Bridgestone Corporation

Yoichi Kumano

Takeo Muramatsu

Tomoyuki Kurata

Crawler shoe

A molding method for a seamless crawler is provided in which the number of production steps is few, embedding of spiral reinforcement cords and a circumferentially uniform strength property are made possible, high-speed traveling can be accommodated, and a uniform, reliable pressure for an outer mold is enabled. The crawler molding method is structured such that a crawler is integrally molded and vulcanized between an endless ring-shaped outer mold and an inner mold . After structural components of the crawler are molded at an outer periphery of the inner mold which is dividable in an axial direction, the outer mold which is divided in a circumferential direction and is slidable in a radial direction is disposed at an outer side an the structural components of the crawler . The outer mold is contracted in the radial direction by pressure applied thereto. Accordingly, the structural components of the crawler are vulcanized.

Crawler molding method

A crawler block rubber pad for a crawler which has an endless path of movement and which is used for a vehicle. Links are axially supported and connected by pins in an endless shape, and crawler blocks are attached to outer surfaces of the links. In the crawler block rubber pad, a rubber pad is formed integrally, by vulcanization and adhesion, to an outer side surface of a crawler block and to end portions of the crawler block as seen from a longitudinal direction of the links. Preferably, the rubber pad is vulcanized and adhered to both end portions of the crawler block in the longitudinal direction of the links. Even if a small stone or the like becomes caught in a space between crawler blocks which space widens when the crawler is trained around an idler or the like, because a thickness of rubber material is provided so as to be larger than a radius of a small stone, no unwanted force is applied to the pins and the links.

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Miura-gun, Japan

Yoichi Kumano