A. Field of Invention
The disclosed invention relates to rubber tracks for motorized vehicles.
B. Description of the Related Art
Molded rubber tracks are, in many cases, being substituted for conventional metal tractor tracks in agricultural and construction vehicles. Rubber tracks may better maneuverability, better ride quality in rough fields, improved side hill stability, excellent traction, low maintenance and greater versatility compared to steel tractor tracks. Additionally, rubber tracks are being used with or even replacing conventional rubber tires on skid steer vehicles, tractors and other agricultural and construction vehicles.
Rubber tracks are defined by an endless elastomeric rubber belt reinforced with continuous flexible cables bonded into the elastomeric material. Generally, rubber tracks are provided with a plurality of guide or drive lugs spaced at defined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the inner surface of the track. These lugs are adapted to engage the wheels of the associated vehicle. Contact between the wheels and the track occurs not only at the surface of the engaged lugs, but at the areas adjacent the lugs.
For standard operations under typical environmental conditions, a reinforced rubber belt is adequately rugged to provide the advantages described above for a long period of use. In certain environments, however, and particularly in applications where the rubber track is subjected to high temperatures and rough, loose grade, the rubber track can degrade, particularly along the wheel path, as hot, abrasive material migrates between the wheels and the track, resulting in shortened life and reduced performance. These harsh environmental conditions are, for example, common in asphalt paving operations, where the rubber tracks on asphalt paving machines not only come into contact with hot asphalt (up to 300 degrees F.), but where hot, rough, asphalt can migrate into the wheel path, causing degradation of the rubber track in the wheel path area.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a rubber track, particularly suitable for, but not limited to, use in asphalt paving operations, that includes a heat and corrosion resistant protective layer or layers at the wheel path of the rubber track. It is also desirable to provide a protective layer at the wheel path of a rubber track that has adequate adhesion to the surrounding rubber layers. In the past, acrylonitrile has been tried in this context, but the adhesion between the protective layer and the rubber track were shown to be inadequate compared to the material selected for the present invention; namely polychloroprene rubber.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:
Referring now to the FIGURES,
The core structure of rubber track 10 and methods of manufacturing the same are generally well known in the art and are taught in such references as U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,811. As such, only a brief recitation of an exemplary structure will be provided prior to a detailed description of the improvement of the present invention. With continued reference to all the FIGURES, but particularly
The elastomeric compounds suitable for use in the elastomeric belt layers 22, 24 are well known in the art and generally include natural rubber, isoprene, SBR, PBD, and blends of these; however it should be understood that a wide range of elastomeric compounds and blends are suitable for use in the elastomeric belt layers 22, 24 and any such suitable elastomeric material may be selected with sound engineering judgment. The materials suitable for the reinforcing cables 26, 28 are similarly well known in the art and may include but are not limited to, steel, and synthetic fabrics such as nylon, rayon, polyester, Kevlar, fiberglass.
With continued reference to
It will be understood that the track 10 is adapted to be positioned upon the wheels 50 of a motorized vehicle such as a skidder loader, tractor, asphalt paving machine, or the like to support the vehicle for movement along a desired surface such as a road, construction site, or an agricultural field. Having described the general structure of the track 10, the improvement is now described.
With reference now to
In a first embodiment, the protective layer 40 may be comprised of a first polychloroprene rubber. The first polychloroprene rubber may be selected from the group of neoprene type rubbers, including G-type, T-type, and W-type neoprene rubber, which are commercially available from polymeric suppliers. More specifically, the first polychloroprene rubber may be selected from neoprene GNA-M1, neoprene GNA-M2, neoprene GW, neoprene TW, neoprene TW-100, neoprene W, neoprene WHV, neoprene WHV-100, neoprene WM-1, neoprene WD, neoprene WRT, neoprene WRT-M1, neoprene GRT-M0, neoprene GRT-M1, neoprene GRT-M2, neoprene TRT, and neoprene WB.
According to one embodiment, the protective layer 40 may be comprised of neoprene WRT. The protective layer 40 may consist essentially of neoprene WRT. In an alternative embodiment, the protective layer 40 may include a second polychloroprene rubber, which may be selected from the group of neoprene type rubbers described above. The first and second polychloroprene rubbers may be blended. In one particular embodiment, the first polychlorprene rubber may be neoprene W and the second polychloroprene rubber may be neoprene GRT. In this embodiment, the first and second polychlorprene rubbers may be blended in a ratio of approximately from 0 to 100. In yet further embodiments, other types of neoprene and neoprene blends may be used in accordance with the present invention to construct a protective layer 40.
The protective layer 40 may include but is not limited to other non-polychloroprene rubber components, such as plasticizers, fillers (black and nonblack), curatives, other polymers, processing aids, weather protectants, antidegradants, and resins. Additionally, the protective layer 40 may include other polymers, such as natural rubber or SBR.
As shown in
To accommodate the guide lugs 30, the protective layer 40 may be provided with a plurality of holes (not shown) sizeably adapted to permit the guide lugs 30 to pass through the protective layer 40. In this way, the protective layer 40 may be deposited onto the elastomeric belt 20 after the guide lugs 30 have been operatively fixed thereon. Alternatively, the protective layer 40 may be a substantially unbroken layer, which may be deposited onto the elastomeric belt 20 prior to the guide lugs 30 being operatively fixed to thereon. In this embodiment, the guide lugs 30 may be operatively fixed to the track 10 by being attached directly to the protective layer 40. In still yet another embodiment, the protective layer 40 may extend to cover the surfaces of the guide lugs 30, particularly the guide lugs 30 that are within the wheel path P.
In an alternative embodiment, shown in
In still another embodiment, it may be desirable to protect only the surfaces of the guide lugs 30 that are within the wheel path p, by covering these surfaces with a protective layer 40.
As noted above, some tracks 10 may have guide lugs 30 positioned along the outer edges of the elastomeric belt 20 on the interior peripheral surface 32 thereof. In this embodiment (not shown), as with the embodiments described above, the protective layer 40 may cover substantially the entire interior peripheral surface 32 of the elastomeric belt 20. Alternatively, the protective layer 40 may additionally or exclusively cover the surfaces of the guide lugs 30, or selected portions thereof.
The protective layer 40 thickness is constrained only by design and a nominal design thickness may range from between approximately 0.010 inches and 0.240 inches. The thickness of the protective layer 40 may vary depending on the underlying surface being protected, whether it be the interior peripheral surface 32 of the elastomeric belt 20 or the surfaces of the guide lugs 30.
Many systems for building rubber tracks 10 are known in the art. Typically tracks are built about a cylindrical drum. The drum may have lug pockets or recesses adapted for receiving rubber guide lugs. After guide lugs have been placed into the lug pockets, layers of uncured rubber, calendared cord, and steel wire may be sequentially, selectively placed about the drum. After the layers of the track have been wrapped about the drum, the drum may be heated to cause curing of the rubber and bonding of the layers to form an integrated track. These systems are conducive to incorporating an additional protective layer 40 onto the interior peripheral surface 32 of the elastomeric belt 20 as the protective layer 40 may be sequentially laid down on the cylindrical drum adjacent the innermost elastomeric belt layer (for example, 22 as shown in
To form the protective layer 40, the selected polychloroprene compounds may be blended together in an internal mixer and further processed to desired dimensions using equipment such as extruder or calendar.
Variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the fill intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.
Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed: