Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D55/00—Endless track vehicles
  • B62D55/32—Assembly, disassembly, repair or servicing of endless-track systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D55/00—Endless track vehicles
  • B62D55/04—Endless track vehicles with tracks and alternative ground wheels, e.g. changeable from endless track vehicle into wheeled vehicle and vice versa
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D55/00—Endless track vehicles
  • B62D55/08—Endless track units; Parts thereof
  • B62D55/084—Endless-track units or carriages mounted separably, adjustably or extensibly on vehicles, e.g. portable track units
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D55/00—Endless track vehicles
  • B62D55/08—Endless track units; Parts thereof
  • B62D55/10—Bogies; Frames
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D55/00—Endless track vehicles
  • B62D55/08—Endless track units; Parts thereof
  • B62D55/14—Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D55/00—Endless track vehicles
  • B62D55/08—Endless track units; Parts thereof
  • B62D55/18—Tracks
  • B62D55/24—Tracks of continuously flexible type, e.g. rubber belts
  • B62D55/244—Moulded in one piece, with either smooth surfaces or surfaces having projections, e.g. incorporating reinforcing elements

Definitions

• Certain off-road vehicles such as agricultural vehicles (e.g. harvesters, combines, tractors, etc.), industrial vehicles, such as construction vehicles (e.g. loaders, bulldozers, excavators, etc.) and forestry vehicles (e.g. feller bunchers, tree chippers, knuckle-boom log loaders, etc.), and military vehicles (e.g. combat engineering vehicles (CEVs), etc.), may be equipped with an elastomeric track system that enhances traction and floatation on soft, wet, and/or irregular ground (e.g. soil, mud, sand, ice, snow, etc.) during operation.
• agricultural vehicles e.g. harvesters, combines, tractors, etc.
• industrial vehicles such as construction vehicles (e.g. loaders, bulldozers, excavators, etc.) and forestry vehicles (e.g. feller bunchers, tree chippers, knuckle-boom log loaders, etc.)
• military vehicles e.g.
• the at least one protrusion comprises a lip that engages a top surface of the corresponding one of the leading and trailing flanges. In some embodiments, when the lip engages with the top surface of the corresponding one of the leading and trailing flanges, the fitment kit and the frame are removably coupled via a hook coupling.
• the frame comprises a mounting flange to couple a wheel-mounting subassembly to the frame, and wherein the track system further comprises spacers configured to provide a translation between the axle and the undercarriage by adjusting a position of the frame relative to the wheel-mounting subassembly.
• the angular alignment system comprises an alignment pin configured to extend through aligned pin apertures on the leading crossmember and the leading flange or on the trailing crossmember and the trailing flange; and an angular alignment device on an opposing side of the frame from the alignment pin, wherein the alignment pin is configured to provide a pivotal relationship between the frame and the fitment kit and the angular alignment device is configured to adjust an alignment of the undercarriage with respect to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
• the track system further comprises one or more sensors located on or within a material of at least one of an inner side of the undercarriage and an outer side of the undercarriage for determining a parameter of the inner side and/or the outer side of the undercarriage.
• the angular alignment system is configured to determine a correction of the angular position by: determining a first temperature of the track on the inner side of the undercarriage and a second temperature of the track on the outer side of the undercarriage with the one or more sensors after driving the vehicle for the predetermined distance; comparing the first temperature and the second temperature to determine a side of the track that has a higher temperature; and rotating the adjusting pin to increase a distance between trailing ones of the plurality of track-contacting wheels and the side of the track that has the higher temperature.
• the axle of the vehicle comprises a recess that is sized and shaped to receive the attachment bar.
• the fitment kit is an integrated part of the axle of the vehicle.
• a fitment kit for connecting an undercarriage to an axle of a vehicle, the fitment kit comprising a leading flange and a trailing flange coupled on opposing ends of an attachment bar and extending therefrom in a same direction, wherein the attachment bar is couplable to the axle, and wherein the leading flange is couplable to a leading side of a frame of the undercarriage and the trailing flange is couplable to a trailing side of the frame of the undercarriage.
• a surface of the leading flange has a size and shape that corresponds to the leading side of the frame and the trailing flange has a size and shape that corresponds to the trailing side of the frame.
• the surface of the leading flange and the surface of the trailing flange are planar.
