초록 ▼

An elastomeric belt laying vehicle is disclosed for transmitting greater tractive effort to the earth as compared to comparably powered wheel vehicles and being operable at high speed on improved road surfaces without inflicting damage thereto. A pair of the wheels are arranged on each lateral side

An elastomeric belt laying vehicle is disclosed for transmitting greater tractive effort to the earth as compared to comparably powered wheel vehicles and being operable at high speed on improved road surfaces without inflicting damage thereto. A pair of the wheels are arranged on each lateral side of the vehicle's chassis for support thereof. An inextensible, endless belt is highly tensioned throughout its length, is entrained about each pair of wheels, and is frictionally, drivingly coupled to at least one wheel of each pair. The structure of the belt, structure of the wheels and cooperating components thereof ensure engagement therebetween, provides long service with minimum maintenance thereof, and supplies the necessary frictional couple to effectively transmit driving torque from the wheels to the belt.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A belt laying work vehicle comprising:a frame having opposed lateral sides; a pair of longitudinally separated wheel structures having radially outwardly facing outer peripheral surfaces and being mounted in supporting relation to said frame on each lateral side thereof and at least one of each p

1. A belt laying work vehicle comprising:a frame having opposed lateral sides; a pair of longitudinally separated wheel structures having radially outwardly facing outer peripheral surfaces and being mounted in supporting relation to said frame on each lateral side thereof and at least one of each pair including a driver; a pair of endless, inextensible belts each having opposite lateral sides and an interior surface and each being entrained about a respective pair of said wheel structures, a plurality of laterally extending grooves being disposed on one of said interior surface and said outer peripheral surface of each belt and entrained driver, respectively, for removing debris from therebetween; means for controllably tensioning and urging each belt's interior surface and said outer peripheral surface of the associated driver into frictional driven engagement; means for distributing a predetermined portion of the weight of said frame to the interior surface of each belt longitudinally between said wheel structures of each pair; means for rotating each of said drivers; guiding means including interengaging portions of said wheel structures and entraining belt for minimizing lateral movement of each belt relative to the respective entrained wheel structures and for radially localizing lateral engagement of each belt and the respective entrained driver to locations substantially adjacent said outer peripheral surface; and said driver wheel structure having a circumference which is maintained substantially constant during rotation and under driving load. 2. A belt laying vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said weight distribution means includes;a mounting structure connected to said frame; a first and a second support arm pivotally connected to said mounting structure about a pivot axis; a first and a second roller structure being respectively rotatably joined to said first and second support arms; and means for biasingly transmitting forces exerted on one of said support arms by the roller structure joined thereto to the other roller structure through said other support arm. 3. A belt laying vehicle, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said guiding means includes a plurality of longitudinally separated alignment members, and each of said roller structures includes a pair of laterally separated rollers which define a guiding slot adapted for receiving said alignment members.4. A belt laying vehicle, as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said alignment members has a locating surface and is connected to and extends interiorly from a respective belt, and a positioning surface connected to each wheel structure and positioned laterally adjacent said locating surfaces.5. A belt laying vehicle, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means for biasingly transmitting forces includes a force transfer member pivotally connected to said mounting structure and a resilient structure arranged between said force transfer member and each support arm.6. A belt laying work vehicle comprising:a frame having opposed lateral sides; a pair of longitudinally separated wheel structures being mounted in supporting relation to said frame on each lateral side thereof and at least one of each pair including a driver having a laterally rigid drum and a radially thin layer of elastomer joined directly to said drum, each elastomer layer having a radially outwardly facing outer peripheral surface; a pair of endless, inextensible belts each having opposite lateral sides and an interior surface and each being entrained about a respective pair of said wheel structures; means for controllably tensioning and urging each belt's interior surface and said outer peripheral surface of the associated driver into frictional driven engagement; means for rotating each of said drivers; guiding means including interengaging portions of said wheel structures and entraining belt for minimizing lateral movement of each belt relative to the respective entrained wheel structures and for radially localizing lateral engagement of each belt and the respective entrained driver to locations substantially adjacent said outer peripheral surface; and said driver wheel structure having a circumference which is maintained substantially constant during rotation and under driving load. 7. The belt laying vehicle of claim 6, including means for distributing a predetermined fraction of the weight of said frame to the interior surface of each belt longitudinally between said wheel structures of each pair.8. The belt laying vehicle of claim 7, wherein said weight distribution means includes:a mounting structure connected to said frame; a first and second arm pivotally connected to said mounting structure about a pivot axis; a first and a second roller structure being respectively rotatably joined to said first and second arms; and means for biasingly transmitting forces exerted on one of said arms by the roller structure joined thereto to the other roller structure through said other arm. 9. The belt laying vehicle of claim 8, wherein each of said roller structures includes a pair of laterally separated rollers which define a guiding slot adapted for guidingly receiving said guide means' enterengaging belt portion.10. A belt laying work vehicle comprising:a frame having opposed lateral sides; a pair of longitudinally separated wheel structures having radially outwardly facing outer peripheral surfaces and being mounted in supporting relation to said frame on each lateral side thereof and at least one of each pair including a driver; a pair of endless, inextensible belts each being entrained about a respective pair of said wheel structures and including a body portion bounded by opposed interior and exterior surfaces and opposed lateral sides, said body portion having reinforcing structure disposed therein between said lateral sides, a plurality of laterally extending grooves being disposed on one of said interior surface and said outer peripheral surface of each belt and entrained driver, respectively; means for controllably tensioning and urging each belt's interior surface and said outer peripheral surface of the associated driver into frictional driven engagement; means for rotating each of said drivers; a plurality of longitudinally separated elastomeric alignment members joined to the interior surfaces laterally between the lateral extremes of said reinforcing structure, said alignment members being laterally engageable with said wheel structures; and said drive wheel structure having a circumference which is maintained substantially constant during rotating and under driving load. 11. A belt laying heavy-duty work vehicle, comprising: a frame having opposed lateral sides; a set of longitudinally separated wheel structures being mounted in supporting relation to said frame on each lateral side thereof, each of said set of wheel structures including a pair of wheels, said wheels having radially outwardly facing outer peripheral surfaces, at least one of said pair of wheels being a driver; a pair of endless, inextensible, reinforced belts each being entrained about a respective one of said pair of wheel structures and including a body portion bounded by opposed interior and exterior surfaces and opposed lateral sides; a tensioning apparatus including at least one hydraulic cylinder operatively associated with each set of wheel structures whereby each set of wheel structures may be longitudinally separated to frictionally couple the interior surface of each of said pair of inextensible reinforced belts to each of said outer peripheral surfaces; a set of rollers carried between each of said longitudinally separated wheel structures and disposed to engage the interior surface of each belt; an engine operatively connected to each of said drivers; a plurality of longitudinally separated elastomeric alignment members joined to the interior surfaces laterally between the lateral extremes of said body portions, said alignment members being laterally engageable with said wheel structures; and each driver having a circumference which is maintained substantially constant during rotation under driving loads.12. The belt laying work vehicle of claim 11 wherein said tensioning apparatus applies a tension force necessary to frictionally couple said endless, inextensible belts and said respective drivers.13. The belt laying work vehicle of claim 12 wherein said tension force, when multiplied by the coefficient of friction between the drive wheel structure and the belt's, is at least as great as the predetermined driving force which the engine can exert on the ground through the belts.14. The belt laying work vehicle of claim 12 wherein said pair of endless, inextensible belts have a width and said tension force is about 17,000 Newtons per lateral centimeter of belt width.15. The belt laying work vehicle of claim 11 wherein said tensioning apparatus is arranged to move each of said other wheels longitudinally away from its respective driver.16. The belt laying work vehicle of claim 11 wherein said tensioning apparatus includes a recoil apparatus.17. The belt laying heavy-duty work vehicle of claim 11 further including a plurality of laterally extending grooves being disposed on one of said interior surface and said radially outwardly facing outer peripheral surface of each belt and each of said driver respectively.18. An agricultural tractor, comprising:a frame and an engine supported on the frame; two pairs of longitudinally spaced wheels, apparatus mounting one pair of wheels on one side of the frame and the other pair on the other side, at least one of each pair including a driver driven by the engine, each wheel having a generally circumferential outer peripheral surface, and each driver being so constructed and arranged that its circumference is maintained substantially constant during rotation under driving loads; first and second endless, substantially inextensible, reinforced belts each having an interior surface and each being entrained about a respective pair of the wheels; a plurality of longitudinally spaced rollers located between the wheels of each pair and engaged with the interior surface of the respective belt; a plurality of longitudinally separated elastomeric alignment members joined to the interior surfaces of the first and second endless substantially inextensible reinforced belts, said alignment members being laterally engagable with said wheel structure; and a tensioning apparatus including a pair of hydraulic cylinders each having a head end and a rod end and each operatively associated with a respective pair of wheels and their entrained belt to frictionally couple the inner surface of the substantially inextensible reinforced belts to the outer peripheral surface of said pair of wheels.19. The agricultural tractor of claim 18 further including a plurality of laterally extending grooves being disposed on one of said interior surface and said generally circumferential outer peripheral surface of each belt and each of said drivers respectively.