Deere + Company

Nicolae V Orlandea

Jack C Wiley

William P Wohlford

Bernard Edwin Romig

Ray C Huang

A flexor having its opposite ends clamped between respective link and grouser of adjacent track link sections includes a tensile load carrying core in the form of a pair of thin, generally rectangular plates. The ends of the plates where clamping bolts pass through are reinforced by a thickened section which diminishes in a direction toward the center of the plates. The opposite outer surfaces defined by the reinforcement is parabolic and terminates adjacent the midpoint between the opposite ends of the flexor. The reinforcements control the bending of the flexor so that the bend is a smooth circular curve, having the largest radius possible for a given length of flexor.

Flexor for sections of endless track

The respective ends of the link and grouser of a track link section are shaped so that an enlarged middle portion of a flexor extending between adjacent track link sections is embraced by the link and grouser ends in such a way that the radius of flexure of the flexor is controlled and such that no open volumes ever exist, between the flexor and link and grouser ends, which would allow debris to enter and alter the desired controlled radius of flexure.

Track section having cooperating flexor, link and grouser design for

A bulldozer has track support rollers arranged such that a line drawn through their lowermost points forms a curved line. This support roller arrangement is effective to minimize large pitch motions normally experienced during operation of conventional bulldozers having rollers arranged such that a straight line passes through the lowermost points thereof.

Bulldozer track support roller arrangement

A drive sprocket includes a plurality of equispaced rollers which mesh with complementary shaped receptacles defined by surface portions of drive lugs of adjacent sections of a track. The surface portions of adjacent drive lugs leave a gap at the bottom of the receptacle defined thereby for permitting material such as mud or snow and the like to be pushed therethrough by the sprocket rollers. The axis of pins interconnecting adjacent track sections is aligned with the axis of a sprocket roller when the roller is located in the receptacle formed by the drive lugs of the adjacent track sections.

Drive sprocket and track configuration

This invention relates to an improved steering and suspension system for use on off-road type vehicles. The system comprises a gear train at each drive wheel made up of three gears: an input gear, an intermediate gear and an output gear. The input gear is mounted on a driven output shaft which extends out of the differential of the vehicle. The output gear is mounted on an outwardly extending shaft which is retained in a gear case which surrounds the entire gear train. Rotatably attached to this gear case is a tubular hub with a pivotally attached yoke. The yoke supports the axle on which the drive wheel is mounted. Positioned within the area defined by the tubular hub and the yoke are two pairs of intermeshing bevel gears. These bevel gears unite the outwardly extending shaft with the axle and allow torque to be transmitted from the engine of the vehicle to the drive wheels. Also included in this system are two pivotally connected arms which unite the tubular hub to the frame of the vehicle. These two linkage arms cooperate with attached actuating and suspension means to retain the pivot axis of the yoke in an upright position.

Vehicular steering and suspension system

A drive and suspension system for a longitudinally extending vehicle includes a differential having a pair of laterally extending output shafts. The output shafts support a pair of longitudinally extending gear train supports which journal and enclose a pair of longitudinally extending gear trains driven off the output shaft to drive the vehicle's drive wheels. The gear train supports, which are pivotal relative to the output shafts, are connected proximate the drive wheels to a pair of spring suspensions which in turn are connected to the ends of a laterally extending walking beam which is pivotable on a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

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Davenport, IA, United States of America

Nicolae V Orlandea