Patent ID: 7156185

Claim:
A soil stabilizer for treating a ground surface, comprising: a stabilizer frame; a rotor rotatably mounted with respect to the stabilizer frame, the rotor movable with respect to the ground surface such that the rotor may engage various depths of earth to cut and remove the earth; a rotatable axle connected with respect to the stabilizer frame and adapted for moving the stabilizer frame and rotor across the ground surface; and a track apparatus operatively mounted to the rotatable axle, the track apparatus providing for movement of the stabilizer frame and rotor across the ground surface, the track apparatus including: a continuous flexible track having an upper length and a ground-engaging lower length and including an inner surface; an axle wheel mountable to the rotatable axle for rotational movement therewith, the axle wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track along the upper length to drive the flexible track in response to rotation of the axle; an apparatus frame for mounting the axle wheel; an idler assembly having an idler wheel engaging the track, the idler assembly being moveable with respect to the apparatus frame; and a tensioning device for maintaining tension on the continuous flexible track, the tensioning device comprising: a main-cylinder housing interconnected to one of the apparatus frame and the idler assembly, the housing extending along an axis and defining a main chamber therein; a main piston having a first end operatively connected to the other of the apparatus frame and the idler assembly and a second end slidably received within the chamber, the piston movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a primary dampening structure for resisting movement of the piston toward the retracted position for a first predetermined axial length; and a secondary dampening structure for resisting movement of the piston toward the retracted position for a further axial length beyond the first predetermined axial length, the secondary dampening structure resisting movement of the piston independent of the primary dampening structure.