WO2003099638A1 - Mecanismes de direction hydraulique - Google Patents
Mecanismes de direction hydraulique Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2003099638A1 WO2003099638A1 PCT/GB2003/002253 GB0302253W WO03099638A1 WO 2003099638 A1 WO2003099638 A1 WO 2003099638A1 GB 0302253 W GB0302253 W GB 0302253W WO 03099638 A1 WO03099638 A1 WO 03099638A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- wheel
- vehicle
- wheels
- ram
- steering
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- 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
- B60P3/00—Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects
- B60P3/12—Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects for salvaging damaged vehicles
- B60P3/125—Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects for salvaging damaged vehicles by supporting only part of the vehicle, e.g. front- or rear-axle
- B60P3/127—Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects for salvaging damaged vehicles by supporting only part of the vehicle, e.g. front- or rear-axle on a tow dolly
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D13/00—Steering specially adapted for trailers
- B62D13/04—Steering specially adapted for trailers for individually-pivoted wheels
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D7/00—Steering linkage; Stub axles or their mountings
- B62D7/06—Steering linkage; Stub axles or their mountings for individually-pivoted wheels, e.g. on king-pins
- B62D7/08—Steering linkage; Stub axles or their mountings for individually-pivoted wheels, e.g. on king-pins the pivotal axes being situated in a single plane transverse to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
Definitions
- the present invention relates to steering mechanisms and in particular to steering mechanisms using self steering wheels to provide a self steering effect.
- the present invention provides a steering mechanism for use on, for example four wheeled trailers or caravans or recovery trailers which are adapted to support the front or rear wheels of a vehicle being towed.
- caster wheels are preferably used to provide a self steering effect.
- the self steering wheels defining one axle of the vehicle are interconnected so that the steering angles of the two wheels are the same and to prevent the wheels from vibrating independently due to single wheel impacts, for example when one of the wheels is subjected to a discreet disturbance such as a pothole or kerb strike.
- Hitherto caster wheels on this type of vehicle have been interconnected by a mechanical link. Such a link will however require unobstructed access between the two wheels, which places restraint on the design of the vehicle.
- a steering mechanism for a vehicle characterised in that a pair of self steering wheels defining one axle of a vehicle are interconnected hydrostatically, each wheel having a steering arm which is connected to a double acting ram, the ram associated with the wheel on one side of the vehicle being interconnected to the ram associated with the wheel on the other side of the vehicle by means of a fluid line, so that as one of the wheels pivots about its axis the movement is transmitted to the other wheel.
- the fluid lines for example flexible hoses
- the steering mechanism may be used on vehicles with adjustable tracks or vehicles in which the axle may be folded for stowage purposes.
- the hydrostatic linking of the wheels may also provide a damping effect, which may be adjusted by suitable selection of the size of the hoses or the fitting of restrictors, to control the rate of flow of fluid between the rams.
- an isolation valve may be provided between the rams in order to lock the wheels, when for example reversing.
- Figure 1 is a plan view of a trailer in accordance with the present invention, in its deployed configuration
- Figure 2 shows a front view of the trailer illustrated in Fig. 1 , in its stored configuration
- Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the trailer in its stored configuration
- Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the trailer shown in Fig. 1 , illustrating a first stage of deployment of the trailer;
- Figure 5 shows a plan view of the trailer shown in Fig. 1 , illustrating a second stage of the deployment of the trailer;
- Figure 6 shows a detailed perspective view of a wheel pan and wheel of the trailer illustrated in Fig. 1 ;
- FIG. 7 illustrates diagrammatically a hydrostatic steering linkage for the trailer illustrated in Fig. 1 .
- a trailer 10 has a drawbar 12.
- the drawbar 12 is formed in two sections, a forward section 14 and a rearward section 16.
- the forward and rearward sections 14,16 are pivoted together about adjacent ends, by pivot pin 18 so that the sections 14 and 16 may be disposed end to end, or the rearward section 16 may be folded underneath the forward section 14.
- the end of the forward section 14 extends beyond the pivot pin 18 and has apertures therein, the apertures aligning with corresponding apertures in the rearward section 16 when sections 14 and 16 are disposed end to end, so that a locking pin 20 may be inserted through the apertures, to lock the drawbar in its extended position.
