US2055932A - Endless traveler band, track and the like - Google Patents

Description

P 1936- J. G. A. KITCHEN 2,055,932

ENDLESS TRAVELER BAND, TRACK AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 1', 1953 I Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES ENDLESS TRAVELER BAND, TRACK AND T HE'LIKE John George Aulsebrook Kitchen, Bowness-on- Winder-mere, England Application December 1, 1933, Serial No. 'l00,630

In Great Britain January 21, 1933 6 Claims. (01. 3115- -10) The present invention relates to endless traveler bands, conveyors, track members and the like.

According to the present invention a traveler 5 band, conveyor, track member or the like consists of. an endless band of resilient or springy material, certain parts of which are curved longitudinally whilst the remaining parts are bent or curved transversely.

it According to another aspect of the invention a traveler band, conveyor, track member or the like consists of an endless band of resilient or springy material, certain parts of which have a' much greater curvature than other parts, which other parts are bent or curved transversely.

According to a still further aspect of the invention an endless band formed of a, resilient or springy material has uninterrupted edges and is of such cross-section as to assume a shape in which two substantially parallel and substantially straight portions thereof merge into two longitudinally curved portions and to maintain said shape naturally or stably independently of. which particular parts or elements of the band constitute said curved or straightportions. Thus the band is adapted to maintain its shape naturally and stably during traversing thereof.

More specifically defined, a traveler band, conveyor, track member or the like consists of an endless band formed of a resilient or sprlngy material which is bent or curved transversely to its length, this curvature being retained at all parts of, the band along any straight or substantially straight run thereof, but reduced or eliminated at an arcuate junction between two runs.

According to the present invention, the endless hand does not necessarily take the form of a true ellipse but may be defined as being inherently elliptical in that it consists of longitudinally curved end bights and straight or substantially straight reaches, the centers of curvature of. the end bights being spaced apart.

A track or the like according to the present invention may consist of a single endless band of curved or bent section or of a number of such bands laminated together. Alternatively it may consist of a relatively long strip of material of suitable section, wrapped upon itself a number of times. I

- When a traveler'band, track orthe like is required to withstand loads applied externally, for instance when used as a track for a vehicle, the transverse curvature of the band is convex outwardly.

The terms bent or curved used in connection with the transverse cross-sectional shape of a band or the like are intended to imply a transverse cross-section the general shape of which is curved or arcuate.

When a band according to the present invention is to engage over a pair of rollers or pulleys it is preferable that the rollers should be of substantially equal diameter and that such diameter should be equal to twice the radius of transverse curvature of the band. In other Words, the radius 10 of curvature of the band at the junction of two substantially straight runs should be equal to the radius of transverse curvature of the band.

With regard to the width of the band, it has been found that if'the angle subtended by the band at its center of transverse curvature is approximately 475 then satisfactory results are obtained.

The band, conveyor or track of the present invention may be employed in practice for a. multi- 20 tude of different purposes and various modes ofapplication are available.

For instance in the use of the invention as a. track for a vehicle, trolley, dinner wagon or any other member ordinarily supported on wheels or 25 castors, a band or hands according to the invention may be mounted each upon a pair Qf-Wheels secured to the vehicle.

The said wheels may be of diameter equal to the distance between the runs of the band, but if 30 V desired they may be of considerably smaller diameter so that one run is supported from the other by virtue of the inherent strength and resilience of the band and a resilient mounting of the vehicle or the like is obtained. 35

A single band may extend over the whole length of the wheel base of a vehicle, trolley or the like but if desired several separate bands may be arranged longitudinally in the length of the wheel base. 40

The invention is also applicable for instance to cycles, skates and the like and in these applications, a band is preferably mounted on wheels or rollers of diameter equal to the distance between the runs of the band.

In the foregoing examples, the band or track when in motion is adapted as a whole to remain in a given position with respect to the member which it is supporting. I

The band may be arranged however, to move 50 longitudinally of said member when the member is in motion.

In this mode of application, the band, when moving will have a velocity equal to that of the member which it supports and. also a velocity 55 relatively to said member. In other words the band may roll along said member in order to displace or convey the same. In this arrangement, the band may be connected at one point of a run to the member which it supports and it is able to move or roll along said member by a distance equal to one run of the band, whilst the member itself moves a distance equal to two runs.

This arrangement may be applied very advantageously to tractors and the like when a number of alternative sets of bands or tracks will be provided so that at least one set of tracks can be lifted from the supporting surface at any time to allow the tracks or bands to revert to an initial position after a forward movement. In such a tractor arrangement each band may be driven through a pin extending therefrom by a piston, piston rod or the like.

