CA2909324C - Track setter - Google Patents

Abstract

Track setter for making track grooves in snow, which track setter is provided with a shaft (2, 3), which can be fastened at one of its ends to a tractor unit, such as to a snowmobile, and which shaft is fixed at its other end to the chassis (1) of the track setter, under which chassis track-forming units (4) are installed for making the track grooves. The invention is implemented in such a way that a detachable or openable protective cover (5) is installed on top of the chassis (1), on the surface of which protective cover runners (9) or corresponding elongated protrusions are formed for keeping the track setter on course when it is turned upside down.

Description

TRACK SETTER
Field The object of the present invention is a track setter for making track grooves in snow, which track setter is provided with a shaft, which can be fastened at one of its ends to a tractor unit, such as to a snowmobile, and which shaft is fixed at its other end to the chassis of the track setter, under which chassis track-forming units are installed for making the track grooves.
Background A track setter is typically towed behind a motorized vehicle, e.g. a snowmobile or wheel buggy. The tractor unit can, of course, be any other suitable one whatsoever that is suited to the purpose, e.g. a horse. By means of a track setter, skiing grooves are made in the snow for conventional style skiing.
Many different track setters are known in the art. They have a towing bar that can be fixed at one of its ends to a tractor device. The chassis of the track setter is fixed to the other end of the towing bar, under which chassis two track-forming units are in turn fixed, the track-forming units cutting grooves of the desired width and depth into the snow. An extra weight or extra weights can be fixed on top of the chassis, due to which weight(s) the track setter bites into the snow better.
These types of track setters have some drawbacks. For example, when arriving at points at which it is not desired to set tracks, such as at an intersecting skating-style ski track, the track setter should be carried over this type of track or otherwise lightened so that track grooves are not produced. Likewise, the track-forming units of the track setter wear if they are pulled e.g. over an asphalted road.
Detaching and carrying the track setter over problematic points slows down the track setting and is troublesome.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-05-06

2 Summary The aim of the present invention is to achieve a track setter that is not conjoined with the aforementioned problem. The track setter according to the invention is characterized in that a detachable or openable protective cover is installed on top of the chassis, on the surface of which protective cover runners or corresponding elongated protrusions are formed for keeping the track setter on course when it is turned upside down.
One preferred embodiment of the track setter according to the invention is characterized in that the protective cover is essentially solid.
Another preferred embodiment of the track setter according to the invention is characterized in that the protective cover is detachably fixed e.g. with screws or snap-on locking means.
Yet another preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the protective cover is hinged in such a way that it can be opened.
One advantage of the invention that can be mentioned is that the track setter can be turned around when it is not desired to set tracks or it is otherwise desired to protect the track-forming units from wear. In this case the protective cover functions as a sliding surface.
An openable or detachable protective cover also enables the installation/fixing of extra weights to the base plate in such a way that they are not visible at all under the protective cover. A protective cover also prevents snow from accumulating on top of and/or inside the track setter.
Accordingly, in one aspect there is provided a track setter for making track grooves in snow, the track setter being provided with a shaft, which can be fastened at one of its ends to a tractor unit, such as to a snowmobile, and which is fixed at its other end to the chassis of the track setter, under which chassis track-forming units are installed for Date Recue/Date Received 2022-05-06

3 making the track grooves, wherein a detachable or openable protective cover is installed on top of the chassis, on the surface of which protective cover runners or corresponding elongated protrusions are formed for keeping the track setter on course when it is turned upside down.
Brief Description of the Drawings In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by the aid of some preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 presents a track setter according to the invention, in which the protective cover is presented when detached.
Fig. 2 presents a track setter according to the invention, in which the protective cover is installed into its position.
Fig. 3 presents a track setter according to the invention, the track setter having been turned upside-down.
Detailed Description of Embodiments The track setter is formed from a chassis 1, a towing bar 2, 3 fixed to the chassis, and track-forming units 4 installed below the chassis.
The track setter according to the invention is provided with a protective cover 5, which in Fig. 1 is thus slightly raised up from the chassis.
The chassis 1 is an essentially plate-type part, fabricated from metal.
As is seen from Fig. 1, the front end and rear end of it can be bent upwards. This is particularly important in the front end, so that the track setter does not gouge the snow when it is pulled. An extra weight or extra weights (not presented in drawings) can be fixed to the chassis, by means of which weight(s) the weight of the track setter can be increased. This ensures better track-setting characteristics.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-05-06

