Power train for two-wheel tractor
First Claim
1. An off-highway vehicle comprising, in combination, a tractor section and a trailing section, the trailing section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, the tractor section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a draft frame providing rolling rigidity interposed between the sections, the tractor section having an axle assembly including a tractor axle as well as an axle housing and a forwardly projecting tongue rigidly secured thereto, the tractor section having an engine coupled to the respective pair of ground-engaging wheels, the tractor engine being mounted at the rear of the tractor section, a transmission at the front of the tractor section having its input coupled to the engine, a drive shaft extending rearwardly from the transmission and coupled to the tractor axle, the tractor axle assembly having alined front and rear pivot connections defining an axle roll axis, the front pivot connection being connected to the tractor section, a spring suspension device interposed between the rear pivot connection and the tractor section to accommodate vertical androlling movement of the tractor axle housing as the machine passes over irregular ground, the drive shaft having universal joints at its ends, the forward pivot connection of the axle assembly being positioned substantially midway of the universal joints for substantially equal angular deflection at the joints upon a given amount of relative vertical movement of the tractor axle housing.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An off-highway vehicle having a tractor section and a trailing section each having a pair of ground engaging wheels. The tractor section has an axle assembly with aligned front and rear pivot connections defining a roll axis, with a spring suspension device being interposed between the rear pivot connection and the tractor section to accommodate relative movement. The tractor section has an engine mounted at the rear and a transmission at the front, with a main drive shaft extending from the transmission to the axle and having universal joints at its ends. The forward pivot connection of the axle assembly is positioned substantially midway of the universal joints for equal angular deflection at the joints upon a given amount of relative vertical movement of the tractor axle. In the preferred embodiment the trailing section has an axle assembly including a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting tongues providing rigidity about a fore-and-aft roll axis, rolling rigidity also being provided between the two sections of the vehicle, so that the tractor section tilts in accordance with lateral tilt of the wheels of the trailing section, while the tractor axle assembly is free to undergo relative movement about its roll axis in the following of ground contours.
15 Citations
10 Claims
- 1. An off-highway vehicle comprising, in combination, a tractor section and a trailing section, the trailing section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, the tractor section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a draft frame providing rolling rigidity interposed between the sections, the tractor section having an axle assembly including a tractor axle as well as an axle housing and a forwardly projecting tongue rigidly secured thereto, the tractor section having an engine coupled to the respective pair of ground-engaging wheels, the tractor engine being mounted at the rear of the tractor section, a transmission at the front of the tractor section having its input coupled to the engine, a drive shaft extending rearwardly from the transmission and coupled to the tractor axle, the tractor axle assembly having alined front and rear pivot connections defining an axle roll axis, the front pivot connection being connected to the tractor section, a spring suspension device interposed between the rear pivot connection and the tractor section to accommodate vertical androlling movement of the tractor axle housing as the machine passes over irregular ground, the drive shaft having universal joints at its ends, the forward pivot connection of the axle assembly being positioned substantially midway of the universal joints for substantially equal angular deflection at the joints upon a given amount of relative vertical movement of the tractor axle housing.
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3. An off-highway vehicle comprising, in combination, a tractor section and a trailing section, the trailing section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, the tractor section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a draft frame providing rolling rigidity interposed between the sections, the tractor section having an axle assembly including a tractor axle as well as an axle housing and a forwardly projecting tongue rigidly secured thereto, the tractor and trailing sections each having an engine at the rear and thereof coupled to the respective pair of ground-engaging wheels, a transmission at the front of the tractor section having its input coupled to the engine, a drive shaft extending rearwardly from the transmission and coupled to the tractor axle, the tractor axle assembly having alined front and rear pivot connections defining an axle roll axis, the front pivot connection being connected to the tractor section, a spring suspension device interposed between the rear pivot connection and the tractor section to accommodate vertical and rolling movement of the tractor axle housing as the machine passes over irregular ground, the drive shaft having universal joints at its ends, the forward pivot connection of the axle assembly being positioned substantially midway of the universal joints for substantially equal angular deflection at the joints upon a given amount of relative vertical movement of the tractor axle housing.
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4. An earthmoving machine comprising, in combination, a scraper bowl having a frame and scraper blade, the frame being supported on a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a tractor having a frame and pair of ground-engaging wheels, a draft frame interposed between the scraper bowl and tractor including a vertically hinged gooseneck having rigidly secured thereto a pair of rearwardly extending draft links, the latter being pivoted at their rear ends to the sides of the bowl, a bowl actuator interposed between the draft frame and the bowl to determine the scraping depth of the blade, a tractor axle assembly including an axle as well as an axle housing and a forwardly projecting tongue rigidly secured thereto, the tractor and scraper bowl each having an engine coupled to the associated ground-engaging wheels, the tractor engine being mounted at the rear of the tractor frame, a transmission at the front of the tractor frame having its input coupled to the engine, a drive shaft extending rearwardly from the transmission and coupled to the tractor axle, the tractor axle assembly having a alined front and rear pivot connections defining an axle roll axis, the front pivot connection being coupled to the frame, a transversely extending panhard type link interposed between the rear pivot connection and the frame so that the link retains the axle assembly for moving laterally while accommodating vertical and rolling movement of the assembly as the machine passes over irregular ground, a spring suspension device interposed between the axle assembly and the tractor frame, the drive shaft having universal joints at its ends, the forward pivot connection of the axle assembly being positioned substantially midwayof the universal joints for substantially equal angular deflection at the joints upon a given amount of relative vertical movement of the tractor axle assembly.
