APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STEERING POWERED VEHICLES

• US 3,638,751 A
• Filed: 04/21/1969
• Issued: 02/01/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hans H. Moll, Werner Hundt
• Original Assignee: Hans H. Moll, Werner Hundt
• Inventors: Moll, Hans H., Hundt, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US04/817,715
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 180/98,79,79.1 318/16,587 250/16V,202 246/29,30 172/2,3
• US Class Current: 180/168
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires

Abstract

Vehicles steered by signals received from a line placed along a roadway have impulse-receiving means sensitive across the width of the vehicle to signals received from said line.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for the automatic control of a vehicle traveling on a roadway comprising impulse-emitting line means coextensive with the roadway, a vehicle on the roadway and having a longitudinal axis, and receiver means in the vehicle for steering said vehicle in response to impulses received from said line means, the improvement comprising said receiver means being automatically positionable transversely across said vehicle for receiving at any position transversely of said vehicle the strongest impulse from said line emitting means, and motor means responsive to the position of said receiver means for steering said vehicle from a weak impulse position of said receiver means to the strongest impulse position at which said longitudinal axis is centered exactly about said impulse-emitting line means.

2. In an apparatus as in claim 1, said receiver means being mounted in said vehicle for movement from side to side of said vehicle.

3. In an apparatus as in claim 2, said receiver means being mounted on a rod, and stop means on said rod for limiting the movement of said receiver means.

4. In an apparatus as in claim 1, said receivers being mounted on both the front and rear of a truck, trailer truck or the like having the rear wheel brakes actuable in dependence on the transverse acceleration by said receiver means.