APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR STEERING A VEHICLE

• US 20120043159A1
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terex South Dakota, Inc. (Terex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Genie Industries Incorporated (Terex Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Brian M., Reed, David, Case, Mark, Dean, Jim, Stansberry, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 9,434,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 182/69.6
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/1509 with different steering modes, e.g. crab-steering, or steering specially adapted for reversing of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 11/044 Working platforms suspended from booms
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/065 non-masted mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00

Abstract

A vehicle is provided with a chassis having a footprint, a load carrying structure, and a support assembly coupling the chassis and the structure. The support assembly is adapted to move the structure relative to the chassis between a stowed position and a deployed position outboard of the footprint of the chassis. A plurality of wheels is configured to roll on the support surface and a plurality of axles coupling the wheels to the chassis are provided. Each axle includes at least one spindle supporting an individual wheel for rotation on a spindle axis. A steering system is adapted to position the wheels between driving and rotation arrangements with respect to the chassis such that in the rotating arrangement each of the plurality of wheels rotate relative to the chassis whereby the chassis, the platform and the support assembly may rotate in unison about the steer axis.

Claims

1. A vehicle for lifting a load with respect to a support surface, comprising:

a chassis having a footprint and a vertical axis;

a load carrying structure adapted to carry a load;

a support assembly coupling the load carrying structure and the chassis, the support assembly being adapted to move the load carrying structure relative to the chassis between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein the deployed position is outboard of the footprint of the chassis;

a plurality of wheels adapted to roll on an underlying support surface, each wheel interfacing with the underlying surface through a respective contact patch;

a plurality of axles coupling the wheels to the chassis, wherein each of the plurality of axles includes at least one spindle adapted to support one of the plurality of wheels for rotation about a spindle axis; and

a steering system coupled to the plurality of wheels and being adapted to position the wheels between a driving arrangement and a rotating arrangement relative to the chassis, such that in the rotating arrangement each spindle axis of the plurality of wheels intersect a steer axis such that with the plurality of wheels in the rotating arrangement, a first and a second wheel of the plurality of wheels rotate in a first direction relative to the chassis and a third and a forth wheel of the plurality of wheels rotate in a second direction that is opposite the first direction whereby the chassis, the platform and the support assembly rotate in unison about the steer axis.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the support assembly is rotationally fixed relative to a vertical axis of the chassis.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the steer axis comprises an approximately vertical axis extending through a central portion of the chassis.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a propulsion system coupled to the plurality of wheels and adapted to drive at least one of the plurality of wheels.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first and the second wheels are coupled to a first side of the chassis and the third and the fourth wheels are coupled to a second side of the chassis generally opposite the first side.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the chassis is configured to travel approximately perpendicular to parallel planes provided along the chassis when the steering system is in the drive arrangement.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the steering system is configured to position the plurality of wheels in a third arrangement with respect to the chassis, wherein each spindle axes of the plurality of wheels is approximately parallel and obliquely oriented with respect to parallel planes.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the plurality of wheels comprises four spindles and the steering system comprises four actuators, and wherein individual actuators are configured to pivot a corresponding spindle with respect to the chassis.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the steering system comprises at least one actuator coupled to a first wheel of the plurality of wheels and the first wheel is coupled to a second wheel of the plurality of wheels with an extensible tie rod.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a propulsion system coupled to the four wheels and configured to drive the four wheels, wherein the plurality of wheels includes four wheels such that in the rotating arrangement the plurality of wheels are rotated by the propulsion system in the first direction relative to the chassis.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the plurality of axles further comprises two axles extending between king pin axes that are pivotally coupled to individual spindles relative to the chassis.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the king pin axes are offset from the contact patches of the wheels on an inboard side of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the load carrying structure further comprises a personnel carrying structure, and wherein the support assembly further comprises an extendible support coupling the personnel platform to the chassis, the extendible support being configured to move the personnel carrying structure relative to the chassis between the stowed and the deployed position.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the load carrying structure further comprises a fork, and wherein the support assembly further comprises an extendible support coupling the fork to the chassis, the extendible support being configured to move the fork relative to the chassis between the stowed and the deployed position.

16. The drivable lift assembly of claim 13 wherein the load carrying structure further comprises a personnel carrying structure, and wherein the support assembly further comprises an extendible support coupling the personnel platform to the chassis, the extendible support being configured to move the personnel carrying structure relative to the chassis between the stowed and the deployed position.

17. The drivable lift assembly of claim 13 wherein the load carrying structure further comprises a fork, and wherein the support assembly further comprises an extendible support coupling the fork to the chassis, the extendible support being configured to move the fork relative to the chassis between the stowed and the deployed position.

15. A drivable lift assembly for lifting a load with respect to a support surface, comprising:

a chassis;

load carrying structure and adapted to carry a load;

a support assembly coupling the load carrying structure and the chassis, the support assembly being adapted to move the load carrying structure relative to the chassis between a stowed position and a deployed position, such that the load carrying structure has a raised center of gravity in the deployed position, the support assembly being rotationally fixed relative to the chassis;

a plurality of wheels adapted to roll on an underlying support surface, each wheel interfacing with the underlying support surface through a respective contact patch;

a plurality of axles coupling the wheels to the chassis, each of the plurality of axles including at least one spindle adapted to support one of the plurality of wheels for rotation about a spindle axis, and each of the plurality of axles including a king pin axis to pivotally coupled each spindle relative to the chassis, the king pin axes offset from the contact patches of the wheels on an inboard side of the vehicle;

a steering system coupled to the plurality of wheels and being adapted to position the wheels between a driving arrangement and a rotating arrangement relative to the chassis, such that in the rotating arrangement each spindle axis of the plurality of wheels intersect a steer axis; and

a propulsion system coupled to the plurality of wheels and adapted to drive the plurality of wheels;

wherein the propulsion system rotates a first and a second wheel of the plurality of wheels in a first direction relative to the chassis and rotates a third and a forth wheel of the plurality of wheels in a second direction that is opposite the first direction;

whereby the chassis, the platform and the support assembly rotate simultaneously about the steer axis.

18. A method for operating a vehicle having a load carrying structure for carrying a load, a chassis having a footprint, a plurality of wheels supporting the chassis with respect to a support surface, and a support assembly moving the load carrying structure between stowed and deployed positions with respect to the chassis, comprising:

positioning the vehicle adjacent to a target site, wherein the vehicle is in a first angular position relative to the target site;

moving the support assembly horizontally outboard of the chassis footprint and vertically relative to the work site to vertically position the load carrying structure in a selected position relative to the target site;

moving the plurality of wheels to a steer mode, including;

toeing-in a first pair of the plurality of wheels, wherein individual axes of rotation of the first pair of wheels mutually intersect a steer axis of the vehicle when toeing-in the first pair of wheels and wherein the each of the first pair wheels is positioned to roll along a circular path about the steer axis; and

toeing-out a second pair of the plurality of wheels, wherein individual axes of rotation of the second pair wheels mutually intersect the steer axis of the vehicle when toeing-out the second pair of wheels and wherein the each of the second pair wheels is positioned to roll along the circular path about the steer axis;

driving at least one of the wheels whereby the four wheels roll along the circular path; and

rotating the chassis, the support assembly and the platform as a unit about the steer axis.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein rotating the chassis, the support assembly and load carrying structure includes rotating the chassis and support assembly as a unit while the chassis and support assembly are rotationally fixed relative to each other.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising moving the plurality of wheels to a driving steering mode including setting toe angles of the first and second pairs of wheels to approximately zero, wherein driving at least one of the wheels moves the vehicle forward or backward in the driving steering mode.