CA2131412A1 - Wheeled adaptor - Google Patents
Wheeled adaptorInfo
- Publication number
- CA2131412A1 CA2131412A1 CA 2131412 CA2131412A CA2131412A1 CA 2131412 A1 CA2131412 A1 CA 2131412A1 CA 2131412 CA2131412 CA 2131412 CA 2131412 A CA2131412 A CA 2131412A CA 2131412 A1 CA2131412 A1 CA 2131412A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- adaptor
- ski
- skis
- wheeled
- wheel
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62M—RIDER PROPULSION OF WHEELED VEHICLES OR SLEDGES; POWERED PROPULSION OF SLEDGES OR SINGLE-TRACK CYCLES; TRANSMISSIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SUCH VEHICLES
- B62M27/00—Propulsion devices for sledges or the like
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D55/00—Endless track vehicles
- B62D55/02—Endless track vehicles with tracks and additional ground wheels
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Handcart (AREA)
Abstract
There is described a wheeled adaptor capable of removable connection to the steering ski of a snowmobile to facilitate travel across snowless surfaces, the adaptor including at least one wheel removably mounted beneath the ski to be in longitudinal alignment therewith.
Description
21314:2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to wheeled adaptors and more particularly to wheeled adaptors for connection to the front skis of a snowmobile permitting use of the vehicle on snowless or partially snowless surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wheeled attachments for snowmobiles are well known in the art. Canadian Patents 873,771 and 2,038,680, as well as U.S. Patents 3,570,617 and 3,777,829, all describe wheeled assemblies for use in connection with snowmobiles. In general, these patents all disclose wheels attached to one or more mounting members that can be removably coupled to the steering skis of the snowmobile, thereby facilitating travel across snowless roads and terrains.
While these prior art devices generally reduce wear and possible damage to the steering skis during such travel, they offer no protection to the vehicle's endless track, including its components and suspension, which remains in full frictional contact with the snowless ground. This will cause 20 accelerated wear and damage and usually leads to burnout.
Another disadvantage of prior art devices is that the wheels of the attachment devices are unprotected against harmful debris and obstacles commonly encountered along snowless surfaces such as rocks, slabs of ice, curbs, cracks 25 and abutments. Contact between these obstructions and the wheel can result in severe damage to the wheel and quite possibly injury to the rider.
Yet other disadvantages associated with the prior art include cumbersome means of attachment to the skis and 30 lack of adaptability to traversing alternating snow-covered and snowless surfaces.
A need therefore exists to minimize wear and possible damage to both the steering skis and the endless tracks of snowmobiles when travelling across snowless 3 5 surfaces.
~131~1Z
A further need exists to protect the wheels of attachment devices from contact with various debris and obstacles commonly found on snowless surfaces and to provide a wheeled adaptor easily and quickly attachable and detachable from the vehicle's skis without need of tools.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wheeled adaptor that can be conveniently and removably mounted to the steering skis of a snowmobile to facilitate travel across snowless surfaces.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wheeled adaptor that minimizes both ski and endless track wear when traversing snowless surfaces.
It is a further object in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a wheeled adaptor that can facilitate manual or self-propelled movement of the snowmobile in a forward, sideways, or backward direction.
It is a further object in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a wheeled adaptor that can be adjusted to fit steering skis of varying thicknesses and shapes.
It is a further object in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a wheeled adaptor equipped with wheel guards to protect the wheels against potentially dangerous obstacles and debris even as the vehicle is moving at significant speeds.
According to the present invention then, there is provided a wheeled adaptor comprising one or more wheels affixed to the underside of a mounting bracket in either a fixed or swivelling position.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheeled adaptor capable of engaging the steering ski of a snowmobile in such a manner as to raise portions of the endless track off the ground.
