Snow vehicle and suspension system therefor

Claim 2

A suspension system for a snow vehicle having a body and an endless track with a ground-engageable run, said suspension system comprising a first pivot means defining a first pivot axis and arranged to be fixed to said body above said groundengageable track run, beam means mounted intermediate its ends on said first pivot axis extending transversely thereof, a pair of second pivot means mounted onto said ends of said beam means and defining second pivot axis extending transversely of said beam means, suspension arms pivoted on at least each of said second pivot means, each of said suspension arms having an arm portion extending transversely of said pivot means, spring means connected between said beam means and each suspension arm and arranged to bias the transversely extending arm portion thereof away from said beam means, and at least one slide bar extending along said beam means and pivotally mounted onto the free end of said transversely extending arm portion, such as to be biased away from said beam means by said spring means.

Claim 3

A suspension system for a snow vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said beam means comprises a pair of spaced-apart beams, both pivotally mounted about said first pivot axis, and said second pivot means are rods respectively joining one end of one beam to one end of the other beam and extending along said first pivot axis on opposite sides thereof.

Claim 4

A suspension system as defined in claim 2, wherein said pair of beams and said pair of rods form a rectangular frame extending lengthwise of and overlying said ground-engageable track run.

Claim 5

A suspension system as defined in claim 2, wherein said rods and said first pivot means are axles, each of said suspension arms comprises a sleeve portion rotatably mounted on one of said axles and said arm portions fixed at one end to said sleeve portion and extending away therefrom, and each of said spring means is a coil spring inserted around said sleeve portion with one end of each coil spring fixed to one arm portion and arranged such as to bias the latter away from said beams.

Claim 6

A suspension system as defined in claim 4, wherein there are two spaced parallel slide bars and two suspension arms on each of said axles, one suspension arm is mounted adjacent one of said beams and is pivotally connected to the same one of said slide bars and the other suspension arm on each of said axles is mounted adjacent the other of said beams and is pivotally connected to the other slide bar, the sleeve portions being mounted end to end on the respective axles for independent rotary movement.

Claim 7

A suspension system as defined in claim 5, further including a manual locking means for releasably interlOcking the pairs of suspension arms on at least one of said axles for rotary movement in unison.

Claim 8

A suspension system as defined in claim 6, wherein said locking means include aligned tubes secured to the sleeve portions mounted on the same axle and a locking pin removably insertable into the aligned tubes.

Claim 9

A suspension system as defined in claim 1, wherein there is a single slide bar arranged to engage the central zone of the ground-engageable run of the track, first sleeves secured to said slide bar transversely thereof, second sleeves secured to the lower ends of said arm portions and in alignment with said first sleeve, an axle rod pivotally interconnecting said first and second sleeves and idler wheels rotatably mounted on the ends of said second sleeves and adapted to engage said ground-engageable track run.

Claim 10

A suspension system as defined in claim 1, wherein said slide bar is provided with a wear-resistant strip constructed and arranged to engage said ground-engageable run of said endless track and at least one wheel is rotatably mounted at one end of said slide bar to engage the ground-engageable run of the endless track.

Claim 11

A snow vehicle comprising a body, an endless track rotatably mounted under said body and having a ground-engageable run extending in fore and aft direction relative to said snow vehicle, said track having at least one longitudinal row of tooth receiving apertures, a sprocket wheel carried by said body and engageable with said tooth apertures to drive said track, a spring biased idler wheel engageable with the other end of said track to maintain the same in taut condition and a suspension system encompassed by said track, comprising a frame of elongated shape extending longitudinally of said body and pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said frame about an axis transverse to said body, a rigid slide bar with a wear pad extending longitudinally of said body under said frame and engaging with said ground-engageable run of said endless track and spring biased suspension arms pivoted on said frame at longitudinal spaced zones thereof and pivotally connected to said slide bar at longitudinal spaced zones thereof, said spring biased suspension arms urging said slide bar away from said frame, the assembly of said frame, slide bar and suspension arms being freely rotatable about said transverse axis relative to said vehicle body.

Claim 12

A snow vehicle comprising a body, an endless track rotatably mounted under said body and having a ground-engageable run extending in fore and aft direction relative to said snow vehicle, said track having at least one longitudinal row of tooth receiving apertures, a sprocket wheel carried by said body and engageable with said tooth apertures to drive said track, a spring biased idler wheel engageable with the other end of said track to maintain the same in taut condition and a suspension system encompassed by said track, comprising a frame of elongated shape extending longitudinally of said body and pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said frame about an axis transverse to said body, a rigid slide bar with a wear pad extending longitudinally of said body under said frame and engaging with said ground-engageable run of said endless track and spring biased suspension arms pivoted on said frame at longitudinal spaced zones thereof and pivotally connected to said slide bar at longitudinal spaced zones thereof, said spring biased suspension arms urging said slide bar away from said frame, the assembly of said frame, slide bar and suspension arms being freely rotatable about said transverse axis relative to said vehicle body.

