All-terrain vehicle

• US 4,085,697 A
• Filed: 07/15/1976
• Issued: 04/25/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johannes Leonardus Gaasenbeek
• Original Assignee: Johannes Leonardus Gaasenbeek
• Inventors: Gaasenbeek, Johannes Leonardus
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pekar, John A.
• Application Number:
  US05/705,399
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 115/1 R, 180/71, 180/73 R, 180/70 R, 180/24.05, 180/6.2, 180/76, 180/85
• US Class Current: 440/12.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0007 Arrangement of propulsion or steering means on amphibious vehicles marine propulsion or steering B63H
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/22 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of main drive shafting, e.g. cardan shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/34 for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles arrangement or mounting of control devices for changing number of driven wheels B60K23/08

Abstract

A steering and transmission arrangement for an off-road all-terrain vehicle provides for the drive ratios to each of the vehicle wheels to be geared up and down in unison so that each wheel receives a torque which is an average of the torque requirements of all the wheels. Steering is effected by varying the drive ratios to the left-hand and right-hand wheels differentially so that the wheels on one side are speeded up and the wheels on the other side are slowed down. The wheels are supported independently on longitudinally-extending legs pivotally connected on the vehicle body. Problems of stress on the drive train as the wheel legs rock up and down on rough terrain are avoided through a speed-reducing coupling at the pivotal leg connection and a torsional energy-storing drive shaft between the coupling and the wheel which absorbs small torques induced by the rocking of the legs and by rotational advancements and retardations of the wheels as they ride over local bumps in the terrain.

Claims

1. A self-propelled vehicle having a vehicle body, an engine supported on the body, front and rear ground wheels carried on the body at each side, at least one ground wheel on each side of the vehicle having suspension means acting between the wheel and the vehicle body for resiliently resisting upward movement of the wheel relative to the body, the wheel being coupled to and driven from one end of a torsional energy storing drive shaft extending longitudinally of the vehicle, means supporting said shaft on the vehicle for pivoting about a transverse axis at the other end of said shaft, a transverse drive shaft supported on the vehicle body at said other end of said longitudinal shaft and driving a speed-reducing drive coupling which drives said longitudinal energy-storing shaft, whereby small instantaneous advancements and retardations of the vehicle wheel and small torques derived from rocking of the wheel and its energy storing shaft about the speed-reducing drive coupling are stored in said energy-storing shaft without being transmitted to said transverse shaft, a transmission between the engine and each transverse shaft, and steering control means operatively connected to the transmissions for varying differentially the speed of a ground wheel on one side of the vehicle and a ground wheel on the opposite side of the vehicle so that one wheel is speeded-up while the other wheel is slowed down, whereby the steering of the vehicle can be effected.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 having a buoyant watertight body, a tube extending longitudinally along each side of the body and a propeller supported in each tube, the propeller being drivingly connected to the transverse shaft driving the ground wheel on the respective side of the vehicle body.

3. A wheeled vehicle having front and rear ground wheels at each side, wherein each wheel is driven through a torsional energy-storing drive shaft extending longitudinally of the vehicle, and including coupling means between one end of said shaft and its respective wheel, means supporting said shaft on the vehicle for pivoting about a transverse axis at its other end, a transverse shaft supported on the vehicle body at said transverse axis, means driving said transverse shaft, and a speed-reducing drive coupling between said transverse shaft and said energy-storing shaft.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein said energy-storing shaft is a torsion bar drive shaft which has end portions of relatively large diameter and a portion of reduced diameter between the end portions, said reduced diameter portion extending along a major part of the length of the bar.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein said coupling means between said one end of the energy-storing shaft and the wheel includes a releasable detent whereby the coupling can be disengaged.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein said energy-storing shaft is supported within a water-tight casing, and including means supporting said energy-storing shaft for rotation about its axis in said casing and means pivotally connecting said casing to the vehicle.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3 including a compressive air spring connected between each energy-storing shaft and the vehicle and resisting upward pivotal movement of the energy-storing shafts relative to the vehicle beyond a predetermined limit, and resilient means connected between each energy-storing shaft and the vehicle for resiliently resisting such upward movement whereby an equilibrium attitude tends to be restored to the vehicle.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7 including an air release valve connected to said air springs for bleeding air therefrom, a source of compressed air, an input valve connected between each spring and the compressed air source, and valve control means associated with each wheel for closing the respective input valve when the wheel pivots downwardly to a predetermined position.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3 including a positive, non-slipping drive connection between said transverse shaft and said driving means.

10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein said speed-reducing drive coupling comprises a worm on said transverse shaft and a worm gear on said energy-storing shaft.