US2398630A

US2398630A - Endless track for vehicles

Info

Publication number: US2398630A
Application number: US538019A
Authority: US
Inventors: Foot Edward Hammond Whalley
Original assignee: Tillage & Sub Soilling Co
Current assignee: Tillage & Sub Soilling Co; Tillage & Sub-Soilling Co Ltd
Priority date: 1943-06-18
Filing date: 1944-05-30
Publication date: 1946-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1963-04-16

Description

April 16, 1946. E. H. w. FOOT ENDLESS TRACKS FOR VEHICLES 'Filed May 3 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Apr. 16, 1946 v UNETED s ENnLEss'raAoK FOB YEH IQEES Edward Hammond Whalley Fat, Bataan, England, assignor to The Tillage & Sub-soiling Company Limited, Beaconsfield, England Application May 30, 1944, Serial N0. 538,019 In Great Britain June 18, 1943 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to endless tracks for vehicles.

It has previously been proposed to provide cantilever locking members on the adjacent units of an endless track for the purpose of limiting the flexing of the track under load. i

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of cantilever locking means which is comparatively cheap to produce and which can be readily assembled with the track.

It is another object of the invention to provide a unit for assembly with a pivot pin connecting adjacent links of an endless track for vehicles comprising a sleeve adapted to surround the pivot pin and at least two cantilever interlocking members formed as an integral part of the sleeve, one of said members comprising a tongue and the other an arm having a slot in which the tongue of an adjacent track link reciprocates.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a unit comprising a sleeve adapted to fit over the pivot pin and having at least two pairs of interlocking members formed as an integral part of the sleeve.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved forms of interlocking'members adapted to provide broad mutual bearing surface to resist Wear in use.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of an endless track of a vehicle.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the unit embodying the interlocking members viewed from the direction of arrow A.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the unit viewed from the direction of arrow B, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3 embodying a modified form of the invention.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the track is built up of links I arranged in pairs connected by pivot pins 2. The links are of any desired design and have track plates 3 secured thereto by bolts. The track is provided with cantilever locking means which are cast as an I for engaging with the face Ba and wall ll. Each pivot pin is threaded through the sleeve of the castings which are so arranged that the tongue 9 enters between the arms I of the stirrup. The pivotal movement of the castings is limited by the tongue 9 engaging the bearing surface in one extreme position, and the end wall portion H at its other extreme position.

When the track is substantially horizontal, that is when the track plates engage the ground on the lower run of the track, the ton ues 9 engage with the bearing surface 8a and lock the track against inward flexing movement.

As the track plates move successively into and out of ground engaging position, they are guided in a curved path as indicated by the left-hand unit in Fig. 1. The path of curvature they follow is limited, in this case, by the tongues 9 engaging the wall position I I of the stirru of the adjacent track unit.

A boss 12 on the sleeve enga es a flat surface on a track plate 3 to enable the stirrup arm to be fixed to the link and the track plate at a predetermined angle.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified form of the invention, the sleeve l3 which fits over a pivot pin connecting adjacent track links, being provided with two pairs of cantilever locking members. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the sleeve l3 has two aligned tongues l4 similar to the tongues 9 and two aligned stirrup members l5 similar to the stirrup B, the two pairs of tongues and stirrups being cast integrally with the sleeve I3.

I claim:

1. In an endless track for vehicles of the type wherein adjacent track links are connected by a pivot pin, a unit comprising a pivot pin sleeve and at least two cantilever interlocking members formed as an integral part of the said sleeve, one of said locking members comprising a tongue having a broad bearing face and the other of said locking members comprising an arm having a slot in which the tongue of an adjacent track link reciprocates, and a broad bearing surface at the end of the slot for engagement by the bearing face of the tongue.

2. In an endless track for vehicles of the type wherein adjacent track links are connected by a pivot pin, a unit comprising a pivot pin sleeve and at least two arms extending at right angles to one another and forming an integral part of the unit, a fiat faced tongue on one arm and a.

slot in the other of said arms, and aflat bearing surface at the end of the slot for engagement by' the fiat face of the tongue of an adjacent link.

3, In an endless track for vehicles of the type wherein adjacent track links are connected by a a pivot pin, a unit comprising a pivot pin sleeve and at least two cantilever interlocking members formed as an integral part of the said sleeve, one of said locking members comprising a tongue having a broad bearing face and the other of said locking members comprising an arm having a slot' in which the tongue of an adjacent track link reciprocates, and a broad bearing surface at the end of the slot for engagement by the bearing face of the tongue of an adjacent track link and a boss projecting from the sleeve into engagement with the track plate for locating the sleeve at a predetermined angle relative to the said track plate.

EDWARD HAMMOND WHALLEY FOOT.