Endless track

Claim 2

An endless track adapted to be moved in an endless path and comprising, a main body comprised of a resilient elastomeric material and having a ground engaging surface and an inside surface, a plurality of supporting members each fixed adjacent a side edge of said main body against a part of said inside surface, each of said supporting members having a longitudinal axis arranged transverse said endless path and being arranged in an associated row thereof which extends in said endless path, a plurality of bearing members each slidably interlocked to an associated supporting member to prevent movement transverse the longitudinal axis of its associated supporting member, each of said bearing members having an outside bearing surface which is adapted to engage rails of an associated slide rail system for said track in a substantially frictionless manner, and protrusion means on said body portion arranged outwardly of each supporting member and normally limiting outward sliding movement of each bearing member along the longitudinal axis of its supporting member, said main body being adapted to be locally bent to move said protrusion means enabling easy sliding interlocking of an associated bearing member and upon releasing the locally bent portion the resilient character of said main body restores said protrusion means to its normal position to limit sliding movement of the associated bearing member.

Claim 3

A track as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said bearing members is made of a rigid antifriction material.

Claim 4

A track as set forth in claim 1 in which said protrusion means comprises a raised shoulder defined by an increased thickness side edge portion of said main body.

Claim 5

A track as set forth in claim 3 in which said raised shoulder has a substantially continuous height and extends along the entire endless path of said track.

Claim 6

A track as set forth in claim 1 in which said plurality of supporting members comprise a set thereof adjacent a side edge portion of said track and said plurality of bearing members comprise another set cooperating with said first named set with each member of one set having groove means therein and each member of the other set having cooperating interlocking projection means, said groove means and projection means of associated members being slidably interlocked to slidably interlock each bearing member to its supporting member.

Claim 7

A track as set forth in claim 1 wherein each supporting member has groove means therein and each bearing member has cooperating interlocking projection means adapted to be slidably received and interlocked in the groove means of an associated supporting member.

Claim 8

A track as set forth in claim 6 in which each of said bearing members has a T-shaped cross-sectional configuration defining said cooperating interlocking projection means.

Claim 9

A track as set forth in claim 6 in which each of said bearing members also has a head at one end thereof, said head being adapted to engage the outer edge of its associated supporting member to limit inward movement of the bearing member.

Claim 10

A track as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of projections each extending outwardly from said inside surface and each being arranged in aligned relation with the longitudinal axis of an associated supporting member, wherein certain ones of said projections limit inward sliding movement of an associated bearing member along the longitudinal axis of its supporting member.

Claim 11

A track as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of pairs of projections each extending outwardly from said inside surface and each being arranged in aligned relation with a longitudinAl axis of an associated supporting member, one of said projections of each pair limiting inward sliding movement of an associated bearing member along the longitudinal axis of its supporting member, each pair of projections being adapted to be engaged and driven by an associated inside-type drive sprocket for driving said track about said slide rail system.

Claim 12

An endless track of the inside-drive type adapted to be moved in an endless path and comprising, a main body comprised of a resilient elastomeric material and having a ground engaging surface and an inside surface, a plurality of supporting members each fixed adjacent a side edge of said main body against a part of said inside surface, each of said supporting members having a longitudinal axis arranged transverse said endless path and being arranged in an associated row thereof which extends in said endless path, a plurality of bearing members each slidably interlocked to an associated supporting member to prevent movement transverse the longitudinal axis of its associated supporting member, each of said bearing members having an outside bearing surface which is adapted to engage rails of an associated slide rail system for said track in a substantially frictionless manner, protrusion means on said body portion arranged outwardly of each supporting member and normally limiting outward sliding movement of each bearing member along the longitudinal axis of its supporting member, said main body being adapted to be bent locally adjacent each supporting member to move said protrusion means enabling easy sliding interlocking of an associated bearing member and upon releasing the locally bent portion the resilient character of said main body restores said protrusion means to its normal position to limit outward sliding movement of the associated bearing member, and a plurality of pairs of projections each extending outwardly from said inside surface and each being arranged in aligned relation with a longitudinal axis of an associated supporting member, one of said projections of each pair limiting inward sliding movement of each bearing member along the longitudinal axis of its supporting member, each pair of projections being adapted to be engaged and driven by an associated drive sprocket for said inside-type drive endless track to enable driving said track about said slide rail system.

Claim 13

An endless track of the inside-drive type adapted to be moved in an endless path and comprising, a main body comprised of a resilient elastomeric material and having a ground engaging surface and an inside surface, a plurality of supporting members each fixed adjacent a side edge of said main body against a part of said inside surface, each of said supporting members having a longitudinal axis arranged transverse said endless path and being arranged in an associated row thereof which extends in said endless path, a plurality of bearing members each slidably interlocked to an associated supporting member to prevent movement transverse the longitudinal axis of its associated supporting member, each of said bearing members having an outside bearing surface which is adapted to engage rails of an associated slide rail system for said track in a substantially frictionless manner, protrusion means on said body portion arranged outwardly of each supporting member and normally limiting outward sliding movement of each bearing member along the longitudinal axis of its supporting member, said main body being adapted to be bent locally adjacent each supporting member to move said protrusion means enabling easy sliding interlocking of an associated bearing member and upon releasing the locally bent portion the resilient character of said main body restores said protrusion means to its normal position to limit outward sliding movement of the associated bearing member, and a plurality of pairs of projections each extending outwardly from said inside surface and each being arranged in aligned relation with a longitudinal axis of an associated supporting member, one of said projections of each pair limiting inward sliding movement of each bearing member along the longitudinal axis of its supporting member, each pair of projections being adapted to be engaged and driven by an associated drive sprocket for said inside-type drive endless track to enable driving said track about said slide rail system.

Claim 14

A track as set forth in claim 11 in which each projection is made of the same resilient elastomeric material comprising said main body and as an integral part of said main body.

Claim 15

A track as set forth in claim 11 in which each of said bearing members is made of a rigid antifriction material.

Claim 16

A track as set forth in claim 11 in which said protrusion means comprises a raised shoulder defined by an increased thickness side edge portion of said main body.

Claim 17

A track as set forth in claim 11 in which each projection has a substantially cubical configuration.

Claim 18

A track as set forth in claim 11 in which each projection has a substantially frustopyramidal configuration.

Claim 19

A track as set forth in claim 11 wherein each supporting member is in the form of a roughly U-shaped member having a bight fixed against said inside surface, a pair of outwardly extending legs adjoining opposite ends of said bight, and a pair of arms extending toward each other from the terminal outer ends of said legs to define groove means in each supporting member, and each bearing member has a roughly T-shaped cross-sectional configuration having a transverse arm which is received within the volume defined by the inside surfaces of the bight, legs, and arms, and a vertical leg which extends upwardly between and outwardly of the terminal ends of the arms of its associated supporting member.

Claim 20

A track as set forth in claim 17 wherein said main body is made of rubber and each bearing member is made of a hard plastic antifriction material.

Claim 21

A track as set forth in claim 18 in which each of said bearing members also has a head at One end provided as an integral part thereof, said head being adapted to engage the outer edge of its supporting member to help limit inward movement of the bearing member.

Claim 22

A track as set forth in claim 11 and further comprising a plurality of rods embedded in said main body in spaced parallel relation and providing transverse rigidity for said track, said rods having a length which is less than the width of said track to enable said local bending.