile
OwnerJerry L. Taylorinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A snowmobile track suspension subframe of the slide rail type carries a track drive axle at its forward end. Such axle mounts both the track drive sprockets and the driven sprocket of a track drive chain assembly so that the entire track suspension subframe assembly, including its forward drive end, is capable of movement independently of the main frame.
Claims12
An endless track snowmobile vehicle comprising:
- a main frame,
- steerable ski means depending from a forward portion of said main frame,
- a subframe mounting an endless track,
- resilient suspension means interconnecting said main frame and said subframe such that said subframe and track extend below said main frame throughout the length of said subframe, whereby said steerable ski means and endless track provide the sole means of support of said main frame on snow and other support surfaces under most new snow conditions,
- a track drive sprocket means drivingly engaging said endless track, and
- a drive axle mounting said track drive sprocket means,
- said drive axle being mounted on said subframe,
- said ski means and said subframe being spaced apart longitudinally of said vehicle,
- said subframe providing a forward portion of said endless track with an angular transition section below said main frame in the region where said track travels from a generally vertical disposition to a generally horizontal disposition along a lower run of said track.
6 more elements
An endless track vehicle comprising:
- a main frame,
- a subframe mounting an endless track,
- resilient suspension means interconnecting said main frame and said subframe,
- a track drive sprocket means drivingly engaging said endless track,
- a drive axle mounting said track drive sprocket means, said drive axle being mounted on said subframe,
- engine and drive transmission means on said main frame, and
- interconnecting drive means for drivingly interconnecting said transmission means on said main frame and said drive axle on said subframe and enabling relative movement in a generally vertical direction between said subframe at said drive axle and said main frame,
- said transmission means including a driven shaft on said main frame,
- said interconnecting drive means including an endless flexible drive means drivingly interconnecting said driven shaft and said drive axle and a rigid articulated drive assembly pivotally interconnecting said main frame and said subframe about pivot axes coincident with the axes of said drive axle and said driven shaft,
- said articulated drive assembly including a pivot housing enclosing said endless flexible drive means at one side of said subframe, a pivot arm at the opposite side of said subframe, a pivot tube rigidly interconnecting said pivot housing and said pivot arm, said pivot tube rotatably mounting said driven shaft, and bearing means on said main frame rotatably mounting said pivot tube for pivoting movement about the axis of said driven shaft.
7 more elements
An endless track vehicle comprising:
- a main frame,
- a subframe mounting an endless track,
- resilient suspension means interconnecting said main frame and said subframe,
- a track drive sprocket means drivingly engaging said endless track,
- a drive axle mounting said track drive sprocket means, said drive axle being mounted on said subframe,
- a prime mover on said main frame, and
- interconnecting drive means interconnecting said prime mover on said main frame and said axle on said subframe in a manner enabling the upward deflection of said drive axle with said subframe relative to said main frame,
- said resilient suspension means including a single-axis connection which directly connects said subframe to said main frame between the opposite ends of said subframe, and which together with said interconnecting drive means comprises the sole connection between said main frame and said subframe,
- said prime mover being mounted at a forward end portion of said main frame,
- said drive axle being at a forward end portion of said subframe, and
- said drive means enabling both pivoting movement of said subframe relative to said main frame about said single-axis connection and generally vertical movement of said subframe as a unit relative to said main frame including said drive axle.
8 more elements
An endless track vehicle comprising:
- a main frame,
- a subframe mounting an endless track,
- resilient suspension means interconnecting said main frame and said subframe,
- a track drive sprocket means drivingly engaging said endless track,
- a drive axle mounting said track drive sprocket means, said drive axle being mounted on said subframe,
- said drive sprocket means engaging said endless track at one end portion of said track and an idler wheel means engaging said track at an opposite end portion thereof,
- an idler axle mounting said idler wheel means, said idler axle being mounted on said subframe, and
- a transverse suspension shaft on said main frame extending adjacent to said subframe and longitudinally between said driven axle and said idler axle, said resilient suspension means including torsion spring means connected to one end portion to said suspension shaft and at an opposite end portion to a lower forward portion of said subframe to interconnect said main frame and said subframe, said resilient suspension means also including swing arm means connected at one end to said suspension shaft and at an opposite end to a lower portion of said subframe, said torsion spring means and said swing arm means extending diagonally in opposite directions from said suspension shaft, the connections of said torsion spring means and said swing arm means to said subframe including lost motion connection means enabling upward movement of forward and rear portions of said subframe relative to said suspension shaft, said torison spring means acting in conjunction with said suspension shaft means to urge the spring-connected portion of said subframe downwardly, said swing arm means acting in conjunction with said suspension shaft means and said torsion spring means to urge the swing arm-connected portion of said subframe downwardly relative to said main frame.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.