RE: a thought on Tracks.

["SteveT44" <SteveT44-at-comcast.net>]

Hey Randy, you wrote:

 

>Has anyone else looked into Timing belts for tracks? Goodyear makes 4" width in inch and metric pitch. It's also pricy at $13.00 per foot.

 

I was looking at timing belts before a thought up the TTS but couldn't find pricing I could live with.  If I had gone that route I don't think I would have turned them inside out.  I would use them as is and use timing pulleys for the drive wheels.  I would have glued rubber pads on the outer face for traction.  But alas, timing belts and pulleys are expensive.

 

I had another track concept before I decided on the TTS design (see the attached pic).  It was an adaptation of the original bike chain design but it would have used v-belts instead of the chains.  The drive and idler wheels would have been v-belt pulleys.  Aluminum slats would have been glued and screwed (or possibly riveted) into the belts.  The advantage of the "V-Drive" design is that when the tracks were tensioned the pressure would be kept on the v-belts and I don't think the throwing of a track would be an issue.  A disadvantage is that I don't know how well the slats would have stayed attached to the belts.  Another issue is that the two belts may lose registration with one another.  That is, one v-belt may advance ahead of the other one twisting the slats in the process.  Also, my local auto-parts stores didn't stock the size belts I would have needed for T005. 

 

Steve Tyng

 

 

 

V-Drive Tracks.jpg