CRAWLER TRACK WITH STRUCTURALLY LIMITED FLEXIBILITY FOR TERRESTRIAL VEHICLES

摘要

A crawler track (10) adapted to support and move terrestrial vehicles, which is composed of a set of rigid modular elements (18a, 18b), of one or more different types, all arranged to cyclically come into direct contact with the ground, and coupled directly to each other in series in pairs with hinges, with center distances of constant length (p) so as to define a closed loop (18) of the flat type, the rotations that can occur about each hinge between two consecutive elements (18a, 18b) being prevented in only one direction of angular orientation by a structural mechanical constraint, upon reaching a limit angle (α) comprised between the respective longitudinal directions (l) of the two, which has a preset breadth which is constant for all the hinges, so that a continuous series of the elements (18a, 18b), at the hinges of which the angle has been reached, assumes the characteristics of a beam, with a longitudinal extension shaped like a circular arc with its convexity directed toward the part that lies outside the loop (18), and rigidly withstanding the external forces that oppose the mechanical constraint at the hinges.