Cross-country vehicle with stepwise locomotion

• US 5,137,101 A
• Filed: 09/25/1990
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hans Schaeff
• Original Assignee: Hans Schaeff
• Inventors: Schaeff, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): HILL, MITCHELL
• Application Number:
  US07/588,047
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 180/8.1, 180/8.3, 180/8.6, 414/694
• US Class Current: 180/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/04 Walking gears moving the dredger forward step-by-step

Abstract

A stepping vehicle with a chassis having two height-adjustable wheel arms with braked wheels and two stepping legs powered individually. The stepping legs are equipped with pivot limit positions parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis and to assure chassis stability outside a stepping cycle, a support system is provided with one or two additional rest points.

Claims

1. A stepping vehicle with a chassis having mounted thereupon a superstructure carrying a working implement, with two wheel arms starting from one end of said chassis and bearing height-adjustable wheels and two stepping legs connected to the other chassis end for the purpose of forward and backward stepping motions and each leg having an upper limb pivotable up and down and side to side relative to the chassis, and each leg further having a lower limb pivotable up and down relative to the upper limb, said stepping vehicle comprising:

a) said chassis includes a height-adjustable support means for supporting said chassis during individual stepping motions and during simultaneous stepping motions of the stepping legs; and

,

b) said stepping legs each having an independently adjustable lower limb and upper limb, said lower limb is linked by a parallel guiding mechanism to said upper limb.

2. The stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) each of said stepping legs are pivotable laterally from an end position parallel to a longitudinal axis of said vehicle to an angled position relative to said longitudinal axis; and

,

b) whereby when it is desired to change direction of said vehicle, one stepping leg is pivoted into a desired direction and the other stepping leg is pivoted into its ends position parallel to said longitudinal axis, so that when the chassis is raised by simultaneously extending said stepping legs, said chassis is moved into the new direction.

3. The stepping vehicle as set forth ion claim 1, wherein:

a) said chassis includes extensible and collapsible heel means for supporting said chassis in a stable manner.

4. The stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) said collapsible heel means includes a central rest arm having a lower foot plate mounted centrally to said chassis.

5. The stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

a) said central rest arm is pivotable and height-adjustable.

6. The stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

a) said extensible and collapsible heel means includes a rest wheel.

7. The stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

a) said rest wheels can be adjusted by a vertical steering shaft.

8. The stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) said support means includes a track system mounted to said chassis.

9. The stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

a) said track system can be adjusted by a vertical steering shaft.

10. A stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) said chassis includes a bracket means for removably receiving said support means.

11. The stepping vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) an articulation means is linked to an end of each upper limb and is guided by one or more guide rods located parallel to said upper limb,

b) said lower limb is hingedly connected to said articulation means; and

,

c) an actuator for powering said lower limb is also hingedly connected to said articultion means.