US2161486A

US2161486A - Street plate for tractors

Info

Publication number: US2161486A
Application number: US178084A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest H Rider
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-12-04
Filing date: 1937-12-04
Publication date: 1939-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1956-06-06

Description

E. H. RIDER STREET PLATE FOR TRACTORS Filed Dec.

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A! BY Q Q ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to an improvement in street plates for tractors of the endless track or caterpillar type; the invention being directed particularly to, and it is my principal object to provide a quick attachable street plate which is arranged to facilitate and expedite the mounting or removal thereof from the track plates of a tractor.

The street plates now in use must be bolted to the track plates and it requires many hours of Work to put on or remove a set of street plates. This is a tiresome and expensive operation and quite annoying especially when the tractor is to be moved over paved streets or roads only a short distance. With my improved street plate,

a set of the same may be mounted or removed in a few minutes resulting in material saving of time and expense. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a quick attaching mechanism which may be incorporated as a part of the street plate when manufactured, or may be manufactured separately as an attachment for street plates now in use.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan of a street plate incorporating my device in place on a track plate.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, I have illustrated a street plate of substantially the same configuration as now in use, such plateincluding a hollow body having a fiat street engaging portion I spaced from the track plate 2 by a supporting skirt 3. Flanges 4 project laterally from the inner edges of the skirt 3 at the sides of the plate and engage the track plate 2 in face to face relation.

One laterally extending edge of portion l is extended inwardly toward the track plate, as at 5, to form a lip which engages over the cleat 6 on the track plate and prevents movement of the street plate longitudinally of the track plate.

The flanges 4 heretofore have been provided with bolt holes whereby the street plate could be bolted to the track plate. However, I omit such holes and secure the street plate in place in the following manner: I

The flange 4, at one side of the street plate is extended laterally to form the relatively narrow and flat shank I of a hook 8 which removably engages one side edge of the track plate 2. Although shown as an integral portion of the street plate in the present instance, the shank may be separate therefrom and secured in place 10 in a suitable manner when my device is constructed as an attachment for the present type of street plate.

At the opposite side of the street plate from hook 8, the skirt 3 is formed with a horizontal 15 circular hole 9. A boss l0, having a vertical face, is formed on the inside of said skirt 3 and surrounds hole 9. A rod ll slidably and freely projects through the hole and is of sufilcient length to extend from the corresponding 20 side of the street plate to a termination within space in the hollow body between portion l and track plate 2.

The inner end of rod II is threaded and provided with an adjustable nut l2; a heavy duty compression spring l3 surrounding the rod between such head and boss Ill. The outer end of the rod is secured to another hook I4 positioned to yieldably engage the adjacent side edge of track plate 2.

In order to attach a street plate, incorporating my invention, to a track plate, hook 8 is engaged over one side edge of the track plate and with lip 5 engaged over cleat 6. The hook I4 is then drawn laterally away from the street plate against the spring l3 (with a suitable tool engaged in the hook) and the hook is snapped over the adjacent side edge of the track plate 2. Spring [3 remains under compression when the street plate is in place.

When the tractor is turning in one direction, a lateral drag is placed on the street plate tending to further compress the spring and cause hook 8 to become disengaged from the track plate. To avoid this latter possibility, the length of the side of hook 8 which overhangs the track plate is made greater than the total possible contractive movement of the spring from the normal setting thereof when its hook is engaged with the track plate.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent is:

In a street plate including a body adapted to rest on a track plate, a hook extending from one side of the body for removable engagement with one side edge of the track plate, another hook adapted to removably engage the other