Vehicle track assembly having tapered wheels
A vehicle track module having a frame, the module mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle and having a drive wheel rotatably mounted to the frame, leading and trailing idler wheels rotatably mounted to the frame, at least one bogie wheel in contact with the track and positioned between the idler wheels, and a continuous flexible track extending about the wheels, and the at least one bogie wheel is a cylindrical wheel with a tapered elastomeric tire therearound. The track module may include a module center plane parallel to the drive wheel and the bogie wheel may be thicker toward the center plane. A track assembly for a vehicle including a frame for mounting with respect to the vehicle and a plurality of wheels in contact with a continuous flexible track extending about the wheels with at least one wheel being cylindrical and including a tapered elastomeric tire.
1. A track assembly for a vehicle, including a frame for mounting with respect to the vehicle and a plurality of wheels, including a drive wheel rotatably mounted to the frame, leading and trailing idler wheels rotatably mounted to the frame, at least one bogie wheel positioned between the leading and trailing idler wheels, and at least one high-idler wheel rotatably mounted to the frame, the plurality of wheels being in contact with a continuous flexible track extending about the plurality of wheels, wherein the leading and trailing idler wheels, the at least one bogie wheel and the at least one high-idler wheel each is a cylindrical wheel which includes a tapered elastomeric tire.
2. The track assembly of claim 1 further including an assembly center plane parallel to the plurality of wheels and wherein each of the tapered tires is thicker toward the assembly center plane.
3. The track assembly of claim 1 wherein each tapered elastomeric tire is a solid elastomeric tire.
4. The track module of claim 1 wherein a portion of the tapered tire circumferential surface of each tapered tire is tapered.
5. The track assembly of claim 4 further including an assembly center plane parallel to the plurality of wheels and wherein each tapered tire is thicker toward the assembly center plane.
6. In a vehicle track module having a frame, the module mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle and having a drive wheel rotatably mounted to the frame, leading and trailing idler wheels rotatably mounted to the frame, at least one bogie wheel positioned between the leading and trailing idler wheels and in contact with a continuous flexible track extending about the drive wheel, idler wheels and the at least one bogie wheel, at least one high-idler wheel rotatably mounted to the frame, the improvement comprising the at least one bogie wheel, the leading and trailing idler wheels, and the at least one high-idler wheel each being a cylindrical wheel with a tapered elastomeric tire therearound.
7. The track module of claim 6 further including a module center plane parallel to the drive wheel and wherein the bogie wheel tire is thicker toward the center plane.
8. The track module of claim 6 wherein the bogie wheel tapered elastomeric tire is a solid elastomeric tire.
9. The track module of claim 6 wherein a portion of the bogie wheel elastomeric tire circumferential surface is tapered.
10. The track module of claim 6 further including two bogie wheels each being a cylindrical wheel with a tapered elastomeric tire therearound.
11. The track module of claim 10 further including a module center plane parallel to the drive wheel and wherein each of the bogie wheel tires is thicker toward the center plane.
12. The track module of claim 11 wherein each of the bogie wheel tapered elastomeric tires is a solid elastomeric tire.
13. The track module of claim 10 wherein a portion of each of the bogie wheel elastomeric tires circumferential surface is tapered.
14. The track module of claim 6 further including a module center plane parallel to the drive wheel and wherein the leading and trailing idler wheel tires are thicker toward the center plane.
15. The track module of claim 6 wherein the leading and trailing idler wheels tapered elastomeric tire is a solid elastomeric tire.
16. The track module of claim 6 wherein a portion of the leading and trailing idler wheel elastomeric tires circumferential surface is tapered.
17. The track module of claim 6 wherein the high-idler wheel tire is a solid elastomeric tire.
18. The track module of claim 6 further including a module center plane parallel to the drive wheel and wherein the high-idler wheel tire is thicker toward the center plane.
19. The track module of claim 6 wherein a portion of the high-idler wheel elastomeric tire circumferential surface is tapered.
20. The track module of claim 6 wherein the high-idler wheel tire is a solid elastomeric tire.