• the upper surfaces of the leading crossmember and the trailing crossmember and the lower surfaces of the leading flange and the trailing flange are substantially planar.
• the method further comprises temporarily coupling the leading flange to the leading crossmember and the trailing flange to the trailing crossmember via a hook coupling, wherein the leading crossmember and the trailing crossmember each comprise at least one protrusion that is configured to engage the leading flange and the trailing flange, respectively, in the hook configuration.
• the at least one protrusion comprises a lip that engages a top surface of the leading flange or the trailing flange.
• the method further comprises translating a position of the undercarriage with respect to the axle via a planar alignment.
• the planar alignment comprises coupling at least one spacer between a mounting flange that couples a wheel-mounting subassembly to the frame and the frame.
• the method further comprises aligning an angular position of the undercarriage with respect to the fitment kit with an angular alignment system.
• Fig. 7 shows a perspective outer side view of a track system according to one embodiment that is coupled to an axle of a vehicle
• Fig. 8 shows an enlarged perspective outer side view of a track system according to one embodiment that is coupled to an axle of a vehicle;
• Fig. 9 shows an enlarged perspective outer side view of an undercarriage according to one embodiment
• Fig. 10 shows an enlarged perspective front (leading) side view of a track system according to one embodiment, showing an angular alignment system
• Fig. 12 shows a perspective outer side view of a track system according to one embodiment coupled to a vehicle chassis
• Fig. 13 shows a perspective inner side view of a track system according to one embodiment coupled to a vehicle chassis. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments of the present disclosure and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to define the limits of the present disclosure.
• substantially and “about” means an acceptable variation according to conventional standards, otherwise at most a 5% variation from an indicated effect or value.
• a track system for vehicles with a drive axle such as an outboard final drive axle, that includes an undercarriage and a fitment kit.
• the undercarriage includes a track and track-engaging assembly for driving and guiding the track.
• the track-engaging assembly includes a drive wheel, a plurality of track-contacting wheels, and a frame with surfaces for receiving the fitment kit on a leading and trailing side of the drive wheel.
• the fitment kit includes an attachment bar that is configured to couple to an axle of the vehicle and two horizontal flanges that are configured to connect to the frame on a leading and trailing side of the drive member.
• the final drive located at a terminal end of the axle of the vehicle, can be coupled directly to the drive member of the undercarriage.
• the track system includes an angular alignment system on the horizontal flanges to minimize or avoid the use of another angular alignment device, such as an alignment lever.
• the surfaces of the frame of the undercarriage and the fitment kit have a planar alignment that facilitates the alignment of the drive wheel of the undercarriage with the final drive in the axle of the vehicle.
• a conversion track system 10 comprising an undercarriage 20 configured to couple to a final drive 42, such as an outboard planetary final drive, at a terminal end of an axle of a vehicle and a fitment kit 30 that is configured to couple to the axle 40 and to the undercarriage 20.
• the undercarriage 20 includes a frame 50 that is engageable with the fitment kit 30 to couple the undercarriage 20 to the axle 40.
• the undercarriage 20 further includes a track 22 and a track-engaging assembly 24 that is configured to drive and guide the track 22 around the track-engaging assembly 24.
• the track-engaging assembly has a plurality of track-engaging wheels that include a drive wheel 26 and a plurality of track-contacting wheels 281-284.
• the plurality of trackcontacting wheels 28i-28s includes leading idler wheels 28i , 282, trailing idler wheels 287, 28s and roller wheels 283, 284, 28s, 28e between the leading idler wheels 28i, 282 and the trailing idler wheels 28?, 28s.
• Each of the plurality of track-contacting wheels 28i-28s are rotatable about an axis of rotation.
• the drive wheel 26 is rotatable about an axis of rotation for driving the track 22 in response to a rotation of the axle 40 of the vehicle the undercarriage 20 is coupled to.
• the axis of rotation of the drive wheel 26 corresponds to the axle 40 of the vehicle.
• the drive wheel 26 can include a hub 26a that is mountable to a wheel flange on the final drive 42 of the vehicle such that the power generated by the power source and delivered over the powertrain of the vehicle rotates the final drive 42 on the terminal end of the axle 40, which rotates the drive wheel 26, thus imparting motion on the track 22.
• the track system 10 can be used with vehicles that do not include an outboard final drive 42 on the axle 40.
