Wheel or endless track
AssigneeAltrack Limited
InventorPhillip J. Rollinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ground engaging apparatus in the form of a wheel for a vehicle, comprising a rim (11) and a plurality of ground engaging elements (13) mounted on the rim. Each ground engaging element (13) comprises a hollow body (31) having an inner face (32) in engagement against the rim and an outer face (33) for contacting the ground. The hollow body (31) also has side faces (34) extending between the inner and outer faces. The side faces (34) are constructed to be resiliently flexible for deflection under normal load conditions thereby to provide cushioning for the vehicle. The ground engaging elements are so positioned on the rim that confronting side faces of neighboring elements provide lateral support for each other when deflecting under load.
Claims18
A ground engaging means for a vehicle comprising a base and a plurality of ground engaging elements mounted on said base, each of said ground engaging elements comprising a hollow body having an inner face in engagement against said base, an outer face for contacting the ground, and side faces extending between the inner and outer faces, said side faces being constructed to be resiliently flexible thereby to deflect under normal load conditions, said ground engaging elements being so positioned on the base that adjacent side faces of neighboring elements provide lateral support for each other when deflecting under load, wherein at least some of said side faces of said ground engaging element are of angular construction comprising an inner portion and an outer portion which are integral with each other said inner portion extending from said inner face, said outer portion extending from said outer face and which meet at an angle along a junction.
A ground engaging means for a vehicle comprising a base and a plurality of ground engaging elements individually mountable to said base, each of said ground engaging elements comprising a hollow body and having an inner face for engagement against said base, an outer face for engagement with the ground, and wherein said ground engaging elements further comprise a first side face, a second side face and a third side face, said second and third side faces extending in the same direction from opposite sides of said first side face, and fourth and fifth side faces extending from the sides of said second and third side faces, respectively, remote from said first side face, said fourth and fifth side faces converging to an apex portion, and said side faces extending between said inner face and said outer face, said side faces being constructed to be resiliently flexible for deflection under normal load conditions, said ground engaging elements being configured and positioned on said base such that said side faces of each ground engaging element provide lateral support to said side faces of at least four adjacent ground engaging elements, and wherein said first face of each ground engaging element is disposed adjacent a peripheral edge of said base and said apex portion is positioned approximately centrally on said base, said second and third faces of each ground engaging element being adjacent to corresponding faces of adjacent ground engaging elements and said fourth and fifth faces of each ground engaging elements being adjacent to corresponding faces of oppositely disposed ground engaging elements.
A ground engaging means for a vehicle comprising a base, a plurality of individually removable ground engaging elements mounted on said base and attachment means maintaining said plurality of ground engaging elements in a fixed position with respect to said base, each of said ground engaging element comprising a resilient, hollow body having an inner face in contact with said base, an outer face for engaging the ground, side walls extending between said inner face and said outer face and wherein the hollow interior of said hollow body is open to the atmosphere, said ground engaging elements being configured, dimensioned and positioned on said base to result in the provision of lateral support between adjacent sides of neighboring ground engaging elements when one or both of said ground engaging elements is under load, and wherein said side walls comprise two portions, an inner portion extending from said inner face and an outer portion extending from said outer face, said inner portion and said outer portion being integral and said inner portion and said outer portion meeting at an angle at a juncture between said inner face and said outer face which juncture extends across said sidewalls generally parallel to said inner and outer faces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.