NZ280022A - Protective cover removably attached to caterpillar type track with grooved central body and clamping end fasteners - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand No. 280022 International No. PCT/ TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION Priority dates: 14.09.1995 Complete Specification Filed: 14.09.1995 Classification:^) B62D55/00.26 Publication date: 27 April 1998 Journal No.: 1427 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Caterpillar track shoe cover for protection of road surface Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: ART JAPAN CO. LTD, a Japanese company of 6-33 I Chome Tsurunoshima, Miyazaki, Pre., Japan 280022 Patents Form No. 5 Our Ref: JT205340 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION CATERPILLAR TRACK SHOE COVER FOR PROTECTION OF ROAD SURFACE We, ART JAPAN CO. LTD, a Japanese company of 6-33 I Chome Tsurunoshima, Miyazaki, Pre., Japan hereby declare the invention, for which We pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PT0502586 (followed by page la) 290 n22 CATERPILLAR TRACK SHOE COVER FOR PROTECTION OF ROAD SURFACE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a cover for the metal blade which is a component of the caterpillar track shoes in vehicles used for civil construction work such as power shovels. This cover over the metal blade affords protection of the road surface on which the vehicle travels.

There are at present two types of caterpillar tracks used on vehicles for civil construction work. One with blades made of metal and one fitted with a rubber belt. The former has very good durability and is tough. For this reason it is mainly used in demolition work sites where much debris such as broken masonry and steel bars are found. The latter type of caterpillar tracks are soft, pliable and quiet but the rubber belt is easily damaged. This type is therefore mainly used in work sites where there are many areas of paved surfaces.

However, there are work sites which have a mixture of areas with paved surfaces and areas with surfaces on which debris is scattered disorderly. In these work sites, it is rather difficult to use vehicles other than the two types in one area of a work site having different surfaces.

N.Z. PATENT Of 0 AUG RPCEIV'i' 2 £80 0 22 Due to the difficulty in using different vehicles for the same job in the same work site, conventional practice is to use mainly one type of vehicle, that being the metal clad caterpillar type. Vehicles of this type, when travelling in work sites with mixed area of asphalt paving and/or concrete surfaced roads, have to keep away from such surfaced areas and roads in order that no damage is caused directly by the metal blades to the finished surfaces of such areas and roads.

In order to prevent such damage to the surfaced area, it has been the practice to place timber and other such materials underi?.iath the metal track blade for the vehicle to ride on. / / However, this practice of placing protection timber etc. /' unde^-. the caterpillar track shoe is a cumbersome job / .requiring much manual labour.

In addition, the driver of such a vehicle has to be extra careful during driving to ensure that the vehicle moving on the timber bedding remains on the bedding. This kind of driving, consequently, is time consuming.

It is the object of this invention to provide a solution to these problems, or at least a useful alternative, by providing a road surface protecting cover for caterpillar track shoes.

N.Z. PATENT OFFICE AUG 1996 RECEIVED 3 ■tL, ~i U The road surface protecting caterpillar track shoe cover of this invention has a body portion made of elastic material and it also has a fixture fitted fixedly to both ends of the body portion of the cover. The fixture provides a certain space between the body portion of the cover and its underside.

Such a device achieves the following effects. The covers can be attached to the metal blades of the caterpillar track shoes so that the vehicle, when in operation on paved surfaces, moves quietly without causing damage to the paved surfaces. Caterpillar track vehicles with originally fitted metal track shoes can now be used in demolition work sites, where there is much debris such as broken masonry and steel bars, by fitting the caterpillar track shoes with the covers of this invention.

The body portion of the cover is roughly square pillar shaped and is provided with a fixture to be fixed at each end of the body portion. Between the seat of the fixture and the underside of the cover's body portion, there is a space provided. Furthermore, there are steel tubes embedded in the body portion which run from one end to the other end. These two fixtures are fitted on to each end of the body portion at an inclined angle to the faces of the ends.

The following explains how the cover is actually fitted for use, with the aid of the drawings. ft r* Me*- f-a- 4 280 0 2 2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DIAGRAM 1 This is a diagram showing a perspective view of the components of the cover for a caterpillar track shoe.

