Articulated utility vehicle
First Claim
1. An articulated utility vehicle, comprising:
- a first frame portion having first and second frame ends and supported above the ground by at least one ground engaging first member;
a second frame portion having first and second frame ends and supported above the ground by at least one ground engaging second member, said first frame portion second end being positioned adjacent to said second frame portion first end, said first and second frame portions being turnable and laterally movable relative to each other; and
first and second fluid-powered rotary actuators, each of said first and second actuators including;
a body having a longitudinal axis;
a drive member extending generally longitudinally and co-axially within said body and being supported for rotational movement relative to said body, said drive member having an attachment portion; and
a torque-transmitting member mounted for longitudinal movement within said body in response to selective application of pressurized fluid thereto, said torque-transmitting member engaging said body and said drive member to translate longitudinal movement of said torque-transmitting member into rotational movement of said drive member relative to said body;
said first actuator being positioned at said second end of said first frame portion with said first actuator axis being oriented substantially horizontally and said second actuator being positioned at said first end of said second frame portion with said second actuator axis being oriented substantially vertically, said drive member attachment portion of said first actuator being rigidly attached to said first frame portion and said body of said second actuator being rigidly attached to said second frame portion, said body of said first actuator being coupled to said drive member attachment portion of said second actuator to permit left and right pivotal movement between said first actuator body and said second actuator drive member through a generally vertical plane generally transverse to said first frame portion producing selective left or right lateral displacement of said second frame portion relative to said first frame portion upon selective rotation of said body of said first actuator, and to permit clockwise and counterclockwise rotational movement of said first actuator body about said second actuator axis through a generally horizontal plane producing selective left or right turning of said first frame portion relative to said second frame portion upon selective rotation of said drive member of said second actuator.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An articulated utility vehicle having forward and rearward frame portions, each supported by a roller. A pair of fluid-powered rotary actuators are positioned between the front and rear frame portions of the vehicle. One actuator accomplishes side shifting of the rear frame portion relative to the front frame portion. The side shifting actuator has its drive shaft secured to the front frame portion and is oriented with its longtitudinal axis extending horizontally. The other actuator provides for steering of the vehicle. The steering actuator has its body rigidly attached to the rear frame portion and has its axis oriented vertically. The steering actuator is positioned immediately below the side shifting actuator, and has its drive shaft extending upwardly to pivotally couple to a clevis rigidly attached to the body of the side shifting actuator. The actuators can be separately and simultaneously operated to achieve separate and simultaneous steering and side shifting of the vehicle.
11 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An articulated utility vehicle, comprising:
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a first frame portion having first and second frame ends and supported above the ground by at least one ground engaging first member; a second frame portion having first and second frame ends and supported above the ground by at least one ground engaging second member, said first frame portion second end being positioned adjacent to said second frame portion first end, said first and second frame portions being turnable and laterally movable relative to each other; and first and second fluid-powered rotary actuators, each of said first and second actuators including;
a body having a longitudinal axis;
a drive member extending generally longitudinally and co-axially within said body and being supported for rotational movement relative to said body, said drive member having an attachment portion; and
a torque-transmitting member mounted for longitudinal movement within said body in response to selective application of pressurized fluid thereto, said torque-transmitting member engaging said body and said drive member to translate longitudinal movement of said torque-transmitting member into rotational movement of said drive member relative to said body;
said first actuator being positioned at said second end of said first frame portion with said first actuator axis being oriented substantially horizontally and said second actuator being positioned at said first end of said second frame portion with said second actuator axis being oriented substantially vertically, said drive member attachment portion of said first actuator being rigidly attached to said first frame portion and said body of said second actuator being rigidly attached to said second frame portion, said body of said first actuator being coupled to said drive member attachment portion of said second actuator to permit left and right pivotal movement between said first actuator body and said second actuator drive member through a generally vertical plane generally transverse to said first frame portion producing selective left or right lateral displacement of said second frame portion relative to said first frame portion upon selective rotation of said body of said first actuator, and to permit clockwise and counterclockwise rotational movement of said first actuator body about said second actuator axis through a generally horizontal plane producing selective left or right turning of said first frame portion relative to said second frame portion upon selective rotation of said drive member of said second actuator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An articulated utility vehicle, comprising:
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a first frame portion having first and second frame ends and supported above the ground by at least one ground engaging first member; a second frame portion having first and second frame ends and supported above the ground by at least one ground engaging second member, said first frame portion second end being positioned adjacent to said second frame portion first end, said first and second frame portions being turnable and laterally movable relative to each other; and side shifting and steering fluid-powered rotary actuators, each of said actuators including;
a body having a longitudinal axis;
a drive member extending generally longitudinally and co-axially within said body and being supported for rotational movement relative to said body, said drive member having an attachment portion; and
a torque-transmitting member mounted for longitudinal movement within said body in response to selective application of pressurized fluid thereto, said torque-transmitting member engaging said body and said drive member to translate longitudinal movement of said torque-transmitting member into rotational movement of said drive member relative to said body;
said side shifting actuator being positioned at said second end of said first frame portion with said side shifting actuator axis being oriented substantially horizontally and said steering actuator being positioned at said first end of said second frame portion with said steering actuator axis being oriented substantially vertically, one of said drive member attachment portion of said body of said side shifting actuator being rigidly attached to said first frame portion and one of said drive member attachment portion or said body of said steering actuator being rigidly attached to said second frame portion, the other one of said drive member attachment portion or said body of said side shifting actuator being coupled to the other one of said drive member attachment portion or said body of said steering actuator to permit left and right pivotal movement between said side shifting and steering actuators through a generally vertical plane generally transverse to said side shifting frame portion producing selective left or right lateral displacement of said second frame portion relative to said first frame portion upon selective rotation of said drive member relative to said body of said side shifting actuator, and to permit clockwise and counterclockwise rotational movement of said side shifting actuator about said steering actuator axis through a generally horizontal plane producing selective left or right turning of said first frame portion relative to said second frame portion upon selective rotation of said drive member relative to said body of said steering actuator. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. An articulated utility vehicle, comprising:
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a first frame portion having first and second frame ends and supported above the ground by at least one ground engaging first member; a second frame portion having first and second frame ends and supported above the ground by at least one ground engaging second member, said first frame portion second end being positioned adjacent to said second frame portion first end, said first and second frame portions being turnable and relative to each other; and a fluid-powered rotary actuator having a body with a longitudinal axis, a drive member extending generally longitudinally and co-axially within said body and being supported for rotational movement relative to said body, said drive member having an attachment portion; and
a torque-transmitting member mounted for longitudinal movement within said body in response to selective application of pressurized fluid thereto, said torque-transmitting member engaging said body and said drive member to translate longitudinal movement of said torque-transmitting member into rotational movement of said drive member relative to said body, said actuator being positioned at said second end of said first frame portion with said actuator axis being oriented substantially vertically, one of said drive member attachment portion or said body being attached to said first frame portion and the other being attached to said second frame portion to produce selective left or right turning of said first frame portion relative to said second frame portion upon selective rotation of said drive member relative to said body.
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Specification