- a stop (not shown) is provided to prevent the sections 14 and 16 going past the position in which the apertures are aligned.
- a pair of gas struts 22 are provided between the forward and rearward sections 14 and 16 of the drawbar 12 to assist and control relative movement of the sections 14 and 1 6, as the drawbar 12 is moved between its folded and extended positions.
- a towing hitch for example a ball joint cup 24 is secured to the forward end of position 14 of the drawbar 12, for attachment to a towing hitch 100 of the recovery vehicle.
- a pair of trunions 26 are also provided adjacent the forward end of the forward section 14 of drawbar 12, one extending to each side thereof.
- a pair of arms 30 are pivotally mounted to a bracket 31 secured to the rear end of the rearward section 14 or the drawbar 12.
- the arms 30 are mounted by means of pivot pins 32, for movement in the plane of the rear section 16 of the drawbar 12.
- the arms 30 extend beyond the pivot pins 32 and a pair of links 34 extend from the end of each arm 30 to a block 36 mounted for axial movement on a lead screw 38.
- a drive formation 40 is provided on the lead screw 38 by which the lead screw 38 may be rotated to move the block 36 linearly, causing the arms 30 to pivot about pins 32, between a stowed position in which the arms 30 are disposed parallel and in juxtaposed relationship to the rearward section 14 of the drawbar 12, as illustrated in Figs.
- a pair of wheel pans 50 has tubular mounting means 52, which locate and slide one on each of the arms 30.
- the wheel pans 50 define a platform for the wheels of the towed vehicle.
- Spring loaded adjustable chocks 54 are provided at the rearward end of the pans 50, which will be depressed as the wheel of the vehicle is moved onto the pan 50 and will spring up to help retain the towed vehicle on the trailer 10. Additional fastening means, for example straps or chains are also provided for securing the towed vehicle.
- Links 60 are pivotally connected between the pans 50 and projections 62 on the bracket 31 , the links 60 causing the wheel pans 50 to slide outwardly on arms 30 as the arms are moved between their stored and deployed positions and to slide inwardly on arms 30 as the arms 30 are moved between their deployed and stowed positions.
- the links 60 are secured to the projections 62 by means of locking pins 64 which engage through aperture 66 in the ends of links 60 and projections 62.
- Several apertures 66 are provided in both the links 60 and projections 62, by which the effective length of the links 60 may be adjusted. The separation of the wheel pans 50 when the arms 30 are in their deployed positions, may thereby be adjusted to suit the track of the towed vehicle.
- a pair of self steering wheels 70 are mounted one on each of the wheel pans 50, the self steering wheels 70 being mounted on the outside of the wheel pans 50, when the arms 30 are in their deployed positions.
- the self steering wheels 70 are mounted on kingpins 72 which extend substantially vertically but are inclined at appropriate camber and castor angles to provide a self-steering effect.
- Steering levers 74 are provided on each of the self steering wheels 70, the steering levers 74 being connected to double-acting rams 76 mounted on the wheel pans 50.
- the rams 76 on either side of the trailer 10 are interconnected by flexible hydraulic hoses 78, the forward chamber of one ram 76 being connected to the forward chamber of the other ram 76 and the rearward chamber of one ram 76 being connected to the rearward chamber of the other ram 76.
- the connected chambers thereby form closed hydraulic circuits by which any steering movement of one wheel 70 will be transmitted to the opposite wheel 70. For example, when the left wheel 70 is steered to the left due to its self steering properties, the volume of the forward chamber 84 on the left ram 76 decreases forcing fluid to be transferred to the forward chamber 84 on the right ram 76 causing the right wheel 70 to be steered to the left.
- This steering motion causes the volume of the rearward chamber 86 of the right ram 76 to decrease and forces fluid into the rearward chamber 86 of the left ram 76, which is consistent with the applied steering motion.
- This fluid transfer works in the opposite sense to steer both wheels 70 to the right.
- the wheels 70 will remain in phase to minimise tyre scrub and steering shimmy, particularly when the trailer 10 is subjected to any uneven forces, for example, when one wheel 70 is subject to discreet disturbance such as a pothole or kerb strike. Furthermore, interlinking of the wheels 70 in this manner will resist and damp out any unwanted motion of the wheels 70.