Claim 13

A snow vehicle comprising a body, an endless track rotatably mounted under said body and having a ground-engageable run extending in fore and aft direction relative to said snow vehicle, a first axle fixed to said body and defining a first pivot axis extending transversely of said ground-engageable run, a pair of parallel beams pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on said first axle and extending in said fore and aft direction for pivotal movement about said first pivot axis, a pair of second axles respectively joining one end of one of said beams to one end of the other beam and arranged parallel to said first axle on opposite sides thereof, a pair of suspension arms independently pivoted relative to each other on each of said pivot axles, each of said suspension arms having an arm portion and a sleeve portion, said sleeve portions are rotatably mounted on said axles and said arm portions are secured at one end to said sleeve portions and extend away therefrom transversely of said axles, a coil spring inserted around each of said sleeve portions with one end of said coil spring fixed to one arm portion and arranged to bias the latter away from said beams towards the ground-engageable run, a pair of slide bars extending along said pair of beams on each side of and overlying said ground-engageable run over the lateral edges thereof, one suspension arm on each of said axles is mounted adjacent one of said beams and the other suspension arms on said axles are mounted adjacent the other of said beams, the suspension arms mounted adjacent said one beam are pivotally connected to one of said slide bars anD the other suspension arms mounted adjacent said other beam are pivotally connected to the other slide bar onto the free end of said arm portions, and said slide bars are constructed and arranged to engage the top surface of said ground-engageable run to resiliently bias the latter downwardly for engagement with the ground when the snow vehicle is in operative position.

Claim 14

A snow vehicle comprising a body, an endless track rotatably mounted under said body and having a ground-engageable run extending in fore and aft direction relative to said snow vehicle, a first axle fixed to said body and defining a first pivot axis extending transversely of said ground-engageable run, a pair of parallel beams pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on said first axle and extending in said fore and aft direction for pivotal movement about said first pivot axis, a pair of second axles respectively joining one end of one of said beams to one end of the other beam and arranged parallel to said first axle on opposite sides thereof, a pair of suspension arms independently pivoted relative to each other on each of said pivot axles, each of said suspension arms having an arm portion and a sleeve portion, said sleeve portions are rotatably mounted on said axles and said arm portions are secured at one end to said sleeve portions and extend away therefrom transversely of said axles, a coil spring inserted around each of said sleeve portions with one end of said coil spring fixed to one arm portion and arranged to bias the latter away from said beams towards the ground-engageable run, a pair of slide bars extending along said pair of beams on each side of and overlying said ground-engageable run over the lateral edges thereof, one suspension arm on each of said axles is mounted adjacent one of said beams and the other suspension arms on said axles are mounted adjacent the other of said beams, the suspension arms mounted adjacent said one beam are pivotally connected to one of said slide bars anD the other suspension arms mounted adjacent said other beam are pivotally connected to the other slide bar onto the free end of said arm portions, and said slide bars are constructed and arranged to engage the top surface of said ground-engageable run to resiliently bias the latter downwardly for engagement with the ground when the snow vehicle is in operative position.

Claim 15

A snow vehicle as defined in claim 6, wherein each arm portion is arranged for pivotal motion at the rear of the axis thereof, whereby to allow a rearward displacement of the slide bars upon compression of the associated coil spring.

Claim 16

A snow vehicle as defined in claim 7, wherein the end of each arm portion which is connected to a slide bar, is provided with an abutment surface arranged to engage the same slide bar when the snow vehicle carries no passenger.

Claim 17

A snow vehicle as claimed in claim 11, further including a manual locking means for releasably interlocking the pairs of suspension arms on each of said axles for rotary movement of said suspension arms in unison.

Claim 18

A snow vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said slide bar is disposed vertically opposite said row of tooth receiving apertures and said tooth receiving apertures are lined with metal clips in direct contact with said wear pad.

Claim 19

A snow vehicle as claimed in claim 15, wherein there is a single slide bar engaging the central longitudinal zone of the ground-engaging run of the track, and said track has a single centrally located row of tooth receiving apertures and wear clips therefor.

Claim 20

A suspension system as defined in claim 1, further including additional spring means bearing against said body and against one end portion of said beam means and arranged to bias said beam means end portion away from said body.

Claim 21

A suspension system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said beam means comprises a pair of spaced-apart beams, both pivotally mounted about said first pivot axis and said additional spring means include a pair of torsion bars extending transversely across one end of said spaced-apart means, secured at one end to the respective beams, rotatably carried near their opposite end to the opposite respective beams and having a portion extending longitudinally of the respective beams adjacent their pivotal connection to the associated beams and with a lateral outward extension adapted to bear against the underside of said body.

Claim 22

A suspension system as claimed in claim 17, further including shock absorber means mounted between said beam means and said slide bar.