US1352315A

US1352315A - Compound crawler

Info

Publication number: US1352315A
Application number: US249006A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rimailho Emile
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Compagnie des Forges et Acieries de la Marine et dHomecourt
Priority date: 1918-08-08
Filing date: 1918-08-08
Publication date: 1920-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1937-09-07

Description

E. RIMAILHO.

COMPOUND CRAWLER.

APPLlcAmN FILED AUG.8, 191s.

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E. RIMAILHO.

COMPOUND CRAWLER.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.8. 1918.

l1,3" 2,315. l Patentedsept. 7,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMILE RIMAILI-IO, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO COMPAGNIE DES FORGES ET ACIERIES DE LA MARINE ET DHOMECOURT, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

COMPOUND CRAWLER.

Speecaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

Application led August 8, 1918. Serial No. 249,006.

To all whom it 'may Concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE RIMAILHO, a citizen of the French Republic, and residing in Paris, France, 12 Rue de la Rochefoucauld, consulting engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Compound Crawlers, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a compound crawler tractor with steerable propelling means whereby I am able to provide an improved gun carriage for transporting and firing ordnance, as well as for transporting loads of any kind.

1While motor driven mobile crawlers have been used they usually do not possess steering facilities, and an important characteristic of my present invention is the quality of dirigibility, which enables traction in either a rectilinear or curvilinear direction.

This quality of dirigibility or ability to be steered is particularly valuable for use with the gun carriages of heavy artillery, since it provides means for moving them on varying ground, while still allowing their travel on the road by their usual means. Y

As the compound crawler comprises two elementary crawlers carried preferably at each side of a central beam, the elementary crawlers are capable of being actuated separately and independently by hand or by a motor, and if either of them be actuated in opposite directions there results a displacement or movement in a curvilinear direction; while if the elementary crawlers are driven in the same direction, a rectilinear motion of the whole results.

The compound crawler can be readily adapted for use as the frame of a wagon, or a gun carriage.

The central beam of the compound crawlers may have its upper part flat so as to receive any kind of a load, or it may have its upper tace so shaped, as for instance, in the 'form of a bearing capable of accommodating` an axle tree, or it may be provided with a recess to receive an axle.

lf the load to be carried be a gun carriage or an element thereof provided with an axle, it will be possible when it is lifted, to furnish it with wheels mounted at the ends of its axles.

The property 01"' dirigibility of my compound crawlers aids greatly in securingease in training in any direction. For the purpose of aiding in training the gun the compound crawler is placed transversely of and under the trail, the front part of the gun carriage resting upon wheels, or upon other compound crawlers.

A hand operated device for propelling the compound crawler permits a pivotal movement of the entire gun carriage, such movement being secured by the sliding of the points of contact ol its front part of the gun carriage relatively to the compound crawler of the trail.

In the accompanying` drawings which illustrate by way of example, constructional forms of my invention,

Figure l shows in elevation a compound crawler embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. l, but provided with wheels for transporting same,

Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 shows an assembly of compound crawlers,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing application of the invention to a gun carriage,

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of this adaptation,

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing application of crawlers to support gun and carriage during firing,

F ig. 9 is a side elevation showing an adaptation of the invention as applied to heavy artillery gun carriages,

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing another position of the parts, and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail view showing adaptation to heavy artillery or ordnance carriages to act as a recoil check.

Referring specifically to the drawings in Figs. l and 2, a central beam l is shown which supports in the manner well known in this type oit devices, elementary crawlers 2 and 3 which are of conventional type.

Each of these elementary crawlers may be driven by means of handles 4L and 5 which actuate a hand operating mechanism.

The upper part of the central beam l projects above the upper level oi the crawlers 2 and 3 so that the top surface of the beam is relatively much elevated above such crawlers, and this upper surface may be perfectly flat to form a slideway 6 or it may be so fashioned as to sustain a bearing capable of accommodating an axle.

Each side face of the compound crawler is provided with screw jacks T and 8 pivotally connected thereto by means of which a carriage supported on the beam may be lifted.

The central beam 1 may also be provided in its central portion, with a hole 9 into which may be introduced an axle or other part of a gun carriage, whereby the compound crawler may rock so as to accommodate itself to any gradient in the road, or to any inequalities in the road bed, during movement of the crawlers.

lVithin the central beam 1 a thermic, electric, or other motor may be arranged.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I show a pair of compound crawlers which may be steered as they proceed such crawlers being designated as 10 and 11 connected by common axles 12 whereby to form a carriage. They are shown as lifted by means of screw jacks i and 8, so that the wheels 13 may be placed on the axles.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a carriage comprising three crawlers, one or more of which are of the compound type and dirigible.

In Figs. 6 and 7, the reference character 14 indicates an artillery gun carriage the axle 15 of which rests in the

bearings

16 and 17 arranged upon the central beam of the crawlers 18 and 19, which may be of the single type, or of the compound type which may be steered while progressing. The trail of this gun carriage rests upon the compound crawler 20, the beam of which is provided with a vertical pivot pin 21 at the base of which is the circular bearing 22. This pivot is adapted to engage with the opening 23 in the trail, and in which it is housed.

This assembly of three crawlers, two of which are mounted on the same axle upon which they may rock to accommodate themselves to sinuosities or inequalities of the ground, and the third of which is compound and capable of being steered while in motion, permits the last mentioned crawler to be trained relatively to the other two by virtue of its pivotal connection and the independent drive of its elementary crawlers. Hence a complete gun carriage is produced which is capable of being trained in any direction even while in transit.

The same device that is, the assembly comprising three crawlers may be utilized for supporting the artillery gun carriage during firing of the gun by turning the crawler 20 on the pivot 21 so that said crawler is braced against the ground perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the trail and at a right angle to the kick7 or recoil of the mount, as plainly indicated in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 8, I have shown how the trail may be set into firing position without the use of the crawler 20. In this adaptation the trail spade is forced into the ground, while the front portion of the mount is supported upon the spaced apart crawlers 18 and 19.

For long journeys it will be found desirable to equip the assembly with traction wheels and this can be readily done by elevating the crawlers by jacking and applying the wheels as indicated in Figs. 3 and L1.

The elementary crawlers are preferably placed on both sides of a beam 1 but it is obvious that they may be otherwise located, as for instance on the same side of a bearing or upon a forked bearing, and between the forks.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show an application of the twin or compound crawler to a heavy artillery gun carriage, the platform 25, of which is supported at the front by means of an axle 26, upon two crawlers 27, and at the rear through the medium of a screw jack 28 upon the central beam of a third crawler 29, which likewise is compound. In this form, it should be observed, the underside of the platform is formed as a projection 30. By manipulating the screw jack .28, which has a toggle joint connection with the central beam by being seated in a socket therein, this projection 30 may be caused to rest on the ground, and the screw jack can then be disengaged from the crawler. By this operation the crawler 29, may be entirely freed from the gun carriage and hence relieved of all strain incident to recoil, during firing of the gun. Or, as illustrated in Fig. 11 the crawler 29, may be used connected to the gun mount during firing, but it is disposed transversely of the longitudi` nal axis of the mount, permitting training of the gun in any direction.

To remove the gun from its firing position, the compound crawler' is turned into line with the longitudinal axis of the gun carriage, the screw-j ack lowered in its toggle-joint and operated to cause the lifting of the platform, and the gun carriage is then ready for movement over any character of ground.

As before stated, for long hauls, the traction wheels may be applied, as hereinbefore described.

Vhat I claim is 1. A compound crawler with steerablc progression, and comprising a central carrier plate, two elementary and independent crawlers spaced apart in parallel relation, said elementary crawlers pivotally carried on opposite sides of said carrier plate and on a common pivot, and means for driving each crawler independently of the other.

2. A compound crawler construction comprising a central vertical beam, and elementary crawlers mounted on each side of said central beam, the upper surface of said central beam disposed above the level of travel of the treads of the elementary crawlers, said surface constituting a load platform.

3. A compound crawler device comprising two compound crawlers capable of steerable progression, axles connecting the same, screw lifting-jack means carried by said crawlers, and wheels mounted on said common axle or axles.

4:. A gun carriage resting by its axle in bearings arranged on the central beams of the crawlers, and the trail of which rests upon a compoundcrawler fulfilling the function of steerable fore-carriage, and the beam of which is provided with a pivot en gaged into a housing provided in the trail7 compound crawler enabling by its pivoting relatively to the axis of the gun and by its progression, a training in all directions.

5. In combination, a gun carriage including a trail spade and an axle, a compound crawler consisting of a central carrier beam and independently driven elementary crawlers pivotally mounted on each side of said beam, a bearing mounted on said beam and said gun carriage axle seated in said bearings.

6. A heavy gun carriage assembly comprising a gun platform, three groups of compound crawlers positioned to provide a pair of spaced apart crawlers at the front and upon which the front of said gun platform is supported by axles, and a single compound crawler at the rear, vertically adjusting means connecting the said rear crawler and rear end of the platform, said platform having a downwardly projecting portion adjacent its rear end whereby said rear portion may be raised and lowered by the aforesaid vertical adjusting means.

7 A compound crawler comprising a pair of elementary crawlers spaced apart and mounted in parallel relation to each other, a common axle constituting supporting and pivotal means for said elementary crawlers, motive means independently driving each of said elementary crawlers, whereby the compound crawler may be steered during progression.

8. Compound crawler with steerable progression, comprising two elementary compound crawlers with steerable progression, a common axle upon which said crawlers are mounted, screw jacks carried by said crawlers, and wheels for sustaining the crawlers free of the ground and traveling on roads.

9. Compound crawlers with steerable progression comprising three groups of two elementary crawlers, bearings provided on two of said groups, a gun carriage including a trail and resting by its axles on said bearings, a pivot provided on the beam of one of the groups of crawlers, said pivot engaging in a housing of the trail of said gun carriage, said' trail resting on the pivot carrying group of crawlers.

l0. Compound crawlers with steerable progression comprising three groups of two ele mentary crawlers having convex lower faces which rest on the ground, bearings provided on two of said groups, a gun carriage having axles and resting by said axles on said bearings, a pivot provided on the beam of one group of crawlers, said pivot engaging in a housing of the trail of said gun carriage, said trail resting on the pivot carrying group of crawlers.

ll. Compound crawler with steerable progression comprising three groups of elementary crawlers, a platform mount of a heavy gun carriage resting between two of the groups of elementary crawlers, a screw jack on the other of said groups and resting on the central beam thereof and supporting the rear end of the trail of said gun carriage, the platform mount of said gun carriage projecting downwardly whereby the platform may rest on the ground and thus free the corresponding crawler from the recoil effects during firing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at SaintEtienne (France) this twenty-fourth day of June, 1918.

EMILE RIMAILHO. [1.. s] lVitnesses:

ERNEST DnLrUL, PIERRE PEYRIEUX.