• the hub 26a on the drive wheel 26 can be coupled to a wheel flange on the axle 40.
• the drive wheel 26 can be a drive sprocket that is engageable with drive or guide lugs 25 on an inner side of the track 22 to drive the track 22.
• the drive wheel 26 can include drive members, such as bars, teeth, etc., that are distributed circumferentially around the drive wheel 26 to define a plurality of lug-receiving spaces therebetween that receive the drive or guide lugs 25 on the inner surface of the track 22.
• the drive wheel 26 can frictionally engage the inner side of the track 22 to frictionally drive the track 22.
• leading flange 32 is configured to engage with a leading side of the frame 50 and the trailing flange 34 is configured to engage with a trailing side of the frame 50.
• leading refers to the front side and “trailing” refers to a rear side of the vehicle.
• the frame 50 of the undercarriage 20 supports components of the undercarriage 20, including the track-contacting wheels 28i-28s. More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment, the leading idler wheels 28i , 282 are mounted to the frame 50 in a leading longitudinal end region of the frame 50 near a leading longitudinal end 21 of the undercarriage, while the trailing idler wheels 287, 28s are mounted to the frame 50 in a trailing longitudinal end region of the frame 50 near a trailing longitudinal end 23 of the undercarriage 20.
• the roller wheels 283, 284, 28s, 28e are mounted to the frame 50 in a central region of the frame 50 between the leading idler wheels 28i, 282 and the trailing idler wheels 287, 28s.
• Each of the roller wheels 283, 284, 28s, 28e may be rotatably mounted directly to the frame 50 or may be rotatably mounted to a link which is pivotally mounted to the frame 50 and which is rotatably mounted to an adjacent one of the roller wheels 283, 284,285, 28e (for example, to form a “tandem”).
• the frame 50 is configured to surround at least a portion of the drive wheel 26, with opposing side walls coupled by a leading crossmember 52 on the leading side and by a trailing crossmember 54 on the trailing side.
• the frame 50 is configured to be supported by the coupling of the frame 50 to the fitment kit 30 and the coupling between the drive wheel 26 and the axle 40, which allows the drive wheel 26 to rotate freely within the frame 50 to move the track 22.
• An upper surface 52a of the leading crossmember 52 and an upper surface 54a of the trailing crossmember 54 have a shape and configuration that corresponds to a lower surface 32a of the leading flange 32 and a lower surface 34a of the trailing flange, respectively.
• the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 are orientated horizontally or substantially horizontally with respect to a ground surface of the vehicle.
• the undercarriage 20 can be installed on the axle 40 of the vehicle by engaging the upper surface 52a of the leading crossmember 52 with the lower surface 32a of the leading flange 32 and the upper surface 54a of the trailing crossmember 54 with the lower surface 34a of the trailing flange.
• the lower surface 32a, 34a of the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 and the upper surfaces 52a, 54a of the leading and trailing crossmembers 52, 54 have a planar or substantially planar surface that provides a planar interface with each other.
• the lower surfaces 32a, 34a of the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34, respectively can have a surface shape that is configured to receive a shape of the upper surfaces 52a, 54a of the leading and trailing crossmember 52, 54, such as tongue and groove surfaces.
• a tongue and groove surface would not allow for an adjustment to angularly align the undercarriage 20 with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (/.e., the forward moving direction of the vehicle).
• the frame 50 includes at least one protrusion 56 on the leading side and/or at least one protrusion 56 on the trailing side that are configured to engage with or guide the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34.
• the frame includes protrusions 56 that have a lip 58.
• the lip 58 engages with a top surface of the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 to create a hook coupling between the undercarriage 20 and the axle 40.
• the hook coupling allows the undercarriage 20 to be suspended from the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 while the undercarriage 20 is fastened to the final drive on the axle of the vehicle, thus preventing the need for a lifting device.
• the frame 50 can include a recess that is configured to receive the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 and further bolster the hook coupling. While a hook configuration (/.e., the combination of the protrusion 56 and the lip 58) is illustrated herein, it is understood that any suitable engagement surfaces that allow the undercarriage 20 to be temporarily suspended from the fitment kit 30 during installation are envisioned.
• the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 and the leading and trailing crossmembers 52, 54 can have a plurality of apertures 37 extending therethrough that are configured to receive a plurality of fasteners 38, such as threaded bolts, to secure the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 to the leading and trailing crossmembers 52, 54, respectively.
