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US 8,783,795 B2Granted
Frameless track assembly
OwnerGlen Brazierinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A track assembly comprising an endless track trained about a sprocket and forward and aft sets of idler wheels. A plurality of apertures at the sprocket engage drive lugs that project from an interior track surface. Longitudinal stabilizer arms restrain the idler wheel axles, idler wheels, sprocket support rollers, sprocket and track against lateral movement and tension the track. Overlapping seals are formed at the idler wheels and/or sprocket support rollers. Alternative sprockets having cutouts or pockets that capture different drive lug configurations are also disclosed along with several alternative track tensioning assemblies that rotate in an eccentric fashion to tension the track.
Claims17
A track assembly comprising:
- a) a continuous track having drive lugs projecting from an interior surface and terrain engaging ground lugs projecting from an exterior surface;
- b) a sprocket comprising a hub piece including means for attaching to a vehicle and a cylindrical band mounted to circumscribe said hub piece, wherein said band includes a plurality of edge surfaces aligned to contact each of said drive lugs, and wherein said edge surfaces engage said drive lugs to rotate said track;
- c) a plurality of idler wheels mounted to first and second axles;
- d) a first roller mounted to one of said first and second axles to contact and support said sprocket and rotate about the one of said first and second axles;
- and
- e) first and second stabilizer arms respectively mounted adjacent laterally opposed longitudinal edges of said track and coupled to opposite ends of said first and second axles, wherein said sprocket is supported between said first and second stabilizer arms from said first roller and said track is trained around and in contact with said sprocket and idler wheels to rotate in endless fashion.
3 more elements
A track assembly comprising:
- a) a continuous track having drive lugs projecting from an interior surface and terrain engaging ground lugs projecting from an exterior surface;
- b) a sprocket comprising a hub piece including means for attaching to a vehicle and a cylindrical band mounted to circumscribe said hub piece, wherein said band includes a plurality of apertures aligned to engage said drive lugs to rotate said track;
- c) a plurality of idler wheels mounted to first and second axles;
- d) first and second rollers respectively mounted to rotate about said first and second axles and to contact and support said sprocket;
- and
- e) first and second stabilizer arms respectively mounted to support opposite ends of said first and second axles and wherein said track is trained around and in contact with said sprocket and idler wheels to rotate in endless fashion.
3 more elements
A track assembly comprising:
- a) a continuous track having drive lugs projecting from an interior surface and ground lugs projecting from an exterior surface to engage a terrain;
- b) a sprocket comprising a hub piece including means for attaching to a vehicle and a cylindrical band mounted to circumscribe said hub piece, wherein said band includes a plurality of surfaces aligned to contact a surface of each of said drive lugs, and wherein said surfaces capture said lugs and thereby said track to said sprocket;
- c) first and second idler wheels respectively mounted to opposite coaxial end portions of first and second axles, wherein said sprocket is supported intermediate said first and second idler wheels, wherein one of said first and second axles includes a center portion having a longitudinal axis that extends in displaced non-concentric parallel relation to a longitudinal axis of the opposite coaxial end portions;
- d) a first roller mounted to rotate about the center portion of the one of said first and second axles in contact with said sprocket;
- and
- e) first and second stabilizer arms respectively mounted adjacent laterally opposed longitudinal edges of said track and to the opposite coaxial end portions of said first and second axles, wherein said track is trained around said sprocket and idler wheels to rotate in endless fashion, and wherein the one axle containing said first roller is mounted to rotate said first roller in eccentric relation to said first and second stabilizer arms to direct the contact between said first roller and said sprocket to vary the track tension with said sprocket and the first and second idler wheels of said first and second axles.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.