Variable geometry track vehicle

• US 4,709,773 A
• Filed: 06/17/1986
• Issued: 12/01/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Villedieu, Eric, Clement, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGiehan, Donn
• Application Number:
  US06/875,325
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 180/7.1, 180/9.32, 180/907, 280/5.2, 280/5.28, 280/DIG. 10, 280/6 H, 280/6.1, 280/6.11
• US Class Current: 180/9.32
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/065 Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/116 Attitude or position control of chassis by action on suspension, e.g. to compensate for a slope

Abstract

The vehicle comprises two tracked bodies and one non-tracked body articulated about a common axis. Each tracked body comprises two laterally positioned tracks. The engines are carried by tracked bodies, one of them supporting an engine or motor driving the tracks located on one side of the vehicle and a motor or engine controlling the articulation of the tracks bodies with respect to one another, whereas the other tracked body supports a motor or engine for driving the tracks located on the other side of the vehicle and an engine or motor controlling the orientation of the non-tracked body about the axis. The non-tracked body supports the main useful load.

Claims

1. A tracked vehicle comprising two to four tracked bodies and at least one non-tracked body, each of the tracked bodies having at least one track, the total number of tracks of the vehicle being three or four, the tracked bodies and the non-tracked bodies all being articulated about a common axis, wherein the vehicle also comprises means for permanently maintaining the vertical passing through the centre of gravity of the vehicle within the support polygon thereof, including control means acting on an angulation motorization means for the non-tracked body about the common axis, in order to make said angulation dependent on a position reference, wherein the control means are sensitivie to signals supplied by sensors for the relative positioning between tracked and nontracked bodies and by a vertical position sensor carried by one of these bodies, and motorization means carried by the tracked bodies and placed within envelopes defined by the tracks of said tracked bodies.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein it comprises two tracked bodies, each having two tracks, a first of said tracked bodies carrying a motorization means for advancing the tracks placed on the same side of the vehicle and a motorization means for the reciprocal angulation of the tracked bodies, the second tracked body carrying a motorization means for the advance of the tracks placed on the other side of the vehicle and a motorization means for the angulation of the non-tracked body with respect to the second tracked body.