Crawler vehicle transmission-steering assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In a transmission-steering assembly for a crawler vehicle having two lateral tracks;
- a transmission axis;
a propeller shaft extending along said transmission axis;
two output shafts extending along said transmission axis and each for driving a respective said lateral track;
two reduction units, each interposed between said propeller shaft and a respective said output shaft;
a power steering apparatus interposed between said output shafts to vary the relative angular speed of the output shafts; and
a braking device for braking said output shafts, the improvement comprising;
said braking device including a single service brake exerting, in use, a braking action on said propeller shaft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A transmission-steering assembly for a crawler vehicle has a propeller shaft and two output shafts extending along a transverse axis of the vehicle. The two output shafts drive respective tracks of the vehicle, and are driven by the propeller shaft via the interposition of respective identical reduction units. A power-steering device is interposed between the output shafts to vary the relative angular speed of the output shafts. The assembly has a single service brake for exerting, in use, a braking action on the propeller shaft, and a single auxiliary parking brake associated with the steering device.
22 Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a transmission-steering assembly for a crawler vehicle having two lateral tracks;
- a transmission axis;
a propeller shaft extending along said transmission axis;
two output shafts extending along said transmission axis and each for driving a respective said lateral track;
two reduction units, each interposed between said propeller shaft and a respective said output shaft;
a power steering apparatus interposed between said output shafts to vary the relative angular speed of the output shafts; and
a braking device for braking said output shafts, the improvement comprising;said braking device including a single service brake exerting, in use, a braking action on said propeller shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
a transmission interposed between said service brake and said propeller shaft.
- a transmission axis;
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5. The transmission-steering assembly of claim 4 wherein said transmission comprises:
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a first gear integral with said propeller shaft;
a second gear meshing with said first gear and carried by said service brake; and
a powered third gear, meshing with said first gear, being provided to transmit motion to said propeller shaft.
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6. The transmission-steering assembly of claim 5 wherein said second and said third gear are located in diametrically opposite positions with respect to said transmission axis.
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7. The transmission-steering assembly of claim 5 wherein said service brake comprises a movable braking body, said transmission-steering assembly further comprising:
an elastic member for exerting thrust on said movable braking body to exert said braking action on said propeller shaft in the absence of control of the service brake.
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8. The transmission-steering assembly of claim 7 wherein said service brake is an axial disk brake.
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9. The transmission-steering assembly of claim 8 further comprising:
a single auxiliary brake for parking said crawler vehicle, said auxiliary brake being associated with said steering apparatus.
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10. The transmission-steering assembly of claim 9 wherein said auxiliary brake co-operates with said steering apparatus.
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11. The transmission-steering assembly of claim 10 wherein said steering apparatus comprise a differential gear train parallel to said propeller shaft;
- said auxiliary brake exerting, in use, a braking action on said differential gear train, and being located on the opposite side of the differential gear train to said propeller shaft.
Specification