Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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~N l~r~'HIBIGUS TR;NS~08T~R
This invention generally relates to an amphibious
transporter suitable for use both on water an~ over all
types of terrain.
I provide in accordance ~rith the invention an
amphibious transporter comprising four spaced-apart
substantially vertically extending leg post members; a
~rheel assembly pivotally nounted in e~ch leg post member;
the leg post me~b~rs being interconnected by two
lon~itudinally extending frame member mea~s ~nd two
transversely extending frame ~ember means; and a
plurality of flot?~tion cells secured to the lon~itudinally
extending frame member meAns, each of the flotation cells
being flexibly connected to t`ne longitudinally extendin~ .
fr~me means.
1~ Each flotation ^ell preferably is a hollo~r
enclosure having ~ three-point conne-tion to the
longitudinally extending frame ~ember means, the three
points of connection being sp~ced-apart at locations
,~ forming apices o~ an imaGinary trian~le. Moreover, at
least one further flotation cell may be connected to
each o~ the transversely extending fr3me member means,
each further flot~tlon cell being also connected to the
vertically extending leg post members. J
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An amphibious transporter of this invention ~ay
: be provided with ~ four-wheel drive arrangemen-t, and
also with a four-wheel s-teering arrangement, as will be
described in detail hereinafter for specific embodi~ents
hereof. The transporter particularly lends itself to
the carryin~ of loads, for instance in t~e ~orm of
containers, in which case the vehicle may serve as a
- container lighter.
~n amphiblou~ transpcrter of this invention may
possess one or more of the follo-:;in~ advanta~es, as
compared to conventional tractors:
1. less fuel consumptior. for operating the
transport~r which, :~hen empty weighs
approxim~tely S00 lbs.
1~ 2. decreased soil CO~.~aGtiOn when used on
land, comp.~red to that obtainerl with
conventional tracto,-s. Soil compaction
should be avoided to ensure air circuL~tion
for soil micro-or~anisms and to permit
adequate circulation and draina~e of
water.
. the transporter is relatively inexpensive
to manufacture since component parts may
be mass produced and readily assembled.
2~ 4. by employing four vertical axles and
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wheels at the four corners of the
; rectan~ular frame a relatively high
~round clearance is obtained, for exc~mple
: in excess of 30 inches. With such ;
clearance the vehicle can go over boulders
and stumps and the ~heels themselves can
go over lar~e boulders and logs. ~urther,
as a result of the high point of impact,
my vehicle can push down and pass over
bushes and sm~ll trees wi.thout injurin~ them
or the vehicle. ~ vertical-axle-wheel unit
is disclosed in my U~S. Patent ~os. 3,689,101
and ~,822,7~7.
. the centre of gravity of the vehiclz is below
1~ the tops of the wheels of the vehicle.
6. apart from its use as a farm vehicle, the
vehicle according to the present in~ention
may also be employed in cranberry bogs, rice
paddies, and other flooded-field agricultural
applications not generally mechanised at
present. ~he vehicle may also be used in
fores-ted areas where selective logcjin~ is
presently done by hand, since no mechanical
device can penetrate the rows and remove
2S trees without s2rious ecoloeic21 dam2~2.
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Thus, the vehicle may be used as a means
of tr~lsportation over rough territory
and through marshy areas.
7. the need for sprin, suspension assemblies
~ ,or sho^k absorbers are avoided because the
; frame of my vehicle is torsionally resilient.
8. Gear trains are not requir2d in the
,' transmission of my vehicle, belts and pulleys
bein~g used for this purpose with each of a
pair o~ belts driving two wheels on one side
of the vehicle. Speed v~riation i5 obtained
by selecting belt pairs associated with
different size pulleys.
9. a mechanical brake is not required since power
1~ transmission in my vehicle is controlled by a
" , pair of tenSionin~ pu1ley arms supporting a
tension pulley moved into or out Or engagement
with the belts interconnecting driving and
drlven pulleys of the po.~er transmission.
10. reverse drive Or the uehicle is possible by
merely crossing one pair of belts bet~^reen the
driven and guide pulleys.
'~ 11. a cable te~nsionirlg and actuating assembly is
', made possible compared to th~t described in
~ 2~ my U.S. Patent 3,669,466.
