Positively driven elastomeric tracked work vehicle

A drive assembly for a track laying vehicle having a vehicle body, a longitudinal axis extending between forward and rearward ends of the vehicle, and at least one track mounted for movement on the vehicle body, the drive assembly comprising:

• at least first and second rotatable wheels relatively spaced in the direction of said longitudinal axis with at least one of said wheels being a drive wheel;
• and
• a continuous elastomeric track comprising a main body having a ground engaging surface, an opposite wheel engaging surface and a plurality of power transmission elements integrally molded with said main body and projecting from said wheel engaging surface;
• said drive wheel comprising a hub member, a peripheral edge on said hub member, a plurality of circumferentially spaced rim supports connected to said hub member, each of said rim supports extending from said hub member and comprising at least one plate-like body having at least one laterally extending side portion, a radially outer support portion and a radially inner portion, at least one pair of circumferential rim sections operatively connected to said outer support portions of said rim supports in laterally spaced apart relation with respect to each other to form a gap therebetween, open side zones between said rim sections and said side portions of adjacent rim supports, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced drive members extending between said rim sections and separating said gap into a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially outer zones each being adapted to receive therein at least one of said power transmission elements on said continuous track so that said power transmission elements are engageable with said drive members with said radially outer zones communicating with said open side zones.