DIRECTIONALLY STABLE SELF PROPELLED VEHICLE

• US 3,746,112 A
• Filed: 12/02/1971
• Issued: 07/17/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinetic Concepts Incorporated (3M Company), Lundberg Hymas AB (AVS-Yhtiöt Oy), Eric S. Johnsson
• Original Assignee: Bengt Erland Ilon
• Inventors: Ilon, Bengt Erland
• Primary Examiner(s): Hersh, Benjamin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pekar, John A.
• Application Number:
  US05/204,129
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 180/6.2,3A,7A,7R 115/1R,19 305/52 301/5PR
• US Class Current: 180/6.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/003 Multidirectional wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/125 with helical projections on radial outer surface translating rotation of wheel into movement along the direction of the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/131 Vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/351 versatility, e.g. usable for different purposes or different arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0023 comprising screw-type ground-engaging means vehicles characterised by having other ground-engaging means than wheels or endless track B62D57/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 Off-Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/022 consisting of members having both rotational and walking movements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/036 screw type, e.g. Archimedian screw amphibious vehicles comprising screw-type ground-engaging means B60F3/0023
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 1/12 with rotation axis substantially in propulsive direction
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2001/122 Single or multiple threaded helicoidal screws, or the like, comprising foils extending over a substantial angle; Archimedean screws
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 5/08 of more than one propeller
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 5/125 movably mounted with respect to hull, e.g. adjustable in direction , e.g. podded azimuthing thrustersoutboard units or Z-drives B63H20/00; movably mounted for steering purposes only, rudders carrying propellers B63H25/42

Abstract

A directionally stable self propelled vehicle movable in any desired direction and equipped with at least two front and two rear rotatable driving gears having ground contact elements mounted obliquely to the axes of rotation of the driving gears. The ground contact elements being mounted so that the ground contact lines for the front set of driving gears intersect in the backward direction and that the ground contact lines for the rear set of driving gears intersect in the forward direction.

Claims

1. A directionally stable self-propelled vehicle adapted for travel in any desired direction over land or other surfaces, said vehicle comprising, in combination:

a. a first pair of axles secured to the forward portion of the vehicle and extending transversely outwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, b. a second pair of axles secured to the rearward portion of the vehicle and extending transversely outwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, c. a pair of driving means secured to the outer ends of both the first and second pair of axles wherein each driving means is independently rotatable by its associated axle and includes;

1. a driving wheel, and 2. a plurality of bobbin-shaped rollers secured to the periphery of the driving wheel at an angular disposition with respect to the axis of rotation of the wheel such that the rolling direction surface contact lines of the rollers of the front wheels intersect at a point rearward of said first pair of axles while the rolling direction surface contact lines of the rollers of the rear wheels intersect at a point forward of said second pair of axles.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein both the front and rear rolling direction surface contact lines form an angle of from 30* to 60* with respect to the axis of rotation of the wheels.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the angle is 45*.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further including first and second motors drivingly connected to the first and second pair of axles, respectively, for independently rotating each of the axles.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the rolling direction contact lines of the rollers are each parallel to the longitudinal axes of the rollers from which each line is determined.