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12. an improved four-wheel steering arrangement is
made possible using worm gears and worms associated
with each wheel assembly.
13. by virtue of its basic design, my vehicle can
: 5 also be used as an amphibious transporter which
incorporates the four-wheel drive and four-wheel
steering above referred to. As such, the vehicle
can be utilized for carrying cargo and can be
employed in almost any seaport or beach facility,
thus converting any potential seaport to a
container port. The amphibious transporter can
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either be towed through the water or can be
self-propelled.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will
be apparent from the following disclosure taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure l is a perspective view of one embodiment ofthe frame construction for the vehicle, illustrating in
phantom an extreme flexing of the frame members upon upward
i 20 movement of one of the support tubes for a wheel assembly;
; Figure 2 is a side elevation of one embodiment of
the improved vehicle according to the present invention,
illustrating one of the two positions of the tow bar in phantom
and the other in solid line;
Figure 3 is a plan view of one side of the vehicle
according to Figure 2, partially broken away to illustrate
the mounting of one embodiment of the tow bar to the vehicle,
, and illustrating in phantom positions of the wheels and t~
~, bar while executing a turn;
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Figure 3A, which appears in the third sheet of
drawings, is a perspective view of a further embodiment of
the tow bar for use in association with a four-wheel or front
wheel drive vehicle;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the embodiment of the
improved vehicle according to Figure 2, broken away to illustrate
the arrangement of the cable steering and belt transmission for
the vehicle; but omitting details of the actuating mechanisms
. for the belt transmission in order to simplify the drawing;
Figure 4A, which appears in the first sheet of drawings,
is a partial vertical section of one embodiment of the outer
left arm of the T-shaped subframe, the arm of the subframe
being rigidly connected to the lower flange of a side rail
channel member;
Figure 5 is a side view of a diagrammatic of one
embodiment of the improved belt transmission;
. Figure 5A is an enlarged perspective view of oneembodiment of the unidirectional locking device according
to the present invention, illustrating the operation thereof;
Figure 5B is a vertical section taken along the
lines V-V of Figure 5;
Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating one
. embodiment of the belt transmission and the actuating mechanisms
therefor;
Figure 6A is an enlarged perspective view of one
embodiment of the knuckel linkage actuating mechanism;
; Figure 6B is an enlarged perspective view of one
.: embodiment of the shifter plate mechanism;
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Figure 6C which appears in the sixth sheet of drawings,
is a perspective view of one embodiment o the emergency .
braking system;
Figure 6D is a vertical section of the shifting lever
and cam lock mechanism;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of one corner of one
embodiment of the frame of the vehicle, including a wheel
assembly and a tim~er hitch;
Fiyure 8 is a plan view of one embodiment of the
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improved cable tensioning and actuating assembly mounted on
a portion of a steering column;
Figure 9 is a vertical section taken along' the line
~ IX - IX of Figure 8;
: Figure lO is an enlarged end view of one side of one
embodiment of the vehicle according to Figures 2 to 4, broken
away to illustrate the mounting of the side panels relative to
the floor of the vehicle;
: Figure 11 is a front view of the improved vehicle
showing banking thereof when executing a turn or operating on
a sloped surface;
Figure 12 is a top perspective view of one embodiment
of the ve~icle;
Figure 13 is a plan view illustrating one embodiment of
: the steering arrangement utilizing worm gears and worms
.. 25 associated with each wheel assembly;
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Figure 13A is a section taken along the line XIII -
; XIII of Figure 13;
Figure 14 is a plan view of one embodiment of the
` improved vehicle according to the present invention for use as
.~ 30 an amphibious transporter;
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Figure 14A is an enlarged plan view of one embodiment
of the arrangement for securing the floation cells to the frame
of the transporter;
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FIGURE 15 is a side view of the embodiment of the
transporter according to Figure 14, partly broken away
: to illustrate the interio~ construction of the transpor-
ter; and I
5 FIGURE 16 is a rear view of the vehicle of Figure
; 14.