- the amount of steering damping can be varied by adjusting the sizes of the hoses 78 or fitting restrictors 82, to control the rate of flow of fluid.
- An isolation valve 80 may be provided between the rams 76, in order to lock the wheels 70 when, for example, reversing.
- flexible hoses 78 as described above allows for movement of the wheels 70 between the deployed and stowed positions of the trailer 10 and also permits adjustment of the track of the trailer 10.
- the trailer In the stowed position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the trailer is disposed substantially vertically in the rear of the recovery vehicle, the trunions 26 on the forward section 14 of the drawbar 12 engaging a pivot bracket 90 which is mounted to the floor of the recovery vehicle.
- the stowed trailer 10 may be locked in position in the recovery vehicle by , for example, means of the locking pin 20 which may engage apertures in a suitable locking bracket 92 mounted within the recovery vehicle.
- a winch 94 may also be provided in the recovery vehicle, the winch cable 96 passing over pulley means 98 and being secured to the drawbar 12 adjacent the interconnection of the forward and rearward sections 14, 16 thereof.
- the locking pin 20 is released from the bracket 92 within the recovery vehicle and the forward section 14 of the drawbar 1 2 is permitted to pivot rearwardly about trunions 26, movement thereof being controlled by the winch 94.
- the forward section 14 pivots rearwardly the rearward section 1 6 of the drawbar 1 2 pivots away from the forward section 14 under the influence and control of the gas struts 22.
- the locking pins 64 may be engaged through suitable apertures 66 in the links 60 and projections 62 on bracket 31 , to provide an appropriate separation of the wheel pans 50 to match the track of the vehicle to be towed.
- the lead screw 38 may then be rotated to pivot arms 30 outwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 5, until the arms 30 extend transversely of the longitudinal axis of the drawbar 1 2.
- Locking pins 44 are then located through the apertures in the ends of arms 30 and apertures 42 in the bracket 31 to lock the arms 30 in position.
- the forward section 14 of drawbar 12 is then lowered further by means of the winch 94 until the forward and rearward sections are brought to the fully deployed position, when the locking pin 20 is located through the aligned apertures therein.
- small rollers 58 at the rear of the wheel pans 50 will first engage the ground permitting the wheel pans 50 to move backwardly until the self steering wheels 70 come into engagement with the ground.
- the front of the drawbar 12 may then be lifted, either manually or by means of the winch 94, from the mounting bracket 90 and the ball joint cup 24 engaged with the towing hitch 100 of the recovery vehicle.
- Detachable ramps (not shown) are then attached to the trailing edge of the wheel pans 50 and the winch 94 is used to draw the vehicle being recovered onto the wheel pans 50 and the vehicle is located and secured to the trailer 10 using the adjustable wheel chocks 54 and restraining straps.
- the reverse procedure is used to stow the trailer 10 after use.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Steering-Linkage Mechanisms And Four-Wheel Steering (AREA)
Abstract
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2003232348A AU2003232348A1 (en) | 2002-05-25 | 2003-05-23 | Hydraulic steering mechanisms |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0212124A GB0212124D0 (en) | 2002-05-25 | 2002-05-25 | Steering mechanisms |
GB0212124.2 | 2002-05-25 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2003099638A1 true WO2003099638A1 (fr) | 2003-12-04 |
Family
ID=9937454
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB2003/002253 WO2003099638A1 (fr) | 2002-05-25 | 2003-05-23 | Mecanismes de direction hydraulique |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU2003232348A1 (fr) |
GB (1) | GB0212124D0 (fr) |
WO (1) | WO2003099638A1 (fr) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN102442348A (zh) * | 2011-11-30 | 2012-05-09 | 中国人民解放军军事交通学院 | 多功能转向装置 |
