Motor vehicle adapted for guidance along a track

• US 4,403,553 A
• Filed: 03/16/1981
• Issued: 09/13/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Binder, Hellmuth
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoner, Jr., Bruce H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAJEC, DONALD T
• Application Number:
  US06/243,772
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 104/242, 104/245, 104/247, 104/185, 104/199, 104/119, 104/130, 105/215 C, 180/131, 180/79 C, 403/144, 403/132, 403/136, 403/133
• US Class Current: 104/245
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/26 mechanical, e.g. by a non-load-bearing guide railways B61

Abstract

A motor vehicle which may be utilized in a track or rail bound conveyance or on a normal roadway, with the vehicle including steerable supporting wheels and at least one transverse guide member arranged between opposite steerable supporting wheels on a horizontally pivotable track guide lever. The transverse guide member acts on the steerable supporting wheels and extends, in an operating position, below a tread level of the supporting wheels and, by way of a horizontal swivel joint in the track guide lever, can automatically be retracted from the operating position into an ineffective or waiting position and/or lowered into an operating position by roadway responsible roller feelers or the like movably guided at right angles to the driving direction. An expanding drive or force transmission system is coupled with the roller feeler with the system producing, upon a roller feeler movement, a movement oriented in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The drive system is movable to and fro between two defined end positions. A vertically movable section of the track guide lever carrying the transverse guide member is coupled by way of an angle lever and a coupling rod with the expanding drive system. The expanding drive system is constructed so as to be reaction free or self-locking in the end position corresponding to the operating position of the transverse guide member and the expanding drive system or a roller feeler guide unit are provided with an automatic end position securing arrangement.

Claims

1. Automobile vehicle usable as a rail-bound conveyance with steerable supporting wheels having a horizontal tread and with at least one transverse guide means arranged between opposite steerable supporting wheels on a track guide lever means which is pivotable in a horizontal plane which guide means acts on the steerable supporting wheels and extends in the operating position below the tread level of the supporting wheels, which transverse guide means, by means of a horizontal swivel axle in the track guide lever means, can be automatically retracted from the operating position into an ineffective waiting position and/or lowered into an operating position by road-way responsible roller feeler means, movably guided at right angles to the driving direction, characterized by the combination of the following features:

(a) an expanding gear system is coupled with the roller feeler, this gear system producing, upon roller feeler movement, a movement oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and being movable to and fro between two defined end positions;

(b) a vertically movable section of the track guide lever carrying the transverse guide means is connected, via an angle lever means rigidly connected therewith and via a coupling rod essentially aligned in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, with the expanding gear system;

(c) the expanding gear system is fashioned to be one of reaction-free or self-locking in the end position corresponding to the operating position of the transverse guide means so that force effects from the roadway side on the track guide lever means lowered into the operating position do not cause any reactions on the position of the expanding gear system;

(d) one of the expanding gear system and the roller feeler means comprising end position securing means for retaining the transverse guide means in the waiting position when not lowered into the operating position.

2. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that means are provided for connecting the transverse guide means with at least one of the steerable supporting wheels so as to enable a control of the steerable supporting wheels by the transverse guide means.

3. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for automatically raising and lowering the transverse guide means further comprises

a feeler means at least indirectly coupled with the drive means for sensing the condition of the roadway, and in that

the means for connecting the vertically movable section with the gear system comprises

at least one angle lever means rigidly connected with the vertically movable section and

a coupling means arranged between the angle lever means and the gear system.

4. A motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the coupling means comprises

at least one coupling rod arranged so as to be essentially in alignment with a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

5. A motor vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the securing means comprises

at least one rocker arm means having a first end pivotably mounted to a fixed member and a second end pivotably mounted to the coupling rod, and a spring means having a first end secured in an area of the pivotal connection of the rocker arm means and the coupling rod and a second end connected to a fixed member for normally urging, in dependence upon a position of the transverse guide means, the rocker arm means in a direction toward one of the two end positions.

6. A motor vehicle according to claim 5 characterized in that the spring means is a tension spring and is fixed to the fixed member at a point lying approximately along a line of symmetry of end positions of the rocker arm means.

7. A motor vehicle according to one of claims 4, 5, or 6, characterized in that the gear system further includes a plate means having a first end articulated to the coupling rod, means are provided for positively guiding a second end along a predetermined guide track, and in that the plate means and coupling rod are arranged so as to form a toggle lever linkage disposed approximately in an expanded position when the transverse guide means is in the operating position.

8. A motor vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that the feeler means comprises a feeler roller means, and a rod means for carrying the feeler roller means, means are provided for articulatingly connecting the plate means with the rod means, and in that

the means for positively guiding the plate means comprises a linear guide means for guiding a displacement of the rod means.

9. A motor vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that the coupling rod is constructed so as to be elastically resilient in a pushing direction and rigid in a pulling direction.

10. A motor vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that the feeler roller means are connected with the gear system in such a manner that a downward displacement of the feeler roller means results in a lowering of the transverse guide means and an upward displacement of the feeler roller means results in a raising of the transverse guide means.

11. A motor vehicle according to claim 10, characterized in that the transverse guide means includes at least one flanged wheel adapted to be guided in a groove provided in the roadway.

12. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two transverse guide means are arranged between the steerable wheels, the track guide lever means includes at least two vertically movable lever sections for respectively carrying the transverse guide means, the track guide lever means is constructed as a double lever and the vertically movable lever sections are mounted at respective free ends of the double lever, and in that the connecting means are adapted to connect the two vertically movable lever sections with the gear system.

13. A motor vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that the means for automatically raising and lowering the transverse guide means further comprises a feeler means at least indirectly coupled with the gear system for sensing the condition of the roadway, and in that

the connecting means comprises at least one angle lever means rigidly connected with the respective vertical movable lever sections, and coupling means arranged between the respective angle lever means and the gear system.

14. A motor vehicle according to claim 13, characterized in that the coupling means includes a first coupling rod having a first end articulatingly connected to one rocker arm means and a second end articulatingly connected to the feeler means, and a second coupling rod having a first end articulatingly connected to the other rocker arm means and the second end articulatingly connected to the feeler means.

15. A motor vehicle according to claim 14, characterized in that the first and second coupling rods are arranged so as to be essentially in alignment with a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

16. A motor vehicle according to one of claims 14 or 15, characterized in that the securing means comprises at least one first rocker arm means having a first end pivotally mounted to a fixed member and a second end pivotally mounted to the first coupling rod, at least one second rocker arm means having a first end pivotally mounted to a fixed member and a second end pivotally mounted to the second coupling rod, and a spring means having a first end secured to one of the coupling rods at a position between the connection of the coupling rod to an associated angle lever means and a connection of the coupling rod with the feeler means.

17. A motor vehicle according to claim 16, characterized in that the spring means is a tension spring and is fixed to the fixed member at a fixed point lying approximately along a line of symmetry of end positions of the rocker arm means.

18. A motor vehicle according to claim 17, characterized in that each of the transverse guide means includes at least one flanged wheel adapted to be guided in a groove provided in the roadway.

19. Automotive vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said transverse guide means is pivotable about a vertical axis.