AU611870B2 - Vehicles - Google Patents

Description

i I ii.. ~r~o-brrrmrrp~ mni*W ~a -C 611870 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

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1 IS *I t 4 The Patents Act 1952 Name of Applicant Address of Applicant Actual Inventor Address for Service *1I 3 3 II Itr RICHARD JOSEPH WHYTE 25 McLaughlin Crescent, Glenden, Queensland, 4743, Australia.

RICHARD JOSEPH WHYTE GRANT ADAMS COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 333 Adelaide Street, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, 4000

AUSTRALIA.

I S I t COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:

"VEHICLES"

The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to us: -1i--i-LI-- THIS INVENTION relates to vehicles and more particularly to an independent, steerable, articulated vehicle.

Vehicles are known where front and rear sections are interconnected by a flexible joint so as to enable advantages over more conventional forms with a unitary rigid chassis. These vehicles are able to perform better in unusual situations such as over rough terrain when the vehicle is able to flex so that ground contact is maintained. Steering can be improved by adoption of partly flexible structures.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of vehicle that employs a means whereby fore and aft wheeled sections may be interlinked in a manner that realises advantages over existing o* arrangements. More specific objects of the invention, and particular advantages realised thereby, will hereinafter become apparent.

o The invention achieves its objects by OO 20 provision of an independent, steerable, articulated vehicle comprising: a first mobile section having one pair of wheels only, which wheels support the first mobile *000*0 o section thereover; 0000 o" 25 a second mobile section having one pair of wheels only, which wheels support the second mobile section thereover; a source of motive power mounted in one mobile section operatively connected to at least one of said pair of wheels, the first and second mobile sections being separate from each other and spaced apart; the first and second mobile sections being structurally interconnected only by one or more pairs of diagonally crossed arms extending between the two mobile sections, each arm having a first and second end; 7- 2 4 j each arm being pivotally connected at its first end to the first mobile section and at its second end to the second mobile section, each at respective pivotal connections; the respective pivotal connections turning on substantially vertical pivot axes thereby permitting relative angular movement of the first and second sections in the plane of the arms; and a steering mechanism actionable by an operator seated in tne vehicle mounted in the first mobile section whereby the angle of the arms at the first and second mobile sections may be varied to angularly move the first section relative to the second section.

S15 The invention will now be described with 0 00 OO reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the basic o elements of a vehicle in accordance with the present 0 20 invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle of FIG.

1; FIG. 3 shows a mechanism by which a vehicle in 4o ~accordance with the present invention may be steered; FIG. 4 shows an alternate mechanism by which a vehicle in accordance with the present invention may be 0 °steered; and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vehicle according to the invention with two spaced apart pairs 30 of arms.

tt In FIG. 1, pairs of wheels are rotatably mounted by any suitable means within a pair of axle housings 11 and 12. The axle housings support mounting means 15 to 18 at which two arms 13 to 14 are pivotally connected in a diagonally crossed configuration. In the i3, ?I form shown, the mounting means 15 to 18 comprise vertical pins off the axle housings 11 and 12. The arms 13 and 14 are provided with journals at each end thatA engage over the pins. The journals are free to rotate about the axis. of the mounting pins and serve to lock the orientation of the axle housings about their horizontal axes. The result of this arrangement is that the vehicle may turn by relative angular movement of the wheel pair as shown in FIG. 2. Whilst the wheel pins may move relatively in a horizontal plane, the axle housings are pinned agaiLnst roatation around their own axes so that a cabin or other structure may be mounted on one or both of the axle housings. In practice, the axle housings will be extended into fore and aft chassis frames on which desired superstructures may be formed and engines or power sources may be mounted.

0 In the arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 2, the distance between the centre points of the two axle sets is constant so that a four wheel drive arrangement is feasible with a drive shaft extending between that enables the drive at one wheel pair to be transmitted to the other pair. In structures where the pivot points to 18 are of fset f rom the axis of the wheels, the o distance between the centre points of the axles may vary, and in ad-dition to a universal joint at the ends of a drive shaft, an extensible spline type mechanism may be utilised.

Various mechanisms might be employed to steer such a vehicle. In FIG. 3, a cable 19 is fixed at its o 30 ends at 20 and 21 and runs around pulleys 22 to Between pulleys 22 and 24, the cable is engaged by a means 26 whereby it may be pulled one way or the other so as to turn the wheels by shortening the cable length between either pulleys 22 and 23 or pulleys 24 and FIG. 4 shows an alternate mechanism by which 4 -o the arms 13 and 14 may be angularly moved relative to the axle pairs 11 and 12 to effect steering. Arms 13 and 14 may be connected to gear wheels 27 and 28 which are connected via a third powered gear wheel 29 so that its rotation one way or the other will effect the necessary relative movement of the axle pairs. Various other mechanisms mights be employed to effect steering.

The relative orientation of the wheel pairs might be controlled hydraulically with interconnecting rams. The individual wheels might be separately powered and control of their relative rotational speeds will determine their relative spacings with the arms 13 and 14 adopting whatever geometry the wheel speeds force upon it.

o' 15 In operation, a four wheel drive version of a o 00 0 vehicle in accordance with this. invention will be able .o :to perform more effectively in boggy conditions when the vehicle will be able to wriggle in alternate directions 0000wo S to continue movement along the best line for 20 advancement.

The above described vehicle might be powered by hydraulics, petrol engines, etc. Various tools might be mounted off either end such as a blade or bucket at o one end, in conjunction with a back hoe at the other.

0 G0 0oo 25 In order to mount a vehicle body above a wheel I: set, a support frame may be required over an axle S. housing in a manner that requires the pivot points for the linking arms to be provided on a line that is offset 3 from the axle housing and the axis of the wheels. In this situation, the distance between the centre points of the axle housings is not constant as the wheels turn, so that a splined, or otherwise telescopic drive shaft, is required if the axle housings are to be both powered off the one source. In practice, the pivots for the linking arms may be offset up to half a wheel diameter before any real difficulties are experienced in devising an acceptable structure.

In FIG. 5 is shown how a pair of axle assemblies 31 and 32 may be joined by upper arms 33 and 34 and lower arms 35 and 36. The respective arms of the two pairs are pivoted on common vertical axes passing through the axle assemblies 31 and 32. The spaced nature of the two enables a drive shaft to be passed between the arms. Adoption of this arrangement achieves greater rigidity and enables more practical solutions to problems of how the vehicle is to be sprung, etc.

Whilst the above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that a range of modifications and variations may be made thereto that are within the scope and spirit of the invention.

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Claims (4)

1. 2. An articulated vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: an additional mobile section is connected to 7 I J ~~iilY_ either one of the first or second mobile sections by crossed arms in the same structural arrangement as exists between the first and second mobile sections.
2. 3. An articulated vehicle as claimed in either one of Claims 1 or 2 wherein: two pairs of crossed arms interconnect the first and second mobile sections, the two pairs being spaced apart in separated horizontal planes, the arms overlying each other in plan view and being pivoted on respective common axis at their ends.
3. 4. An articulated vehicle as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein: the wheel pairs of the first and second mobile sections are geared together and linked via a drive shaft between the mobile sections for a four wheel 4" drive operation. w 5. An articulated vehicle as claimed in Claim 4 wherein: the drive shaft comprises an extensible 4.4 20 spline so as to enable variation in length.
4. 6. An articulated vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying. drawings. DATED this eleventh day of March 1991. "l :25 RICHARD JOSEPH WHYTE, by his Patent Attorneys, GRANT ADAMS COMPANY. 8 N TA, zj