4 Bars 6 longitudinal to the track setter can also be fixed to the chassis 1, to the longitudinal outer sides of it. The distance between said bars is slightly larger than the width of the protective cover 5, in which case the protective cover fits between them on top of the chassis.
Indentations 7 are correspondingly made in both outer sides of the protective cover. When the protective cover 5 is in position (Fig. 2), the bars 6 at the point of the indentations give a good handhold, in which case it is possible e.g. to lift or turn or otherwise handle the track setter.
The shafts 2, 3 are fixed to the chassis 1. The shaft parts bent towards each other come to face to face at the front end of the track setter and a shaft part 3, which is preferably a straight bar, is fastened between them. The joint between the shaft parts 2 and 3 is implemented in such a way that one of the points of connection is a bolted joint and the other is a pin + cotter. When the cotter is detached and the pin removed, the shaft part 3 can be bent in relation to the parts 2 to be on top of the track setter, e.g. for transportation or storage. In this position the track setter takes up such a small space that it can be put e.g. in the trunk of a private car. Also the fixing of the shaft parts 2 to the chassis 1 is preferably done with bolts or screws, in which case the parts 2 can also be detached when necessary.
At the end of the bar 3 is a fastening means 8, which is a ring-shaped means. By means of it, the track setter is fixed to a tractor unit, such as to a snowmobile.
In Fig. 2 the protective cover 5 is installed into its position. It can be fixed to the chassis 1 with screws or e.g. with a snap-on fastener or in some other suitable manner. The protective cover 5 can also be hinged on one of its edges, in which case it does not need to be fully detached when e.g. an extra weight is installed.
Runners 9 or other corresponding protrusions in the direction of travel of the track setter are formed on the surface of the protective Date Recue/Date Received 2022-05-06

5 cover 5. When the track setter arrives at a location in which a track is not desired or cannot be set, such as an intersecting skating-style ski track or a highway, the track setter is turned upside-down, in which case the runners 9 meet the ground (Fig. 3) The runners 9 only guide the track setter to travel straight, but do not make significant grooves in the snow. For turning the track setter, the shaft part 3 and fixing means 8 can be made to be rotatable with respect to each other.
Another possibility is to detach the track setter from the tractor unit, turn it, and fasten it again to the tractor unit.
It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but that it can be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. For example, the towing bar can be provided with a mechanical safety device that, when the track setter stops suddenly, e.g. because of a tree, detaches the grip of the shaft from the snowmobile, in which case a sudden stop of the snowmobile is avoided. The material of the protective cover is preferably plastic.
The characteristic features possibly presented in the description in conjunction with other characteristic features can also, if necessary, be used separately to each other.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-05-06

Claims (9)

6

1. Track setter for making track grooves in snow, the track setter being provided with a shaft, which can be fastened at one of its ends to a tractor unit, such as to a snowmobile, and which is fixed at its other end to the chassis of the track setter, under which chassis track-forming units are installed for making the track grooves, wherein a detachable or openable protective cover is installed on top of the chassis, on the surface of which protective cover runners or corresponding elongated protrusions are formed for keeping the track setter on course when it is turned upside down.

2. Track setter according to claim 1, wherein the protective cover is essentially solid.

3. Track setter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protective cover is detachably fixed.

4. Track setter according to claim 3, wherein the protective cover is detachably fixed with screws or snap-on locking means.

5. Track setter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protective cover is hinged in such a way that it can be opened.

6. Track setter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein elongated bars, which remain outside the protective cover when the protective cover is in its position, are installed on the outer edges of the chassis of the track setter, and indentations are made in the side edges of the protective cover, wherein at the point of the indentations the bars function as handles when handling the track setter.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-05-06

7. Track setter according to claim 6, wherein the elongated bars function as handles when turning the track setter upside down.

8. Track setter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the towing bar comprises first bars and a second bar, wherein the first bars are fixed to both outer sides of the chassis and are bent inwards from the second bar, the second bar being essentially straight and being detachably fastened to the first bars.

9. Track setter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the protective cover is fabricated of plastic.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-05-06