DIAGRAM 2 This is a diagram showing a longitudinal cross-section view of the cover used on a caterpillar track shoe.

DIAGRAM 3 This is a diagram showing the front view of the road surface protecting cover when fitted to a metal blade.

DIAGRAM 4 This is a diagram showing a perspective view of another embodiment of the fixture to the body portion of the cover.

EXPLANATION OF THE SYMBOLS 1 Road surface protecting cover 2 Body portion of cover 3 Fixture to body portion of cover 3a Penetrating hole 3b Penetrating hole 3c Side plate 3d Seat plate 3e Recession (depressed area) 3f Recession (depressed area) N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 3g Tapered face 3 0 AUG 1996 RECEIVED 280 ft 2 J 4 Fixture to body portion of cover 4a Penetrating hole 4b Penetrating hole 4c Side board 4d Seat board 4e Recession (depressed area) 4f Recession (depressed area) 4g Tapered face Tread groove 6 Groove 7 Steel pipe 7a Female screw hole 7b Female screw hole 8 Steel pipe 8a Female screw hole 8b Female screw hole 9 Bolt Bolt 11 Bolt 12 Bolt 13 Spacing 14 Spacing Metal blade 15a End side part 15b End side part 16 Protruding part N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 80 AUG TO RECEIVED 6 :"s n rv ,■-> y u 4 ^ Diagram 1 is a perspective view of the protective cover for a caterpillar track shoe. Diagram 2 is a front view of a longitudinal cross-section of the protective cover.

Diagram 3 shows the cover attached to the metal blade. Diagram 4 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the fixture to the cover.

As shown in Diagram 1 and Diagram 2, the road surface protection cover 1 is composed of a body portion 2 which is a roughly square pillar shaped device made of elastic hard rubber and a pair of fixtures 3 and 4 which are attached to the ends of the body portion.

On the body portion 2, there are grooves 5 which have cross-sectional depressed treads running along longitudinally. In addition, there is the provision of a groove 6 running along the centre line longitudinally on the underside of the body portion. Groove 6 is shaped for the purpose of matching the protruding part 16 of netal blade 15.

In addition, the interior of the body portion of the cover includes steel pipes 7 and 8, running longitudinally from one end to the other having female screw holes 7a, 7b and 8a, 8b formed at each end of the steel pipes.

N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 3 0 AUG m received"" 7 28 0 0 2 2 The fixtures for the body portion of the cover, the side plates 3c and 4c and seat plates 3d and 4d form roughly L-shaped items which are made of cast aluminium alloy. There are provided spacings 13 and 14 in the fixtures 3 and 4. The spacings 13 and 14 have dimensions in order to cooperate with the metal blades of the caterpillar track shoes which will be mentioned herein. The fixtures are provided with female holes 3a, 3b and 4a, 4b for penetration by the steel pipes 7 and 8.

The fixtures are also provided with recessions 3e, 3f and 4e, 4f which have been formed to conceal the heads of screw-matching bolts 9, 10 and 11, 12 inside the side plates 3c and 4c so that the heads of these bolts do not protrude from the recessions.

Furthermore, the interior sides of side plates 3c and 4c have been formed so that they are inclined inwards, presenting tapered faces 3g and 4g. Thus when fixtures 3 and 4 are fixed to the cover's body portion, the seat plates 3d and 4d will be inclined towards each other.

The pair of fixtures 3 and 4 formed in the above stated manner is to be fixed to both ends of the cover's body portion by the use of screwed bolts 9, 10 and 11, 12. Thus the metal blades of the caterpillar track shoes can be gripped within the spacings 13 and 14 within the fixtures 3 and 4. """ I ! AUG 1S96 j recgvlp : 8 280 0 22 Explanation is now given as to the method of actual application and the functions of such application.

When a caterpillar track vehicle is to travel over roads with paved surfaces, the metal blade 15 of the caterpillar track shoe is fitted with a road surface protecting cover in order that damage to asphalt and/or concrete surfaces of the roads is prevented.

The following explains how to fit these protecting covers to the metal blades of the caterpillar track.