21'~1~12 According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided adjustable lateral flange members and/or spacers capable of engaging skis of varying thicknesses.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a setting lock for quick ski-adaptor engagement without the need for tools.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plow plate and side skirts to protect the said wheels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail, and will be better understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional snowmobile incorporating one embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is another side elevational view of a conventional snowmobile incorporating another embodiment of the invention;
Figure 3 is another side elevational view of a conventional snowmobile incorporating yet another embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a snowmobile with the wheeled adaptor affixed to the front skis;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the wheeled adaptor of the present invention comprising separate front and rear adaptors;
Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the front adaptor;
Figure 7 is a rear elevational view of the adaptor of Figure 5;
Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the rear adaptor;
2131gl2 Figure 9 is a rear elevational view of the adaptor of Figure 8;
Figure 10 is a plan view of the base plate for the adaptors of Figures 6 to 9;
Figure 11 is a side elevational view of a modified unitary adaptor including both a fixed and a swivel wheel;
Figure 12 is a front elevational view of the adaptor of Figure 11; and Figure 13 is a front elevational view of a modified wheeled adaptor;
Figure 14 is a side elevational view of the modified adaptor of Figure 13; and ~ igure 15 is a plan view of the modified adaptor of Figure 13 with the tie-down clips removed for clarity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown different arrangements of the present invention engaged on a conventional snowmobile 10 which includes an endless track 11 and one or, more typically, two front steerable skis 12. In Figure 1, two independent wheeled adaptors 13 are shown in a preferred arrangement mounted along one of steering skis 12 in a longitudinally spaced apart manner. Figure 2 displays another arrangement wherein both wheels are incorporated into a single adaptor assembly attached to ski 12 adjacent ski strut 4.
In both Figures 1 and 2, the lead wheel 5 is fixed in orientation to be in alignment with ski 12 to enhance directional stability and steerability while the rear or trailing wheel 6 is free to pivot or caster to facilitate in both turning the snowmobile when in motion and, as well, manual handling of the vehicle when not in motion. The two wheels shown may also be of different sizes with the lead wheel generally being larger than the trailing wheel.
Figure 3 displays an arrangement whereby only one of adaptors 13 supporting trailing wheel 6 is used. This 213~412 configuration is useful primarily when manually handling the snowmobile around tight spaces such as a storage shed or garage. However, the arrangements shown in Figures 1 and 2 are also suited for same purpose.
From Figure 4 it will be seen that with adaptors 13 mounted to skis 12, leading wheel 5 and trailing wheel 6 are aligned beneath the skis. Applicant has found that this arrangement offers important advantages compared to the prior art which shows the adaptor wheels mounted to the sides of the skis. These advantages include greater clearance between the skis and the ground which facilitates traversing obstacles such as curbs and abutments without damage to the skis, lifting of endless track 11 off the ground to limit track/ground contact to only the rearmost portion 16 of the track and the adaptation of means to be described below to better protect wheels 5 and 6 from damaging impact with debris and obstacles. Other advantages, including a better-balanced centre of gravity and protection of ski strut 4 from shear loading that results when the wheels are positioned adjacent the skis, to placement of the wheels beneath the skis will be described below.
The detailed construction of the present adaptors will now be described with reference to Figures 4 to 10. It will be understood that modifications to these constructions are possible and will occur to those skilled in the art.
Apart from some minor differences as will be noted below, adaptors 13 used for mounting either leading wheel 5 or trailing wheel 6 are substantially the same and will therefore be described together with particular reference to Figures 4 to 10 wherein like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements.
Each adaptor 13 generally comprises a base plate 21 having laterally opposed, orthogonally extending lower slider brackets 22, a caster wheel assembly 20 centrally connected to the lower surface 18 of the base plate by means of, for 2131~1~
example, threaded fasteners 19, upper generally L-shaped slider brackets 24 adjustably connected to lower brackets 22 such as by means of threaded fasteners 32, a plow plate 25 and side skirts 26, and a locking mechanism 60 to releasably connect the adaptors to skis 12.
A typical caster wheel assembly 20 includes a wheel 5 or 6 with its axle fastened to a U-shaped bracket 28, bracket 28 being rotatably connected to an upper support plate 27. Pivoting of the wheel is achieved through rotation of bracket 28 relative to plate 27. As mentioned previously, pivoting of the lead wheel 5 should preferably be prevented to enhance directional stability and steering control. This can be achieved simply by a weld 29 between plate 27 and bracket 28 so that wheel 5 is permanently aligned in the longitudinal direction of ski 12. Alternatively, a suitable fixed wheel assembly can be used.
