GB721141A - Improvements relating to endless tracks for tractors and other vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

721,141. Endless tracks for vehicles. CUTHBERTSON, J. A. Feb. 27, 1950. No. 6087/49. Class 79(1). A flexible unit for a vehicular endless track comprises longitudinally spaced abutments and a flexible tension member interconnecting the abutments, the tension member being looped slidably around at least one abutment in a tiansverse direction and the looping lying substantially parallel to the ground when the unit is in ground contact, so that transversely spaced flexible stretches are formed between the abutments, and the tension member being enclosed in, and the abutments embedded in, rubber to form the unit. As shown in Fig. 1 the vehicular endless track is formed of the flexible units 1 abutting and joined to each other by outer and inner plates 2 and 3 and clamping bolts 4. The plates 2 are formed with ground engaging spades 5 and the plates 3 with sprocket engaging teeth 6. As shown in Fig. 5 each unit 1 is formed by the tension member formed as a multistrand cable 9 looped slidably and sinuously around the series of abutments formed by pulley wheels 10 to form the flexible stretches 9A, the ends of the cable being held in end abutments formed by half pulleys 11. The pulleys 10, 11 are formed with holes 13 to receive the bolts 4 and a supporting strip 12 of canvas or the like engages the inner side of the stretches 9A of each unit, the whole being enclosed and embedded in rubber 14. Tension in the track is transmitted through the stretches 9A and any increase in tension in one or more stretches of one unit is distributed around the abutments 10 and through the other stretches of the unit to obviate breakage of the cable due to excessive load. Modifications are described Figs. 11 and 14 (not shown), in which the abut. ments in each unit are formed in transverse pairs, a plurality of cables each engaging the abutments in one pair and those in the opposite pair. In a further modification, Fig. 17, the rubber is moulded and vulcanised so as to present concavities 21, the abutments of adjacent units being vested in the concavities. The unit may be moulded with integral rubber threads 23. The cables 9 may be replaced by nylon or other textile cables, or any other flexible members. Specification 721,169, [Group XXX], is referred to.