Resilient support element for roller wheels of a rubber tracked vehicle

A rubber tracked vehicle having a front section and a rear section, a rubber track located on each side of both the front and the rear sections, the ground engaging portion of each of the rubber tracks being supported by roller wheels rotatable about horizontal rotational axes which are supported from the vehicle sections by resilient suspension elements comprising:

• a first rigid support component having at least a first generally vertical surface area;
• a second rigid support component having at least a second generally vertical surface area and opposite sides;
• and
• at least one resilient component formed with spaced apart sides having attachment areas, the resilient member being located between the generally vertical surface areas of the first and second support components, one of the attachment areas of the resilient component being secured to the first generally vertical surface area and the other attachment area of the resilient component being secured to the second generally vertical surface area, wherein the first rigid support component has a substantially horizontal U-shaped cross section and the second rigid support component has a substantially horizontal T-shaped cross section.

A rubber tracked vehicle having a front section and a rear section, a rubber track located on each side of both the front and the rear sections, the ground engaging portion of each of the rubber tracks being supported by roller wheels rotatable about horizontal rotational axes which are supported from the vehicle sections by resilient suspension elements comprising:

• a first rigid support component having at least a first generally vertical surface area;
• a second rigid support component having at least a second generally vertical surface area;
• and
• at least one resilient component formed with spaced apart sides having attachment areas, the resilient member being located between the generally vertical surface areas of the first and second support components, one of the attachment areas of the resilient component being secured to the first generally vertical surface area and the other attachment area of the resilient component being secured to the second generally vertical surface area wherein the first rigid support, wherein the first rigid support component has a U-shaped cross section formed by a pair of spaced legs and a connecting base, each having a generally vertical surface area, and the second rigid support component has a T-shaped cross section formed by a leg and a cross arm, the leg having generally vertical surface areas, a pair of resilient components located on opposite sides of the leg of the second support component and secured thereto, and between and secured to the spaced legs of the first support component.

A resilient suspension element for use in supporting the roller wheels of a rubber tracked vehicle comprising:

• a first rigid support component having at least one generally vertical surface area and a U-shaped cross section;
• and
• a second rigid support component having at least one generally vertical surface area and a T-shaped cross section;
• and
• at least one resilient component formed with spaced apart sides having generally vertically extending surface areas, the resilient member being located between the generally vertical surface areas of the first and second support components, one of the generally vertically extending surface areas of the resilient component being secured to the generally vertical surface area of the first support component and the other generally vertically extending surface area of the resilient component being secured to the generally vertical surface area of the second support component, such that a vertical force applied between the first and second support components creates a shear force in the resilient component, and a twisting force between the first and second support components creates a compression force in the resilient component, whereby the suspension element provides more resilient support with respect to vertical forces and more rigid support with respect to twisting forces.