US1111583A - Traction-belt for tractors. - Google Patents

Description

P. E. HOLT.

TRACTION BELT FOR TRAGTORS. APPLICATION FILED FEB.26,1912.

1,1 11,583. Patentd Sept.22,1914.

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the traction UNITED STATES OFFICE.

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TRACTION-BELT FOR TRACTOBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Sept. 22, 1914'.

' Application filed February 26, 1912. Serial No. 680,078.

To a?! whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PLINY E. How, a citizen of the United States, residing at 820 West Poplar street, in the city of Stockton, county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Belts for Tractors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear. and exact description of the said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practise the same.

This invention relates to improvements in tractors of the caterpillar type, and relates more particularl to and consists of the novel construction and arrangement of sections forming the traction belt.

The objects sought to be accomplished are to minimize the number of parts, and trans mit the tractive and supporting burden directly to the traction shoe; to overlap the adjacent ends of the traction shoes to form wipe joints to prevent the incursion of mud and dirt between the track sections;and to provide, against the accummulation of mud and dirt in the link sections; and to provide means for suitably lubricating the articula tions of the traction belt or track.

Particular stress is laid upon the value of the open gridlike construction of the link sides. The worst enemy of this type of traction belt is grit and mud accummulations within and about the link sections; es ecially ifthe mud is permittedto harden. e tween the gudgeon blocks within the links, The open sided links of the resent inven-' tion prevent the disrupting e ect consequent upon compression of such obstructions by the driving sprocket teeth entering into each successive link. The side openings permit of the lateral dislodgment of dirt, mud, gravel or other forei matter. Broadly the invention consists of a series of traction shoes having upturned edges and depressed grousers, and end extensions overlapping the ends of the adjacent traction shoes; link sides of open gridlike construction, with profile lugs engaging .the depressed grousers and bolted to the traction shoes, and joined by gudgeon blocks having an oil font therein and gudgeon pins to form a self lubricating articulation between the traction sections.

tion illustrating a traction belt constructed .ceeding tending between t body of the shoe, extending transversely of the same.

The draft chain consists of the link sides 6 and 7 having the profile lugs 8 adapted to follow the inner contour of the traction shoe, to which'they are fixed by the bolts 9 extending.through the ears 10. The supporting track 11 is formed integral with the is adapted to support the rollers tractor truck a suflicient height ground to avoid mud and grit, accummulatlons of which are ejected through the openings 12 in the link sides.

the suethe gudgeon blocks 13 exhe link sides of the narrow X of the series by end'of the link, end of the succeeding link to form a break olnt in the supporting track. The gudgeon plus 14 extend through the gudgeon blocks and the interlocked ends of the draft wherein they are secured by the transverse taper pinsv 15 driven therethrough and clenched. The gudgeon pins are prevented from rotating y the lugs 16 formed on the link sides and engaging the transverse pins.

The gudgeon blocks have cylindrical body portlons, adapted to engage the driving sprocket Z, and the reduced ends 18- flattened to engage the similarly shaped holes 19 in the ends of the link sides. The oil font 20 is formed integrally with the gudgeonblock and has a cored opening into the center bore 21. The font is filled with oil before the gudgeon pins are inserted, the oil is distributed whenever the traction belt assumes the inverted position in passing around the driving sprockets.

The two link sides with the gudgeon blocks and pins form an endless series of draft links adapted to be engaged by the driving sprocket Z, which pulls the traction sections progressively under the supporting truck rollers, which roll upon the track sec- 'tions imparting progressive motion to the. tractor. The

grousersengaging the ground prevent slipping of the traction belt. The

Fig. 2 is which is let into the wide overlapping ends 3 and 4 form a wiping joint'permitting free articulation of the link sections; but prevent mud or soft earth from squeezing up between the sections and causing undue deterioration of the Wearmg arts.

p It will be noted that the track belt is formed by a series of articulated sections, each section embodying a shoe having grouser projections on its outer face and corresponding recesses on its inner face and links which at the ends are provided with joint connections for articulation, at their inner edges with substantially, straight track bearings for the truck Wheels, and at their .outer edges with projections which seat in the recesses in the shoes, whereby any tendency of the shoes to slide with relation to the links is overcome, and the holding bolts have therefore only to bear the strains tending to radially separate the parts. Each link is provided with side openings, which openings extend beyond the plane of the joints and cross pieces with which the teeth on the drive sprocket cooperate, whereby the sprocket teeth entering the spaces between the cross pieces or joints will force any accumulations out through the lateral openings. The drive wheel operates with its periphery between the track heads of the links, and it ,is of importance in such a structure that lateral openings be provided inasmuch as the accumulations of mud and dirt would not otherwise be afforded an opportunity to escape, a result which is incident, so far as known, to the structure of the present application alone.

