GB1587451A

GB1587451A - Tractor vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB1587451A
Application number: GB3005677A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: International Harverster Corp
Current assignee: Navistar Inc
Priority date: 1976-07-22
Filing date: 1977-07-18
Publication date: 1981-04-01
Also published as: CA1081129A; FR2359020A1; DE2633060B2; DE2633060A1

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTOR VEHICLES (71) We, INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, of 401 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States of America, a corporate constituted under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to tractor vehicles.

Tractor vehicles, e.g. farm tractors, can be of a two-wheel drive type or a four-wheel drive type, the two types requiring differing optimum dead loads. This is mainly due to the fact that with a four-wheel drive tractor the front axle has to be loaded considerably more than with a two-wheel drive tractor in order to prevent or minimize any slipping of the driven front wheels, particularly when the vehicle is operated on farm land.

So far it has been general practice to-fit the front of a four-wheel drive farm tractor with a considerable number of ballast weights which in turn necessitated the fitting of special frame or receiving elements to the front of the tractor. Naturally, such techniques proved to be troublesome, complicated, and time-consuming.

Therefore, the invention is based on the objective of providing a tractor vehicle having a chassis or subframe comprising as far as possible identical units for both two-wheel and four-wheel versions of the vehicle with satisfactory load distribution balance being achieved in both regions.

According to the present invention a tractor vehicle comprises an integral transmission and rear axle carrier; a pair of rear wheels carried by a rear axle outboard of said carrier; a chassis frame comprising a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members each fixedly attached to and extending forwardly from, said carrier; a pair of steerable front wheels supported on a front axle carried by a front axle carrier at the front of said chassis frame; longitudinally spaced first and second mounting means on said chassis frame, the first of said means allowing mounting of an engine assembly between the front and rear axles and the second of said means allowing mounting of an engine assembly above the front axle; an engine assembly including an engine with a belt driven fan and a radiator, the engine assembly being supported on a selected one of said first and second mounting means; and a chassis cowling supported on said chassis frame and forming a partial enclosure for said engine assembly.

In the two-wheel drive version said engine assembly is supported on said first mounting means, said second mounting means being unutilized; and a short drive shaft connects said engine to said transmission. The engine assembly thus lies in the optimum position between the two axles.

In the four-wheel drive version said engine assembly is supported on said second mounting means, said first mounting means being unutilized; an elongated drive shaft connects said engine to said transmission; and a transfer case is secured to said transmission and driven therefrom, a second drive shaft extending forwardly from said transfer case to said front axle. The engine assembly thus lies in the optimum position above the front axle.

Thus a tractor may be obtained on which, with unchanged basic chassis design the different requirements originating from the dead loads specific to two-wheel and fourwheel drives can be taken into account, by being able to locate the engine assembly either in its normal position between front and rear axles to or in a location above the front axle. In the latter case the dead load experienced on the driven front axle is improved considerably without having to increase the gross vehicle weight by additional ballast weights. The manufacture and storage of chassis is simplified considerably, since mainly uniform elements are being used. In either arrangement the radiator can be arranged either in front of or behind the engine. However, it has proved to be most effective to arrange the radiator to face the front axle when the engine assembly is mounted between the front and the rear axle, whereas when the engine assembly is mounted above the front axle, the radiator is better arranged to face the rear axle.

Since the chassis, and particularly the cowling section of the drive engine, remain unchanged for both the two-wheel drive and the four-wheel drive tractors, the cowling sections can be given the same noise reduction treatment, i.e. they can be fitted with identical sound-proofing elements. A further important factor is the fact that in either position the drive engine can be supported on the chassis frame by means of elastic elements.

Two embodiments of tractor according to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a farm tractor designed for twowheel drive, and Figure 2 shows a correspondingly designed farm tractor laid out for four-wheel drive.

The farm tractor shown in Figure 1 has a semi-frame type chassis 1 on which a drive engine 2 is arranged. The drive engine is equipped with a flywheel 3 which, via a drive shaft 4 and a flexible coupling 5, is in drive connection with a transmission 6 not shown in detail. On top of said transmission a powerlift housing 7 is arranged on top of which a driver's seat 8 is mounted. In the vicinity of the powerlift housing 7 the rear wheels 9 are mounted, supported on the rear axle 11. Figure 1 shows only one of the guards 12 laterally mounted on the rear axle 11.