Also shown affixed to the underside of base plate 21 is a plow plate 25 and two side skirts 26. The plow plate-side skirts combination may comprise separate stamped metal plates welded or even hinged to the base plate. In the alternative, the plow plate and side skirts may form part of a stamped base plate folded to the desired configuration.
As best seen from Figure 6, in one embodiment of the present invention, plow plate 25 is welded or hinged along its upper edge to leading edge 14 of base plate 21 and tapers downwardly and inwardly beneath the base plate in front of wheel 5. Thus, when the adaptor is seen from the front, only the lower part of wheel 5/6 will be visible. The angle between the base and plow plates can vary provided of course that sufficient clearance remains to prevent contact between the wheel and the plate. As will be apparent, the purpose of plow plate 25 is to protect wheels 5/6 from damaging impact with debris and/or obstacles and to assist the snowmobile to traverse these impediments whereby contact between the obstacle and plate 25 will deflect the ski upwardly and over ~13~412 the impediment with only glancing contact between the wheel and the obstacle.
Side skirts 26 offer lateral shielding to the wheel and as well, provide reinforcement against bending or buckling of plow plate 25. The sizing and configuration of the side skirts may vary; Figure 11 displays side skirts in a winged position while Figure 12 shows the side skirts covering the entire wheel assembly. To decrease the weight of the present adaptors, skirts 26 can be limited to the strip-like struts best seen in Figure 6.
If plow plate 25 is hingedly connected to base plate 21, side skirts 26 can be eliminated altogether. Hinge 36 can be "stiff" to prevent plate 25 from simply flapping around and constantly dragging on the ground. Upon contact with an obstacle, plate 25 will pivot rearwardly into contact with wheel 5/6 until the obstacle is cleared and the plate will then drop slightly to break contact with the wheel.
Upper and lower adjustable slider brackets 22 and 24 disposed on opposite sides of base plate 21 are used to position adaptors 13 on skis 12.
The spacing between brackets 22 corresponds generally to the outer diameter of ski 12 as seen in Figure 7 in which the ski is shown in phantom lines. Upper brackets 24 are connected to lower brackets 22 such as by means of threaded fasteners 32 so that flanges 44 on brackets 24 enclose ski 12 closely but not tightly. Preferably, adaptors 13 should be able to slide freely on skis 12. As best seen from Figure 6, brackets 22 and 24 are each formed with vertically elongated slots 47 and 48 which align to receive fasteners 32 therethrough for securing the brackets together.
The slots permit adjustments to the height of brackets 24 relative to brackets 22. The slots also allow brackets 24 to be tilted or aligned at an angle to the lower brackets which is useful for adjustments to the attitude of the wheels and particularly if the trailing wheel is smaller than the leading 213;~4~2 wheel. It's usually not necessary to make additional adjustments to the position of brackets 24 following their initial setup for a given pair of skis 12.
Each adaptor includes a locking mechanism 60 to releasably connect the adaptors to the skis at fixed predetermined positions. Ideally, the locking mechanism is safe, quick and simple and requires no tools to either connect or disconnect the adaptor to a ski. Applicant has developed such a mechanism which will now be described with particular reference to Figures 6 and 7. Similar locking mechanisms are used on both the leading and trailing adaptors.
Locking mechanism 60 is advantageously situated atop flanges 44 of upper brackets 24. A lock plate or lever 61 is pivotally connected to flange 44 by a nut and bolt 62 and 63 respectively and is spaced from the flange and biased into a normally horizontal position relative to flange 44 by means of a spring 65 compressed between plate 61 and the opposed upper surface of flange 44. A pin member 64 is permanently attached to the opposite end of lever 61 and projects towards and through an aperture 67 formed through flange 44. Pin 64 is sufficiently long to also pass through a similar aperture 79 formed in ski 12 at the place or places where the adaptor is to be connected.
