VEHICLE HAVING AUXILIARY STEERING SYSTEM

• US 20090242316A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rexius Forest By-Products, Inc. (Rexius, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rexius Forest By-Products, Inc. (Rexius, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wyckoff, Chris, Looney, David L., Rexius, Arlen
• Granted Patent: US 8,100,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/417
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/06 fluid, i.e. using a pressurised fluid for most or all the force required for steering a vehicle

Abstract

A mobile material placer with an auxiliary steering system having a direct hydraulic drive mechanism. The mobile material placer includes a body, a material hopper coupled to the body and configured to receive and store material, a feeder conveyor coupled to the body, and a placer conveyor pivotally coupled to the body. The auxiliary steering system includes a direct hydraulic drive mechanism coupled to the steering column and which causes the steering column to rotate bidirectionally in response to fluid flow from a hydraulic pump.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a vehicle steering system, at least a portion of the vehicle steering system mounted to the frame, the vehicle steering system including a rotatable steering column;

wheels coupled to the steering column and configured to turn in response to a rotation of the steering column; and

an auxiliary steering system configured to rotate the steering column during remote vehicle operation, the auxiliary steering system including a direct hydraulic drive motor coupled to the steering column.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a mobile material placer.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the mobile material placer comprises a body, a material hopper coupled to the body and configured to receive and store material, a feeder conveyor coupled to the body and configured to receive material stored by the material hopper, and a placer conveyor pivotably coupled to the body.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the placer conveyor further comprises an in-feed end and a discharge end, the in-feed end alignable with a discharge end of the feeder conveyor.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a controller, and a remote control system configured to wirelessly transmit signals to the controller, the controller configured to control the operation of the auxiliary steering system.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the direct hydraulic drive motor is a rotary vane type motor.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary steering system further comprises a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, and wherein the direct hydraulic drive motor and the hydraulic pump are fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid reservoir.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, the direct hydraulic drive motor comprising a first hydraulic fluid port and a second hydraulic fluid port, the hydraulic drive motor configured to rotate the steering column in a bidirectional manner in response to hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic pump.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic drive motor is mounted to the steering column in an in-line fashion.

10. A mobile material placer comprising:

a body;

a material hopper coupled to the body and configured to receive and store material;

a feeder conveyor coupled to the body and configured to receive material stored by the material hopper;

a placer conveyor coupled pivotably to the body, the placer conveyor including an in-feed end and a discharge end;

the in-feed end of the placer conveyor is alignable with a discharge end of the feeder conveyor;

an auxiliary steering system including a direct hydraulic drive motor configured to cause rotation of a steering column of the mobile material placer; and

an auxiliary drive mechanism configured to cause the mobile material placer to move forward and backward.

11. The mobile material placer of claim 10, further comprising a controller, and a remote control system configured to wirelessly transmit signals to the controller, the controller configured to control operation of the auxiliary steering system and the auxiliary drive mechanism.

12. The mobile material placer of claim 10, wherein the direct hydraulic drive motor is a rotary vane type motor.

13. The mobile material placer of claim 10, wherein the direct hydraulic drive motor is coupled to the steering column, and wherein the auxiliary steering system further comprises a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, wherein the hydraulic drive motor and the hydraulic pump are fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid reservoir.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, the direct hydraulic drive motor comprises a first hydraulic fluid port and a second hydraulic fluid port, the direct hydraulic drive motor configured to rotate the steering column in a bidirectional manner in response to hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic pump.

15. A vehicle comprising:

an auxiliary steering system including a direct hydraulic drive motor;

an auxiliary drive mechanism; and

a manual mode that enables an operator to;

(i) steer the vehicle by turning a steering wheel connected to a steering column, and

(ii) move the vehicle forwards and backwards by operating an accelerator, and

a remote mode that enables the operator to;

(i) steer the vehicle via remote operation of the auxiliary steering system, and

(ii) move the vehicle forwards and backwards via remote operation of the auxiliary drive mechanism.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the manual mode is configured to override the remote mode when the operator turns the steering wheel.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the direct hydraulic drive motor is coupled to the steering column, and wherein the auxiliary steering system further comprises a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, and wherein the hydraulic drive motor and the hydraulic pump are fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid reservoir.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the hydraulic drive motor comprises a first hydraulic fluid port and a second hydraulic fluid port, the hydraulic drive motor configured to rotate the steering column in a bidirectional manner in response to hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic pump.

19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is a mobile material placer.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the mobile material placer comprises a body, a material hopper coupled to the body and configured to receive and store material, a feeder conveyor coupled to the body and configured to receive material stored by the material hopper, the feeder conveyor including a discharge end, and a placer conveyor pivotably coupled to the body, the placer conveyor including an in-feed end and a discharge end, the in-feed end alignable with the discharge end of the feeder conveyor.