Abstract:
A tracked vehicle, particularly a piste grooming vehicle, comprising a chassis frame and at least one sprocket for a track is characterized in that the sprocket has limited movement between a working position—in which the sprocket protrudes beyond the chassis frame—and a transit position in which the sprocket is located at least partially, preferably totally, within the width of the chassis frame.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of, claims the benefit of, and priority to European Patent Application No. 06020981.4, filed Oct. 6, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a tracked vehicle, and particularly a piste grooming vehicle, including a chassis frame and at least one sprocket for a track. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    To optimize footprint performance in minimum time, vehicles (sometimes referred to as a snow cat) with an ever-wider track are employed for piste grooming so that wider tracks, fixed and rotary ploughs can be fitted to the vehicle to get the job done quicker in fewer operating hours of the vehicle. When these snow cats need servicing or are relocated, they often need to be loaded on trucks for transit. Because these snow cats are so wide, they often necessitate extra-wide special transit vehicles which, apart from being a traffic nuisance, are very costly. Additionally, such special transit trucks are often barred from access to ski resorts on many high pass and side roads. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    One advantage of present disclosure is thus to provide a generic tracked vehicle for facilitated transit. 
         [0005]    This is achieved by an advantageous embodiment of the disclosure in that the sprocket now has limited movement between a working position—in which the sprocket protrudes beyond the chassis frame—and a transit position in which the sprocket is located at least partially, and preferably totally, within the width of the chassis frame. 
         [0006]    In this way the sprockets, usually engineered highly massive, can now be moved—preferably on both opposite sides of the tracked vehicle—to respective positions within the width of the chassis frame so that the width of the snow cat for transit effectively corresponds to the maximum width of the chassis frame. This achieves a reduction in the effective width of the snow cat and making truck transit more readily possible to ski resorts with difficult road access. 
         [0007]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the disclosure, the sprocket is mounted on the chassis frame by a sprocket mount. 
         [0008]    In this case, it is favorable when the sprocket mount is mounted on the chassis frame for pivoting, preferably about a horizontal or substantially horizontal axis, advantageously in a pivoting range of 0° to 180°, and preferably 0° to 90°. 
         [0009]    In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, the sprocket mount is lockable in the working position and/or in the transit position relative to the chassis frame. In this embodiment, the sprocket mount, especially in road transit, is unable to make any uncontrolled movements. This is why the relative position of the sprocket mount is lockable in at least one of the two final positions relative to the chassis frame. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, the sprocket is powered by a hydraulic drive. In this embodiment, when the hydraulic drive comprises at least one hydraulic tubing, preferably a flexible hydraulic tubing is mounted on the sprocket mount. In one embodiment, the hydraulic tubing remains connected to the sprocket mount in the restricted range of movement between the working position and the transit position. This enables the sprocket mount together with the flexible hydraulic tubing connected thereto to move from the working position, as described, into the transit position or vice-versa without it being necessary to disconnect the hydraulic tubing or also having to drain the hydraulic tubing. 
         [0011]    This avoids the time-consuming hassle of having to remove and refit the hydraulic tubing. Since a piste grooming vehicle features in addition to the actual sprockets also several idlers for supporting the track, it is expedient when the idlers are mounted on the chassis frame via mounts. This results in an advantageous aspect of the disclosure in that the mounts are arranged on the chassis frame releasably secured, and preferably bolted, in thus eliminating any parts projecting from the chassis frame during transit constituting an accident risk. 
