Deformable wheel useful for instance as a vehicle wheel or in a gearing

摘要

A deformable wheel useful for example as a vehicle wheel or as a gear comprises a tread which is incompressible around its periphery but flexible under radial forces and a tension transmission system connecting different points of the tread to substantially diametrically opposed points and designed in such a way that, under a normal load, the strength of the radial forces which act on part of the connecting system is sufficient to prevent the wheel from collapsing completely. The tread may be constructed of hinged plates or may be similar to a tire tread or may be provided with teeth, depending on the application of the wheel, and the wheel may also include a central rigid part or hub to which the connecting system is attached. The wheel may be used for vehicles, gearings, pulleys and so on.