EP3159192A1 (fr) * | 2015-10-22 | 2017-04-26 | CarCaddy UG (haftungsbeschränkt) & Co. KG | Dispositif de remorquage |
WO2022259194A1 (fr) * | 2021-06-10 | 2022-12-15 | Dcango | Ensemble de dépannage-remorquage pour véhicule remorqueur, et véhicule remorqueur le comprenant |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3880439A (en) * | 1973-12-20 | 1975-04-29 | Russell Ltd Levy | Self steering mechanism |
FR2263924A1 (en) * | 1974-03-15 | 1975-10-10 | Olivetti Giuseppe | Castor wheel control for wheeled tank - has double acting cylinder for each wheel ensuring simultaneous pivoting |
US5295554A (en) * | 1991-12-31 | 1994-03-22 | Cullen Steven R | Steering system for an agricultural bagging machine |
-
2002
- 2002-05-25 GB GB0212124A patent/GB0212124D0/en not_active Ceased
-
2003
- 2003-05-23 WO PCT/GB2003/002253 patent/WO2003099638A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2003-05-23 AU AU2003232348A patent/AU2003232348A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3880439A (en) * | 1973-12-20 | 1975-04-29 | Russell Ltd Levy | Self steering mechanism |
FR2263924A1 (en) * | 1974-03-15 | 1975-10-10 | Olivetti Giuseppe | Castor wheel control for wheeled tank - has double acting cylinder for each wheel ensuring simultaneous pivoting |
US5295554A (en) * | 1991-12-31 | 1994-03-22 | Cullen Steven R | Steering system for an agricultural bagging machine |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN102442348A (zh) * | 2011-11-30 | 2012-05-09 | 中国人民解放军军事交通学院 | 多功能转向装置 |
EP3159192A1 (fr) * | 2015-10-22 | 2017-04-26 | CarCaddy UG (haftungsbeschränkt) & Co. KG | Dispositif de remorquage |
WO2022259194A1 (fr) * | 2021-06-10 | 2022-12-15 | Dcango | Ensemble de dépannage-remorquage pour véhicule remorqueur, et véhicule remorqueur le comprenant |
FR3123837A1 (fr) * | 2021-06-10 | 2022-12-16 | Dominique Canovas | Ensemble de dépannage-remorquage pour véhicule remorqueur, et véhicule remorqueur le comprenant |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2003232348A8 (en) | 2003-12-12 |
GB0212124D0 (en) | 2002-07-03 |
AU2003232348A1 (en) | 2003-12-12 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP0007749B1 (fr) | Chariot autodirecteur pour accoupler d'une manière détachable des semi-remorques en tandem | |
US7694993B2 (en) | Trailer steering mechanism | |
US7083182B2 (en) | Two-wheeled recovery trailers | |
US5626356A (en) | Adjustable weight distribution system for highway vehicles | |
US3149858A (en) | Steerable trailer vehicle | |
KR19990078384A (ko) | 자기조향, 캐스터 조정가능 현가장치 | |
US10994779B2 (en) | Tow behind steerable caddy trailer | |
US2959428A (en) | Trailer assembly | |
US20040156706A1 (en) | Wheel-lift assembly for wreckers | |
US5823558A (en) | Trailer loading support | |
US9981521B2 (en) | Articulating multi-axle assembly | |
US20030231944A1 (en) | Wheel-lift assembly for wreckers | |
US6053691A (en) | Automatic underride protection for tilt trailers | |
WO2003099638A1 (fr) | Mecanismes de direction hydraulique | |
US8177243B2 (en) | Load-transferring trailer assembly attachable to a load-bearing vehicle | |
US2163999A (en) | Trailer hitch | |
US6382647B1 (en) | Trailer apparatus | |
US4921268A (en) | Transport dolly | |
EP0010985A1 (fr) | Remorques | |
EP0297009B1 (fr) | Attelage court à géométrie variable à appuis d'articulationbutée mobiles en arc de cercle pour remorques dites équilibrées et semi-remorques | |
WO1984000936A1 (fr) | Agencement de liaison a transfer de poids pour des combinaisons semiremorques-tracteurs | |
US3981512A (en) | Rear wheel steering system | |
GB2293580A (en) | Trailers eg for transporting and launching boats |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE ES FI GB GD GE GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NZ OM PH PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SK SL TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VN YU ZA ZM ZW |
|
AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase | ||
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: JP |
|
WWW | Wipo information: withdrawn in national office |
Country of ref document: JP |