One embodiment of the improved vehicle ac-cording
- to the present invention is designated generally in l
Figures 2 to 4, 11 and 12 by reference number 20. The '!
vehicle has an outer body construction comprising side :
panels 22 and 24 which are separated from and do not, I
during operation of the vehicle, contact a front panel ¦,
or cowl 26, there being a clearance 25 therebetween. l
As best seen in Figure 10, ~ach of the side panels .,
22 and 24 have an inwardly directed ~-shaped channel 27 ~I
secured to a lower outer edge thereof, the U-shaped ~¦
channels extending nearly the entire length of the side
panels. The U-shaped channels 27 slidably engage a ;
20 floor panel 2~ which is secured by bolts or similar i
fasteners to the frame of the vehicle, whereby the U- i
,. shaped channels are free to move longitudinally relative
; to the floor 28 of the vehicle. In order to limit noise ~.
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due to the sliding action of the side panels relative to '
25 the floor, a plywood sheet can be utilized for the floor Ij
: panel 28. Inner edges of the rear end of each side panel '
22 and 24 are secured to mounting brackets 30 mounted on !
rear rail members of the frame, the side panels having :
`` rigid outwardly projecting members which slide through ,
30 openings in the brackets 30 and are releasably engaged i
` by releasing clips 31 which are pivotally sec;lred to the
. frame for pivotin~ into and out of locking engagement
:, with the portions of the projecting members extending , through the openings in the brackets 30. The mounting
of the side panels 22 and 24 on the frame of the vehicle
~- by means of clips allows the body to flex with the frame
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without permanent distortion as the twisting action of
the rail members forming the frame is read;ly followed
by the side panels 22 and 24. The body o the vehicle
: also includes a tailgate 32 which is secured by means of
a hinge 33 to a rear rail member of the frame, the tail-
gate 32 being easily lowered to a step position 32', as
shown in phantom in Figure 2, in which position the tail-
gate is situated against the rear frame tubes and pro- ¦
vides easy access to the rear of the vehicle. The cowl
26 is attached forward at three points and, as in the
case of the side panels, is able to flex with the frame.
Further, the space between the cowl and the side panels
can be seen to change with the frame flexing, ample
I clearance 25 being left permits this to take place. By
removing the cowl-26, the motor, clutch and steering
mechanisms for the vehicle are exposed. Similarly, re-
moving the side panels, the drive mechanism of the ve-
hicle is exposed.
As seen in Figure 12, the vehicle also includes
seats S which are pivotally hinged by means of rods R
, secured to the seats S, the rods R being angled forward-
ly and inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of the
vehicle and being pivotally mounted in brackets B secur-
ed to the floor of the vehicle. In this way, each seat
can be tilted toward the center of the vehicle so that
the seat back passes immediately behind the other.
~, thereby facilitating access to the rear of the vehicle
or from the rear of the vehicle to the seats S. Since the
seats S are mounted on a floor secured to a T-shaped sub- ¦
Erame 34, as described below, flexing of the vehicle 20
is not transferred to the seats S.
The T-shaped sub-frame 34 comprises an open-
able top housing for supporting a multiple belt trans-
mission 36, together with the belts and pullcys for
35 transferring powe~ from the driven pulleys of the trans- ¦
mission to the individual wheels of the vehicle. The
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T~shaped sub-frame comprises a bottom wall 38 which is
substantially T-shaped in plan view, a back wall 40,
outer front walls 42, inner side walls 44, outer side
walls 46, and an open front end 48. Each of the walls
extends at right angles to the T-shaped bottom wall 38.
The inner side walls 44 are secured to the rear wall 40
and extend forwardly therefrom the length of ~he sub-
frame 34. Further, the inner side walls 44 are parallel
to the outer side walls 46 and at right angles to the
- 10 rear wall 40 and outer front walls 42.
The T-shaped sub-frame 34 is connected adja-
cent the outer ends of the bottom wall 38 to longitudin-
.' ally extending side rails 50 and 52 of the frame, at lo-
. cations 60 and 62 respectively, these connections being
lS either rigid or rotatable. The locations 60 and 62 are
either at the bottom or the top of the side rail members
50 and 52. The front end of the T-frame 34 is flexibly
; secured to a front raiI 56 of the frame at a location 64.
In addition to supporting the transmission 36, the T-
shaped sub-frame 34 supports the engine E which, by way
of example, can cornprise an eight-horsepower, four-
cycle, Briggs and Stratton Engine, the engine having
;; sufficient power to drive the vehicle up or down slopes
. in excess of 40, traversing rough country, pulling
:, 25 half-ton logs up and do~n slopes and ploughing.
