Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Robert J Grob

Cullen P Hart

Charles E Grawey

Sean C McGinnis

Stephen M Singer

Bradley R Jones

Paul J Mobley

Kristine R Steiner

Charles R Grawey

An elastomeric belt laying vehicle is disclosed for transmitting greater tractive effort to the earth as compared to comparably powered wheel vehicles and being operable at high speed on improved road surfaces without inflicting damage thereto. A pair of the wheels are arranged on each lateral side of the vehicle's chassis for support thereof. An inextensible, endless belt is highly tensioned throughout its length, is entrained about each pair of wheels, and is frictionally, drivingly coupled to at least one wheel of each pair. The structure of the belt, structure of the wheels and cooperating components thereof ensure engagement therebetween, provides long service with minimum maintenance thereof, and supplies the necessary frictional couple to effectively transmit driving torque from the wheels to the belt.

Frictionally driven belted work machine

A debris stripping apparatus is provided for an endless track laying work machine The debris stripping apparatus includes a wear bar that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the drive wheel During operation the wear bar acts as a sacrificial member that strips away mud and debris from the track roller assembly Thus, the wear bar creates a clearance allowing the drive wheel to rotate without making abrading contact with the debris.

Debris stripping apparatus

A protective cover member for a guide block on a drive belt includes an inner portion shaped to substantially conform to at least a portion of the outer surface of the guide block. The cover member is attached to the guide block by bonding the cover member to the guide block, mechanical fasteners such as screws or bolts, and/or using an interference design whereby the cover member is retained by frictional forces or by snapping around a portion of the guide block. The outer surface of the cover member is shaped and sized to be engaged by drive members associated with a drive wheel. The cover member may be constructed of material that is capable of withstanding higher temperatures and forces compared to the material of the guide blocks.

Protective cover for guide blocks

Frictionally driven belted work vehicle

Prestressed compressible drive blocks are positioned on an endless belt of a track machine. The blocks are mateable with openings in drive wheel and function for driving the track and for guiding the track. Drive bars are associated with the drive wheel openings for exerting pressure on the drive/guide bars while maintaining the drive/guide bars against excessive wear.

Positive drive rubber belted track system

Endless belt for a belted vehicle

Endless belt for a track vehicle

Idler wheel for a track vehicle

Driver wheel for a track vehicle

An endless elastomeric or rubber drive belt includes a body having a mid-circumferential plane and first, second and third ply portions of reinforcement therein. The first ply portion has first cable means oriented substantially parallel to the mid-circumferential plane for carrying tensile loads and defining a second plane contiguous therewith. The second ply portion has second cable means arranged on a positive bias angle and the third ply portion has third cable means arranged on a negative bias angle to the mid-circumferential plane. The second and third ply portions are juxtaposed and constructed differently so as to substantially neutralize the shear stresses in each generated from tensile loading while bending by apportioning their strain levels in approximate proportion to their distances from the second plane.

Endless elastomeric drive belt

A split tire arrangement (10) for use with a closed torus tire (14), includes a first and second rim halves (11,12) each respectively having a first tapered diameter (23) and a second smaller tapered diameter (24) located on an inner side (21) of the split halves adjacent the first tapered diameter. A split band (13) is located on the second tapered diameter (24) and has a radially outwardly extending center portion (38) to locate the closed torus tire (14) relative to the split band (13) with the edges (34,36) of the split band terminating under the roll hoops (16,17) of the closed torus tire (14). This provides an arrangement for mounting the closed torus tire (14) to the split rim arrangement (10) without requiring the high forces of rubber sliding on metal.

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

Robert J Grob