GB604334A - Improvements in or relating to driving arrangements for the sprockets of endless track vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

604,334. Endless-track vehicles; driving auxiliary apparatus. FOOD MACHINERY CORPORATION. Nov. 21, 1945, No. 31307. Convention date, Sept. 4, 1944. [Classes 79 (i) and 79 (ii)] A drive for an endless track comprises a pair of driving sprockets mounted coaxially on either side of a housing which carries bearings for the sprockets and contains transmission gearing for driving them, the housing being supported radially outside the periphery of the sprockets. In the plan, Fig. 1, drive is transmitted from the engine-driven shaft 97, through gear-box 96, universal joints 93 and half-shafts 94, 95 to shafts 91, each driving a pair of sprockets 33 mounted on a housing 42. The shaft 91, Figs. 3 and 4, transmits the drive through spur gears 89, 79, 68, the interior of gear 68 being splined on to the hubs 66 of the driving sprockets 33. All the transmission gear is mounted in a single housing 42, which also carries the bearings 70 for the driving sprockets, the housing being secured to the end wall 21 of the hollow pontoon members 20 used on amphibious vehicles. A power take-off, e.g. for driving a propeller, may be provided; for this purpose the drive shaft 91 also carries a bevel gear 90 in constant mesh with a bevel pinion 115 integral with a shaft 104 on which is freely mounted a gear 106 driving gear 119 and take-off shaft 118. The gear 106 is operatively connected with shaft 104 by a splined dog-clutch member 107 actuated by a fork 108 and manually-controlled lever 110. The whole power take-off assembly including the bevel pinion 115 may be removed from the end wall 53 of the main housing and replaced by a cover-plate. Specification 604,023, [Group XXXIII], is referred to.