Above the front section of the transmission 6 and the clutch located therein is an instrument support 13 together with a steering wheel 14. Starting at the instrument support 13 a cowling 15 extends above the chassis 1, and an air filter 16 is located underneath the front top section of said cowling 15. Furthermore, underneath the cowling 15 a radiator 17 is arranged which, together with a fan 18 driven by a belt drive 19 represents the cooling equipment required for the tractor. At the front end of the chassis 1 a front axle carrier 21 is mounted on which the front axle 22 carrying the front wheels 23 is arranged.

As Figure 1 shows, the drive engine 2 is arranged in the chassis 1 between the front axle 22 and the rear axle 11. Resulting from said arrangement a weight distribution balance is achieved which; via the rear wheels, renders possible the transfer of adequate motive power onto the ground 24.

The farm tractor shown in Figure 2 is similar to that shown in Figure 1, but is a four-wheel drive version with both the front wheels 23 and the rear wheels 9 being driven, so that additional motive power can be transferred onto the ground 24. Due to the additional driving of the front wheels 23 the front axle carrier 21 is of slightly different design. Furthermore, by means of a drive shaft 25 the front axle 22 is connected to a transfer core 26, which, in turn, is connected to the transmission 6.

To achieve an optimum load distribution balance on such a four-wheel drive tractor, the drive engine 2 is arranged above the front axle 22. This arrangement produces a high load acting on the front axle and thus a satisfactory transfer of motive power is achieved from the front wheels 23 onto the ground 24. To keep the chassis engine cowling 15 and instrument support 13 identical with those used in the two-wheel design according to Figure 1, the engine has been turned through 1800, i.e. the fan 18 and the radiator 17 are now located facing the rear axle 11. The airfilter 16 is now located between the radiator 17 and the instrument support 13. To bridge the somewhat large spacing between the flywheel 3 and the transmission 6, the drive shaft 4 has been designed in form of a somewhat longer shaft 4', with universal couplings 5, 27' at the respective ends.

To yield, despite the differing arrangements of the drive engine 2, good load distribution balance as well as an excellent cooling performance, and to reduce simultaneously as much as possible the noise emission developing with both modes of design or drive, the drive engine 2 is in each version supported on the chassis by means of elastic elements not shown in detail.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A tractor vehicle comprising an integral transmission and rear axle carrier; a pair of rear wheels carried by a rear axle outboard of said carrier; a chassis frame comprising a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members each fixedly attached to, and extending forwardly from, said carrier; a pair of steerable front wheels supported on a front axle carried by a front axle carrier at the front of said chassis frame; first and second longitudinally spaced mounting means on said chassis frame, the first of said means allowing mounting of an engine assembly between the front and rear axles and the second of said means allowing mounting of an engine assembly above the front axle; an engine assembly including an engine with a belt