Mounting of the wheeled adaptors on steering skis 12 is simply accomplished by lifting the ski in question and guiding the adaptor onto the front or rear of the ski as appropriate so that the lateral edges of the ski are enveloped by upper and lower brackets 24 and 22. As will be seen most readily from Figure 7, the bottom of the ski is supported by and spaced from base plate 21 by the heads 72 of threaded fasteners 19. Prior to engagement, thumb or finger pressure is applied to end 59 of lever 61 to elevate pin 64. Once engaged on the ski, the adaptor assembly is moved towards aperture(s) 79 until apertures 67 and 79 are vertically aligned to receive pin 64 therethrough to releasably connect 2131~12 the adaptor to the ski. To remove the adaptor, pressure is again applied to end 59 of lever 61 to disengage pin 64 and the adaptor is then slidably removed from the ski. Attaching and removing the adaptor takes but a few seconds either way and nor are any tools required.
Figures 11 and 12 display another embodiment of the invention whereby both the leading and trailing wheels are supported on a single base plate 21 and wherein another mechanism is used to releasably connect the adaptors to a ski 12. As will be seen most easily from Figure 12, the adaptors are connected to the ski by means of a threaded nut 58 and bolt 53, washers 55, spring 56, bushing 57 and cotter pin 54.
Bolts 53 pass through aligned apertures formed in base plate 21, lower brackets 22 and in skis 12. Unlike the previous embodiment, wherein the spacing between lower brackets 22 is fixed, in this embodiment, the apertures through the lower brackets are formed as slots which allows for lateral adjustments to the spacing between the brackets to accommodate different widths of skis. Optional bushings 57 may be used to provide additional support for ski 12 to maintain the correct spacing between the ski and the upper surface of base plate 21.
When engaged to skis 12, it has been found that adaptors 13 provide excellent directional stability and steering control. The adaptors can be installed and removed quickly and easily which is particularly important if the operator is traversing stretches of both snow covered and snowless terrain. It has been found however that the adaptors need not be removed even when travelling over snow due the deflecting action of plow plates 25. Obviously, some speed is lost, but the machine will continue to make ready headway without a loss of steering control. By mounting the wheels beneath the skis, the adaptors provide the needed lift to reduce track/ground contact but at the same time, the adaptors can be made small enough and light enough to be easily stored in the snowmobile when not in use. To provide the same degree of lift, side mounted wheels would of necessity be many times larger and disproportionately cumbersome to both use and install. Applicant has obtained good results with wheel diameters in the 50 mm to 75 mm range. Smaller wheels can be used without loss of steering control or performance but obviously the track's ground clearance will be reduced proportionately.
With reference to Figures 13 to 15, there is shown a steerable ski 92 having a modified cross-sectional profile including upright truss-like portions 91. A modified wheeled adaptor 93 is shown including adaptations for connection to a ski having this shape. These adaptations include inverted L-shaped slide brackets 96 with compression blocks 97 connected beneath flanges 95 of brackets 96 to compressively and frictionally engage the outer lateral edges 90 of skis 92.
Compression blocks 97 are connected to flanges 95 such as by means of countersunk threaded fasteners 98. The adaptations additionally include one or more pairs of opposed tie-down clips 105 each of which is pivotally connected to a respective one of brackets 97 by means of, for example, mounting brackets 108 mounted on the outer sides of brackets 97. Each clip 105 includes at one end a hooked beak 109 to engage the opposing portion of the upper edge 90 of truss 91 and an adjusting nut 110 at the opposite end of the clip to alternately tighten beak 109 against edge 90 and to release the clip when the adaptors are to be removed.
These same adaptations are made to both the leading and trailing adaptors.
As can be seen best from Figure 15, wheel 5 can be mounted with, for example, 2.5 of toe-in for improved directional stability. Additional adjustments to the toe-in can be made to compensate for any inward or outward splaying of the skis.
213~412 The above-described embodiments of the present invention are meant to be illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications, which would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. The only limitations to the scope of the present invention are set out in the following appended claims.