` Referring to ~igures 1 and 7, opposite ends of the
side rails 50 and 52 are secured to post or support tubes
54a, 54b, 54c and 54d for the wheel assemblies. The
frame also includes front rail 56 and a rear rail 58,
opposite ends of which are lilcewise connected to the
~ support tubes. The rails can be connected to the post
;- tubes by welding or can be secured thereto by means of
'., fr~le brackets mounted on the support tubes which are
releasably secured to the side, front and rear rail ~em-
bers by means of bolts or similar fasteners~ The rail
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members forming the frame are channel or U-members, ~j
angle members or I-beam sections~ or built-up truss ~.;
members, the main constraint on the confi~uration of the j'
members being that they are capable of absorbing torsion-
5 al forces applied there~o without permanent distortion '
of the frame.
- ~ e points of attachment 60, 62 and 64 of the
T-shaped sub-frame 34 to the main frame are situated at !:
: or near points of minimu~ flexure of the frame or rail
members 50, 52, 56 and 58. However, the location of the
point 64 could likewise be approximately midway along
the length of the rear rail member 58 and still provide
a mounting for the T-shaped sub-frame 34 which is sub-
stantially free of flexing of the rail members forming
the frame. By so mounting the T-shaped sub-frame 34,
;~ flexing of the main frame does not interfere with the ~`
primary drive alignment, so that the latter may be rigid- 'I
ly installed.
; ~igure 1 illustrates in phantom an extreme flexing
of the frame members upon upward or downward mo~ement of
one of the support tubes 54 for a wheel assembly. As
seen in Figure 1, the side rails 50 and 52, and the front
rail 56 assume positions 50', 52' and 56' illustrated in
: phantom, the front left support tube 54a assuming a rais- :
~; 25 ed position 54a', likewise illustrated in phantom. Upon
upward movement of the support tube 54a to position 54a',
r~ the side rail 52 absorbs the stress by torquing in the
direction of arrow 6B, as does the side rail 50. A
similar torquing action is present in ~he front and rear
rail members 56 and 5B. The angle A between the rail
members and the support tubes remains constant due to
the fixed attachment of the side rails to the support
tubes. By utilizing a flexible frame construction such
as that described, the frame is capable of absorbing up-
ward and downward movements of the support tubes 54 of
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a distance approximately 1/4 of the length of the
shortest dimension of the frame, that is, 1/4 of the
length of the front and rear rail members 56 and 58.
By way of example, if the front rail member were four
feet in length, the frame would absorb either an upward
or downward vertical movement of either of the front
support tubes 54a and 54b of approximately 12 inches.
As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the vehicle 20
includes a tow bar 68, the tow bar being sho~ in phan-
tom in ~igure 2 in its raised or full-operating posi-
tion, as indicated by reference numeral 68'. The low
figure position shows a tongue load supported by a chain
1~ 76 which serves as a selective means for loading the ve-
: hicle by becoming slack as a heavy pull is applied,trans-
ferring the tongue load forward to the connection points
72 and thus to the front wheels 272 and 284. The tow
;; bar 68 comprises a V-shaped bar, outer free ends of
which are pivotally secured to secondary rail members
69 and 70 by means of fasteners 72, whereby the tow bar
68 is free to move in a vertical plane. The secondary
rail members 69 and 70 are inwardly facing channel mem-
` bers secured to lower surfaces of the side rail members
50 and 52 respectively, and extend almost the length of
the side rail members. Opposite ends of the secondary
rail members include lower lip portions 71 (see Fig. 7)
. to assist in introducing the free ends of the V-shaped
bar into engagement with the rail members 69 and 70. The
ends of the V-shaped bar can be secured to the secondary
rail members at various locations along the length there-
of, openings 74 being provided in the secondar~ rail
members 69 and 70 to accommodate the positioning of the
tow bar at a desired location along the lengths thereof.
