Endless track for propelling a vehicle, with lug replacement capability
An endless track for a track assembly providing traction to a work vehicle (e.g., an agricultural vehicle, a construction vehicle, etc.). The endless track comprises an elastomeric carcass having an inner side for facing wheels of the work vehicle and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground. The endless track has a lug replacement capability to facilitate replacement of one or more drive/guide lugs on the inner side and/or one or more traction lugs on the ground-engaging outer side or portions of these lugs.
1. A track for traction of a vehicle, the track being mountable around a plurality of wheels that includes a drive wheel for driving the track, the track comprising:
an elastomeric carcass comprising a ground-engaging outer surface and an inner surface opposite to the ground-engaging outer surface; and
a plurality of elastomeric projections projecting from the elastomeric carcass; wherein the elastomeric carcass comprises a replacement-facilitating portion having predetermined dimensions provisioned during original manufacturing of the track to facilitate replacement of a peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and respective ones of the elastomeric projections molded with and projecting from the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass by a new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and new elastomeric projections molded with and projecting from the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass.
2. The track of claim 1 , wherein: the elastomeric projections include wheel-contacting projections projecting from the inner surface of the elastomeric carcass; the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the inner surface of the elastomeric carcass; the respective ones of the elastomeric projections include respective ones of the wheel-contacting projections; the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the inner surface of the elastomeric carcass; and the new elastomeric projections include new wheel-contacting projections.
3. The track of claim 2 , wherein: the elastomeric projections include traction projections projecting from the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; the respective ones of the elastomeric projections include respective ones of the traction projections; the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; and the new elastomeric projections include new traction projections.
4. The track of claim 1 , wherein: the elastomeric projections include traction projections projecting from the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; the respective ones of the elastomeric projections include respective ones of the traction projections; the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; and the new elastomeric projections include new traction projections.
5. The track of claim 1 , wherein the respective ones of the elastomeric projections comprises at least five elastomeric projections.
6. The track of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass is a band of elastomeric material narrower than a width of the track.
7. The track of claim 6 , wherein the elastomeric carcass comprises a recess receiving the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass.
8. The track of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric carcass comprises a recess receiving the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass.
9. The track of claim 1 , wherein a dimension of the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass in a widthwise direction of the track is greater than a dimension of each of the elastomeric projections in the widthwise direction of the track.
10. The track of claim 1 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass comprises a recess.
11. The track of claim 1 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass comprises a hole.
12. The track of claim 1 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass comprises an element embedded in the elastomeric carcass.
13. The track of claim 12 , wherein the element embedded in the elastomeric carcass is a threaded element.
14. The track of claim 1 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass comprises an aligner configured to align at least one of the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric layer and the new elastomeric projections when the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections are provided on the elastomeric carcass to replace the peripheral layer of the elastomeric layer and the respective ones of the elastomeric projections.
15. The track of claim 1 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass is configured such that a thickness of the elastomeric carcass before replacement of the peripheral layer of the elastomeric layer and the respective ones of the elastomeric projections by the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections corresponds to a thickness of the elastomeric carcass after replacement of the peripheral layer of the elastomeric layer and the respective ones of the elastomeric projections by the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections.
16. The track of claim 1 , wherein the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections are fastened to the elastomeric carcass using a fastener.
17. The track of claim 16 , wherein the fastener comprises a threaded fastener.
18. The track of claim 16 , wherein the fastener intersects a given one of the new elastomeric projections.
19. The track of claim 16 , wherein the fastener intersects the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass.
20. A vehicle comprising the track of claim 1 .
21. A method of providing a track for traction of a vehicle, the track being mountable around a plurality of wheels that includes a drive wheel for driving the track, the method comprising:
performing original manufacturing of the track such that the track comprises:
an elastomeric carcass comprising a ground-engaging outer surface and an inner surface opposite to the ground-engaging outer surface; and
a plurality of elastomeric projections projecting from the elastomeric carcass; and
provisioning a replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass during the original manufacturing of the track to facilitate replacement of a peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and respective ones of the elastomeric projections molded with and projecting from the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass by a new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and new elastomeric projections molded with and projecting from the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass, wherein the replacement-facilitating portion has predetermined dimensions.
22. A method of providing a track for traction of a vehicle, the track being mountable around a plurality of wheels that includes a drive wheel for driving the track, the track comprising: an elastomeric carcass comprising a ground-engaging outer surface and an inner surface opposite to the ground-engaging outer surface; and a plurality of elastomeric projections projecting from the elastomeric carcass, the method comprising:
removing a peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and respective ones of the elastomeric projections molded with and projecting from the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass; and
replacing the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the respective ones of the elastomeric projections by a new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and new elastomeric projections molded with and projecting from the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass;
wherein the replacing comprises using a replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass provisioned during original manufacturing of the track to facilitate replacement of the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the respective ones of the elastomeric projections by the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections, wherein the replacement-facilitating portion has predetermined dimensions.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein: the elastomeric projections include wheel-contacting projections projecting from the inner surface of the elastomeric carcass; the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the inner surface of the elastomeric carcass; the respective ones of the elastomeric projections include respective ones of the wheel-contacting projections; the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the inner surface of the elastomeric carcass; and the new elastomeric projections include new wheel-contacting projections.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein: the elastomeric projections include traction projections projecting from the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; the respective ones of the elastomeric projections include respective ones of the traction projections; the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; and the new elastomeric projections include new traction projections.
25. The method of claim 22 , wherein: the elastomeric projections include traction projections projecting from the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; the respective ones of the elastomeric projections include respective ones of the traction projections; the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass includes at least part of the ground-engaging outer surface of the elastomeric carcass; and the new elastomeric projections include new traction projections.
26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the respective ones of the elastomeric projections comprises at least five elastomeric projections.
27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass is a band of elastomeric material narrower than a width of the track.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the elastomeric carcass comprises a recess receiving the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass.
29. The method of claim 22 , wherein the elastomeric carcass comprises a recess receiving the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass.
30. The method of claim 22 , wherein a dimension of the peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass in a widthwise direction of the track is greater than a dimension of each of the elastomeric projections in the widthwise direction of the track.
31. The method of claim 22 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass comprises a recess.
32. The method of claim 22 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass comprises a hole.
33. The method of claim 22 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass comprises an element embedded in the elastomeric carcass.
34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the element embedded in the elastomeric carcass is a threaded element.
35. The method of claim 22 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass comprises an aligner configured to align at least one of the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric layer and the new elastomeric projections when the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections are provided on the elastomeric carcass to replace the peripheral layer of the elastomeric layer and the respective ones of the elastomeric projections.
36. The method of claim 22 , wherein the replacement-facilitating portion of the elastomeric carcass is configured such that a thickness of the elastomeric carcass before replacement of the peripheral layer of the elastomeric layer and the respective ones of the elastomeric projections by the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections corresponds to a thickness of the elastomeric carcass after replacement of the peripheral layer of the elastomeric layer and the respective ones of the elastomeric projections by the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections.
37. The method of claim 22 , wherein the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass and the new elastomeric projections are fastened to the elastomeric carcass using a fastener.
38. The method of claim 37 , wherein the fastener comprises a threaded fastener.
39. The method of claim 37 , wherein the fastener intersects a given one of the new elastomeric projections.
40. The method of claim 37 , wherein the fastener intersects the new peripheral layer of the elastomeric carcass.