To begin with, the protruding area 16 of the metal blade of the caterpillar track shoe is fitted into the groove 6 on the underside of the body portion 2. The metal blade 15 is gripped at both side edges 15a and 15b by the fixtures 3 and 4 to the body portion of the cover. The penetrating pipes and screw threaded bolts are then fitted into their respective holes and recessions.

Penetrating screw bolts 9, 10 and 11, 12 are inserted through the penetrating holes 3a, 3b and 4a, 4b and these bolts are screwed into the female screw holes 7a, 7b and 8a, 8b at the ends of steel pipes 7 and 8.

•» In addition, when the bolts 9, 10 and 11, 12 are screwed through the penetrating holes, the recessions 3e, 3f and 4e, 4f on the ends of fixtures 3 and 4 enable the heads of these bolts to be concealed within side plates 3c and 4c. 9 |5% ■- £ 0 Xi v Diagram 4 shows a different type of fixture which is an embodiment of this invention. The central part of side plate 3lc of fixture 31 to the body portion of the cover has been subject to a bending process which provides a depressed area. This depressed area cooperates with the ends of the body portion 2 and the fixture is fixed to the body portion by the use of screwed bolts.

The following outlines features and their advantages in this invention: (1) In the interior of the body portion 2 of the cover, there are steel pipes 7 and 8 embedded as core material.

This feature enhances durability by prevention of twisting and bending effects caused by external forces. (2) The interior faces 3g and 4g of fixtures 3 and 4 are tapered. By this tapering, the fitting and adhesion of the road surface protecting cover 1 is improved, with the effect of preventing slippage and detachment. (3) On the faces 3c and 4c at the ends of fixtures 3 and 4 to the body portion of the cover, recessions 3e, 3f and 4e, 4f are provided. This enables the heads of screwed bolts 9, 10 and 11, 12 to be concealed inside side plates 3 and 4. Direct contact between the heads of bolts and road surface is therefore not possible. The bolts 9, 10 and 11, 12 are therefore prevented from becoming loosened and/or broken. |N.Z. PATENT OFFICEl AUG 199B RECEIVED 280 0 2 2 The preferred embodiment of the invention of this application contains additional improvements to those of earlier applications. The improvements are increased durability and closer adhesion of the caterpillar track shoe to the metal blades. The invention of this application offers an improved caterpillar track shoe cover for protection of road surfaces.

It is envisaged that variations and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

'^."PATENT OFf'CC.! 11 WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 280022 1 A cover for a metal blade of a caterpillar track of a vehicle comprising: a body portion formed of an elastic material having a longitudinal groove adapted to cooperate with the metal blade, and fixtures for fixing both ends of the main body to the caterpillar track, the arrangement being such that the body portion prevents contact of the blade with the surface over which the vehicle travels. 2 A cover as claimed in claim 1 wherein steel tubes are embedded in the cover which run longitudinally from one end of the cover to the other end, the ends of the tubes being threaded so as to accept screw bolts. 3 A cover as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fixtures comprise holes in cooperative alignment with the ends of the steel tubes embedded in the cover, through which screw bolts are inserted to fix the fixtures to the cover. 4 A cover as claimed in the fixtures comprise recesses the fixtures so that the heads from the holes.

Claims (1)

1. claim 3 wherein the holes of which extend part way through of the bolts do not protrude , R E c e i v e n 'nte.focfua/ Properly Office ? q FEB lb'S8 Of New Zealand 12 i''S f'i .£ (? r •i 5 A cover as claimed in claim 4 wherein the fixtures comprise a spacing and a seat plate to cooperate with the metal blade so that the metal blade is gripped within the spacings. 6 A cover as claimed in claim 5 wherein the fixtures comprise inside faces which are tapered so that the fixtures are inclined towards each other when they are fixed to the body portion. 7 A method of protecting a road surface from the metal blades of the caterpillar tracks of a vehicle by fitting each metal blade with a cover as described in any one of the preceding claims. 8 A cover for a metal blade of a caterpillar track of a vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 9 A method of protecting a road surface substantially as herein described.