Traction augmentation device

A traction augmentation device for mounting about a movable boss to augment the traction in the footprint of engagement between the boss and an interactive surface thereopposite when the interactive surface drives or is driven by the boss in the movement thereof, the boss being operatively circumposed relatively radially outwardly about an axis of a carrier on which the boss is operatively supported, and connected to one end of the carrier so as to have relatively axially inwardly and axially outwardly oriented sides thereon, relative to the carrier, and the boss having a central portion thereof which is intrapositioned across the end of the carrier so as to have a face on the axially outwardly oriented side thereof, an outer peripheral flange portion thereof which is circumposed about the central portion thereof and has a generally annular surface on the axially inwardly oriented side thereof, and an outer periphery circumposed about the flange portion thereof that is interposed between the axially inwardly oriented annular surface of the flange portion and the face of the boss,

• the traction augmentation device comprising:
• a cowling of resiliently flexible material which is so limp in the normally relaxed state thereof as to be essentially formless, but which when activated for mounting on the boss, can be formed into an elasticized sock for tight fitting engagement about the boss at the outer periphery thereof,
• the sock having an axis for general alignment with the axis of the carrier, operatively forward and rearward ends that are spaced apart from one another along the axis of the sock, an annular rim portion of resiliently flexible material that is circumposed about the axis of the sock at the operatively forward end thereof for engagement with the outer periphery of the boss, a continuously uninterrupted loop of resiliently flexible material that is circumposed about the axis of the sock at the operatively forward end thereof for engagement with the axially inwardly oriented annular surface of the flange portion, and a posterior portion of resiliently flexible material that is circumposed about the axis of the sock at the operatively rearward end thereof for engagement with the face of the boss,
• the loop defining an end opening through which the sock can be sleeved about the boss at the outer periphery thereof, but when in the normally relaxed state thereof, the loop and posterior portion of the sock having a diameter at the rim portion thereof, that is so much smaller than the outer periphery of the boss, that the sock can only be sleeved about the outer periphery of the boss by temporarily stretching the loop, rim and posterior portions of the sock in directions transverse the axis thereof, as the sock is passed axially inwardly about the boss and then released to tightly engage about the boss at the outer periphery thereof when the hoop tension in the loop, rim and posterior portions of the sock causes the sock to resume a partially relaxed condition on the boss,
• one of the rim and posterior portions of the sock having relatively inner and outer peripheral sides thereon for opposing the boss and the interactive surface, respectively, in the footprint of engagement therebetween, and comprising a plurality of elongated strands of resiliently flexible material which have oppositely disposed end portions and are interconnected with one another at junctures between adjacent end portions of adjacent strands to form a network of the material which is intrapositioned between the sides of the one portion to lend elasticity to the one portion over an area thereof corresponding to the footprint of engagement between the boss and the interactive surface,
• the network having an exoskeleton of elongated generally tubular traction generating members sleeved about strands of the resiliently flexible material therein,
• the respective traction generating members being generally coextensive with the respective strands corresponding thereto in the area of the one portion corresponding to the footprint of engagement, and having oppositely disposed end portions and hi durable traction elements on the respective inner and outer peripheral sides of the one portion of the sock to carapace the network against the abrasive action of the footprint both from the boss and from the interactive surface thercopposite, and
• each of the respective traction generating members being resiliently flexible and having one end portion thereof connected to the network at an adjacent juncture therein, but
• the other end portion of each traction generating member being detachedly spaced apart from the junctures of the network, and
• the traction generating members being so loosely engaged about the respective strands of resiliently flexible material corresponding thereto that the network can flex resiliently within the exoskeleton during the step of sleeving the sock about the boss, and during any subsequent movement of the sock in relation to the boss and the interactive surface at the footprint of engagement therebetween.