Caterpillar Inc.

Wayne A Klopfenstein

Gerald P Simmons

Driving systems for belted machines have in the past utilized a common material interface to drive the belted machine. For example, rubber belted machines have generally used a rubber drive therewith. The present drive wheel is made of metal and includes a plurality of contacting elements attached to the outer surface of a drum. Each of the contacting elements have a contacting surface have a generally diamond configuration defining a leading point of contact, a trailing point of contact, a major length and a minor length. The plurality of contacting elements are arranged on the drum in a plurality of spaced apart rows which extend circumferentially along and axis and each of the major lengths coincide with the axis. Furthermore, the major length is greater in length than the minor length. The plurality of contacting elements extend from the outer surface a preestablished distance and the interface of the preestablished distance and the contacting surface form a sharp edge 67 or a point 68. Thus, this point 68 or sharp edges 67 of the diamond drive wheel aggressively separates the debris and enables a positive interface or contact between the drive wheel and an inner surface of a belt.

Mental drive wheel for endless ground engaging drive belts

A compact and rugged belt drive mechanism includes a hydraulically controlled actuator located generally between first and second variable pulley assemblies individually having a movable pulley disc and a fixed pulley disc in order to controllably position the movable pulley discs. A drive belt is entrained between the pulley assemblies, and a force-multiplying apparatus including a competitively profiled cam with oppositely inclined ramps and a plurality of roller members engaging the cam serves to automatically adjust tension on the drive belt. The force-multiplying apparatus and an associated plurality of compression springs for applying a preload against the drive belt are operatively associated with only one of the movable pulley discs for simplicity. The belt drive mechanism is particularly useful for steering a vehicle and is disclosed elevational above a differential gear unit for controllably transferring power between the opposite output shafts of the differential gear unit in response to movement of an actuating member of the actuator.

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Peoria, IL, United States of America

Wayne A Klopfenstein