How to Robustly Join Rubber Tread/Track?

[barnabie]

My company is developing a small (100 lb) tracked vehicle for all-terrain/rugged conditions. We are trying to adapt a sample of rugged snowmobile track for our purpose. As our vehicle is smaller than a snowmobile, we cannot buy the right size track - we must cut the track and join it at the correct length. Does anyone know how to do this join? We have tried simply screwing the overlapping ends together, but would like something more seamless. We have a wheel base of approx 18x22", drive sprocket diam of 9.3" and about 1 horsepower max. The solution must be very rugged. I am grasping at straws - help is very appreciated!

 

[HercDriver]

Are you using a snowmachine hi-fax and cogs as well? or just cogs and boggie wheels? If you dont have wheels rolling over the back you could just make a "patch" with 2 bolts:

        \bolt/     \bolt/
          ||         ||
_____[[[[ || [[[[[[[ || [[[[______ <== top patch
track==>  ||    |    ||   <==track
_____     ||    |    ||     ______
 \  /]]]] || ]]]]]]] || ]]]]\  /   <== bottom patch
 \  /     ||         ||     \  /
 \  /   | nut|     |nut |   \  /
  \/      \/         \/      \/
  \/                         \/    <== track lugs
  \/                         \/
================================== <== the ground

The patch material could be metal or nylon. You could make the patch spread all the way across the whole width of the track, minus where the cog needs to fit. If you're using boggie wheels it complicates it a bit. Either don't 'patch' the track where the wheels are or use something other than bolts so that the wheels will roll over (like counter sunk). The sleds now days are using up to 2 1/2 inch paddle tracks, and carbide studs between the paddles that are at least that long. They run in the 100 mph range and don't throw any studs, so I don't think ruggedness with 1hp is an issue. This sounds rather rudementary, but it's cheap and will work fine for what you are doing I would think. You may need to bend the patch material a bit to keep it rolling over the cog smoothly. The Snowmobile aftermarket has a multitude of track products that might help.

Incedentally they make a rubber drill bit for punching hoes in tracks for studs, but we use a 5/16 inch nail and a propane torch to melt the holes through. The bit costs about 30 bucks and propane is like 3. Take your pick.

Hope I helped, thad.

 

[dkelly]

I,m not sure where you are located, but up here in snow country many of the snow blowers (gas powerered augers for throwing snow) are equipped with small rubber track systems(see attached link)
Good Luck

http://he.honda.ca/powerequipment/snowblowers/series_622.asp?category=HS622