The present invention relates to wheeled adaptors and more particularly to wheeled adaptors for connection to the front skis of a snowmobile permitting use of the vehicle on snowless or partially snowless surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wheeled attachments for snowmobiles are well known in the art. Canadian Patents 873,771 and 2,038,680, as well as U.S. Patents 3,570,617 and 3,777,829, all describe wheeled assemblies for use in connection with snowmobiles. In general, these patents all disclose wheels attached to one or more mounting members that can be removably coupled to the steering skis of the snowmobile, thereby facilitating travel across snowless roads and terrains.
While these prior art devices generally reduce wear and possible damage to the steering skis during such travel, they offer no protection to the vehicle's endless track, including its components and suspension, which remains in full frictional contact with the snowless ground. This will cause 20 accelerated wear and damage and usually leads to burnout.
Another disadvantage of prior art devices is that the wheels of the attachment devices are unprotected against harmful debris and obstacles commonly encountered along snowless surfaces such as rocks, slabs of ice, curbs, cracks 25 and abutments. Contact between these obstructions and the wheel can result in severe damage to the wheel and quite possibly injury to the rider.
Yet other disadvantages associated with the prior art include cumbersome means of attachment to the skis and 30 lack of adaptability to traversing alternating snow-covered and snowless surfaces.
A need therefore exists to minimize wear and possible damage to both the steering skis and the endless tracks of snowmobiles when travelling across snowless 3 5 surfaces.
~131~1Z
A further need exists to protect the wheels of attachment devices from contact with various debris and obstacles commonly found on snowless surfaces and to provide a wheeled adaptor easily and quickly attachable and detachable from the vehicle's skis without need of tools.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wheeled adaptor that can be conveniently and removably mounted to the steering skis of a snowmobile to facilitate travel across snowless surfaces.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wheeled adaptor that minimizes both ski and endless track wear when traversing snowless surfaces.
It is a further object in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a wheeled adaptor that can facilitate manual or self-propelled movement of the snowmobile in a forward, sideways, or backward direction.
It is a further object in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a wheeled adaptor that can be adjusted to fit steering skis of varying thicknesses and shapes.
It is a further object in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a wheeled adaptor equipped with wheel guards to protect the wheels against potentially dangerous obstacles and debris even as the vehicle is moving at significant speeds.
According to the present invention then, there is provided a wheeled adaptor comprising one or more wheels affixed to the underside of a mounting bracket in either a fixed or swivelling position.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheeled adaptor capable of engaging the steering ski of a snowmobile in such a manner as to raise portions of the endless track off the ground.
21'~1~12 According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided adjustable lateral flange members and/or spacers capable of engaging skis of varying thicknesses.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a setting lock for quick ski-adaptor engagement without the need for tools.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plow plate and side skirts to protect the said wheels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail, and will be better understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional snowmobile incorporating one embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is another side elevational view of a conventional snowmobile incorporating another embodiment of the invention;
Figure 3 is another side elevational view of a conventional snowmobile incorporating yet another embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a snowmobile with the wheeled adaptor affixed to the front skis;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the wheeled adaptor of the present invention comprising separate front and rear adaptors;
Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the front adaptor;
Figure 7 is a rear elevational view of the adaptor of Figure 5;
Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the rear adaptor;
2131gl2 Figure 9 is a rear elevational view of the adaptor of Figure 8;
Figure 10 is a plan view of the base plate for the adaptors of Figures 6 to 9;
Figure 11 is a side elevational view of a modified unitary adaptor including both a fixed and a swivel wheel;
Figure 12 is a front elevational view of the adaptor of Figure 11; and Figure 13 is a front elevational view of a modified wheeled adaptor;
Figure 14 is a side elevational view of the modified adaptor of Figure 13; and ~ igure 15 is a plan view of the modified adaptor of Figure 13 with the tie-down clips removed for clarity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown different arrangements of the present invention engaged on a conventional snowmobile 10 which includes an endless track 11 and one or, more typically, two front steerable skis 12. In Figure 1, two independent wheeled adaptors 13 are shown in a preferred arrangement mounted along one of steering skis 12 in a longitudinally spaced apart manner. Figure 2 displays another arrangement wherein both wheels are incorporated into a single adaptor assembly attached to ski 12 adjacent ski strut 4.