• a plate with corresponding apertures can link two or more fasteners 38 together.
• the vehicle chassis 41 coupled to the frame 50 of an undercarriage 20 is shown.
• the vehicle chassis 41 includes an axle 40 with a final drive 42 at each terminal end, as shown in Figures 2 and 5.
• the axle 40 is couplable to the frame 50 of the undercarriage 20 on either side thereof with the fitment kit 30.
• the fitment kit 30 includes the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 extending perpendicular or substantially perpendicular from opposing ends of the attachment bar 36, such that when the attachment bar 36 is coupled to the axle 40, the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 extend past a terminal end of the final drive 42.
• the fitment kit 30 can be manufactured by the manufacturer of the axle 40, such that the axle 40 and the fitment kit 30 have coupling surfaces that correspond to and/or engage with each other.
• the attachment bar 36 can further include apertures for receiving fastening means, such as bolts or a double dowel pin, to couple the attachment bar 36 to the axle 40.
• the attachment bar 36 is bolted to the axle 40; however, it is to be understood that any suitable attachment means can be used to securely couple the attachment bar to the axle, such as via welding.
• the fitment kit 30 can be manufactured with the axle 40 and/or form an integrated portion of the axle 40.
• a length Li of the attachment bar 36 corresponds to a size that is related to a diameter of the drive wheel 26, such that, when the fitment kit 30 is coupled to the undercarriage 20, the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 are positioned on either side of a minor segment or a center of the drive wheel 26.
• the length Li of the attachment bar 36 is slightly larger than the diameter of the drive wheel 26, such that when the fitment kit 30 is coupled to the undercarriage 20, the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 are positioned on either side of the drive wheel 26 and extend past the final drive 42 of the drive wheel 26.
• the positioning of the fitment kit 30 requires precision, such that when the final drive 42 is coupled to the drive wheel 26, the leading and trailing flanges 32, 34 are aligned with the first and second sides of the frame 50.
• a distance D2 between a drive flange 44 on the final drive 42 and a terminal end 31 of the leading or trailing flange 32, 34 is measured.
• the distance D2 can be compared to a reference value that corresponds to the type of vehicle to verify the planar alignment between the drive wheel 26 and the wheel-mounting subassembly 60.
• the undercarriage 20 can include shims or spacers 39 that are configured to fit between the frame 50 and the mounting flange 62 to provide a translation between the axle 40 of the vehicle and the undercarriage 20 by adjusting the position of the frame 50 relative to the wheel-mounting subassembly 60.
• the spacers 39 can be used when the distance D2 between the drive flange 44 on the final drive 42 and the terminal end 31 of the leading or trailing flange 32, 34 differs by 2 mm or more from the reference value.
• the spacers 39 can be a c-shaped shim with an open-ended side that is sized and shaped to receive the fastener used to couple the wheel-mounting subassembly 60 to the frame 50.
• the spacers 39 can be adjusted, inserted, or removed without disconnecting the frame 50 from the wheel-mounting subassembly 60.
• the mounting flange 62 includes apertures 64 for receiving fasteners 66 therethrough and secure the spacers 39 to the wheel-mounting subassembly 60 and/or the frame 50.
• the undercarriage 20 can include sprocket supports 46 and/or oscillation locks 48 to prevent the drive wheel 26 or the track-contacting wheels 28i-28s, respectively, from moving during installation.
• the sprocket supports 46 can be removed to allow the drive wheel 26 to rotate freely within the frame 50.
• the angular alignment system also includes an angular alignment device 70 on an opposing side of the frame 50 from the second pin aperture 72b and an opposing side of the fitment kit 30 from the first pin aperture 72a.
• the first and second pin apertures 72a, 72b and the alignment pin 74 are on the leading crossmember 52 of the frame 50 and the angular alignment device 70 is on the trailing crossmember 54 of the frame 50.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)

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Publications (1)

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ID=90274018

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Family Cites Families (3)

• 2023
  • 2023-09-13 CA CA3263361A patent/CA3263361A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-09-13 EP EP23864208.6A patent/EP4587318A1/de active Pending
  • 2023-09-13 CN CN202380065886.5A patent/CN119866296A/zh active Pending
  • 2023-09-13 WO PCT/CA2023/051215 patent/WO2024055111A1/en not_active Ceased

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