Patent Application
20210291917
The present disclosure is directed to the field of powered pulling devices, and more particularly to continuous tracked powered drag force apparatuses that have the capability to pull a weight such as a trailer or a human user across varying terrains.
The Earth is full of rough terrain which is difficult for humans to traverse, particularly with respect to ability of speed. For many years humans have tried various methods to travel these difficult areas. The earliest method was by merely walking. Later, humans were able to domesticate animals such as horses so as to utilize their superior strength and endurance to travel longer distances.
Animals work well for travel in many circumstances but as is well-known they still require maintenance, such as food and water. Additionally, horses can struggle in difficult terrain such as snow and ice which may lead to the horse breaking its ankle, thus rendering the animal disabled and unable to continue. Most recently in human history humans have developed self-propelled vehicles to accomplish these draining tasks.
The wheel has been utilized in many advancements such as the automobile. While they work well in and on many surfaces, wheels have a generally small surface area and can get easily stuck in terrain such as snow and mud. Additionally, rocky terrain allows for the wheel to get jammed in a crevice and incapacitate the vehicle.
To prevent some of the above-mentioned issues on motorized vehicles, the advancement of a continuous track system was developed. The continuous track provides a large surface area and greatly reduces incapacitations due to rugged terrain. Vehicles employing a continuous track can safely negotiate difficult landscapes that are inaccessible to wheeled vehicles.
One of the present-day problems with continuous track vehicles, also known as tracked vehicles, is that these types of vehicles generally have less speed and maneuverability comparatively. This requires more power to be dispersed and thus increases the cost-per-mile when calculated vs. a wheeled vehicle. Additionally, a tracked vehicle most likely will require more maintenance over a period of years than would a wheeled vehicle.
Despite these issues, many people today enjoy utilizing the benefits of a continuous track system to traverse otherwise unattainable destinations, either for commercial use, agricultural use, or even for recreational use. Indeed, most snowmobiles today have skis on the front end of the vehicle with a track or tracks on the rear end. In most units, power is provided to the rear tracks which propels the snowmobile forward and with the skis. Snowmobiles provide the excitement of a recreational vehicle such as a motorcycle while on the difficult terrain of snow or ice.
However, people today may desire a different method of transportation, one where they are not required to sit on top of a vehicle. They may also desire to utilize their method of transportation in a different terrain that is generally not accessible to most snowmobiles, such as a rocky or a muddy terrain.
What is needed, therefore, is a device which can pull a weight such as a trailer or a person to a known location, while being capable of crossing through multiple difficult terrains.
The present disclosure is directed to a tracked drag force generating device for the purpose of traversing a wide variety of different terrains. The device of the present disclosure further has the capability of pulling a human user who is on runners, known herein as devices such as skis, skates, roller-skates, rollerblades, a sled, or a snowboard, to name a few.
The device of the present disclosure generally has a frame and a single continuous track in a centrally located position relative to the device frame. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the track may be constructed out of a variety of materials, provided the track is capable of withstanding repetitive ground-contact force. Some examples of possible material used is a metal track, a rubber track, a composite track, or any other durable material.
According to some embodiments, within the track will be sprocket rollers that contact within the internal bearings of the track. The sprocket is positioned where the track is disposed around it and the sprockets thus are positioned in at least a front and a rear position. In such a fashion the track flows from a position behind the rear sprocket towards a position known as beyond the front sprocket, creating a consistent loop. It is presently thought that two sprockets are used, however an additional middle sprocket, as determined based upon linear position as to the front sprocket and rear sprocket, may be utilized to provide additional support. Additional middle sprockets may be added and are also disclosed and supported within this specification. To encourage stability, general rollers may also be provided in place of middle sprockets. One embodiment of the said rollers are wire-cage rollers, which are a generally welded heavy duty wire roller which allows for some debris to enter without clogging the roller or rollers.
Some embodiments of the track may be a generally smooth track which may be advantageous for certain landscapes. However, other embodiments of the track contain a plurality of treads, which allow for greater grip and contact with the ground surface. Both embodiments are thought to be covered by this disclosure, as the track itself may be customizable depending on the terrain of the intended use. In most circumstances the track may best be served by containing a variety of threads at various heights, so as to allow for greater grip on the ground, but for ice surfaces and the like a smoother surface may be desired.
Within the track may be positioned what is known herein as a skid plate. The skid plate is a generally curved piece of durable material such as aluminum, steel, hard plastic or the like, upon which debris is pushed outside the interior of the track, and may also be used to push, or plow, snow out of the rear of the continuous track.
