Track shoe

Claim 1

A TRACK SHOE COMPRISING: (A) A GROUND ENGAGING SIDE PORTION; (B) A RELATIVELY FLAT CENTRAL PORTION ON A SIDE THEREOF OPPOSITE THE GROUND ENGAGING SIDE IN AN ASSEMBLED TRACK; A PAIR OF OPPOSED RELATIVELY SMOOTH SIDE SURFACES INTERCONNECTING THE GROUND ENGAGING PORTION AND SAID FLAT CENTRAL PORTION; (C) AN ARCH PORTION, ON EACH SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL FLAT PORTION, EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE GROUND ENGAGING SIDE PORTION AND BEING PROVIDED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A DRIVE SPROCKET; (D) AN UPSTANDING HORN, ADJACENT EACH END OF SAID CENTRAL FLAT PORTION, AT A POSITION INTERMEDIATE SAID ARCH PORTIONS AND THE CENTRAL FLAT PORTION, SAID HORNS EXTENDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID ARCHES AND PROVIDING A GUIDE FOR WHEELS IN AN ASSEMBLED TRACK VEHICLE, SAID ARCH PORTIONS AND SAID UPSTANDING HORNS BEING DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO A LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHOE; (E) A LUG ON EACH SIDE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID PAIR OF OPPOSITE SMOOTH SIDE SURFACES AND ADJACENT EACH OF SAID GUIDE HORNS, EACH OF SAID LUGS PROJECTING BEYOND SAID TRACK SHOE IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS TO THEREBY OVERLAP AN ADJACENT SHOE IN AN ASSEMBLED TRACK, THE LUG ON ONE SIDE OF THE TRACK SHOE LONGITUDINAL AXIS AT ONE END THEREOF BEING OFFSET FROM THE LUG ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE AT THE SAME END OF THE TRACK SHOE BY A DISTANCE AT LEAST SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID OTHER LUG, AND THE LUGS AT THE OTHER END BEING SIMILARLY ARRANGED EACH OF SAID LUGS HAVING AN ARCUATE SURFACE ON THE PORTION WHICH FACES AND OVERLAPS A SIMILAR SHOE ADJACENT THERETO WHEN IN AN ASSEMBLED TRACK AND POSITIONED FOR ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH WHEN IN AN ASSEMBLED TRACK TO LIMIT RELATIVE VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT RELATIVE TO THE GROUND, ADJACENT SHOES IN A GROUND ENGAGING PORTION OF THE TRACK AND ALSO PROVIDE ROLLING CONTACT OF ADJACENT SHOES WHEREBY THEY ARE ADAPTED TO PIVOT RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID LUGS HAVING A FLAT BEARING SURFACE DISPOSED IN A PLANE NORMAL TO SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS, THE BEARING SURFACE OF THE RESPECTIVE LUGS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS AT EACH OF THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF BEING DISPOSED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FACING ONE ANOTHER WHEREBY WHEN ASSEMBLED IN A TRACK, THE BEARING FACES OF THE LUGS ON ADJACENT SHOES ARE ENGAGEABLE TO LIMIT RELATIVE HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT OF ADJACENT SHOES IN SUCH TRACK; AND (F) A BEARING SURFACE ON SAID TRACK SHOE ADJACENT EACH SAID LUG AND FACING IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE ARCUATE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LUG, THE BEARING SURFACE ON ONE SIDE OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TRACK SHOE BEING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LUG ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE THEREOF.