US-20260125122-A1 - Track Motion Limiting Device

US20260125122A1US 20260125122 A1US20260125122 A1US 20260125122A1US-20260125122-A1

Abstract

A device for immobilizing a tracked vehicle includes a portion below the track secured to a potion above the track. If the vehicle is moved, the portion below the track will prevent the track from passing over the sprocket gear or a idler wheel, thereby limiting motion of the tracked vehicle.

Inventors

Jerrod Chance Cook

Assignees

SROOC Holdings, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251016

Claims (20)

1 . A locking device for immobilizing a tracked vehicle, comprising: a striker plate including a first portion having a hole and a first width and a second portion having second width, larger than the first width, the top of the second portion forming a shoulder; a lock base including a flat portion and a raised annular portion, the flat portion including an aperture sufficiently large to pass the first portion of the striker plate and sufficiently small to block the shoulder; a wedge plate attached to a bottom edge of the second portion, the wedge plate extending away from the second portion of the striker plate; a lock configured to be positioned within the annular portion of the lock base, the lock engaging the hole in the first portion striker plate secure the based plate to the striker plate.
2 . The locking device of claim 1 in which the striker plate defines a striker plate longitudinal plane and the wedge plate defines a wedge plate longitudinal plane, and the striker plate longitudinal plane is substantially perpendicular to wedge plate longitudinal plane.
3 . The locking device of claim 2 in which the shoulder of the striker plate defines a shoulder plane and in which the plane of the wedge is not parallel to the shoulder plane.
4 . The locking device of claim 1 in which the wedge comprises a trapezoid and in which a line perpendicular to the two parallel sides of the trapezoid is parallel to the shoulder.
5 . The locking device of claim 1 in which the lock includes two cylindrical holes configured for inserting the lock.
6 . A method of immobilizing a tracked vehicle, comprising: providing a locking device in accordance with claim 1 ; inserting the first portion of the striker plate from a first side of a track of the tracked vehicle through a hole in a track of the tracked vehicle; placing a base plate from the opposite side of the track such that the first portion of the striker plate extends through a hole in the base plate; placing a lock housing onto the base plate; placing a lock in the lock housing such that locking the lock causes a bolt to pass into a hole in the first portion of the striker plate.
7 . A method of immobilizing a tracked vehicle, comprising: providing a locking device including: a striker plate having a first portion that fits through a hole in the track and a second portion that does not fit through the hole in the track; a base plate too large to fit through the hole in the track and including a hole through which the first portion of the striker plate can pass; a lock for securing the striker plate to the base plate, the method comprising: inserting the first portion of the striker plate through the hole in the track from a first side of the track; inserting the base plate onto the first portion of the striker plate from the opposite side of the track; securing the base plate to the first portion of the striker plate using the lock, the track being sandwiched between the second portion of the striker plate and the base plate.
8 . The method of claim 7 in which inserting the first portion of the striker plate through the hole in the track from a first side of the track comprises inserting a striker plate having a wedge attached to the second portion, such that as the locking device attached to the track approaches the sprocket, the wedge will be trapped between the track and the sprocket and cause the track to move away from the sprocket.
9 . The method of claim 8 in which the wedge comprises a trapezoidal-shaped plate.
10 . The method of claim 9 in which the wedge includes a long side and a short side, a line between the long side and the short side being parallel to a major surface of the second portion of the striker plate.
11 . The method of claim 7 in which the striker plate includes: a major surface defining a striker plane; a longitudinal centerline of the first portion and intersecting the bottom surface of the striker plate at an intersection point; and a normal plane perpendicular to the striker plane and containing the intersection point; and wherein the bottom surface of the second portion forms a non-zero angle with the normal plane.
12 . (canceled)
13 . (canceled)
14 . (canceled)
15 . (canceled)
16 . (canceled)
17 . A locking device for immobilizing a tracked vehicle having a track with sprocket holes for driving the track, comprising: a striker plate including a first portion sufficiently small to pass through a sprocket hole in the track of the tracked vehicle and a second portion too large to pass through the sprocket hole in the tracked vehicle, the first portion including a hole; and a lock having an aperture sized to accept the first portion of the striker plate and including a tumbler that, when in the locked position, extends through the hole in the first portion to secure the striker plate to the lock, such that the striker plate and/or the lock prevents the track from moving past a sprocket or an idler wheel.
