Cleated emergency track

Claim 2

A traction device for vehicles comprising a base plate adapted to be placed under a ground-engaging wheel of the vehicle in the line of movement thereof, said base plate having a plurality of protrusions extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base plate for non-slipping engagement with said wheel of the vehicle, and a plurality of self-tapping cleats adapted to be screwed into the underside of said base plate at any desired location and extending downwardly from the underside of the base plate for non-slipping engagement with the ground surface whereby to effect a non-slipping relationship between the wheel and the ground surface.

Claim 3

The traction device of claim 1 wherein said downwardly extending cleats are removably received in said base plate.

Claim 4

The traction device of claim 1 wherein said protrusions are integral with said base plate.

Claim 5

The traction device of claim 1 further including a plurality of openings through the base plate to allow the base plate to sink a limited extent into soft ground surfaces to prevent slippage between the base plate and the ground surface.

Claim 6

The traction device of claim 1 further including connection means on the base plate for releasably connecting a plurality of the devices together to obtain a larger non-slipping surface.

Claim 7

The traction device of claim 5 wherein said connection means comprise interlocking segments.

Claim 8

A traction device for vehicles comprising a base plate adapted to be placed in gripping engagement with a wheel of the vehicle in the line of movement thereof, said base plate having a plurality of protrusions extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base plate engaging the wheel to provide a gripping surface therefor, a plurality of cleats extending downwardly from the underside of the base plate engaging the ground surface, and integral interlocking connecting means on opposite sides of the bAse plate whereby a plurality of identical devices can be interconnected to form an elongated traction surface, said interlocking connection means comprising at least one slot adjacent one side of the base plate and at least one latch finger on the opposite side of the base plate adapted to be inserted into said slot of an adjacent device to releasably connect the adjacent devices.

Claim 9

A traction device for vehicles comprising a base plate adapted to be placed in gripping engagement with a wheel of the vehicle in the line of movement thereof, said base plate having a plurality of protrusions extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base plate engaging the wheel to provide a gripping surface therefor, a plurality of cleats extending downwardly from the underside of the base plate engaging the ground surface, and integral interlocking connecting means on opposite sides of the bAse plate whereby a plurality of identical devices can be interconnected to form an elongated traction surface, said interlocking connection means comprising at least one slot adjacent one side of the base plate and at least one latch finger on the opposite side of the base plate adapted to be inserted into said slot of an adjacent device to releasably connect the adjacent devices.

Claim 10

The traction device of claim 7 wherein said latch finger is substantially S-shaped in cross-section.

Claim 11

The traction device of claim 8 wherein there are a plurality of said fingers arranged in spaced side-by-side relationship and a plurality of slots disposed to releasably receive fingers of an adjacent device, said slots being separated by raised segments to prevent shifting of the devices relative to each other.

Claim 12

A traction device for vehicles comprising a base plate adapted to be placed under a ground-engaging wheel of the vehicle in the line of movement thereof, said base plate having a plurality of integral conical protrusions extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base plate in non-slipping engagement with the wheel, a plurality of downwardly extending cleats threadedly received in the underside of said base plate so as to be exchangeable for cleats of different lengths, said cleats engaging the ground surface in non-slipping relationship therewith, and interlocking means on opposite sides of the base plate whereby a plurality of identical devices can be interconnected to form an enlarged traction surface, said interlocking means comprising a plurality of latch fingers of substantially S-shaped cross-section in spaced side-by-side relationship at one end of the base plate and a plurality of identically spaced slots at the opposite end of the base plate adapted to releasably receive the fingers of an adjacent device, said slots being spaced by raised segments to prevent shifting of interconnected devices relative to each other, said latch fingers and raised segments including upwardly projecting conical protrusions whereby the protrusions are substantially continuous between adjacent connected devices.

Claim 13

A traction device for vehicles comprising a base plate adapted to be placed under a ground-engaging wheel of the vehicle in the line of movement thereof, said base plate having a plurality of integral conical protrusions extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base plate in non-slipping engagement with the wheel, a plurality of downwardly extending cleats threadedly received in the underside of said base plate so as to be exchangeable for cleats of different lengths, said cleats engaging the ground surface in non-slipping relationship therewith, and interlocking means on opposite sides of the base plate whereby a plurality of identical devices can be interconnected to form an enlarged traction surface, said interlocking means comprising a plurality of latch fingers of substantially S-shaped cross-section in spaced side-by-side relationship at one end of the base plate and a plurality of identically spaced slots at the opposite end of the base plate adapted to releasably receive the fingers of an adjacent device, said slots being spaced by raised segments to prevent shifting of interconnected devices relative to each other, said latch fingers and raised segments including upwardly projecting conical protrusions whereby the protrusions are substantially continuous between adjacent connected devices.