US2314355A

US2314355A - Track shoe

Info

Publication number: US2314355A
Application number: US392291A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry A Knox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-05-07
Filing date: 1941-05-07
Publication date: 1943-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1960-03-23

Description

March 23, 1943. H. A. KNox TRACK sHoE Filed May '7, 1941 Sheets-Sheet 1.

FE-E- mvENToR I- ar 1* y A'- KTLDX L/ff KW/4 ATTORNEYS March 23, 1943. H. A. KNQX 2,314,355

TRACK SHOE Filed May 7,A 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENToR Harry A Kn 'n WJ M R EYS l ATTO Patented Mar. 23, 1943 OFFICE TRACK sHoE Harry A. Knox, Washington, D. C. Application MayV '1, 1941, seria1N0.392,291

8 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention. described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a track for a tracklaying machine. In particular my invention relates to an improvement in a track which'has protruding lugs or grousers on the ground side of the track.

The purpose of placing lugs or grousers on the ground side of a track shoe is to prevent slippage between the track and ground when the track is used on muddy, sandy or rocky terrain. In use, there is a tendency for mud,. dirt, stones,

etc. to be packed in the space intermediate the lugs so that full use is not made of the biting in action of the lugs or grousers and in the extreme case where the intermediate spacing is completely filled the effect of the lugs or grousers is nullied.

An object of my invention is to prevent the accumulation of mud, dirt, stones, etc. within the space dened by the sides of the lugs or grousers and the bottom of the shoe.

A further object of my invention is to provide positive means for dislodging any mud, dirt, stones, etc. which is picked up by the track shoe when the shoe makes contact with the ground.

The nature of my invention and further objects inherent in my construction are disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l'vis a plan view of a portion of the lower iiight of a track constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figs. 2, 4 and 5 are sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the lower flight of track disclosed in Fig. 1 with the driving sprocket in operating position.

Referring to the drawings, the track cornprises a row of shoes A connected in spaced relation by means of side links B mounted on link pins D.

The shoes are all identical and each one has the integrally formed lugs or grousers III. Each one of these lugs has a hardened bearing surface II formed integral therewith. The resilient bushings I2 which are disposed between the pins D and the tubular portion I3 of the shoe frame allow a limited motion between the pins D and the shoe frames.

The perforated web member I4 and the rigid end pieces I5 and I6 serve to space and hold the semi-tubular members I3 in spaced relationship to one another.

Rubber l1 is vulcanized to web I4 and end pieces I5 and I6 and a portion of the rubber I8 extends through the openings I9 in the web memb ers I4. The rubber I1 is sufllciently resilient to allow aslight movement of the rubber portions I8 Whenthe lower wheels or the upper wheels of the vehicle are in abutting relationship to the rubber I1. When the upper wheels of the vehicle and the rubber I1 abut, the upper wheels exert sufiicient pressure against the rubber I1 to cause outward movement of the rubber portion I8 and the accumulation of dirt, mud, etc. is

' removed without a great deal of difliculty.

The adjoining pins of adjoining shoes are connected together by using conventional means. The ends of the pins D have slots 20 cut transversely to the pin axis. The link D has the integrally formed members 2| and 22 adapted to hook over the ends of adjoining pins. The hooking members 2| and 22 are spaced by the rigid flat portion or flange 23. A hole 24 in the metal portion 23 is of suflicient size to allow a bolt 25 to -pass therethrough. 'I'he bolt 25 has a wedgeshaped head 26 which when drawn up by rotation of the nut 21 locks the adjoining pins against relative rotation due to the cooperation between the pin slots 20 and the head 26.

Referring to Fig. 3, the driving sprocket 28 connected to a driven shaft (not shown) is adapted to engage the anges 23 of the link members B and the rigid sprocket portions 28 are spaced to lie between pins on the same shoe. A recess 29 is made in the abutting surface of the sprocket so as to provide clearance between the bolt 25 and the sprocket 28.

.1. A debris clearing shoe for a track-laying machine comprising two parallel tubes adapted to hold pins inserted in the tubular sections, a rigid extension on each of said tubes and extending outwardly, a web for holding said tubes in spaced relation, an aperture in said web, a resilient material disposed on the upper surface of the web and a portion of the resilient material extending into said aperture, said aperture having suflicient size and said material having suicient resiliency so as to allow a downward displacement of said portion into the space defined by the bottom surface of the web and inside surfaces of the rigid relation, an aperture in said web, resilient material disposed on the upper surface of the web. a. portion of said resilient material extending into said aperture and movable therein for clearing the space defined by the lower surface of the web and the inside surfaces of the rigid extensions.

3. A debris clearing shoe for a track-laying machinecomprising two parallel tubes adapted to hold pins inserted in the tubular sections, a rigid extension on each of said tubes and extending outwardly, a` web for holding said tubes in spaced relation, rigid plates extending in a plane transverse to the axis of said tubes for connecting the extremities of said tubes, an aperture in said web, resilient material disposed on the upper surface of said web and conned within the space defined by the upper surface of the web and the inner surfaces of said plates, and a portion of said resilient material disposed in said aperture.

4. In a track-laying machine for laying` an endless track, a series of spaced shoes having bearings, a link pin insertable through each bearing and having a tangential slot adjacent each of its ends, links mounted on the ends of adjoining pins of adjoining shoes, a flange on each link projecting laterally relative to the track, partial bearings on the flangev and engaging the link pins, a bolt having a Wedge-shaped head engageable in the slots of associated link pins and having a shank insertable through the flange, a nut on the shank bearing against the ange and drawing asiasss the head into contactwith the link pins, a driven member Ahaving toothed projections insertable between the link pins on the same shoe for propelling said series of spaced shoes, said driven member being adapted to engage a portion of the outer flange surface of adjoining links and having a recess between projections for providing clearance for said bolt. l

5. In a track for track laying vehicles, a track shoe having ground engaging cleats whose ground engaging surface area is substantially less than the projected area of the track shoe, inherent means carried by the track shoe for ejecting debris which tends to accumulate between cleats, and said means being operable with the motion of the track shoe. 1

6. In a track for track laying vehicles, said track having ground engaging cleats whose `ground engaging surface area is substantially less than the projected area of the track, inherent means carried by the track for ejecting 'debris which tends to accumulate between cleats, and said means being operable with the motion of the track. y

7. The same as in claim 5 and the last recited means comprises rubber-like resilient means dlsposed between cleats.

8. The same as in claim 6 and the last recited means comprises rubber-like resilient means disposed between cleats.

HARRY A. KNOX.