In both Figures 1 and 2, the lead wheel 5 is fixed in orientation to be in alignment with ski 12 to enhance directional stability and steerability while the rear or trailing wheel 6 is free to pivot or caster to facilitate in both turning the snowmobile when in motion and, as well, manual handling of the vehicle when not in motion. The two wheels shown may also be of different sizes with the lead wheel generally being larger than the trailing wheel.
Figure 3 displays an arrangement whereby only one of adaptors 13 supporting trailing wheel 6 is used. This 213~412 configuration is useful primarily when manually handling the snowmobile around tight spaces such as a storage shed or garage. However, the arrangements shown in Figures 1 and 2 are also suited for same purpose.
From Figure 4 it will be seen that with adaptors 13 mounted to skis 12, leading wheel 5 and trailing wheel 6 are aligned beneath the skis. Applicant has found that this arrangement offers important advantages compared to the prior art which shows the adaptor wheels mounted to the sides of the skis. These advantages include greater clearance between the skis and the ground which facilitates traversing obstacles such as curbs and abutments without damage to the skis, lifting of endless track 11 off the ground to limit track/ground contact to only the rearmost portion 16 of the track and the adaptation of means to be described below to better protect wheels 5 and 6 from damaging impact with debris and obstacles. Other advantages, including a better-balanced centre of gravity and protection of ski strut 4 from shear loading that results when the wheels are positioned adjacent the skis, to placement of the wheels beneath the skis will be described below.
The detailed construction of the present adaptors will now be described with reference to Figures 4 to 10. It will be understood that modifications to these constructions are possible and will occur to those skilled in the art.
Apart from some minor differences as will be noted below, adaptors 13 used for mounting either leading wheel 5 or trailing wheel 6 are substantially the same and will therefore be described together with particular reference to Figures 4 to 10 wherein like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements.
Each adaptor 13 generally comprises a base plate 21 having laterally opposed, orthogonally extending lower slider brackets 22, a caster wheel assembly 20 centrally connected to the lower surface 18 of the base plate by means of, for 2131~1~
example, threaded fasteners 19, upper generally L-shaped slider brackets 24 adjustably connected to lower brackets 22 such as by means of threaded fasteners 32, a plow plate 25 and side skirts 26, and a locking mechanism 60 to releasably connect the adaptors to skis 12.
A typical caster wheel assembly 20 includes a wheel 5 or 6 with its axle fastened to a U-shaped bracket 28, bracket 28 being rotatably connected to an upper support plate 27. Pivoting of the wheel is achieved through rotation of bracket 28 relative to plate 27. As mentioned previously, pivoting of the lead wheel 5 should preferably be prevented to enhance directional stability and steering control. This can be achieved simply by a weld 29 between plate 27 and bracket 28 so that wheel 5 is permanently aligned in the longitudinal direction of ski 12. Alternatively, a suitable fixed wheel assembly can be used.
Also shown affixed to the underside of base plate 21 is a plow plate 25 and two side skirts 26. The plow plate-side skirts combination may comprise separate stamped metal plates welded or even hinged to the base plate. In the alternative, the plow plate and side skirts may form part of a stamped base plate folded to the desired configuration.
As best seen from Figure 6, in one embodiment of the present invention, plow plate 25 is welded or hinged along its upper edge to leading edge 14 of base plate 21 and tapers downwardly and inwardly beneath the base plate in front of wheel 5. Thus, when the adaptor is seen from the front, only the lower part of wheel 5/6 will be visible. The angle between the base and plow plates can vary provided of course that sufficient clearance remains to prevent contact between the wheel and the plate. As will be apparent, the purpose of plow plate 25 is to protect wheels 5/6 from damaging impact with debris and/or obstacles and to assist the snowmobile to traverse these impediments whereby contact between the obstacle and plate 25 will deflect the ski upwardly and over ~13~412 the impediment with only glancing contact between the wheel and the obstacle.
