The wheel was re-invented, I just found out.........

[Oldpath05]

After a few flat tires on my tractor over the past couple years, my son sent me this>> Crazy Strange loopy bizarre weird & wacky Square wheel vehicle. - YouTube
With doing all firewood work I'd think these would raise havoc with limbs constantly getting in the wheels, but inneresting.

 

[Baby Grand]

Watching that is really compelling - had to rewind & play it twice.
Very clever use of mechanism design.
I'm assuming the tracks and wheel function like a rack and pinion.
The chain/sprocket arrangement is very clever - can't tell if that's a turnbuckle or adjustable spring tensioner on the chain.
Makes me want to see what it can do.
Can it cross over a fallen log with both tracks?
Can it cross over a cobble/boulder under just one track?
Will it launch the operator out of his seat if it goes 3 mph instead of 2?
Thanks for posting!

 

[JACKIEBOY]

THATS AWESOME

 

[rd_macgregor]

If you are going to have that many moving parts, you might as well have a half-track tractor. The slight gain in traction (?) wouldn't compensate for the rough ride and additional maintenance burden...but, the engineering is fascinating!

 

[Dadnatron]

There is some wobble in that left front wheel. I'd be afraid it would set up a harmonic imbalance and shake itself apart.

 

[mcfarmall]

Probably has a 50 foot turning radius!!

 

[Oldpath05]

These flat field demonstrations dont really prove much, what is needed is an full challenge obstacle course or maybe they did and it failed.

 

[RaydaKub]

If you are going to have that many moving parts, you might as well have a half-track tractor. The slight gain in traction (?) wouldn't compensate for the rough ride and additional maintenance burden...but, the engineering is fascinating!

On the contrary, if you watch the axle of the tractor, it looked to be quite smooth because it was always the same distance off the ground. There may have been a slight dip as it crossed from 1 section to the next, but overall, it didn't bounce much at all. Of course, at that slow speed, most anything would be smooth. :laughing:

I'd love to see what that plow does in the ground. Hard to imagine there was enough tractor there to pull it more than 3 inches deep.