         [0012]    Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
         [0013]    Further details of the disclosure will now be explained with reference to the drawing in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a side view of one embodiment of a piste grooming vehicle. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the piste grooming vehicle of  FIG. 1 , 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a top-down view of the piste grooming vehicle of  FIG. 1 , 
           [0017]      FIG. 4   a  is a view in detail of a chassis frame mounted sprocket mount in the working position as viewed in a perspective front view, 
           [0018]      FIG. 4   b  is a view in detail of a chassis frame mounted sprocket mount in the working position as viewed in a perspective rear view, 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective rear view of the sprocket mount pivoted in the transit position, 
           [0020]      FIG. 6   a  is rear view of the sprocket mount in the working position, 
           [0021]      FIG. 6   b  is a rear view of the sprocket mount in the transit position, 
           [0022]      FIG. 7   a  is a top-down view of the sprocket mount in the working position, and 
           [0023]      FIG. 7   b  is a top-down view of the sprocket mount in the transit position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a diagrammatic side view of a piste grooming vehicle  1  comprising a driver&#39;s cab  2  mounted on a substantially rectangular chassis frame  3 . Arranged on the chassis frame  3  on each side of the piste grooming vehicle  1  is at least one sprocket  4  for a track (not shown) for driving the vehicle. Provided in addition to the sprocket  4  are idlers  5   a - 5   e  for supporting the track. It should be appreciated that the embodiment shown is intended merely as an example. Indeed, a plurality of sprockets  4  on each side of the piste grooming vehicle  1  may also be provided, the sprockets  4  having limited movement from the described working position into the transit position and vice-versa. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is illustrated a front view of the piste grooming vehicle  1  showing the driver&#39;s cab  2  and the idlers  5   e  mounted on the chassis frame  3  on both sides of the vehicle. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is illustrated a diagrammatic top-down view of the piste grooming vehicle  1 . The following relates just to the lower sprocket  4  and to the configuration of the idlers  5   a - 5   e  (i.e., on the left-hand side of the vehicle). Provided at the chassis frame  3  in addition to the load-communicating idlers  5   a - 5   e  is the sprocket  4  for the track. The sprocket  4  is mounted on the chassis frame  3  by a sprocket mount  6 . The sprocket  4  is shown in the working position (i.e., in the position as usual for powering the track in piste grooming). In accordance with the disclosure, at least one sprocket  4  or its sprocket mount  6  has limited movement relative to the chassis frame  3  such that the sprocket  4  and its sprocket mount  6  respectively can be moved into a transit position which is within the width B of the chassis frame  3  as detailed in the comments as to the following figures. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 4   a , there is illustrated a front view in perspective of the chassis frame  3  with the sprocket  4  and idlers  5   a  removed to show the sprocket mount  6  and the mount  7  for the idler  5   a . As shown in this FIG., the sprocket mount  6  is in the working position in which it projects sideways from the chassis frame  3 . The mount  7  for the idler  5   a  comprises a releasable fastener for releasably connecting the mount  7  with the chassis frame  3  (i.e., the mount  7  can be easily unbolted from the chassis frame  3  for transit). 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 4   b , there is illustrated the same as in  FIG. 4   a  in a perspective rear view in which the flexible hydraulic tubing  8   a  and  8   b  are evident as part of a hydraulic transmission for the sprocket  4 . Also evident is a wedge-shaped fastener  9  for locking the relative position of the sprocket mount  6  in the working position as well as in the transit position. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is illustrated the sprocket mount  6  pivoted into the transit position. For this purpose the wedge-shaped fastener  9  (as seen in  FIG. 4   b ) has been unbolted so that the sprocket mount  6  can be pivoted about at least one—preferably horizontal—axis, resulting in the sprocket mount  6  now being within the width B ( FIG. 3 ) of the chassis frame  3 . It is evident how the two flexible hydraulic tubings  8   a  and  8   b  always remain connected to the sprocket mount  6  during the limited movement between the working position as shown in  FIG. 4   b  and the transit position as shown in  FIG. 5  to thus eliminate the time and trouble as would otherwise be needed to remove and refit the flexible hydraulic tubing  8   a  and  8   b . The unbolted fastener  9  as shown in  FIG. 4   b  is then bolted relocated to lock the transit position. Thus, one and the same fastener  9  serves to lock both final positions. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b , there is illustrated the working position ( FIG. 6   a ) as compared to the transit position ( FIG. 6   b ) in a rear view. The range available for pivoting the sprocket mount  6  is preferably from 0° to 90°. It being in any case favorable, however, that the sprocket mount  6  in the transit position remains within the width of the chassis frame  3 . 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b , there is illustrated the working position ( FIG. 7   a ) as compared to the transit position ( FIG. 7   b ) in a top-down view. Evident in  FIG. 7   a  is the fastener  9  locking the working position whilst in  FIG. 7   b  the fastener  9  is mounted relocated in locking the transit position. 
         [0032]    The present invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown, it instead covers all and any technical variants and technical equivalents within the scope as claimed. The locational indications too, as selected in the description, such as for instance, up, down, side etc. relate to the usual position as installed or to the FIGs. as described directly and shown and in a change in position are to be transposed correspondingly to the new position. The means for limited pivoting of the sprocket  4  or its sprocket mount  6  between the working position and the transit position can, of course, feature at least one, preferably hydraulically powered, piston-cylinder unit. 
         [0033]    It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.