- 5. An off-highway vehicle comprising, in combination, a tractor section and a trailing section the trailing section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, the tractor section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a draft frame interposed between the sections, the sections each having an engine at the rear thereof coupled to the respective pair of ground-engaging wheels, the tractor section having an axle assembly including an axle together with an axle housing and a forwardly projecting tongue rigidly secured thereto in a centered position, the tractor axle assembly having front and rear axially alined pivot connections defining an axle roll axis, the front pivot connection being connected to the tractor section, a first spring suspension device interposed between the rear pivot connection and the tractor section to accommodate vertical and rolling movement of the assembly as the tractor section passes over irregular ground, a trailing section axle assembly including an axle together with an axle housing and a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting tongues rigidly secured thereto, the trailing section axle assembly having transversely alined pivot connections connected to the trailer section at the forward ends of the tongues, a second spring suspension device interposed between the trailing section axle assembly and the trailing section, the draft frame being so constructed as to provide rolling rigidity between the sections so that the degree of lateral tilting of the tractor section relative to the ground is determined by the tilt of the trailing section while the tractor section axle assembly is free to undergo relative movement about its roll axis in the following of ground contours.
- 7. An earth moving machine comprising, in combination, a scraper bowl having a frame and having a scraper blade along the front edge thereof, the frame being supported by a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a tractor having a frame and supported by a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a draft frame interposed between the scraper bowl and tractor including a gooseneck vertically hinged to the tractor and having rigidly secured thereto a pair of rearwardly extending draft links pivoted at their rear ends to the sides of the bowl, a bowl actuator interposed between the draft frame and the front of the bowl to determine the scraping depth of the blade, the tractor and scraper bowl each having an engine at the rear thereof coupled to the respective pair of ground-engaging wheels, a tractor axle assembly including an axle together with an axle housing and a forwardly projecting tongue rigidly secured thereto in a centered position, the tractor axle assembly having front and rear axially alined pivot connections defining an axle roll axis, the front pivot connection being coupled to the tractor frame so that the link restrains the axle assembly from moving laterally, a tractor spring suspension device interposed between the tractor axle assembly and the tractor frame for accommodating vertical and rolling movement of the assembly as the tractor passes over irregular ground, a bowl axle assembly including an axle together with an axle housing and a pair of spaced forwardly projecting tongues rigidly secured thereto, the bowl axle assembly having transversely alined pivot connections at the forward ends of the tongues, a bowl spring suspension device interposed between the bowl axle assembly and the frame of the bowl, the vertical hinge connection between the scraper bowl and the tractor providing rolling rigidity between them so that the degree of lateral tilting of the tractor relative to the ground is determined by the tilt of the bowl, while the tractor axle assembly is free to undergo relative movement about its roll axis in the following of ground contours.
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9. An earth moving machine comprising, in combination, a scraper bowl having a frame and having a scraper blade along the front edge thereof, the frame being supported by a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a tractor having a frame and supported by a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a draft frame interposed between the scraper bowl and tractor including a gooseneck vertically hinged to the tractor and having rigidly secured thereto a pair of rearwardly extending draft links pivoted at their rear ends to the sides of the bowl, a bowl actuator interposed between the draft frame and the front of the bowl to determine the scraping depth of the blade, the tractor and scraper bowl each having an engine, a tractor axle assembly including an axle together with an axle housing and a forwardly projecting tongue rigidly secured thereto in a centered position, the tractor axle assembly having front and rear axially alined pivot connections defining an axle roll axis, the front pivot connection being coupled to the tractor frame, a transversely extending panhard type link interposed between the rear pivot connection and the tractor frame so that the link restrains the axle assembly from moving laterally while accommodating vertical and rolling movement of the assembly as the tractor passes over irregular ground, a tractor spring suspension device interposed between the axle assembly and the tractor frame, a bowl axle assembly including an axle together with an axle housing and a pair of spaced forwardly projecting tongues rigidly secured thereto, the bowl axle assembly having transversely alined pivot connections at the forward ends of the tongues, a bowl spring suspension device interposed between the bowl axle assembly and the frame of the bowl, the vertical hinge connection between the scraper bowl and the tractor providing rolling rigidity between them so that the degree of lateral tilting of the tractor relative to the ground is determined by the tilt of the bowl, while the tractor axle assembly is free to undergo relative movement about its roll axis in the following of ground contours.
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10. An off-highway vehicle comprising, in combination, a tractor section and a trailing section, the trailing section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, the tractor section having a pair of ground-engaging wheels, a draft frame providing rolling rigidity interposed between the sections, the tractor section having an axle assembly including a tractor axle as well as an axle housing and a forwardly projecting tongue rigidly secured thereto, the tractor section having an engine coupled to the respective pair of ground-engaging wheels, a transmission at the front of the tractor section having its input coupled to the engine, a drive shaft extending rearwardly from the transmission and coupled to the tractor axle, the tractor axle assembly having alined front and rear pivot connections defining an axle roll axis, the front pivot connection being connected to the tractor section, a spring suspension device interposed between the rear pivot connection and the tractor section to accommodate vertical and rolling movement of the tractor axle housing as the machine passes over irregular ground, the drive shaft having universal joints at its ends, the forward pivot connection of the axle assembly being positioned substantially midway of the universal joints for substantially equal angular deflection at the joints upon a given amount of relative vertical movement of the tractor axle housing, the spring suspension device having associated linkage for maintaining the rear pivot connection substantially centered with respect to the tractor section in the face of relative vertical and rolling movement of the tractor axle housing.
Specification