US2334196A

US2334196A - Track shoe

Info

Publication number: US2334196A
Application number: US404025A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leslie B Hopkins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-07-25
Filing date: 1941-07-25
Publication date: 1943-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1960-11-16

Description

Nov. 16, 1943. L. B. HOPKINS TRACK SHOE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1941 Leslie E 3% W g MM -Hmpki'TLE Nov. 16, 1943.

L. B. HOPKINS 2,334,196

TRACK SHOE Filed July 25,1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LE51iE E1- Hap-M115 Patented Nov. -16, 1943 TRACK SHOE Leslie B. Hopkins, United States Army, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Application July 25, 1941, Serial No. 404,025

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) Claims.

The invention described herein may be manu factured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment tome of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a track shoe for track laying vehicles.

An object of my invention is to provide a track shoe having detachable cleats or grousers."

Another object of my invention is to provide a rubber faced track shoe with means to incorporate thereon a metal cleat or "grouser so that with the cleat or grouser" in place there is only a metal to metal contact between the grouser" and the track.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved cleat or grouser in which the weight of the tank is not entirely carried on a blade-like portion of the cleat or grouser.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my cleat or grouserfif Fig. 2 is a side view of my cleat or "grouser.

Fig. 3 is an end view of my cleat or grouser.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the track shoe.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the track shoe and discloses a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantiallyon line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 discloses the cleat or grouser attached to the track shoe and discloses a sectional view through the track shoe.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 disclose plan, end and side views of the end plates which hold the tubes of the shoe frame in spaced relationship Referring to the drawings the metal frame of the track shoe consists of two end plates l0, and two tubular members I I. The ends of the tubular members are brazed in the holes in the end plates or else the tubular members and end plates may be formed in one casting operation if so desired. The end plates ill have a thickened portion I2 which serves as a wall thickness for tapped holes iii in the end plates. The exposed portions of the tubular members it and portions of the end plates ill have elastic material such as rubber M bonded thereto preferably by vulcanization. The elastic material It extends between the tubes and is adapted to abut the wheels of the track laying vehicle as well as the ground when the cleat or grouser to be described later, is not attached to the shoe frame.

The tubular members H are adapted to receive link pins and elastic bushings as is well understood in the art; a plurality of track shoes may thus be Joined to form a complete track in a manner shown, for instance, in the Knox Patent 2,129,696.

One cleat or grouser 20 is to be attached to each track shoe by bolts ll which pass through holes 22 in the "grouser 20 through washer 24 and which are screwed in the tapped holes IS in the end pieces l0.

Each "grouser" has projections 25 which are adapted to abut the end plates l0 and space the upper fiat surface 26 or the "grouser" from contact with the ground side 01 rubber portion l4 so that there is only a metal to metal contact between the grouser and track shoe.

The walls which form open hollow portions 21 encase the heads 28 of bolts 2| so as to protect them from wear and abuse. The projecting ends of-the walls which form hollow portions 21 have a hard alloy surfacing 29 to prevent excessive wear. A blade-like portion 30 extends between the walls which form open hollow portions 27 and is formed integral therewith as well as with the fiat solid portion Ml. Ribs 3| disposed between the blade-like portion 30 and solid portions 4|] of the grouser serve to strengthen the bladelike portion. The outside edge 32 of the bladelike portion 30 has a hard alloy surfacing to pre vent excessive wear.

It is noted that the stress due to the weight of the tank is not entirely transmitted through blade-like portion 30 but some 0! it is transmitted through the walls which form the open hollow portions 21. Thus, the walls of open hollow por= tions Zlserve multiple functions, namely; they protect tilt bolt heads It: the? support some as the weight of the tank; they provide some midi-- tional cleat or grouser" action. Also, those walls have substantially an elliptical cross section with the major axis of the ellipse extending between the tubular members II and the minor axis in line with the blade-like portion 30. It is desirable to have the major axis extend a large distance between thetubular members II so that the grouser" might, be held more firmly to the end plates I0 when the grouser" is subjected to impact; it is desirable to have the minor axis of the ellipse extend a short distance for then the maximum length of the blade-like portion it might be realized.

members, end pieces I claim:

1. In a track shoe, a pair of spaced tubular tubular members, elastic material having a ground engaging surface bonded to and disposed between the tubular members, a cleat extending between the end pieces, means for fastening the cleat to the end pieces, and means for spacing the cleat from the ground engaging surface of the elastic materia 2. A pair of spaced tubular members, end pieces having an enlarged portion with a tapped hole and joining opposite ends of the tubular memhers, elastic material having a ground engaging surface bonded to and disposed between the tubular members, a cleat extending pieces having at each of its ends a recess and a through opening in adjoining relation thereto, a

bolt for the tapped hole passing through the through opening and having its head in the recess, and means for spacing the cleat from the ground engaging surface.

between the end joining opposite ends of the -3.\The same as tioned means comprises a projection on each end of the cleat.

4. A cleat for a track shoe comprising a bladelike central vertical span, both ends of said span being of increased area with respect to that of said span in the horizontal plane, end portions extending substantially to .the bottom of the blade and provided with downwardly opening counterbored recesses and upward extensions having through openings communicating with said recesses, and headed fastening devices having heads in said recesses and portions passing through said openings, said fastening devices heads only partially filling said recesses.

5. A cleat as in claim 4 wherein said end portions and said recesses have dimensions in a direction transverse to the central span in excess of their dimensions parallel to the line of said span.

LESLIE B. HOPKINS.

in claim 2 and the last men-