Crawler-belt vehicle

• US 5,950,748 A
• Filed: 12/09/1996
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Naoki, Akiyama, Masahiro, Abe, Yasutomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US08/761,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 180/9.1, 180/9.21, 180/6.24, 180/6.26, 180/6.7, 180/9.26, 180/9.34, 180/9.36, 180/9.38, 305/134, 280/124.116
• US Class Current: 180/6.24
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/02 with tracks and additional ground wheels for multi-purpose tractors B62D49/0635

Abstract

A crawler-belt vehicle is a half crawler vehicle having front wheels furnished with tires, and crawlers on a rear wheel side composed of crawler belts extending between intermediate wheels and rear wheels. The front wheels are larger in diameter than the intermediate wheels and the rear wheels and, hence, have a large ground-contact surface area. Thus, while the vehicle is running on snow, the front wheels are not apt to sink in the snow to a greater extent with the result that the turning characteristic and breakthrough characteristic of the vehicle can be improved. The intermediate wheels may be set to toe in so as to prevent detachment of the crawler belts which would otherwise occur when the sub-beams are slightly flexed or deformed in a lateral outward direction under loads applied thereto while the vehicle is traveling at high speeds on the snow. In order to reduce side slips of the crawler belts, an intermediate line extending parallel to, and passing substantially intermediately between, an axle centerline of the intermediate wheels and an axle centerline of the rear wheels is arranged to meet with a turning center of the right front wheel, and a turning center of the left front wheel at the same point.

Claims

1. A crawler-belt vehicle comprising:

left and right front wheels attached to a front portion of a vehicle body and furnished with balloon tires;

left and right intermediate wheels and left and right rear wheels that are attached through a suspension system to a rear portion of said vehicle body;

a pair of crawler belts made of a flexible material and each extending between said intermediate wheel and said rear wheel on the same side;

said front wheels having a diameter larger than the diameter of said intermediate wheels and the diameter of said rear wheels, said tires comprising rubber containing low pressure air;

an engine powering a transmission;

forward-extending and rearward-extending drive shafts from said transmission;

forward and rearward differential units connected to said drive shafts;

front right and left axle shafts extending from said forward differential unit to drive said front wheels;

rear right and left axle shafts extending from said rearward differential unit to drive said rear wheels;

right and left sub-beams extending toward the forward direction of travel of said vehicle;

right and left intermediate axle spindles each attached to an outer side of a front end of said sub-beams;

each of said intermediate wheels being rotatable mounted on an outer end of said intermediate axle spindles;

said intermediate wheels being set to toe in;

a swing tube extending transversely of said vehicle between said rear drive wheels;

said sub-beams being attached at rear ends thereof to said swing tube;

said rear right and left axle shafts extending through said swing tube to connect said rear drive wheels; and

said swing tube being swingably attached to said vehicle frame via right and left swing arms;

wherein said vehicle is four-wheel drive with front wheels larger in diameter than the intermediate and rear wheels which are swingable relative to the vehicle frame so that said vehicle has improved turning performance and breakthrough performance on snow or a muddy road surface.

2. A crawler-belt vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an axis of said intermediate axle spindle is inclined toward the forward direction of travel of said vehicle, thereby providing said intermediate wheel with said toe-in.

3. A crawler-belt vehicle comprising:

front wheels furnished with tires and attached to left and right sides of a front portion of a vehicle body;

intermediate wheels and rear wheels that are attached to left and right sides of a rear portion of said vehicle body;

a pair of crawler belts each extending between said intermediate wheel and said rear wheels on the same side;

at least one of said intermediate wheels and said rear wheels being driven, and said front wheels being steered; and

an intermediate line extending parallel to, and passing substantially intermediately between, an axle centerline of said intermediate wheels and an axle centerline of said rear wheels being arranged to meet with a center of turn of said front wheel on the right side, and a center of turn of said front wheel on the left side at the same point.

4. A crawler-belt vehicle comprising:

front wheels furnished with tires and attached to left and right sides of a front portion of a vehicle body;

intermediate wheels and rear wheels that are attached to left and right sides of a rear portion of said vehicle body;

a pair of crawler belts each extending between said intermediate wheel and said rear wheels on the same side;

said front wheels having a diameter larger than the diameter of said intermediate wheels and the diameter of said rear wheels;

said intermediate wheels being set to toe in; and

an intermediate line extending parallel to, and passing substantially intermediately between, an axle centerline of said intermediate wheels and an axle centerline of said rear wheels being arranged to meet with a center of turn of said front wheel on the right side, and a center of turn of said front wheel on the left side at the same point.