Track apparatus incorporating non-pneumatic wheels
First Claim
1. A track apparatus having a frame, the track apparatus mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle, comprising:
- a continuous flexible track having an upper length and a ground-engaging lower length and including an inner surface;
a drive wheel mountable to the rotatable axle of the vehicle for rotational movement therewith, the drive wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track along the upper length to drive the flexible track in response to rotation of the axle of the vehicle;
a generally solid, leading idler wheel rotatably mounted on the distal end of the leading idler arm and having a radially outer surface which engages the inner surface of the flexible track, the leading idler wheel including a first set of spaced voids extending therethrough so as to allow the leading idler wheel to be resilient in response to an external force on the radially outer surface thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A track apparatus is provided for mounting on a rotatable axle of a vehicle. The track apparatus includes a flexible track having an upper length and a ground-engaging lower length. A drive wheel is mountable to the rotatable axle so as to drive the flexible track in response to rotation of the axle. Leading and trailing idler assemblies are attached to the frame. Each idler assembly includes a non-pneumatic idler wheel having a plurality of voids therein. In addition, a bogie assembly is also supported by the frame. The bogie assembly includes a non-pneumatic bogie wheel having a plurality of voids therein. The idler wheels and the bogie wheels have increased dimensional reliability and provide shock absorption and self-cleaning features to the track apparatus.
70 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A track apparatus having a frame, the track apparatus mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle, comprising:
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a continuous flexible track having an upper length and a ground-engaging lower length and including an inner surface; a drive wheel mountable to the rotatable axle of the vehicle for rotational movement therewith, the drive wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track along the upper length to drive the flexible track in response to rotation of the axle of the vehicle; a generally solid, leading idler wheel rotatably mounted on the distal end of the leading idler arm and having a radially outer surface which engages the inner surface of the flexible track, the leading idler wheel including a first set of spaced voids extending therethrough so as to allow the leading idler wheel to be resilient in response to an external force on the radially outer surface thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A track apparatus having a frame, the track apparatus mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle, comprising:
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a continuous flexible track having an upper length and a ground-engaging lower length and including an inner surface; a drive wheel mountable to the rotatable axle of the vehicle for rotational movement therewith, the drive wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track along the upper length to drive the flexible track in response to rotation of the axle of the vehicle; a leading idler assembly attached to the frame and including a generally solid leading wheel engaging the flexible track, the leading idler wheel having a plurality of voids therein so as to allow the leading idler wheel to be resilient in response to an external force thereon. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A track apparatus having a frame, the track apparatus mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle, comprising:
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a continuous flexible track having an upper length and a ground-engaging lower length and including an inner surface; a drive wheel mountable to the rotatable axle of the vehicle for rotational movement therewith, the drive wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track along the upper length to drive the flexible track in response to rotation of the axle of the vehicle; a leading bogie assembly supported by the frame and having a generally solid, leading bogie wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track along the lower length, each leading bogie wheel having a plurality of voids therein so as to allow the leading idler wheel to be resilient in response to an external force thereon; and a trailing bogie assembly supported by the frame and having a generally solid, trailing bogie wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track along the lower length, each trailing bogie wheel having a plurality of voids therein so as to allow the trailing idler wheel to be resilient in response to an external force thereon. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification