Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D53/00—Tractor-trailer combinations; Road trains
  • B62D53/04—Tractor-trailer combinations; Road trains comprising a vehicle carrying an essential part of the other vehicle's load by having supporting means for the front or rear part of the other vehicle
  • B62D53/06—Semi-trailers
  • B62D53/061—Semi-trailers of flat bed or low loader type or fitted with swan necks
  • B62D53/062—Semi-trailers of flat bed or low loader type or fitted with swan necks having inclinable, lowerable platforms; Lift bed trailers; Straddle trailers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60P—VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS
  • B60P1/00—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading
  • B60P1/64—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading the load supporting or containing element being readily removable
  • B60P1/6418—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading the load supporting or containing element being readily removable the load-transporting element being a container or similar
  • B60P1/6445—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading the load supporting or containing element being readily removable the load-transporting element being a container or similar the load-transporting element being shifted only vertically
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D53/00—Tractor-trailer combinations; Road trains
  • B62D53/02—Tractor-trailer combinations; Road trains comprising a uniaxle tractor unit and a uniaxle trailer unit

Definitions

• This invention relates to a wheeled multi-part vehicle for universal use comprising a front part and a rear part which are articulated to each other and of which one part, usually the front part, is a prime mover supporting unit, while the rear part is designed to carry loads.
• these two vehicle parts may be of the same construction as the front and rear vehicle parts of the vehicle disclosed by Swedish Patent 390,806, in which the rear part has the form of a rearwardly open, U-shaped horizontal frame which includes rear frame portions pivoted to front frame portions and e- quipped with wheels, caterpillar tracks or the like, and which at the front is articulated to the prime mover supporting front part having wheels, caterpillar tracks or the like and together with said front part consti ⁇ tutes a vehicle.
• the horizontal rear frame can be lifted by pivotment of the rear frame portions in relation to a transverse axis of pivotmen-t and by lifting of the front portion of the frame in relation to the front part of the vehicle which constitutes the propulsion unit of the vehicle.
• the rear frame can also be inclined by lifting of its front end relative to the front vehicle part, but can also be inclined in the opposite direction, i.e. forwardly, by lowering of the front end of the frame and raising of the rear end of the frame at the fulcrum in relation to the pi ⁇ votal rear frame portions.
• the rear frame can even be placed flat on the ground by making use of its pivo- tability in relation to the pivotal rear frame portions and in relation to a front drawbar device, by means of which the rear vehicle part is connected to the front tractor part by a coupling device which certainly does
• OMPI ⁇ -___># not resemble a conventional trailer coupling but at least partly fulfils the same task in that the rear vehicle part can be supported at its front end by the tractor which obviously is a four-v/heel tractor or other four-wheel draft vehicle having front wheels for steering the vehicle combination.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a construction which, if applied to a vehicle according to Swedish Patent 390,806, will possess all of the ad- vantages of the last mentioned vehicle and besides fur ⁇ ther advantages which increase the usefulness and ma ⁇ noeuvrability of the vehicle and permit steering the vehicle by relative articulation of the front and rear vehicle parts and stabilizing the coupling between the two vehicle parts, a further important object being • that the two vehicle parts shall be capable of supporting one another at their adjoining ends so that they only need one wheel pair each.
• Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a vehicle according to the invention and an implement connected to the front end thereof, a container being carried on the rear vehicle part in a normal position of trans ⁇ portation;
• Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a view illustrating how the pivotal con ⁇ nection between the two vehicle units can be utilized in combination with the articulation of the rear frame portions of the vehicle rear part, which portions are wheeled and capable of pivotment in relation to the main portion of the frame.
• the vehicle illustrated in the drawings comprises a front part 1 and a rear part 2 which in the embodiment illustrated are each provided with one wheel pair 3 and 4, respectively.
• the two vehicle parts 1, 2 are interconnected by a universal joint means, generally designated 5, permitting relative pivotment of the ve ⁇ hicle parts about a horizontal axis of pivotment 6 which extends longitudinally of the vehicle, about a horizon ⁇ tal axis 7 at right angles thereto and about a vertical axis 8.
• the universal joint means 5 in combina ⁇ tion with a number of operating cylinders constitutes an assembly permitting pivotment of the vehicle parts in relation to each other about the vertical axis 8 and the horizontal axis 7 both for steering the vehicle during travel and for pivotment of the two vehicle parts in relation to each other about the transverse axis of pivotment 7.
• the rear vehicle part 2 nay be of the same embodimen as the rear vehicle part in the construction according to Swedish Patent 390,806, i.e. it may be in the form of a rearwardly open U-shaped frame 10 including a trans ⁇ verse front frame beam 10a and two side frame beams 10b which are of the same construction but mirror re- versed. To the rear ends of said two side frame beams
• the major portion of the universal joint means 5 is supported by a fasten ⁇ ing 12 at the rear end of the front vehicle part 1, while the front beam 10a of the rear vehicle part 2 is connected to the universal joint means 5 so as to be capable of pivoting about the transverse axis of pivotment 7.
• two parallel plates 13 thus extend from the front beam 10a of the rear vehicle part 2, and the head 14 of a pivot pin is received between said plates 13.
• the longitudinal axis of said pivot pin coincides with the horizontal longitudinal axis of pivotment 6 and the pivot pin is mounted and axially fixed in a bearing housing 15 which in turn is pivoted to the fastening 12 by hinge means to permit pivotment of said bearing housing about the vertical axis 8.
• the two vehicle parts 1, 2 can pivot in relation to each other about the transverse horizontal axis 7 by the action of a operating cylinder 16 which has for instance one cylinder end pivoted to a fastening 17 on the front frame 10a of the rear vehicle part while it has its piston rod end connected to the front vehicle part 1, e.g. at the head 14 of the pivot pin, so that by moving the piston in the cylinder in either of two opposite directions the two vehicle parts can be swung in relation to each other about the transverse horizontal axis of pivotment 7, and in dependence on the direction in which the piston is moved in the cylinder 16 the axis of pivotment 7 can be moved in upward or downward direction from the position in Fig.
• Fig. 3 illustrates how by such a pivotment at the pivot pins 7 and 20 the frame 10 can be lowered or raised by means of the cylinders 11, 16
• the frame 10 can for instance be placed flat on a road or on the ground in a field.
• the front vehicle part 1 is a prime mover supporting unit for propulsion of and power supply to the vehicle.
• the prime mover (or for instance two such prime movers) can be coupled to the wheels 3 of the front vehicle part, in which case said vehicle part 1 forms the draft vehicle or tractor, but the prime mover can also drive a hydraulic pump for operation of hydraulic motors which are coupled to the wheels of the front vehicle part 1 and/or the rear vehicle part 2, which is customary in agricultural implements.
• the prime mover also ope ⁇ rates a hydraulic pump for power supply to the hydraulic cylinders 11, 16 and two further cylinders 21 (see Fig. 2) the function and arrangement of which are described in the following.
• the two cylinders 21 have their one ends pivoted to the rear end of the front vehicle part 1 at fulcra 22a, 22b located on either side of and spaced from the longitudinal axis of pivotment 6, while the two cylinders 21 have their opposite ends (the piston road ends) pi ⁇ voted to the front end of the rear vehicle part 2 at fulcra 22c, 22d spaced more closely to the longitudinal axis of pivotment 6 so that a moment of pivotment can be produced between the two vehicle parts 1, 2 about the vertical axis of pivotment 8 by means of the cylin ⁇ ders 21.
• the two vehicle parts By projection of the piston of one cylinder 21 and retraction of the piston of the other cylinder the two vehicle parts can thus be positively pivoted in relation to each other about the vertical axis 8, and by connection - for normal propulsion - of the two cylinders 21 and the cylinder 16 to the hydraulic system so that said cylinders constitute damping cylinders, the two vehicle parts 1, 2 can perform pivoting movements in relation to each other about the axes 7, 8 against a certain damping action. Under these circumstances the possible stroke lengths of the two cylinders 21
• OMPI may need to be restricted.
• the positive pivotment of the vehicle parts 1, 2 in relation to each ether about the vertical axis 8 by means of the cylinders 21 is utilized according to the invention for steering the vehicle, which is advantageous at cross-country travel and particularly when travelling on marshy or snow-covered ground.
• the rear vehicle part 1 can be utilized as a
• the two vehicle parts can be positively pivoted in relation to the ground and to each other by means of the cylinder arrangement illustrated.
• FIGs. 1 and 2 there is shown at 25 very schematically an example of a wheeled agricultural im- pelement, and at 26 there is shown an example of a fork 5 "tyP e drawbar coupling known from draft vehicles and intended for automatic connection with an implement by movement of the draft vehicle towards the implement.
• the drawbar coupling is supported by a hitch 26' con ⁇ nected to the vehicle part 1.
• Fig. 1 the implement 25 is shown as a wheeled implement • which is moved with the wheels 25' engaging the ground.
• the implement can be supported on the ground by runners 27, but alterna ⁇ tively the implement can be freely supported in rela ⁇ tion to the ground, which is very advantageous in many cases.
• any ground sensing means whatever can be used instead of the runners 27, and said ground sensing means may be adapted to automatically control the hitch 26' to keep the implement 25 at a given dis ⁇ tance from the ground independently of irregularities, but the present invention also suggests that such a ground sensing means 27 be used in combination with the cylinder 16 for controlling the height of the imple ⁇ ment 25 over the ground by pivotment of the vehicle part 1 about the transverse horizontal axis of pivot- ment 7.
• the draft vehicle 1 can be uncoupled from the drawn vehicle part 2 and used as a vehicle together with the wheeled unit 25 although the draft vehicle has but one wheel pair 3.
• the unit 25 forms a supporting unit equipped with for instance support wheels 25'.
• a further cylinder or a pair of cylinders 28 can, if desired, be connected between the vehicle part 1 and the frame 10.
• the power delivered by the cylinder 16 can be increased by means of the cylinder 28 in that the two cylinders 16 and 28 are caused to cooperate for pivotment of the vehicle parts in relation to each other, but in addition the frame 10 can be positively kept in horizontal position or a desired angular position with regard to the ground, at the same time as the vehicle part 1 is pivoted in relation to the vehicle part 2 about the transverse
• the load 30 shown by dash and dot lines on the rear vehicle part 2 may be a container receiving cereals which from the combine harvester 25 is conveyed, e.g. blown, through a tube 31 to the container.
• the vehicle can be used for snow clearance work, in which case the plough (like e.g. a combine harvester or a spraying ramp) can be supported free from the ground.
• the implement 25 could also be a snow clearing machine from which the snow is blown to the container 30 which, when full, can be carried away on the vehicle or be deposited at a suitable loca ⁇ tion for further transportation on another vehicle.
• the width of the rear vehicle part 2 is adaptable for instance to two different container widths or for other purposes. If the vehicle is driven on a road or used for ploughing with a number of parallel
• the width of the rear vehicle part 2 may be as narrow as possible, but if the vehicle combination is used for spreading fertilizers or for transporting a bulky load, it may be desirable for the vehicle part 2 to be as broad as possible.
• the front frame beam 10 is adapted to be lengthene and shortened.
• the front frame beam 10 is therefore divided into three sections, such as two outer frame sections 32a, 32b and a central frame section 32c which is hollow and accommodates the adjoining ends of the two outer end portions 32a, 32b of the front frame beam 10.
• the two outer end portions 32a, 32b are connected for instance by means of a screw 29 which is right-handed and left-handed in opposite end portions and engages nuts 33 connected to the frame sections 32a, 32b.
• the screw can be rotated over a gearing 34 from the vehicle part 1.
• the screw can be rotated by means of a handcrank for adjustment of the distance between the frame side beams 10b of the frame 10, or a hydraulic cylinder assembly can be utilized instead of screw and nut means.
• a hydraulic cylinder assembly can be utilized instead of screw and nut means.
• OMPI latter is accommodated between the frame side beams 10b and such that the ramps 35 (after the rear vehicle parts 2 has been lowered) are moved in beneath corre ⁇ sponding supporting ramps on the container 30, where- upon the container is lifted in that the frame 10 of the vehicle part 2 is raised.
• the side frame beams 10b at so large a distance from each other that the rearwardly open ⁇ -frame 2 can be reversed to straddle a load, say a container 30, whereupon the two frame side beams 10b can be moved together by shortening of the front frame beam 10, which can be facilitated by causing the vehicle at the same time to move slightly back and forth.
• the supporting ramps 35 can be successively moved closer to the load 30 so that they are finally positioned beneath corresponding supporting ramps on the load 30, whereupon the load is raised in the described manner, unloading can take place in the reverse order.
• an implement mounted at the front of the vehicle according to the invention such as the implement 25, if it is to be supported without any ground engagement, can be controlled with regard to the distance from the ground both by means of the hitch 26"; if there is one, and by pivotment (tilting) of the front vehicle part 1. If the rear vehicle part 2 carries a load in the form of a liquid container for soil spraying by means of an implement 25 in the form of sprayer ramp, it is possible within the limits set by the pivotability of the vehicle parts to keep the liquid container in a horizontal position despite ground inclinations.
• Driving on an ascent one can for example prevent that the vehicle becomes heavy at the back as a result of the liquid flowing rearwardly in a not en ⁇ tirely full container, collecting in the rear section of the container, and driving on an ascent, one can also tilt a liquid container forwardly to move the centre of gravity of the load closer to the front vehicle part.
• the invention is not restricted, as regards its details, to the above-described embodiment but can be modified in various ways. Of possible modifications, one has already been described in the foregoing, namely the possibility of making use of the cylinder designat ⁇ ed 28.
• the cylinders 16, 28 illustrated should of course be mounted so as to act with a favourable pivoting moment when operated, and for this purpose use may naturally be made of many other solutions than that illustrated.
• Another self-explanatory modification is to adapt the stroke lengths of the various cylinders in dependence on the size and desired pivoting angles of the vehicle parts.
• the hitch 26* at the front end of the front vehicle part 1 can be exploited for pivotment of the vehicle parts in relation to each other or to a heavy implement 25 moving in engagement with the ground. All these possible modifications fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Agricultural Machines (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20342827

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

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Family Cites Families (3)

• 1981
  • 1981-03-04 EP EP19810900625 patent/EP0073753A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1981-03-04 AU AU67896/81A patent/AU6789681A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1981-03-04 WO PCT/SE1981/000058 patent/WO1982003049A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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