ES2361158T3 - DEVICE FOR REDUCING WASTE ON WHEELS OF ORUGA VEHICLES. - Google Patents

Abstract

Device (10) for reducing the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in a wheel (6) of caterpillar vehicles (4) of the type that have an inner wheel portion (8) and a portion (7) of outer wheel defining an open space between them, said device (10) comprising a support (20) that is fixedly adjustable to said caterpillar vehicle (4) and having fixing means (22) located near said space, characterized because said device (10) further comprises a band (30/40, 32/42) customized to be secured in an adjustable manner by said fixing means (22) in position around said wheel (6) within said space.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to caterpillar-type vehicles, and more specifically to a device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy and / or sprocket wheels of caterpillar vehicles during driving operations. .

Background of the invention

[0002] Conventionally, track-type vehicles comprise a set of wheels on each side of the vehicle, which roll on a track. During its operation, the caterpillar picks up materials such as snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris from the ground and takes them to the wheel where they frequently caulk between the inner surface of the caterpillar and the wheel. In the case of rubber tracks, this can lead to a derailment of the track with respect to the wheels.

[0003] There are certain devices for scraping mud from the wheels of caterpillar vehicles.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 4,830,439 published in the name of Collins et al on May 16, 1989, disclosed a scraper for the gearwheels of caterpillar vehicles. The scraper comprises a support mounted on the vehicle and a scraper bar mounted transversely near the gearwheel hub, so as to avoid the accumulation of debris around the hub. This scraper has a relatively simple construction. However, the scraper is rigid and therefore does not take into account the movement of the wheel.

[0005] U.S. Patent No. 5,226,703 published in the name of Norman on July 13, 1993 disclosed a crazy roller / scraper assembly for a caterpillar vehicle, which includes a mounting bracket with two sets of teeth on opposite sides of the scraper roller and eliminate mud and waste. Although this device may be suitable for the particular purpose it is intended for, the design of this device is very complex.

[0006] U.S. Patent No. 5,725,292 published in the name of Keedy et al on May 10, 1998, disclosed a scraper apparatus for a crazy wheel of a caterpillar, which provides a scraper assembly defining a plurality of scraper portions that are continuously coupled to the contact surfaces of the idler wheel to remove foreign material therefrom before the contact surfaces are coupled to other components of the track chain. Although this design can be operated with some success, it is subject to heavy wear.

[0007] U.S. Patent No. 5,697,683 published in the name of Arulandu et al on December 16, 1997 disclosed a forced scraper apparatus for a crazy wheel, which provides a scraper assembly defining a plurality of scraper portions that are adapted to carry a scraper insert on an extreme portion thereof. Although this device may be suitable for the particular purpose it is intended for, its design is relatively complicated and significantly expensive.

[0008] U.S. Patent No. 6,019,443 published in Freeman's name on February 1, 2000, disclosed a waste cutter for a cogwheel transmission, which has stationary blades fixed to a tractor chassis in order to cut debris that has been inserted between the sprocket and the chassis. Although this device may be suitable for the particular purpose it is intended for, it is operative only during the rotation of the wheel in one direction.

[0009] It is more effective to avoid or reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the caterpillar's wheels instead of having to scrape and subsequently remove snow, ice, mud, dirt and dirt. waste. In this way, there is a need to develop a device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the wheels of caterpillar vehicles instead of removing it once it has already accumulated. In addition, there is a need for such an apparatus that applies very little pressure on the wheels as opposed to existing scraper solutions.

Objectives of the invention

[0010] Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a device for reducing the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy and / or gear wheels of caterpillar vehicles, which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0011] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy and / or cogwheels of caterpillar vehicles, which is effectively operative regardless of the direction of rotation of the wheel.

[0012] A further objective of the present invention is to provide a device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy and / or cogged wheels of caterpillar vehicles, which requires less maintenance.

[0013] Still a further objective of the present invention is to provide a device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy and / or cogwheels of caterpillar vehicles, which is easy to manufacture.

[0014] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy and / or cogged wheels of caterpillar vehicles, which is economical.

[0015] By understanding the illustrative embodiments that are about to be described or to be indicated in the appended claims, alternative and additional objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent, and, when practicing the invention, to those skilled in the art. several advantages will occur to them that have not been referred to in this document.

