GB2254058A - Towing vehicle with liftable front axle. - Google Patents

Abstract

The towing vehicle has a lifting bar (5) which engages the axle (4) of the towed vehicle. The front steering axle (1) of the towing vehicle may be lifted when towing so that the cantilever effect of axle (I) offsets that of axle (4) to relieve weight from the drive axle (3). When not towing, the second steering axle (2) may be lifted instead of axle (1) to improve unladen balance. The towing vehicle can thus be of reduced weight and length. A worm driven sliding weight (6) in the chassis rails, used with axle weight sensors, may be used to further adjust the balance of the vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

roRliJG VEHICLE EQUILIBRI" The invention relates to a towing rescue vehicle and proposes to overcome inherent problems associated with the picking up of the axle of a casualty and towing it away. To outline four main problems.

1. The casualty has considerable weight compared to the weight of a practicable rescue vehicle.

2. The rescue vehicle has to get to the casualty with its own centre of gravity reasonably well balanced for safe driving and steering.

3. The rescue vehicle has to return with the lifted casualty in tow and still be reasonably well balanced for safe driving and steering.

.4. The driving axle of rescue vehicle must have traction, yet with a casualty' s weight on board it should not impose excess weight to the road.

A description of the invention follows with reference to the drawings in in which.

Figure 1 shows an exaggerated outline of the basic leverage principle with a lifted casualty in tow.

Figure 2 actual straight chassis with lifted casualty in tow.

Figure 3 rescue vehicle as it travels too the casualty.

On all drawings 1 is the front steering axle, 2 is a second steering axle, 3 is the rescue vehicles driving axle, 4 is the axle of the casualty, 5 is rescue vehicles lifting bar, 6 shows a possible worm driven moveable weight to equalize weight between axles 2 and 3 for different weight casualty' 5.

As can be seen in Fig 1. Lifting the front steering axle 1 and the casualty axle 4 together, the cantilever effect of the weight of one offsets the cantilever effect of the other, and if they were entirely equal the weight on axle 2 would be equal to the weight on axle 3 making the towing vehicle well balanced for driving and steering.

As the foregoing shows the main novelty of the invention is that the rescue vehicle has two steering axles each of which can be lifted individually to balance it with or without casualty.

Fig 2. Shows actual wheel movements on a proper straight chassis with a casualty in tow.

Fig 3. Shows actual wheel movements on a proper straight chassis when the vehicle is travelling to pick up a casualty0 .The mechanism should be so designed that only one steering axle can be raised at a time, however for military or off road vehicles all axles can be designed to be driving whilst on the ground so as to vary traction and give the vehicle maximum ability to extricate itself, possibly to rock or lift in extreme emergency,

Claims (7)

1. CTgATMs 1 A lifting towing vehicle that is designed to lift the front steering axle to counterbalance and relive weight from the rear load supporting axle, or axles.
2. 2 A lifting towing vehicle that lifts steering axles alternately to vary rear driving axle weight or traction.
3. 3 v lifting towing vehicle for military or off road use where all axles may be driven ones, and by lifting alternate steering axles the traction of wheels may be varied to assist it in extricating itself from bogged down situations.
4. 4 A principle of vehicle build that dispenses with large forward weights fitted ahead of front axles, or axles, and by lifting the front or forward axles uses its own engine, cab, chassis ect of forward weight to reduce the weight on its rear end to enable a heavy casualty to be lifted and towed yet not break the legal limit for rear axle, or axles weight on the road, and allow faster towing with a lifted casualty as present legislation permits.
5. 5 A method of reducing the total weight of a lifting towing vehicle by the use of its o w forward weight instead of heavy fixed or bolt on weights
6. 6 A vehicle with a worm driven sliding weight, or weights, to further improve balanced load distribution, the large worm or screw thread drive, or drives prevents the weight, or weights from moving in the event of collision or other mishap, but enables quick back or forward transfere of such weight to equalize load, as the driver can judge by use of present day load indicators.
7. 7 An all purpose vehicle that can be used for normal towing purposes with its wheels in any possible configuration, but which can be quickly converted to transport a damaged vehicle by lifting the damaged end.