A band or conveyor according to the present invention may be employed for the support of a sliding door in which case a band is interposed between a door and its support.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the application of the invention to a motor vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the track formed of a single lamination or convolution of a strip such as spring steel.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the track or band formed of a number of laminated metal strips or a number of convolutions of a metal strip wound upon one another.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of a modifled form of the band.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the band showing a further modification wherein a rubber tread is employed.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a band having a relatively soft material such as cork interposed between the laminations or convolutions thereof.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 'l! of Fig. 1 showing a transverse section of the band and a portion of the wheel or roller.

Figure 1 shows a motor car supported by pairs of track members I, 2, the track members I extending between wheels 3, 4, at the front end of the vehicle, whilst the track members 2 extend between wheels 5, 6 at the rear end of the vehicle.

The general cross sectional shape of the track members along the substantially straight runs '1, 8 is shown in Figures 2 to 6, and the bands may have any suitable tread for engagement with a road surface such as for example, a rubber tread as shown in Figure 5, or a series of metal studs as shown in Figure 4. Again, the bands may be completely covered or sheathed, for instance with rubber. Each band is preferably formed of a number of laminations or a number of convolutions of a single strip as shown in sectionin Figure 3.

The bands are preferably slightly curved concave outwardly along the runs between the wheels 3, l and 5, 6 and this slight curvature may be obtained by rolling or drawing the material of the band along the mid-width thereof.

The rollers 3, 4, 5, 5 are of a radius substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the band in the transverse direction.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view of a track formed of a single lamination or convolution of strip such as spring steel. It will be seen that the strip is arcuately curved transversely in its runs.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of 'a band formed of a number of laminated strips or a number of convolutions of strip wound one upon the other.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of a band having a number of longitudinally spaced metal studs secured thereto by rivets 36, whilst Figure 5 shows a band having a rubber tread 31 secured on its outer'surface.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a band having a relatively soft material such as cork 38, interleaved between the laminations or convolutions thereof.

The endless metal belts shown in the accompanying drawing, may be made of a single strip wound upon itself in convolutions, or of a number of imposed strips.

'It is to be clearly understood that the present invention, while specifically illustrated only in connection with a motor vehicle, is applicable to many other uses such as, a trolley, dinner wagon or any other vehicle supported on wheels or casters, a support for a sliding door, an armored tank, the landing gear for an airplane, and a bicycle.

I declare that what I claim is:-

1. An endless spring-metal traveler band inherently elliptical and inherently transversely curved in its reaches, and substantially free from transverse curvature in its longitudinally curved end bights, the transverse curvature of the band in the reaches being adapted to disappear in the end bights and the portions of the band in the end bights adapted to assume transverse curvature in the reaches as the band travels.

2. An endless spring-metal traveler band comprising laminations of metal strip and cork strip interleaving said laminations, said band being inherently elliptical and inherently transversely curved in its reaches, and substantially free from transverse curvature in its longitudinally curved end bights.

3. An endless spring-metal traveler band comprising alternating laminations of strip of resilient metal and of a resilient non-metallic material softer than the said metal, said band being inherently elliptical and inherently transversely curved in its reaches, and substantially free from transverse curvature in its longitudinally curved end bights.

4- A rolling support for a vehicle, comprising a spring-metal traveler band inherently elliptical and inherently transversely curved in its reaches and substantially free from transverse curvature in its longitudinally curved end bights, the transverse curvature of the band in the reaches being adapted, as the band travels, to disappear in the end bights and the portions of the band in the end bights adapted to assume transverse curvature in the reaches, rollers between said reaches and within said bights of radius equal to the radius of transverse curvature of said reaches and a frame carrying said rollers.

5. An endless spring-metal traveler band comprised of a strip of spring metal longer than the peripheral dimension of the band and tending constantly to assume a longitudinally straight and transversely curved form, said strip being wound upon itself to provide the band, and means securing the outer end of the strip to the inner convolutions thereof in the band whereby to maintain the peripheral dimension of the band, said band having reaches which are maintained longitudinally straight and transversely curved by the inherent resiliency oi the strip and having bights between said reaches which are longitudinally curved and substantially straight transversely and are so maintained by the inherent resiliency of the strip.

6. An endless spring-metal traveler band comprising concentric laminations of strip metal, said band being inherently elliptical and inherently transversely curved in its reaches, and substantially free from transverse curvature in its longitudinally curved end bights, the transverse curvature of the band in its reaches being adapted to disappear in its end bights and the portions oi the band in the end bights adapted to assume transverse curvature in the reaches as the band travels; JOHN GEORGE AULSEBROOK KITCHEN.

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