Patent ID: 9290059
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: B60B,B60C

Claim Text:
1. A wheel assembly for traversing a path along a ground surface having a layer of soil, the wheel assembly comprising: a central support having a plurality of outwardly protruding spokes that define a plurality of recesses therebetween; and an airless flexible covering mounted on the central support and having a plurality of rigid sections each including an inwardly facing mounting boss for aligning with and engaging the outwardly protruding spokes, a plurality of flexible sections for aligning with the recesses, a plurality of primary traction lugs and a plurality of secondary traction lugs disposed on an outer surface of the airless flexible covering, each primary traction lug being configured to be substantially aligned with a center of one of the recesses, each secondary traction lug being spaced from the primary traction lugs and spaced from adjacent secondary traction lugs a greater distance than from the primary traction lugs, the outwardly protruding spokes being configured to urge the rigid sections into the layer of soil when the rigid sections contact the ground surface and the recesses being configured to permit the flexible sections to flex inwardly towards the recesses when the flexible sections contact the ground surface so that the rigid sections and the flexible sections cooperatively form a corrugated track in the ground surface without urging the soil to side margins of the airless flexible covering, the corrugated track having a plurality of valleys formed by the rigid sections and a plurality of spaced peaks formed by the flexible sections, and the primary traction lugs and the secondary traction lugs being configured to grip the peaks when the flexible sections contact the ground surface.