Side skirts 26 offer lateral shielding to the wheel and as well, provide reinforcement against bending or buckling of plow plate 25. The sizing and configuration of the side skirts may vary; Figure 11 displays side skirts in a winged position while Figure 12 shows the side skirts covering the entire wheel assembly. To decrease the weight of the present adaptors, skirts 26 can be limited to the strip-like struts best seen in Figure 6.
If plow plate 25 is hingedly connected to base plate 21, side skirts 26 can be eliminated altogether. Hinge 36 can be "stiff" to prevent plate 25 from simply flapping around and constantly dragging on the ground. Upon contact with an obstacle, plate 25 will pivot rearwardly into contact with wheel 5/6 until the obstacle is cleared and the plate will then drop slightly to break contact with the wheel.
Upper and lower adjustable slider brackets 22 and 24 disposed on opposite sides of base plate 21 are used to position adaptors 13 on skis 12.
The spacing between brackets 22 corresponds generally to the outer diameter of ski 12 as seen in Figure 7 in which the ski is shown in phantom lines. Upper brackets 24 are connected to lower brackets 22 such as by means of threaded fasteners 32 so that flanges 44 on brackets 24 enclose ski 12 closely but not tightly. Preferably, adaptors 13 should be able to slide freely on skis 12. As best seen from Figure 6, brackets 22 and 24 are each formed with vertically elongated slots 47 and 48 which align to receive fasteners 32 therethrough for securing the brackets together.
The slots permit adjustments to the height of brackets 24 relative to brackets 22. The slots also allow brackets 24 to be tilted or aligned at an angle to the lower brackets which is useful for adjustments to the attitude of the wheels and particularly if the trailing wheel is smaller than the leading 213;~4~2 wheel. It's usually not necessary to make additional adjustments to the position of brackets 24 following their initial setup for a given pair of skis 12.
Each adaptor includes a locking mechanism 60 to releasably connect the adaptors to the skis at fixed predetermined positions. Ideally, the locking mechanism is safe, quick and simple and requires no tools to either connect or disconnect the adaptor to a ski. Applicant has developed such a mechanism which will now be described with particular reference to Figures 6 and 7. Similar locking mechanisms are used on both the leading and trailing adaptors.
Locking mechanism 60 is advantageously situated atop flanges 44 of upper brackets 24. A lock plate or lever 61 is pivotally connected to flange 44 by a nut and bolt 62 and 63 respectively and is spaced from the flange and biased into a normally horizontal position relative to flange 44 by means of a spring 65 compressed between plate 61 and the opposed upper surface of flange 44. A pin member 64 is permanently attached to the opposite end of lever 61 and projects towards and through an aperture 67 formed through flange 44. Pin 64 is sufficiently long to also pass through a similar aperture 79 formed in ski 12 at the place or places where the adaptor is to be connected.
Mounting of the wheeled adaptors on steering skis 12 is simply accomplished by lifting the ski in question and guiding the adaptor onto the front or rear of the ski as appropriate so that the lateral edges of the ski are enveloped by upper and lower brackets 24 and 22. As will be seen most readily from Figure 7, the bottom of the ski is supported by and spaced from base plate 21 by the heads 72 of threaded fasteners 19. Prior to engagement, thumb or finger pressure is applied to end 59 of lever 61 to elevate pin 64. Once engaged on the ski, the adaptor assembly is moved towards aperture(s) 79 until apertures 67 and 79 are vertically aligned to receive pin 64 therethrough to releasably connect 2131~12 the adaptor to the ski. To remove the adaptor, pressure is again applied to end 59 of lever 61 to disengage pin 64 and the adaptor is then slidably removed from the ski. Attaching and removing the adaptor takes but a few seconds either way and nor are any tools required.
Figures 11 and 12 display another embodiment of the invention whereby both the leading and trailing wheels are supported on a single base plate 21 and wherein another mechanism is used to releasably connect the adaptors to a ski 12. As will be seen most easily from Figure 12, the adaptors are connected to the ski by means of a threaded nut 58 and bolt 53, washers 55, spring 56, bushing 57 and cotter pin 54.
