Patent ID: 8157335

Claim:
An undercarriage for a work vehicle, the work vehicle being equipped with a work implement, the undercarriage comprising: a) a frame; b) a plurality of wheels including: a drive wheel; and a plurality of roller wheels distributed along a longitudinal direction of the undercarriage; and c) an endless track disposed around the plurality of wheels for engaging the ground, the drive wheel being rotatable to drive the endless track, the plurality of roller wheels contacting a lower run of the endless track, the endless track having a traction-generating surface in contact with the ground to generate traction; wherein the undercarriage is operable: in a work mode when the work vehicle is in movement and the work implement is performing a work operation on the ground; and in a travel and maneuver mode when the work vehicle is in movement and the work implement has performed the work operation, the traction-generating surface of the endless track in the travel and maneuver mode being smaller than the traction-generating surface of the endless track in the work mode.