Having thus described this invention what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A traction belt for tractors formed by a series of articulated link sections, each section embodying a transversely corrugated shoe plate and a link with joint connections for articulations at its ends, said track link having a rail head portion along one of its longer sides, the opposite side of the track link being bolted to the shoe. plate and having lugs seating in the corrugations in the shoe and coacting with the bolt to hold the'shoe rigidly in place, substantially as described.

2. A tractionbelt for tractors,.formed by a series of parallel articulated links having sprocket wheel engaging portions extending transversely thereof, and lateral openings in the links for the escape of accumulations at points beyond or on the outer side of the plane of the sprocket wheel engaging portions of the links, whereby the entry of the sprocket teeth between the links will expel accumulations laterally from the links.

3. A traction belt for tractors, formed by having truck supporting rail" faces on their inner edges andtransversely extending sprocket wheel engaging portions at their ends with lateral apertures extending beyond the plane of the sprocket wheel engaging portions, and shoes bridging the space between the links at their outer sides.

4. A traction belt for tractors comprising a series of articulated links having a gudgeon block with an oil font therein, and a gudgeon pin engaging the interlocked link ends; transverse pins engaging the ends of the gudgeon pins and lugs formed on the link sides; a series of overlapping track shoes having depressions adapted to engage lugs formed on the link sides.

5. In a combination of a shoe platewith a pair of transverse indentations on its inner side, a link section having a substantially straight rail-head on one edge and an undulating opposite edge to fit the indentations in the shoe. and a bolt passing through the shoe plate and through an oifset portion of the link section, said bolt and said lugs and indentations cooperating to hold the plate and link rigidly against relative movement.

'6. In a traction belt mechanism for tractors of the type described, the combination with a belt formed by a series of articulated link sections, each section embodying a shoe plate and spaced parallel track links secured to the shoe plate, said track links having pivotal connections at the ends, lateral openings in the links between said pivotal connections and extending outwardlybeyond the same, and substantially straight track rail heads on the inner edges of said track links, of truck wheels traveling on said rail heads, and a driving sprocket wheel traveling between the side link sections and having teeth projecting into the spaces between the transverse pivotal connections, whereby accumulations entering the belt in proximity to the truck wheels will be forced laterally through the openings in the links by the entry of the driving wheel.

7. A track belt for tractors comprising an endless series of articulated sections, each section being formed by grouser plates having external projections and corresponding internal depressions and curved end extensions and side links to which said grouser plates are secured having edge profile projections seating in the depressions in the plate and end extensions to overlap corresponding extensions of adjacent sections and gudgeon blocks and pivot pins forming the axes between adjacent side links.

8. A track belt for tractors comprising an endless series of articulated sections formed of links having overlapping joint track portions on their upper edges and a series of parallel articulated link sections fil h on th i lower d d grouser belt for a self-laying track, the' dependent of iink and having its front and rear ends extended beyond planes at right angles to the plane of the plate and radial to the plates secured on said links and having depressions in which the projections seat, ad-

jacent grouser plates having curved overfor tractors, comprising an endless series of articulated duplicate sections, each section embodying a grouserplate and track link, proximate links having their ends overlapping and pivotally connected, the proximate grouser plates having overlapping curved ends one outside of the other radially of the axis, the curvature of said overlapping portions being approximately concentric with the axis and being extended in opposite directions beyond a plane radial to the 'axis at right angles to the plane of the sections when straight and being co-extensive in width with the bodies of the plates to form a wiping joint and a substantially unbroken surface to exclude dirt and support the weight of the tractor.

10. A track belt for tractors formed of an endless series of duplicate short articulated sections, each section embodying a track forming link and a grous'er plate inbut rigidly attached to the axes of articulation to overlap corresponding extensions on adjacent plates, said overlapping portions of the plates having contacting faces substantially concentric with the axes of articulation and substantially the width of the body or" the plates, whereby the plates mutually support each other at all times, and a continuous bearing between the sections exists at all times to prevent the entry of dirt. y

11. A track belt for power driven tractors formed of an endless series of duplicate short articulated sections each section embodying a track forming link having rounded end portions and a grouser plate independent of but rigidly attached to the link, and having roadway engaging projections On its outer face and its front and rearends extended beyond planes at right angles to the plane of the plate and. radial to the axes of articulation to overlap corresponding extensions on adjacent plates, said overlapping portions of the plates have ing contacting faces substantially concen trio with the axis of articulation and lying on the inner side of the plane of the projections whereby a continuous bearing surface will be formed between the sections and the entry of dirt will be prevented.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of January 1912.

PLIN Y E. HOLT. Witnesses:

F. G. HOLT,

BALDWIN VALE.

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