CATERPILLAR DRIVE Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: caterpillar drives. SUBSTANCE: caterpillar drive consists of blade hydraulic cylinder, overrunning clutches and gear shift unit. Blade hydraulic cylinder has cylinder 1, cover 2 and blade 6 secured to drive shaft 7. Each overrunning clutch has two sprockets, 10 and 11, and 18 and 19, respectively. Each clutch has one sprocket connected to cover 2 or to cylinder 1, and the other sprocket is connected to drive shaft 7. Sprocket of each overrunning clutch is jammed at counter torques. Holder of sprockets 10 and 11 is made in form of hub of drive wheel 12, and holder of sprockets 18 and 19 is made in form of immovable sleeve 14 and reversed by control hydraulic cylinder 22 of gear shift unit. One revolution of drive wheel 12 is effected through several two-phase cycles of caterpillar drive operation. In first phase working fluid acting on projection of cover 2 and blade 6 starts rotating cylinder 1 and drive shaft 7 in opposite directions. In this case, cylinder 1 through sprocket 18 jams sleeve 14 and drive shaft 7 jams sprocket 11 to hub of drive wheel 12 and rotates it. In second phase, working fluid is fed to other hollow of blade hydraulic cylinder, and cylinder 1 and drive shaft 7 do not change direction of rotation. Sprockets 11 and 18 start slipping, and adjacent to them sprockets 19 and 10 jam body sleeve 14 and hub of wheel 12, respectively. As a result, wheel rotates in previous direction receiving torque from cylinder 1. Wheel reverse rotation is effected by shift of sprockets 18 and 19 for transmission of reactive torque of opposite direction. EFFECT: higher efficiency. 6 cl, 4 dwg