Bolts 53 pass through aligned apertures formed in base plate 21, lower brackets 22 and in skis 12. Unlike the previous embodiment, wherein the spacing between lower brackets 22 is fixed, in this embodiment, the apertures through the lower brackets are formed as slots which allows for lateral adjustments to the spacing between the brackets to accommodate different widths of skis. Optional bushings 57 may be used to provide additional support for ski 12 to maintain the correct spacing between the ski and the upper surface of base plate 21.
When engaged to skis 12, it has been found that adaptors 13 provide excellent directional stability and steering control. The adaptors can be installed and removed quickly and easily which is particularly important if the operator is traversing stretches of both snow covered and snowless terrain. It has been found however that the adaptors need not be removed even when travelling over snow due the deflecting action of plow plates 25. Obviously, some speed is lost, but the machine will continue to make ready headway without a loss of steering control. By mounting the wheels beneath the skis, the adaptors provide the needed lift to reduce track/ground contact but at the same time, the adaptors can be made small enough and light enough to be easily stored in the snowmobile when not in use. To provide the same degree of lift, side mounted wheels would of necessity be many times larger and disproportionately cumbersome to both use and install. Applicant has obtained good results with wheel diameters in the 50 mm to 75 mm range. Smaller wheels can be used without loss of steering control or performance but obviously the track's ground clearance will be reduced proportionately.
With reference to Figures 13 to 15, there is shown a steerable ski 92 having a modified cross-sectional profile including upright truss-like portions 91. A modified wheeled adaptor 93 is shown including adaptations for connection to a ski having this shape. These adaptations include inverted L-shaped slide brackets 96 with compression blocks 97 connected beneath flanges 95 of brackets 96 to compressively and frictionally engage the outer lateral edges 90 of skis 92.
Compression blocks 97 are connected to flanges 95 such as by means of countersunk threaded fasteners 98. The adaptations additionally include one or more pairs of opposed tie-down clips 105 each of which is pivotally connected to a respective one of brackets 97 by means of, for example, mounting brackets 108 mounted on the outer sides of brackets 97. Each clip 105 includes at one end a hooked beak 109 to engage the opposing portion of the upper edge 90 of truss 91 and an adjusting nut 110 at the opposite end of the clip to alternately tighten beak 109 against edge 90 and to release the clip when the adaptors are to be removed.
These same adaptations are made to both the leading and trailing adaptors.
As can be seen best from Figure 15, wheel 5 can be mounted with, for example, 2.5 of toe-in for improved directional stability. Additional adjustments to the toe-in can be made to compensate for any inward or outward splaying of the skis.
213~412 The above-described embodiments of the present invention are meant to be illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications, which would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. The only limitations to the scope of the present invention are set out in the following appended claims.
Claims
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A wheeled adaptor for a snowmobile ski, comprising:
at least one ground engaging wheel removably supported beneath said ski to be substantially in longitudinal alignment therewith.
at least one ground engaging wheel removably supported beneath said ski to be substantially in longitudinal alignment therewith.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2131412 CA2131412A1 (en) | 1994-09-02 | 1994-09-02 | Wheeled adaptor |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2131412 CA2131412A1 (en) | 1994-09-02 | 1994-09-02 | Wheeled adaptor |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2131412A1 true CA2131412A1 (en) | 1996-03-03 |
Family
ID=29220420
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2131412 Abandoned CA2131412A1 (en) | 1994-09-02 | 1994-09-02 | Wheeled adaptor |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2131412A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2004067353A1 (en) * | 2003-01-27 | 2004-08-12 | Ouellette Michael J | Convertible ski-supported vehicle |
-
1994
- 1994-09-02 CA CA 2131412 patent/CA2131412A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2004067353A1 (en) * | 2003-01-27 | 2004-08-12 | Ouellette Michael J | Convertible ski-supported vehicle |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| FZDE | Dead |