| 摘要 |
The wheel is all-metal, and is suitable for use on the moon. The wheel includes tread-plates mounted on leaf-springs, which deflect to permit suspension movement. The leaf-springs are flexible, light, and thin, yet are made strong enough to cope with heavy traction forces by the provision of hoop-cables, which link all the tread-plates together. |
| 主权项 |
1. Wheel, wherein:
[2] the wheel includes a rim, which is fast to a hub of the wheel; [3] the wheel includes many tread-plates; [4] the wheel includes resiliently flexible tread-springs; [5] proximal ends of the tread-springs are fast to the rim; [6] distal ends of the tread-springs are fast to the tread-plates, whereby the tread-plates and tread-springs form tread-units; [7] the tread-units are so configured that: [8] (a) the tread-plates are urged radially outwards, with respect to the axis of the wheel, by the resilience of the tread-springs; and [9] (b) the tread-plates can move, individually, radially inwards against the resilience of the tread-springs; [10] the tread-units are arranged in a hoop-set, or in hoop-sets; [11] in respect of the or each hoop-set of tread-plates: [12] (a) the hoop-set is so configured that each tread-plate of the hoop-set lies circumferentially between adjacent tread-plates of the hoop-set; [13] (b) the hoop-set includes a hoop-cable; [14] (c) each one of the tread-plates that make up the hoop-set is fast to the hoop-cable; [15] (d) the hoop-cable is of so dimensioned that, the wheel being unloaded and the tread-plates being urged radially outwards by the tread-springs, the hoop-cable is under hoop-tension; and [16] (e) the tread-plates are each fastened to the hoop-cable in such manner that, the wheel being unloaded, adjacent tread-plates can approach but cannot separate, circumferentially.tread-springs put hoop-cable under tension |