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. increase the gross vehicle weight by additional ballast weights. The manufacture and storage of chassis is simplified considerably, since mainly uniform elements are being used. In either arrangement the radiator can be arranged either in front of or behind the engine. However, it has proved to be most effective to arrange the radiator to face the front axle when the engine assembly is mounted between the front and the rear axle, whereas when the engine assembly is mounted above the front axle, the radiator is better arranged to face the rear axle. Since the chassis, and particularly the cowling section of the drive engine, remain unchanged for both the two-wheel drive and the four-wheel drive tractors, the cowling sections can be given the same noise reduction treatment, i.e. they can be fitted with identical sound-proofing elements. A further important factor is the fact that in either position the drive engine can be supported on the chassis frame by means of elastic elements. Two embodiments of tractor according to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a farm tractor designed for twowheel drive, and Figure 2 shows a correspondingly designed farm tractor laid out for four-wheel drive. The farm tractor shown in Figure 1 has a semi-frame type chassis 1 on which a drive engine 2 is arranged. The drive engine is equipped with a flywheel 3 which, via a drive shaft 4 and a flexible coupling 5, is in drive connection with a transmission 6 not shown in detail. On top of said transmission a powerlift housing 7 is arranged on top of which a driver's seat 8 is mounted. In the vicinity of the powerlift housing 7 the rear wheels 9 are mounted, supported on the rear axle 11. Figure 1 shows only one of the guards 12 laterally mounted on the rear axle 11. Above the front section of the transmission 6 and the clutch located therein is an instrument support 13 together with a steering wheel 14. Starting at the instrument support 13 a cowling 15 extends above the chassis 1, and an air filter 16 is located underneath the front top section of said cowling 15. Furthermore, underneath the cowling 15 a radiator 17 is arranged which, together with a fan 18 driven by a belt drive 19 represents the cooling equipment required for the tractor. At the front end of the chassis 1 a front axle carrier 21 is mounted on which the front axle 22 carrying the front wheels 23 is arranged. As Figure 1 shows, the drive engine 2 is arranged in the chassis 1 between the front axle 22 and the rear axle 11. Resulting from said arrangement a weight distribution balance is achieved which; via the rear wheels, renders possible the transfer of adequate motive power onto the ground 24. The farm tractor shown in Figure 2 is similar to that shown in Figure 1, but is a four-wheel drive version with both the front wheels 23 and the rear wheels 9 being driven, so that additional motive power can be transferred onto the ground 24. Due to the additional driving of the front wheels 23 the front axle carrier 21 is of slightly different design. Furthermore, by means of a drive shaft 25 the front axle 22 is connected to a transfer core 26, which, in turn, is connected to the transmission 6. To achieve an optimum load distribution balance on such a four-wheel drive tractor, the drive engine 2 is arranged above the front axle 22. This arrangement produces a high load acting on the front axle and thus a satisfactory transfer of motive power is achieved from the front wheels 23 onto the ground 24. To keep the chassis engine cowling 15 and instrument support 13 identical with those used in the two-wheel design according to Figure 1, the engine has been turned through 1800, i.e. the fan 18 and the radiator 17 are now located facing the rear axle 11. The airfilter 16 is now located between the radiator 17 and the instrument support 13. To bridge the somewhat large spacing between the flywheel 3 and the transmission 6, the drive shaft 4 has been designed in form of a somewhat longer shaft 4', with universal couplings 5, 27' at the respective ends. To yield, despite the differing arrangements of the drive engine 2, good load distribution balance as well as an excellent cooling performance, and to reduce simultaneously as much as possible the noise emission developing with both modes of design or drive, the drive engine 2 is in each version supported on the chassis by means of elastic elements not shown in detail. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A tractor vehicle comprising an integral transmission and rear axle carrier; a pair of rear wheels carried by a rear axle outboard of said carrier; a chassis frame comprising a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members each fixedly attached to, and extending forwardly from, said carrier; a pair of steerable front wheels supported on a front axle carried by a front axle carrier at the front of said chassis frame; first and second longitudinally spaced mounting means on said chassis frame, the first of said means allowing mounting of an engine assembly between the front and rear axles and the second of said means allowing mounting of an engine assembly above the front axle; an engine assembly including an engine with a belt

driven fan and a radiator, the engine assembly being supported on a selected one of said first and second mounting means; and a chassis cowling supported on said chassis frame and forming a partial enclosure for said engine assembly.

2. A tractor vehicle according to claim 1 in which said vehicle is a two-wheel drive tractor vehicle and said engine assembly is supported on said first mounting means, said second mounting means being unutilized; and a short drive shaft connects said engine to said transmission.

3. A tractor vehicle according to claim 1 in which said vehicle is a four-wheel drive tractor vehicle and said engine assembly is supported on said second mounting means, said first mounting means being unutilized; an elongated drive shaft connects said engine to said transmission; and a transfer case is secured to said transmission and driven therefrom, a second drive shaft extending forwardly from said transfer case to said front axle.

4. A tractor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said engine assembly is supported on the chassis frame by means of resilient members.

5. A tractor vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.