Articulated vehicle
First Claim
1. In an articulated vehicle including a front sub-chassis and a rear sub-chassis each having a respective front and rear pivot axis and at least one drive axle, a main chassis pivotally supported by each sub-chassis for relative pivotal movement about the respective pivot axes, a mechanism for communicating constant velocity power between the sub-chassis having an intermediate shaft which extends substantially along the centerline of the main chassis when the centerlines of the sub-chassis and the main chassis are aligned, universal joints on the ends of the intermediate shaft connected respectively to a front shaft extending substantially along the centerline of the front sub-chassis and a rear shaft extending substantially along the centerline of the rear sub-chassis, steering means for causing the front sub-chassis to pivot relative to the main chassis, and control means for controlling the pivoting of the rear sub-chassis relative to the main chassis in response to the pivoting of the front sub-chassis, the improvement in the control means comprising:
- menas for controlling pivoting of the rear sub-chassis so that, during turning, the centerlines of the front and rear sub-chassis intersect each other at a point whose locus of travel is nearer to the front pivot axis of the front sub-chassis than to the rear pivot axis of the rear sub-chassis, and the universal joints of the intermediate shaft are positioned equidistant from said point of intersection.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The vehicle has a main chassis (2) pivotally supported by front and rear sub-chassis (1,6), one of which carries the engine. Constant velocity power is communicated between the two sub-chassis (1,6) by an intermediate shaft (20) connected to front and rear shafts (18,21) extending along the center-lines (1'"'"',6'"'"') of the respective sub-chassis (1,6). For steering, pivoting of the rear sub-chassis (6) is controlled in dependence of the pivoting of the front sub-chassis (1) so that, during, turning, the center-lines (1'"'"',6'"'"') of the sub-chassis intersect at a point (61) nearer to the pivot axis (27) of the front sub-chassis (1) than to the pivot axis (30) of the rear sub-chassis (6). The universal joints (20a,20b) of the intermediate shaft (20) are equidistant from the intersection point (61). The rear sub-chassis (6) thus pivots through a smaller angle than the front sub-chassis (1).
86 Citations
13 Claims
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1. In an articulated vehicle including a front sub-chassis and a rear sub-chassis each having a respective front and rear pivot axis and at least one drive axle, a main chassis pivotally supported by each sub-chassis for relative pivotal movement about the respective pivot axes, a mechanism for communicating constant velocity power between the sub-chassis having an intermediate shaft which extends substantially along the centerline of the main chassis when the centerlines of the sub-chassis and the main chassis are aligned, universal joints on the ends of the intermediate shaft connected respectively to a front shaft extending substantially along the centerline of the front sub-chassis and a rear shaft extending substantially along the centerline of the rear sub-chassis, steering means for causing the front sub-chassis to pivot relative to the main chassis, and control means for controlling the pivoting of the rear sub-chassis relative to the main chassis in response to the pivoting of the front sub-chassis, the improvement in the control means comprising:
menas for controlling pivoting of the rear sub-chassis so that, during turning, the centerlines of the front and rear sub-chassis intersect each other at a point whose locus of travel is nearer to the front pivot axis of the front sub-chassis than to the rear pivot axis of the rear sub-chassis, and the universal joints of the intermediate shaft are positioned equidistant from said point of intersection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Specification