US2476459A - Track for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

July 19, 1949. c. o. SLEMMONS TRACK FOR VEHICLES Filed May- 27 1946 ground at high speed.

Patented .hly'lfl, 1949 Charles 0. Slemmons, South Bend, Ind., aulgnor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of'New York Application May 27, 1948, Serial No. 672,413

13 Claims. (Cl. 3115-40) This invention relates to track for self-laying track type vehicles and is especially useful on track vehicles to be operated over soft or rough The principal objects are to provide good distributlon of the supported load, to provide for full effectiveness of rubber or the like in loadsupporting pads, to provide broad contact with the ground, to prevent-spreading of the cushioning means, to provide a smooth path for the bogie wheels, to provide high resistance to lat eral bending, to provide good flexibility and to provide quiet operation.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

. Of the drawings,

Secured to the bands ll, H as by the rivets It, the shoes ll are arranged cross-wise of the bands and are slightly spaced-apart longitudinally of the bands so as not to interfere with each other.

- The shoes may be'of light weight metal construction and may bev formed of sheet metal, although castings or forgings may be used if desired. Each shoe extends laterally beyond the bands at each side to provide broad contact with the ground and has upwardly inclined ends 23, 2|

' toassist operation on soft ground and in turning.

Fig.1 is a partial side elevation of a track constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, with one of the driving and one of the bogie wheels about whichit is trained in driving a vehicle, other parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a view of the wheel-contacting face of a portion of the track.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the bogie wheels being indicated in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals III, II designate substantially lnextensible endless bands widely spaced apart and arranged in parallel relation. Each band includes a layer of inextensible flexible reinforcing elements l2, preferably of metallic cable, arranged in parallel reaches spaced from each other laterally of the band and completely separated and surrounded by 'a body l3 of resilient rubber'or other rubber-like material to which the element is secured by a bond resulting from vulcanization of the body of rubber-likematerlal.

For securing the bands-to the other parts of the track, each band has embedded therein at regular intervals along its extent, pairs of op-,

posed stirrup straps ll, l5, each having central portions opposed to but spaced from the reinforcing elements l2 by the rubber-like cushioning material, and offset ear-like ends l6, I1 which protrude from the bands at the sides thereof and are perforated for securing them to shoes It as by means of rivets l3. The ends of the straps l6, II are oifset oppositely to bring their ends into face to face relation and to provide space for clearing the cushioned reinforcing elements.

Each shoe is formed. with an upwardly directed protuberance 22 at its center for engaging between pairs of bogie wheels 23, 24 for guiding the track. These protuberances may also be used as driving lugs for engaging drive sprockets of the vehicle when positive drive is desired. The lugs 22 are preferably of hollow construction having side openings 25 communicating with their interiors to provide escape of mud. Openings 26 at each lug 22 are formed through the floor of the shoes for the same purpose.

Each shoe is formed between the bands Hi, If andthe lug 22 with a plurality of substantially rectangular openings 30 defined by vertical walls 3| extending from the tread face of the track to a position close to the wheel-engaging face. Cushion blocks 32 of resilient rubber or other rubber-like material fill the openings 30 and are preferably secured to the walls 3| by a bond resulting from vulcanization thereto. The blocks 32 extend to the tread face of the track so as to contact directly with the ground, and extend above the walls 3|, as at 33. 4

For distributing the load of the bogie wheels over the full area of the blocks and preventing spalling of the blocks at their free margins, as well as providing a smooth path of the bogies,

wheel-contacting deck plates 35 of metal extend I entirely across the upper face of each block 32 j and have downwardly turned front and rear margins 36 overhanging the walls 3| for smooth passage of the bogie wheels from block to block. The plates 35 are adhered to the upper faces of the blocks 32 preferably by vulcanized bonding and providesmooth bearing surfaces to engage the bogie wheels 23, 24 which are preferably of the rubber-tired variety. The resilient rubber blocks 32 transmit the weight of the vehicle directly through them to the ground. I

Because the walls 3i restrain lateral bulging of the rubber-like material substantially throughout its depth the blocks provide cushions of great load capacity. Also, because the metal of the walls 3i ordinarily will wear somewhat faster than the rubber-like material, a face of the rubber-like material will always be present so that the track is operable on pavement without objectionable damage to the pavement, as well as upon soft ground where the metal surfaces take efl'ect.v The spacing of the deck plates ll above the upper margins of the walls 3| provides for cushioning deflection as the load is transmitted from the deck plates through the rubberlike material. The projecting portions of the blocks between the shoe and the plate are preferably rebated, as at 42. to prevent marginal pinching of the material.

For stiffening the shoes and providing increased traction. the shoes may be provided with cross ribs ll which are adapted to sink into soft ground and provide greater traction.

Through openings I are formed in the shoes in the region of the bands It, ii to lighten the track and also to permit escape of mud.

The track is preferably made endless and the reinforcing elements I: may be of a continuous cable wound in convolutions and embedded in a continuous band of the rubber-like material prior to vulcanization of the latter. v

The shoes are made separately and attached to the bands at regular intervals. This construction facilitates manufacture and provides for ready replacement of individual shoes or hands.

The bands. II, II are ordinarily free from contact with the wheels of the vehicle and are free from wear from contact therewith, while their location near the side of the track provides stability against side bending or warping flexure of the track and ties the shoes to each other near their side margins.

' Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having track-engaging wheels, said track comprising flexible bands arranged in parallel relation, and shoes secured to said bands at intervals therealong, said shoes having openings therethrough, resilient bodies of rubber-like material secured in said openings and exposed at the tread faces of the shoes, said bodies having portions projecting at the faces of the shoes in the region engaged by said wheels opposite said tread faces, and deck plates secured to the projecting portions of said bodies in floating spacedapart relation to said shoes to transmit wheel loads directly to said bodies.

2. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having tracksengaging wheels, said track comprising flexible bands arranged in parallel relation, and shoes secured to said bands at intervals therealong, said shoes having openings therethrough, resilient bodies of rubber-like material secured in said openings and exposed at the tread faces ofthe shoes in the region engaged by said wheels, the walls of said shoes at said openings embracing the sides of said bodies substantially throughout the depth of the latter, said bodies having portions projecting at the faces of the shoes opposite said tread faces, and deck plates secured to the projecting portions of said bodies in floating spaced-apart relation to said shoes to transmit wheel loads directly to said bodies.

3. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having track-engaging wheels, said track comprising a pair of flexible bands arranged in parallel relation, each band comprising a layer of flexible reinforcing elements, a body of. resilient 4 rubber-like material about said elements, and straps of metal embedded insaid body about said elements and projecting therefrom, shoes secured to said straps at regular intervals along said bands, each said shoe having an opening therethrough, a resilient body of rubber-like material secured in said opening and exposed at the tread face of the track, said body having a portion projecting at the face of the shoe in the region engaged by one of said wheels opposite said tread face, and a metal plate secured to the proiecti l portions of said body and overlying said body and said opening in floating spaced-apart relation to said shoe to" transmit wheel loads directly to said body, plates of said shoes providing collectively a substantially continuous bogie-wheel bearing surface.

4. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having track-engaging wheels, said track comprising a plurality of shoes, means connecting said shoes flexibly in series, said shoes having apertures through the same in the regions engaged by said wheels, bodies of rubber-like material in said apertures exposed at the ground-contacting faces of the shoes, the walls of said shoes at said apertures embracing said bodies substantially throughout the depth of the latter and restraining lateral spreading thereof under wheelloads transmitted directly through said bodies, and deck, plate members mounted on said bodies in floating spaced relation to said shoes for trans- ,mitting wheel-loads directly to said bodies.

5. A track shoe for an endless band track for engaging bogie wheels of a vehicle, said shoe having an aperture through the same in the region engaged by one of said wheels, a bod of rubber-like material of less area than said shoe in said aperture exposed at the ground-contacting face of the shoe, the wall of said shoe at said aperture embracing the sides of said body entirely about the same and substantially throughout the depth thereof and restraining lateral spread. ing of said body under wheel-loads transmitted directly through said body, and a deck structure mounted on said body in floating spaced relation to said shoe for transmitting wheel loads directly to said body.

6. A track shoe as defined in claim 5 in which said body comprises a. projecting portion and said deck structure comprises a plate permanently secured to said portion.

7. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle in which a series of blocks are movably connected for engagement by load-transmittin wheels of the vehicle, said block comprising a metal frame having walls extending to a tread face of the block in the region of the block engaged by said wheels, a filling of' resilient material retained by said walls and exposed at said face, said filling projecting beyond the opposite face of said block, and a deck plate of less area than said block secured to the projecting face of said filling in floating spaced-apart relation to said frame for engagement with a load transmitting wheel.

8. A track block as deflned by claim 7 in which said filling is permanently secured to said walls;

9. A track block as defined by claim 7 in which said filling is permenently secured to said deck p ate.

10. A track block as defined by claim 7 in which said filling is permanently secured to said walls and said deck plate.

11. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle havin load-sustaining wheels for engaging the shoes, and deck DANG track, said track comprising flexible bands arranged in parallel relation, and shoes secured to said bands at close intervals, said shoes havins openings therethrough of small area relative to the area of the soes in the region of engagement of said wheels, resilient bodies of rubber-like material of area corresponding to said openings extending through said openings and projecting therebeyond at the wheel-engaging face of the plates secured to the projecting portions of said bodies, with the deck plates of adjacent shoes substantially meeting 'to provide a substantially continuous surface for engaging said wheels. I

12. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having a load-sustaining wheel for engaging the track, said track comprising connected track shoes, each shoe having an opening therethrough from the ground-engaging faces to the wheel engaging face of the track, a body of resilient material in said opening and projecting therefrom at the wheel-engaging face of the track and a deck plate mounted for floating movement on the projecting portion of said body and spaced from said shoe, the deck plates of said shoes being spaced closely in the longitudinal direction of the track and collectively providing, a smooth surface for rolling engagement with said wheel.

13. A track shoe for a self-laying track type vehicle, said shoe having opposite wheel contacting and tread faces and comprising a retaining wall extending rigidly about the wheel-contacting portion thereof and substantially to both faces of the block, a filling of resilient rubber-like material retained by said wall, said filling being exposed at said tread face of the shoe and pro- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,947,474 Knox Feb. 20, 1934 1,970,100 Masury Aug. 14, 1934 2,420,133 Hardig May 6, 1947

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