Endless track and mounting apparatus therefor

Claim 2

Track laying apparatus for a vehicle having at least two wheels supported on an axle comprising a rigid frame member, each said wheel having a hub having stud bolts, first means for removably mounting said frame member on the axle for rotation relative to the wheel so that the frame does not rotate with the wheel, said frame member having generally horizontal portions extending forward and rearward of the wheel, a front sheave journaled on said forward portion and a rear sheave journaled on said rearward portion, an endless flexible member trained around said sheaves and the wheel, said endless member having a first run between said sheaves that is approximately tangent to the periphery of the wheel at the terrain engaging region thereof and a second run between one of said sheaves and a region of the periphery of the wheel remote from the terrain engaging region, means engaging said second run for urging the endless member inward so as to tension the endless member, means for adjusting said urging means, and a plurality of cleats mounted to said endless member and engaged by the wheel in said first run, said cleats being adapted to provide traction on the surface on which the vehicle travels, said first means comprising a flange apertured to be attached to said hub by said stud bolts, a bearing cage assembly fixed to said flange and extending axially outward from said flange, bearings mounted on said bearing cage assembly coaxial with said axle, said frame member having an arm apertured to fit over said bearings.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said adjusting means comprises a spool mounted on said frame member for rotation about the central axis thereof in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction, a flexible tension member having a first end secured to said spool and a second end secured to said urging means, means for rotatively driving said spool in the first direction to wind the flexible chain-like member thereon, and means for inhibiting rotation of said spool in the second direction.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said urging means includes a splined roller for engAging the exterior of said cleats in said second run, an arm having a first end supporting said roller and a second end pivotally mounted on said frame, and means for attaching said second end of said flexible chain-like member to the first end of said arm.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said spool rotation inhibiting means comprises a series of ratchet teeth mounted rigid with said spool, a pawl engageable with said ratchet teeth, and means for pivotally mounting said pawl on said frame so that it can be moved into and out of engagement with said ratchet teeth respectively to inhibit and permit rotation of said spool in the second direction.

Claim 6

Track laying apparatus for a vehicle having at least two wheels supported on an axle comprising substantially identical inner and outer support frames, each said support frame including an arm having an upper end and a lower end and a horizontal member rigid with the lower end of the arm, the horizontal member of each said frame having a forward extending portion and a rearward extending portion that extend from said arm by an amount in excess of the radius of the wheel, means for mounting the upper ends of said arms on said axle so that the horizontal members of the respective frames are approximately tangent to the terrain engaging region of the periphery of the wheel, said inner frame being mounted on the inner side of the wheel and said outer frame being mounted on the outer side of the wheel, each said forward extending frame portion having at least one guiding means thereon and each said rearward extending frame portion having at least one guiding means thereon in respective longitudinal alignment with the guiding means on the forward extending frame portions, said guide members defining in conjunction with the wheel inner and outer paths each having a lower run between said forward and rearward guide members, an upper forward run between the forward guide and the upper extremity of the periphery of the wheel, and upper rearward run between the rearward guide and the upper extremity of the periphery of the wheel, inner and outer endless members trained around said guide members and the upper extremity of the periphery of the wheel, said endless members having a length greater than said paths so that said endless members are slack so as to permit installation of said apparatus onto a wheel, a plurality of cleats joined to said endless members and spanning the space therebetween, and means engageable with one of said upper runs for tensioning said endless members to retain them in engagement with said guides and a portion of said wheel.

Claim 7

Track laying apparatus for a vehicle having at least two wheels supported on an axle comprising substantially identical inner and outer support frames, each said support frame including an arm having an upper end and a lower end and a horizontal member rigid with the lower end of the arm, the horizontal member of each said frame having a forward extending portion and a rearward extending portion that extend from said arm by an amount in excess of the radius of the wheel, means for mounting the upper ends of said arms on said axle so that the horizontal members of the respective frames are approximately tangent to the terrain engaging region of the periphery of the wheel, said inner frame being mounted on the inner side of the wheel and said outer frame being mounted on the outer side of the wheel, each said forward extending frame portion having at least one guiding means thereon and each said rearward extending frame portion having at least one guiding means thereon in respective longitudinal alignment with the guiding means on the forward extending frame portions, said guide members defining in conjunction with the wheel inner and outer paths each having a lower run between said forward and rearward guide members, an upper forward run between the forward guide and the upper extremity of the periphery of the wheel, and upper rearward run between the rearward guide and the upper extremity of the periphery of the wheel, inner and outer endless members trained around said guide members and the upper extremity of the periphery of the wheel, said endless members having a length greater than said paths so that said endless members are slack so as to permit installation of said apparatus onto a wheel, a plurality of cleats joined to said endless members and spanning the space therebetween, and means engageable with one of said upper runs for tensioning said endless members to retain them in engagement with said guides and a portion of said wheel.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said endless member tensioning means comprises a roller having length corresponding to the length of said cleats, inner and outer pivot arms having first ends rotatively supporting the ends of said roller and second ends pivotally mounted on respective said frames so that said roller is movable between an outer position in non-contacting relation to said cleats in one of said upper runs and an inner position contacting said cleats to deflect said endless membrs from last said run, and means for retaining said roller in said second position.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said roller retaining means comprises inner and outer flexible chain-like means having first ends connected to respective first ends of said pivot arms and second ends remote from said first ends, inner and outer spools secured to respective said second ends, means for supporting said spools for rotation on respective said support frames, means for rotatively driving said spools to wind said flexible chain-like members on respective said spools so as to move said pivot arms toward said inner position, and means for releasably inhibiting rotation of said spools.