Gang plate fastening assembly and endless track formed therewith

Claim 2

A gang plate fastening assembly comprising a member having an elongated passage extending therein from one face thereof, and a plurality of apertures projecting therethrough and transversely communicating with said elongated passage at predetermined spaced apart relationship along the latter, said member forming a groove into said elongated passage defining a pair of reference faces extending in spaced apart and mutually facing parallel relationship on opposite sides respectively of said apertures, a pair of shoulders extending into said elongated passage along opposite sides respectively of said groove and spaced from the latter, and an elongated gang plate engageable lengthwise between said groove and said shoulders and having a plurality of holes therethrough arranged into said predetermined spaced apart relationship along the same, to register with said plurality of apertures, and to longitudinally locate nuts therein in nonrotatable engagement with said pair of reference faces whereby to allow fastening of said member by bolts engaging through said apertures and into said nuts.

Claim 3

A gang plate fastening assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated member constitutes a grouser bar for the endless track of a tracked vehicle and said elongated passage extends from end to end of said grouser bar.

Claim 4

A gang plate fastening assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said grouser bar includes a ground engaging blade portion and a root portion extending lengthwise thereof on transversely opposite sides of said elongated passage, and said plurality of apertures project inwardly through said root portion transversely toward said blade portion.

Claim 5

A gang plate fastening assembly for grousEr bar as defined in claim 3, wherein said grouser bar is formed from an aluminum extrusion integrally having said pair of shoulders formed therewith.

Claim 6

A gang plate fastening assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said aluminum extrusion includes internal ribs projecting lengthwise thereof on opposite sides of said apertures and forming said pair of shoulders.

Claim 7

A gang plate fastening assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said elongated gang plate includes a thin strip having said plurality of holes punched therethrough and arranged to locationally engage a shoulder portion of said nuts therein.

Claim 8

A gang plate fastening assembly as defined in claim 6, further including a roll pin engaging through said root portion and said gang plate and arranged to lock the latter together against relative lengthwise displacement.

Claim 9

A gang plate fastening assembly as defined in claim 1, further including positioning means constructed and arranged to longitudinally lock said gang plate against lengthwise displacement from the position of registry of said holes with said apertures.

Claim 10

A gang plate fastening assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said positioning means includes a roll pin engaging through said elongated member and said elongated gang plate.

Claim 11

An endless track for a tracked vehicle comprising endless belts extending lengthwise of each other in laterally spaced apart relationship, a plurality of grouser bar and gang plate fastening assemblies secured to said endless belts, each of said grouser bar and gang plate fastening assemblies including a grouser bar formed of aluminum extrusion having a root portion resting on one face of said belts, a ground engaging blade portion arranged transversely opposite to said root portion, a longitudinal passage extending from end to end of said grouser bar, a row of bores projecting through said root portion communicating with said elongated passage, and registering with said endless belts in predetermined spaced apart relationship, a groove formed into said root portion extending lengthwise thereof in communication with said longitudinal passage and said bores and defining a pair of reference faces extending in spaced apart and mutually facing parallel relationship on opposite sides respectively of said row of bores and parallel to the latter, a pair of ribs projecting into said longitudinal passage along opposite sides respectively of said groove and spaced from the latter toward said blade portion, an elongated gang plate engaged between said groove and said ribs and having a row of holes therethrough arranged into said predetermined spaced apart relationship along the same, in registry with said row of bores and with said belts, a roll pin engaged through said root portion and said gang plate and adapted to longitudinally lock the latter relative to said grouser bar, a plurality of shouldered nuts each having a shoulder portion engaged into one of said holes and having opposite flat faces slidably engaged between said opposite reference faces and non-rotatably restrained by the latter, and a plurality of bolts projecting through said belts, said bores, and said holes and screwed into said nuts.

Claim 12

An endless track for a tracked vehicle comprising endless belts extending lengthwise of each other in laterally spaced apart relationship, a plurality of grouser bar and gang plate fastening assemblies secured to said endless belts, each of said grouser bar and gang plate fastening assemblies including a grouser bar formed of aluminum extrusion having a root portion resting on one face of said belts, a ground engaging blade portion arranged transversely opposite to said root portion, a longitudinal passage extending from end to end of said grouser bar, a row of bores projecting through said root portion communicating with said elongated passage, and registering with said endless belts in predetermined spaced apart relationship, a groove formed into said root portion extending lengthwise thereof in communication with said longitudinal passage and said bores and defining a pair of reference faces extending in spaced apart and mutually facing parallel relationship on opposite sides respectively of said row of bores and parallel to the latter, a pair of ribs projecting into said longitudinal passage along opposite sides respectively of said groove and spaced from the latter toward said blade portion, an elongated gang plate engaged between said groove and said ribs and having a row of holes therethrough arranged into said predetermined spaced apart relationship along the same, in registry with said row of bores and with said belts, a roll pin engaged through said root portion and said gang plate and adapted to longitudinally lock the latter relative to said grouser bar, a plurality of shouldered nuts each having a shoulder portion engaged into one of said holes and having opposite flat faces slidably engaged between said opposite reference faces and non-rotatably restrained by the latter, and a plurality of bolts projecting through said belts, said bores, and said holes and screwed into said nuts.

Claim 13

An endless track for a tracked vehicle as defined in claim 10, further including backing plates arranged into registry with said grouser bars against the other face of said belts for abutting engagement of said bolts therethrough, and at least one cleat device secured to the blade portion of some of said grouser bars.