Summary of the Invention

[0016] To achieve these and other objectives that will become more clearly apparent as the description proceeds according to one aspect of the present invention, a device is provided to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, soil and other debris in the cogwheels and / or crazy caterpillar vehicles.

[0017] Such wheels are frequently made in two parts, an outer wheel and an inner wheel. These wheels are joined near the shaft opening and are separated near their outer perimeter so that they can receive the projections or guide projections located on the inner surface of the track.

[0018] A first embodiment of the invention comprises a support that is adjustable in association with the track vehicle and which has fixing means located near the idler and / or toothed wheels, a band that has a custom connection part to be secured. adjustable by fixing in position around the wheel and a collar part that extends freely from the connecting part and at least partially surrounds the wheel hub to remain in a contact or almost sliding contact constant with at least part of the inside of the wheel in order to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy and / or sprocket wheels during a driving condition of the caterpillar vehicle. Preferably, the band is made from an elastic material such as elastic steel or reinforced rubber.

[0019] A second embodiment of the device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the gearwheels and / or crazy tracks of caterpillar vehicles comprises a support that is adjustable in association with the track vehicle and has means of fixing located near the track of the track, a band that has a part of personalized connection to be anchored of adjustable way by the means of fixation in its position around the wheel of the track, a part of collar that surrounds by at least partially the wheel to remain in a contact

or almost constant sliding contact with at least part of the inside of the wheel to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy and / or sprocket wheels during a driving condition of the caterpillar vehicle, and a connecting part that attaches the collar part to the connection part in an adjustable way.

[0020] It is preferable that the collar has a contact surface that generally coincides with the configuration of the inner surface of the wheel that receives the track.

[0021] Preferably, the collar has at least one shoe that projects inwardly in the direction of the track wheel to be placed in a contact or almost constant sliding contact therewith. And furthermore, it is preferable that at least the inside of the collar is made from a low friction material such as UHMW polyethylene.

[0022] Preferably, the connection part is made from an elastic material. It is also preferable that the collar is made from an elastic material such as elastic steel or rubber with wire or other reinforcement inserts.

Brief description of the drawings

[0023] To obtain a more complete understanding of the nature and purpose of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial, isometric side view of one of the embodiments of the device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the wheels of the tracks of caterpillar vehicles, according to the present invention, in the operating position around a crazy wheel; Y

Figure 2 is an isometric side view of another embodiment of the device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the wheels of caterpillar vehicles.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device and the wheel shown in Figure 1, which also shows the track.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

[0024] With reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described herein for indicative and, in no way, limiting purposes.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a device 10 to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the crazy wheel of a caterpillar vehicle, as installed.

[0026] The device 10 includes a fixing portion 32 and a band portion 30. A support 20 is adjustable in association with the track vehicle 4 and is provided with fastening means 22 located near the idler wheel 6.

[0027] The band portion 30 and the fixing portion 32 are preferably made from an elastic material.

[0028] In Figure 1, the band portion 30 is made of elastic steel while the band portion 40 shown in Figure 2 is made of reinforced rubber.

[0029] As can be seen in Figure 1, the fixing portion 32 is customized to be secured in an adjustable manner near the idler wheel by the fastening means 22. The band portion 30 extends freely from the fixing portion 32 and at least partially surrounds said wheel to remain in a contact or almost constant sliding contact with at least part of the track wheel 6 in order to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the wheels 6 during a driving condition of the track vehicle 4. The band portion 30 is fixed to the fixing portion 32 by means of a bolt 36 or other known means.

[0030] Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the device 10 that allows to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the track wheels of caterpillar vehicles. In the second embodiment of the device 10, the band portion 40 is integral with the fixing portion 42 and is made of reinforced rubber.

[0031] According to the invention, in the embodiment of Figure 1, the band portion 30 has an internal surface 35 that generally coincides with the configuration of the inner portions 7 and 8 of the wheel 6 and an external surface 34 in which can accumulate snow, ice, mud, earth or other waste. In Figure 2, the internal surface 45 is discontinuous and is made with a plurality of shoe segments 48. The shoe segments 48 are preferably made from a low friction material, such as UHMW polyethylene. On the other hand, it is preferable that there is a minimum amount of friction between the internal surfaces 7 and 8 of the wheel 6 and all snow, ice, mud, earth or other debris that may be housed between the track, the internal surfaces 7 and 8 and the outer surface 44 such that said snow, ice, mud, earth or other debris is released as a result of the relative movement of said snow, ice or other debris in relation to the fixing portion 42.

