Four-way levelling mechanism for off-road vehicle
First Claim
1. A tilt mechanism for pivotally mounting the superstructure of a vehicle to a chassis, said tilt mechanism comprising:
- a. a first pivot pin defining a first pivot axis, said first pivot pin passing through an aperture in a first member connected to said chassis and through an aperture in a second member coupled to said superstructure;
b. a spherical bearing having a center of rotation lying on said first pivot axis;
c. first connecting means rigidly fixing a first half of said spherical bearing with respect to said first member; and
,d. second connecting means rigidly fixing a second half of said spherical bearing to said second member;
wherein said second member is pivotable relative to said first member about said pivot axis.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A four way tilt mechanism maintaining the superstructure of an off-road vehicle generally horizontal while the vehicle is working on uneven terrain is disclosed. The tilt mechanism is very robust and provides independent adjustment of the angle of tilt relative to each of two pivot axes. The tilt mechanism incorporates a spherical bearing mounted on a shaft perpendicular to the longitudinal pivot axis of the tilt mechanism to eliminate end-play in the joint which forms the longitudinal pivot axis. The longitudinal and transverse pivot axes lie in the same plane so that many of the the forces which are transferred from the superstructure of the vehicle through the tilt mechanism to the chassis of the vehicle cannot cause a torque on the components of the tilt mechanism.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A tilt mechanism for pivotally mounting the superstructure of a vehicle to a chassis, said tilt mechanism comprising:
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a. a first pivot pin defining a first pivot axis, said first pivot pin passing through an aperture in a first member connected to said chassis and through an aperture in a second member coupled to said superstructure; b. a spherical bearing having a center of rotation lying on said first pivot axis; c. first connecting means rigidly fixing a first half of said spherical bearing with respect to said first member; and
,d. second connecting means rigidly fixing a second half of said spherical bearing to said second member; wherein said second member is pivotable relative to said first member about said pivot axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a vehicle comprising a chassis, a superstructure mounted to a top plate, and a mechanism for tilting said top plate relative to said chassis about a first axis, the improvement wherein said mechanism comprises:
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a. a spherical bearing mounted to said chassis, said spherical bearing having a center of rotation lying on said first axis; b. a rotary coupling having a pivot axis lying on said first axis, said rotary coupling mounted to said chassis at a point spaced apart from said spherical bearing; c. a rigid mid-frame coupled to said spherical bearing and to said rotary coupling, for pivotal motion of said mid-frame about said first axis; and d. means connecting said mid-frame to said top plate. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification