Wheel and track driving equipment

• US 6,408,964 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Su-Eub Roh
• Original Assignee: Su-Eub Roh
• Inventors: Roh, Su-Eub
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US09/732,753
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 180/9.1, 180/9.21, 180/9.26, 180/9.28, 180/9.3, 180/9.34, 180/9.36
• US Class Current: 180/9.34
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/02 with tracks and additional ground wheels for multi-purpose tractors B62D49/0635
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/065 Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/116 Attitude or position control of chassis by action on suspension, e.g. to compensate for a slope

Abstract

Disclosed is wheel and track equipment in which the running components (e.g., wheels) only used in normal vehicles are incorporated with those (e.g., tracks) used in special-purpose vehicles to provide a selective driving relationship and thereby enable a wide driving performance regardless of the type of the vehicle or the condition of the road surface. The wheel and track driving equipment also includes a link connection having a multi-bending structure provided between a pair of wheel and track to have a seesaw effect of up-and-down motion in the symmetric structure, thereby readily overcoming the obstructions and running the vehicle on the rough road surface such as rugged ground and stairway. More specifically, wheel and track driving equipment includes a front wheel driving section and a rear wheel driving provided at the rear of the front wheel driving section, wherein the front wheel driving section includes: a first running unit including an integral group of a wheel and a track wheel; a second running unit including an integral group a wheel, a front drive gear and a track wheel; a pair of connections including a track and a front link connection between the first running unit and the second running unit; and a buffer unit, wherein the rear wheel driving section includes: a third running unit including an integral group of a wheel and a track wheel; a fourth running unit including an integral group of a wheel and a track wheel; a fifth running unit including an integral group of a wheel, a rear drive gear and a track wheel; a pair of connections including the track and a rear link connection between the third and fourth running units and the fifth running unit; and a damper.

Claims

1. Wheel and track driving equipment comprising a front wheel driving section and a rear wheel driving section provided at the rear of the front wheel driving section, wherein the front wheel driving section comprises:

a first running unit including an integral group of a wheel and a track wheel;

a second running unit including an integral group of wheel, a front drive gear and a track wheel;

a pair of connections including a track and a front link connection L between the first running unit and the second running unit; and

a buffer unit, wherein the rear wheel driving section comprises;

a third running unit including an integral group of a wheel and a track wheel;

a fourth running unit including an integral group of a wheel and a track wheel;

a fifth running unit including an integral group of a wheel, a rear drive gear and a track wheel;

a pair of connections including the track and a rear link connection between the third and fourth running units and the fifth running unit;

and a buffer unit.

2. The wheel and track driving equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein clutches for intermitting the power are provided in the second running unit with the front drive gear and the fifth running unit with the rear drive gear, thus allowing a selective gear shift between wheel running and track running depending on the condition of the road surface.

3. The wheel and track equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front drive gear of the second running unit is connected to a front power shaft via a power connection and the rear drive gear of the fifth running unit is connected to a rear power shaft via a power connection to receive the necessary power.

4. The wheel and track equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of the running units in the rear driving section is selectively variable depending on the size of the vehicle.