Tractor with track drive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10150523-B2
Application number	US-201615014550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Feb 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

An off-highway vehicle has a front chassis portion, a rear chassis portion, a front ground drive system and a rear ground drive system. The front chassis portion has a front axle assembly having a front axle housing and a front axle shaft carrying a front wheel hub. The rear chassis portion has a rear axle assembly including a rear axle housing and a rear axle shaft carrying a rear wheel hub. The front ground drive system includes a front drive wheel mounted to the front wheel hub, a front idler wheel mounted to the front axle housing via a front drive frame member in front of the front drive wheel. The rear ground drive system has a rear drive wheel mounted to the rear wheel hub, a rear idler wheel mounted to the rear axle housing via a rear frame member behind the rear drive wheel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An off-highway vehicle, comprising:
a front chassis portion comprising a front axle assembly, the front axle assembly including a front axle housing and a front axle shaft, the front axle shaft carrying a front wheel hub;
a rear chassis portion comprising a rear axle assembly, the rear axle assembly including a rear axle housing and a rear axle shaft, the rear axle shaft carrying a rear wheel hub;
a front ground drive system comprising a front drive wheel, a front idler wheel, and a front drive frame member, the front drive wheel mounted to the front wheel hub, wherein the front idler wheel is mounted to the front axle housing via the front drive frame member and the front idler wheel is located in front of the front drive wheel; and
a rear ground drive system comprising a rear drive wheel, a rear idler wheel, and a rear drive frame member, the rear drive wheel mounted to the rear wheel hub, wherein the rear idler wheel is mounted to the rear axle housing via the rear drive frame member and the rear idler wheel is located behind the rear drive wheel;
wherein at least one of the front drive frame member and the rear drive frame member is respectively non-rotatably mounted relative to the corresponding front axle housing and the corresponding rear axle housing.

2. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front wheel hub and the rear wheel hub is configured to selectively carry either a corresponding drive wheel for use with a respective ground drive assembly or a separate tire-carrying wheel assembly.

3. The off-highway vehicle of claim 2 , wherein at least one of an overall width and a ground clearance of the off-highway vehicle is substantially the same with the respective ground drive assembly or tire-carrying wheel assembly.

4. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the front chassis portion and the rear chassis portion are linked via an articulated joint.

5. The off-highway vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the articulated joint has a maximum turn angle associated therewith, the front ground drive system maintaining a clearance from the rear ground drive system when the articulated joint is at the maximum turn angle in a given direction.

6. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the front ground drive system further comprises a front track, the front track being routed around at least 120 degrees of the front drive wheel, a portion of the front track extending horizontally relative to a bottom of the front chassis portion between the front drive wheel and the front idler wheel; and
a rear track, the rear track being routed around at least 120 degrees of the rear drive wheel, a portion of the rear track extending horizontally relative to a bottom of the rear chassis portion between the rear drive wheel and the rear idler wheel.

7. The off-highway vehicle of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the front track and the rear track is respectively routed around at least 180 degrees of the corresponding front drive wheel and the corresponding rear drive wheel.

8. The off-highway vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising a track tensioning system configured to alter the distance between the front idler wheel and the front drive wheel to control the tension of the front track.

9. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front drive wheel and the rear drive wheel is comprised of a drive sprocket.

10. The off-highway vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the wheel assembly comprises a tire associated therewith, the tire having a corresponding tire diameter and a respective drive sprocket having a corresponding sprocket diameter, the tire diameter being substantially the same as the given sprocket diameter.

11. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the front ground drive system defines a first front ground drive system, a second front ground drive system, and a front structural cross-member, wherein:
the first front ground drive system comprises a first front track, a first front drive wheel, a first front idler wheel, and a first front drive frame member;
the second front ground drive system comprises a second front track, a second front drive wheel, a second front idler wheel, and a second front drive frame member; and
the front structural cross-member is connected to both of the first and second front drive frame members.

12. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the front axle shaft and the rear axle shaft defines a wheel base of the off-highway vehicle, the wheel base being less than 5 feet.

13. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the track tensioning system includes one of:
a hydraulic cylinder attached to the front idler wheel and the front drive frame member, wherein the hydraulic cylinder includes an extendable arm configured to alter the distance between the front idler wheel and the front drive wheel; and
a threaded cylinder attached to the front idler wheel and threaded into the front drive frame member, wherein the threaded cylinder is configured to alter the distance between the front idler wheel and the front drive wheel upon threading and unthreading into and out of the front drive frame member.

14. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a step mounted to the vehicle frame between the front chassis portion and the rear chassis portion.

15. An axial-based transmission system for an off-highway vehicle, the transmission system comprising:
an axle assembly including an axle housing and an axle shaft, the axle shaft having a first axle end and a second axle end, the first axle end and the second axle end each carrying a respective wheel hub;
a first ground drive system comprising a first track, a first drive wheel, a first idler wheel, and a first drive frame member, the first drive wheel mounted to the first axle end wheel hub, the first idler wheel mounted to the first axle housing via the first drive frame member, the first idler wheel being positioned proximate the first drive wheel, the first track being routed around at least 120 degrees of the first drive wheel, a portion of the first track extending horizontally between the first drive wheel and the first idler wheel and thereby configured to be ground engaging;
a second ground drive system comprising a second track, a second drive wheel, a second idler wheel, and a second drive frame member, the second drive wheel mounted to the second axle end wheel hub, the second idler wheel mounted to the second axle housing via the second drive frame member, the second idler wheel being positioned proximate the second drive wheel, the second track being routed around at least 120 degrees of the second drive wheel, a portion of the second track extending horizontally between the second drive wheel and the second idler wheel and thereby configured to be ground engaging; and
a cross-support member extending between and interconnecting the first drive frame member and the second drive frame member, the cross-support member forming a rigid connection between the first drive frame member and the second drive frame member.

16. The axial-based transmission system of claim 15 , wherein the first idler wheel has a first idler wheel shaft associated therewith, the second idler wheel having a second idler wheel shaft associated therewith, the cross-support member being positioned and mounted so as to not axially link the first idler wheel shaft with the second idler wheel shaft.

17. The axial-based transmission system of claim 15 , wherein the cross-support member extends substantially parallel to the axle ho

Assignees

• Vermeer Mfg Co

Inventors

• Erickson Daniel Ray

Classifications

• B62D55/30

  Track-tensioning means · CPC title

• B62D55/06

  with tracks without ground wheels · CPC title

• B62D53/021

  comprising a universal coupling joint · CPC title

• B62D53/02

  comprising a uniaxle tractor unit and a uniaxle trailer unit {(see B60B11/00 - B60B11/08)} · CPC title

• B60R3/00

  Arrangements of steps {or ladders facilitating access to or on the vehicle}, e.g. running-boards ({construction of steps for railway vehicles B61D23/00} ; ladders E06C) · CPC title