GB401945A - Carriages for transporting endless-track vehicles on roads and railway tracks - Google Patents

Abstract

401,945. Motor vehicles. KOSSAKOWSKI, T., 15, Mianowskiego, Warsaw. March 16, 1933, No. 8045. [Classes 79 (ii), 79 (iii), and 79 (v).] A carriage or truck adapted for transporting endless-track vehicles on road or rail and to be driven by a motor on the endless track vehicle, is characterised by the feature that the driving wheels of the carriage are connected by cardan shaft or chain gear to the driving mechanism of the endless-track vehicle loaded on the carriage. The carriage may be steered by means of the steering-gear of the endless-track vehicle. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an endless-track vehicle or tank 6 is driven under its own power up a ramp 5 of a road vehicle on to side platforms 7. By means of a hand-wheel 9 and screw-and-nut gear 13 a central platform 8, which is connected by levers to the platforms 7, is caused to rise and the platforms 7 to fall so that the weight of the tank is borne entirely by the platform 8. The endless tracks 25 are then removed and the track sprockets 18 are connected by chains 19 and longitudinal cardan shafts 23 to the road wheels 3 which can thus be driven by the engine of the tank. The tank is secured in place on the road vehicle by four screw strainers 16. The steering shaft 26 of the tank is depressed until it is clutched to gearing 28 connected by a shaft 30 to the steering gear 36 of the steering wheels 2. The road vehicle may be braked either by the brakes of the tank or by a hand lever 38 which applies brakes to all four road wheels. In the construction shown in Fig. 7 the tank is driven backwards up the ramp 5 of a rail truck on to endless belts 57 and is secured by a hook 68. The belts 57 are connected by chain gear 64 with one of the rail wheel axles 65, so that when the tracks 25 of the tank are driven in the forward direction the belts 57 are driven and the truck is propelled. Adhesion between the tank and the truck and belts is maintained by means of a handle 70 acting through linkage 74 on clamps 76 which press on bars 78 carried by the tank. Alternatively the hook 68 may be connected to the clamps 76, so that the pull of the tank on the hook may increase the adhesion between the tank and the belts 57. Modifications are described in which (1) the platforms 7 are movable and the platform 8 is fixed, (2) the tank drives the road or rail wheels by means of reversing or other gear connected to the rear end of the gear-box of the tank, and (3) the tank rests on rollers instead of on the belts 57.