Claims
- 1. A wheel for an endless track for a vehicle, comprising
a hub including a mounting member extending generally perpendicular to an axis of rotation of said hub and including a contact surface of uniform spacing from said axis of rotation and first and second lateral mounting surfaces in opposing relation; a first plurality of wheel segments mounted to said mounting member and engaging said first lateral mounting surface of said hub; and a second plurality of cast wheel segments mounted to said mounting member and engaging said second lateral mounting surface of said hub; each of said wheel segments including at least one axially extending support element for supporting said track, and a first locater surface for contacting said contact surface of said hub for locating said segment in a radial direction, and a second locater surface for contacting one of said lateral mounting surfaces of said mounting member for locating said segment axially.
- 2. The wheel of claim 1 wherein said hub includes a disc having an outer annular section defining said contact surface and said lateral mounting surfaces.
- 3. The wheel of claim 2 wherein said contact surface is circumferential and is centered on said axis of rotation of said hub.
- 4. The wheel of claim 3 wherein said lateral mounting surfaces are flat and extend in respective planes generally perpendicular to said axis of rotation.
- 5. The wheel of claim 4 wherein each segment comprises a plurality of axially extending support members for engaging and supporting said track, and a radially extending brace member increasing in an axial dimension proceeding away from said axis of rotation to a distal end formed integral with an associated support element and supporting the same substantially its entire axial length.
- 6. The wheel of claim 5 wherein each segment further comprises a base portion defining said second locater surface, an intermediate portion extending axially away from an associated lateral mounting surface of said hub; and an outer section extending generally radially of said axis of rotation and integral with a distal portion of said brace and said support element.
- 7. The wheel of claim 1 wherein each of said segments includes a bolt receiving aperture in said base, said wheel including a threaded fastener securing two opposing segments together and to said hub.
- 8. The wheel of claim 7 wherein segments of said first plurality are angularly offset relative to segments of said second plurality.
- 9. The wheel of claim 1 wherein said hub includes a disc extending in a radial direction and having an outer annular region defining said first and second lateral mounting surfaces.
- 10. The wheel of claim 9 characterized in that said contact surface is cylindrical and said first and second lateral surfaces are flat, and further characterized in that said contact surface and said lateral mounting surfaces are machined.
- 11. The wheel of claim 10 wherein each of said first locater surfaces of said wheel segments includes first and second radially spaced lugs having surfaces engaging said circumferential contact surface of said hub.
- 12. The wheel of claim 10 wherein each of said second locater surfaces of said wheel segments comprises first and second contact portions adjacent associated bolt holes.
- 13. The wheel of claim 12 wherein each of said second locater surfaces of said wheel segments includes a third contact portion adjacent a radially inboard end of said segment.
- 14. The wheel of claim 1 wherein each of said segments includes at least three track support elements spaced angularly apart relative to said axis and further including an intermediate section extending axially away from an associated lateral surface of said hub, said intermediate section defining at least one aperture for permitting debris to pass therethrough.
- 15. The wheel of claim 1 wherein said hub comprises an axle tube; said mounting member of said hub comprising a disc mounted to said axle tube; and first and second frusto-conical reinforcing members located on opposing sides of said disc and extending between said axle tube and said disc.
- 16. A wheel for a vehicle having a continuous ground-engaging belted track, comprising:
a hub including a mounting member extending radially outward of an axis of rotation of said hub; first and second pluralities of cast metal segments, mounted in side-by-side relation respectively on opposing lateral sides of said mounting member, each segment including a base engaging one lateral side of said mounting member, and a plurality of support elements having belt engaging surfaces forming a cylindrical support for said belt; and threaded fasteners for removably mounting said segments to said mounting member.
- 17. The wheel of claim 16 wherein each segment is in the form of a truncated sector.
- 18. The wheel of claim 16 characterized in that said segments of said first plurality of segments are angularly offset relative to segments of said second plurality of segments.
- 19. The wheel of claim 18 characterized in that the support elements of said first plurality of segments are angularly offset relative to said support elements of said second plurality of segments.
- 20. The wheel of claim 18 wherein each of said segments includes a base defining an aperture for receiving a mounting bolt, said base defining an axial locater surface for engaging said mounting member of said hub and characterized in that said axial locater surface of said base at least partially surrounds said bolt aperture.
- 21. The wheel of claim 20 further including a curved contact surface on said base member extending angularly about said axis of rotation and located centrally of said segment.
- 22. The wheel of claim 20 comprising a plurality of lugs each defining an axial locater surface engaging a circumferential contact surface of said hub.
- 23. A cast metal segment for a wheel for a belted-track vehicle, said wheel including a hub having a circumferential contact surface and an axial mounting surface, said segment comprising:
a base defining at least a first locater surface for contacting said radial contact surface of said hub to locate said segment radially of an axis of rotation of said hub; an intermediate section extending radially outward of said base and inclined radially outwardly of said axial mounting surface of said hub when said segment is mounted thereto; an outer section spaced from and generally parallel to said axial mounting section of said hub when said segment is mounted thereto; a plurality of axially extending belt support elements cast integrally with said inclined section; and an integrally cast brace for each of said belt support elements extending between said base section and said intermediate section and an associated belt support element.
- 24. A wheel for a vehicle having a continuous ground-engaging belted track comprising:
a hub including a disc extending radially outward of an axis of rotation of said hub assembly; first and second pluralities of cast metal segments, individual segments of said first and second plurality of segments mounted in side-by-side relation respectively on opposing sides of said disc, each segment including a base engaging one side surface of said disc, and a plurality of spaced support elements having belt engaging surfaces forming a cylindrical support for said belt.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/441,994, filed Jan. 23, 2003.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60441994 |
Jan 2003 |
US |