18 . The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a lock plate having an aperture sized to pass the first portion of the striker plate, the lock plate configured to be positioned between the track and the lock.
19 . The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a first top plate having an aperture sized to pass the first portion of the striker plate but too small for the second portion of the striker plate to pass, the first top plate positioned on the opposite side of the track from the lock plate.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a second top plate having a thickness and the second portion of the striker having a height, the second top plate being positioned above the first top plate and having an aperture sufficiently wide to fit the second portion of the striker plate, the thickness of the second top plate being less than the height of the second portion of the striker plate.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices for limiting the motion of tracked vehicles and, in particular, to a track motion limiting device that is attached to a track to prevent it from traversing a sprocket. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Some vehicles, particularly those involved in moving heavy loads over unstable surfaces and those used in excavation, use tracks instead of tires. Tracks provide a large surface area in contact with the ground to distribute the vehicle weight over a wide. Tracks may be formed as a continuous band or as linked plates. A vehicle engine drives a sprocket gear that engages with regularly spaced holes in the track to drive the track and undriven idler wheels that guide the track. Tracked vehicles include, for example, excavators, bull dozers, loaders, and tractors. Such vehicles are often left at construction sites and can be stolen. Various means have been used to prevent theft, such as joystick steering locks and GPS trackers. U.S. Pat. No. 11,794,829 to Burden, Jr. for a “Guarded Track Lock for Power-operated Machinery and Associated Methods” describes a mechanical lock that engages with the sprocket to prevent it from engaging with, and turning, a track. U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,462 describes a U-shaped lock, in which the U has apertures on both ends. The bottom of the “U” is positioned at a side of the track and the two arms of the “U” extend above and below the track. A pin is inserted through apertures in the arms of the “U” and extends through a sprocket hole in the track. The “U” must be sufficiently long to extend from the sprocket hole to the edge of the track and so different locks will be preferred for different track widths. U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,735 to Masera, et al. for a “Device for Locking Tracked Vehicles, in Particular Excavators and the Like” describes a locking device that immobilizes a track, not for the prevention of theft, but to prevent unintentional movement during operation, for example, under stress exerted by a heavy bucket. The system uses a slidable gear that meshes with the drive sprocket gear teeth to prevent the track from moving. Such a slidable gear requires a power source to move the gear and therefore adds complexity and expense. U.S. Pat. No. 9,393,895 describes a method for securing objects, such as passenger seats and wheelchair restraints, to a logistic track secured to the floor of a vehicle. Several devices have been used to lock a trailer hitch to prevent theft of a trailer including U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,068 to Spooner for a “Locking Device for Pintle Type Trailer Hitch;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,317 to Hillabush, et al, for a “Lunette Trailer Hitch Lock;” U.S. Des. Pat. No. 312,958 to Aguilar for a “Lunette Trailer Hitch Anti-Theft Device;” and U.S. Pat. No. 11,912,081 to Glenn for a “Mean Dog Trailer Theft Defender Lunette Lock.” SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for immobilizing a tracked vehicle. A tracked vehicle locking device includes two portions, one portion secured on each side of a track, and a lock that prevents the separation of the two portions without a key. The device prevents the track from rotating past the sprocket or idler wheels, thereby immobilizing the track vehicle. The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more thorough understanding of the present invention, and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a track locking device; FIG. 2A shows an exploded view of the track locking device of FIG. 1 in relation to a track onto which the device is being installed; FIG. 2B shows the device of FIG. 1 installed on a track; FIG. 3 shows a lock plate of the track locking device of FIG. 1; FIG. 4A shows a top isometric view of a lock of the track locking device of FIG. 1; FIG. 4B shows a bottom isometric view of a lock of the track locking device of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 shows a tumbler assembly for the track locking device of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 shows a striker plate of the track locking device of FIG. 1; FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of the striker plate assembly including, the striker plate, the striker reinforcement plate, and the wedge of the track lo