Caterpillar Track Shoe

The present invention relates to shoes, and relates more specifically to a caterpillar track shoe which is designed for use in carrying and moving the user in the snow or a piece of sandy land.

A variety of shoes and boots, for example ice climbing boots, touring boots, ski boots, ice skates, fencing shoes, boxing shoes, running shoes, hockey skates, football shoes, etc., have been disclosed for different purposes, and have appeared on the market. However, there are no any shoes designed for moving the user on a piece of sandy land.

The present invention provides a shoe which is practical for moving the user on the snow as well as a piece of sandy land. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the caterpillar track shoe comprises a shoe having a plurality of screw holes in the sole; a caterpillar track type driving mechanism fastened to the screw holes of the shoe and controlled to move the shoe on a piece of land, the caterpillar track type driving mechanism comprising a base frame fastened to the screw holes of the shoe, a battery box mounted within the base frame to hold a rechargeable battery, a motor mounted in the base frame and electrically connected to the rechargeable battery by an electric circuit and controlled by a toe-controlled switch in the shoe and a selector switch on the base frame, a gear box coupled to the motor, a drive wheel assembly transversely mounted on the base frame at one end and turned by the motor through the gear box, an idling wheel assembly transversely mounted on the base frame at an opposite end and turned by the drive wheel assembly through two symmetrical caterpillar tracks, two symmetrical rows of tracker rollers respectively mounted on the base frame at two opposite sides between the drive wheel assembly and the idling wheel assembly, and two caterpillar tracks respectively and bilaterally mounted around the drive wheel assembly, the tracker rollers, and the idling wheel assembly.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a caterpillar track shoe according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the caterpillar track shoe shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a caterpillar track shoe in accordance with the present invention, is adapted for carrying and moving the user on a snow-covered ground or in a sandy piece of land, comprised of a shoe 1, and a caterpillar track type driving mechanism 2. The shoe 1 has screw holes 11 in the sole to which the caterpillar track type driving mechanism 2 is fastened, and a switch (not shown) adapted for controlling the operation of the caterpillar track type driving mechanism 2 through the big (first) toe. The track type driving mechanism 2 comprises a base frame 21, a battery box 23 mounted within the base frame 21 in the middle to hold a rechargeable battery 22, a motor 24 mounted in the base frame 21 at a suitable location for example at the rear side behind the battery box 23, a gear box 230 coupled to the motor 24, a drive wheel assembly 25 transversely mounted on the base frame 21 at the rear side and turned by the motor 24 through the gear box 230, an idling wheel assembly 27 transversely mounted on the base frame 21 at the front side and turned by the drive wheel assembly 25 through two symmetrical caterpillar tracks, two symmetrical rows of tracker rollers 28 respectively mounted on the base frame 21 at two opposite sides between the drive wheel assembly 25 and the idling wheel assembly 27, and two caterpillar tracks 26 respectively and bilaterally mounted around the drive wheel assembly 25, the tracker rollers 28, and the idling wheel assembly 27. The base frame 21 further has a plurality of mounting holes 29 respectively fastened to the screw holes 11 in the sole of the shoe 1 by respective screws. A selector switch 20 is mounted on the base frame 21 on the outside and connected to the electric circuit of the rechargeable battery 22.

When assembled, the battery power of the rechargeable battery 22 is provided to the motor 24 through the switch in the shoe 1 via the selector switch 20. When the selector switch 20 is shifted to a first position, the motor 24 is constantly turned on; when the selector switch 20 is shifted to a second position, the motor 24 can then be turned on/off through the switch in the shoe 11. When the motor 24 is turned on, the drive wheel assembly 25 is turned to rotate the caterpillar tracks 26, thereby causing the shoe 1 to be moved on a piece of snow-covered or sandy land.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed. For example, brake means may be installed, and controlled to stop the shoe from moving.