The sprockets generally may have additional sprocket teeth which engage with the continuous track and allow for the proper positioning thereof. At least one of the sprockets in some embodiments has an axle disposed within and extending beyond the sides of said sprocket, creating a generally central shaft, and thus the terms axle and axle shaft are used synonymously herein. The axle has a support arm which contacts with the frame, and positions said frame above the continuous track without making contact therewith. Thus, the main purpose of said support arm or support arms should two, or more as the case may be, sprockets have axles is to position said frame.
The frame may be generally thought of as having rigidity but also creates the support for a cab to be positioned thereon. The cab, as is used herein, is thought to be a series of structural support walls that create a general volume therebetween. The support walls are thought to be opposing faced side walls, and a front shield wall to prevent snow, water, or debris from entering the volume of the cab.
The cab or frame upon which the cab sits, has an elongated handle positioned thereon. The elongated handle is presently thought to be pivotably connected such that its vertical position is adjustably positioned relative to the device. A further tilt mechanism may also be used to allow for customization of general positioning of the handle. The elongated handle may have further components thereon which allow for better ergonomic grip of the handle, and thus enables a human user to sustain a grip on the handle for a longer period of time.
Within the volume of the cab at an exact position therein as determined dependent upon intended use, is a power source. The power source is presently thought to be an internal combustion engine which may additionally contain a centrifugal clutch or a mechanical clutch, or the power source may be an electric motor, though any source of providing power may be used without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Should the power source require it, a fuel reserve may also be located within the cab, such as a fuel tank, or a place for a battery, fuel cell, or the like.
The power source is generally mechanically connected to one of the sprockets and provides the power to said sprocket. Upon receiving the power, the sprocket is caused to rotate, and thus engage with the continuous track. This movement causes the track itself to move from its position around the above-mentioned created continuous loop.
On the exterior portion of the cab sidewalls or front shield wall or upon the exterior of the handle may additionally be a headlight. The headlight allows for illumination of the area surrounding the device in times of low-light visibility. Said headlight may contain an external power source such as batteries or may alternatively be connected to the power source. It is also presently contemplated that a horn is provided to the exterior of the cab sidewalls or the exterior of the handle. The horn has a user activated device such as a push button so the user may provide noise-notification to the surrounding area.
On the exterior portion of the device may additionally be a trailer hitch, which allows for connectability to a small trailer or the option to pull external devices, such as sleds, vehicles, or the like. This particular optional component may be best used when the device is hauling material to hard-to-reach locations, or perhaps on a search and rescue mission. In much the same sense, additional baskets, carriers, totes, or boxes may be positioned within or near the cab for transportation of goods or supplies. It is also contemplated a cup holder could be present within the cab as well.
The handle in some embodiments additionally contains a throttle control apparatus, such as a twist grip throttle, a push-button throttle, or a thumb throttle to name a few options. The type of throttle used may vary, but the throttle is known herein as the mechanism by which the human user is able to regulate the power source. In such a fashion, the human user may cause the increase in power and thus rotational speed of the continuous track. In some embodiments, the handle is shaped like a T″, similar to that of a floor buffer, or a “U” shape similar to that of some lawnmowers, or any handlebar which may be readily used by humans, such as any of the numerous available bicycle handle variations without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. In one embodiment, the ends of the handle have ergonomic grips containing a twist throttle, similar to that of common motorcycles. The tracked drag force generating device when the throttle is engaged thus moves forward, in a linear direction relative to the rear sprocket beyond that of the front sprocket.
Should a user desire to move the device in a direction other than that of the linear path currently traveling, the user applies force on the handle in such a fashion that the continuous track is released from flat contact with the ground and is at a diagonal position where only a side of the continuous track contacts with the ground, in a fashion similar to that of turning on a snowboard or a skateboard. In such a fashion, the continuous track is only partially contacting the ground at a position on the track where the user desires the track to move.
These and various other features, advantages, modes, and objects of the present disclosure will be made apparent from the following detailed description and any appended drawings.
One or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout and in which:
Before explaining one or more embodiments of the disclosed disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited in its application to the details or modes of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or previously disclosed illustrations. This disclosure is capable of multiple embodiments and modes, which can be practiced or carried out in many various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description, and should not be regarded as limiting, or used as an absolute.
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Understandably, the tracked drag force generating device 10 has been described above in terms of one or more preferred embodiments or models. It is recognized that various alternatives and modifications may be made to these embodiments and methods that are within the scope of the present disclosure. Any and all various alternatives reasonably obvious to a person of skill in the art are contemplated as being within the scope of the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that, although the foregoing description and drawings describe and illustrate in detail one or more preferred embodiments of the tracked drag force generating device 10, to those skilled in the art of which this disclosure relates, namely transportation by way of light vehicle, the present disclosure will suggest many modifications, models, and constructions, as well as widely differing embodiments and applications without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