[0032] As is well known, the internal surface 45 and the shoe elements 48 can take a variety of cross-sectional shapes, lengths and profiles (not shown) provided they are complementary to the configuration of the internal surfaces 7 and 8 of the wheel 6. In addition, the device 10 can be made from any suitable material well known in the art.

[0033] As seen in Figure 3, during normal operation of the vehicle, especially when a curve is taken, in the space between the track 50, the inner surfaces 7 and 8 of the wheels and the outer band surface 34 Snow, ice, mud, earth or other waste are introduced. As the wheel 6 turns (clockwise or counterclockwise), this snow, ice, mud, dirt or other debris are dragged by friction between the first and the track 50 and the inner surfaces 7 and 8 of the wheels. They slide on the outer surface 34 until they reach the fixing portion 32 where they are vigorously expelled.

[0034] During any driving condition when the track vehicle 4 is moving forward, backward or performing any maneuver in which the track wheel 6 rotates, the band portion 30 of the device 10 effectively prevents any significant accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt or other debris between the inner surfaces 7 and 8 of the wheel 6 and the track 50. The device 10 is bidirectional in the sense that it works effectively in any direction of rotation of the track wheel , and it is extremely simple in terms of design and efficient in operation.

[0035] The drawings and the description attached thereto are intended solely to illustrate the idea of the invention. In

As for the details, the invention may vary within the scope of the claims. Therefore, the shape of the device 10 can be constituted as desired, considering the specific needs and models of the wheel 6 of the track.

[0036] Although the present device to reduce the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, earth and other waste in the

10 wheels of caterpillar vehicles have been described with some degree of detail, it should be understood that the exposure has been made by way of example only and that the present invention is not limited to the characteristics of the described embodiment (s) ) and illustrated (s) herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope of the invention as claimed hereinbelow.

Claims (12)

one.

Device (10) for reducing the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in a wheel (6) of caterpillar vehicles (4) of the type that have an inner wheel portion (8) and a portion (7) of outer wheel defining an open space between them, said device (10) comprising a support (20) that is fixedly adjustable to said caterpillar vehicle (4) and having fixing means (22) located near said space, characterized because said device (10) further comprises a band (30/40, 32/42) customized to be secured in an adjustable manner by said fixing means (22) in position around said wheel (6) within said space.

2.

Device according to claim 1, wherein said wheel (6) is a crazy wheel or a cogwheel.

3.

Device according to claim 2, wherein said band (30/40, 32/42) is made of an elastic material.

Four.

Device according to claim 3, wherein said band (40, 42) is made of reinforced rubber.

5.

Device according to claim 3, wherein said band (30, 32) is made of elastic steel.

6.

Device (10) for reducing the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the wheels (6) of caterpillar vehicles (4), said device (10) comprising a support (20) that is fixed in an adjustable manner to said track vehicle and having fixing means (22) located near said track wheel (6), characterized in that said device (10) further comprises a band having a custom connecting part (32, 42) to be secured by adjustable way by said fixing means (22) in position near the wheel (6), a collar part (30, 40) that surrounds at least partially the inside of said wheel (6) to remain in a contact or in an almost constant sliding contact with at least part of said interior of the wheel to reduce the accumulation of said snow, ice, mud, dirt and other debris in the wheels (6) during the operation of the track vehicle, and a part of union that joins in an adjustable way the collar part to the connection part.

7.

Device according to claim 6, wherein the collar part (30, 40) has a contact surface (35, 45) that generally coincides with a surface of the wheel (6), which receives projections from the track.

8.

Device according to any one of claims 6 or 7, wherein the collar part (30, 40) has at least one shoe (48) that projects inwardly in the direction of the wheel (6) of the track to position itself in a contact or almost constant sliding contact with it.

9.

Device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the collar part (30, 40) is made from a low friction material.

10.

Device according to claim 6, wherein the band is made from an elastic material.

eleven.

Device according to claim 7, wherein the connecting part (32, 42) is made from an elastic material.

12.

Device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the collar part (30, 40) is made from an elastic material.