Selective loading means, such as a chain 76,attach-
es the V-shaped bar to the frame of the vehicle, the
chain limiting the downward travel of the bar. When the
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tow bar is being used to pull a trailer or carts with a I ~
tongue load, the weight is taken by the chain 76, the 1,!
propulsive forces being supplied by the tow bar. When e
obstacles or heavy ground are traversed, tke tensioning ¦
: 5 of the tow bar releases the weight on the chain 76 which
is, in turn, transferred at an angle to the front wheels,
~s well as to the rear wheels. The length of the tow
bar 68 and the position of the chain 76 can be regulated
for any combination of loads and positions desired. Even
; 10 when the chain 76 is taut, some of the load is transfer-
- red forward. Further, attaching a work load at a proper
angle adds to the effective vehicle weight and increases
the traction without undue fuel consumption or ground
compaction.
According to a further embodiment of the tow bar
as shown in ~igure 3A, the same is constructed such that
all tongue loads are transferred to the points where the
tow bar is pivotally connected to the frame of the ve-
r;~ hicle. This assures that a greater percentage of the
20 vertical component of the load being drawn by the ve- I
hicle is transferred to the front wheels of the vehicle,
more so than in the embodiment of the tow bar shown in l
Figures 2 and 3 i
In this embodiment, the tow bar 502 comprises.two
pairs of arm members 504, 50~' and 506, 506', the mem-
bers 504, 504' diverging away from a point of attach-
ment 500 of the tow bar to the vehicle frame ~ y way of !~
the openings 74 in the railm~mbers (69, 70~ and being
connected to opposite ends of a vertical pin 508
Likewise, the ~embers 506, 506' diverge from a point of
attachment 500' of the tow bar to the vehicle frame and i
are likewise securely attached to opposite ends of a
vertical pin 508 Pin 508 provides a bearing surface
for a housing 510 which is pivotal in a horizontalplane
about the pin 508 and at right angles thereto. The hous-
ing 510 hasa rearwardly directed receiving portion 512
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to permit the reception of a bar 514 which connects an
;~ implement or other load being towed by the vehicle to
the housing 510. A connection means releasably connects
- the bar 514 in position in the housing 510 in such a
: 5 manner that the bar is rotatable about a lon~itudinal
~,. axis thereof, as indicated by the double arrow 515 in
: the Figure.
"; By utilizing the arrangement described above, the
,~ tow bar is able to absorb movements in three directions
of rotation, about` a longitudinal axis of the bar 514,
-~ about a longitudinal axis of the pin 508, and about an
axis of a line connecting the points of attachment 500,
.' 500' of the tow bar to the frame. Thus, this arrange-
. ment permits roll, yaw and pitch actions, while trans- j
~. 15 mitting all tongue loads to the points 500, 500', thus
'~ allowing for selective loading of the wheels of the
vehicle as desired.
. - As indicated previously, a multiple-belt trans-
mission 36 is mounted in the T-shaped sub-frame 34. As
best seen in Figures 4 to 6, the belt transmission com-
. prises six V-beLts 78, 80, 82, 84, 86 and 88, the V-
- belts being mounted on respective drive pulleys 90 and
driven pulleys 92, 92' and being supported and held in
-: alignment intermediate the drive pulleys and the driven
25 pulleys by idler or guide pulleys 94. The dri~e pulleys
. 90 are mounted on an axle 91, the axle 91 being common
with the crankshaft of the engine E. Alternatively,
the axle 91 may be rotatably moun~ed at opposite ends
: thereof in the inner side walls 44 of the T-shaped sub-
frame 34, in which case the axle 91 is indirectly con-
nected to the crankshaft of the engine E. Likewise, the
guide pulleys 9~ are mounted on an axle 95, opposite
ends of which are likewise rotatably mounted in the in-
ner side walls 44 of the T-shaped sub-frame 34.
The six V-belts comprise three sets of belts: 78
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84; 80, 86; and 82, 88. The first two sets of belts 78,
84 and 80, 86 provide two different forward speeds of the
; vehicle, and the third set of belts 82, 88 provide re-
verse movement for the vehicle. The thr~e V-belts 78,
80 and 82 drive the wheels on the left side of the ve-
~;` hicle 20, as viewed in the forward operation of the ve-
hicle, while the V-belts 84, 86 and 88 drive the wheels
on the right side of the vehicle.
Selective tensioning of the different V-belts or
pairs of V-belts is achieved by a pair of tensioning
pulleys 96 and 96', the tensioning pulley 96 being as-
sociated and adapted to engage the V-belts 78, 80 and
82, while the tensioning pulley 96' is positioned so as
to engage the V-belt 84, 86 and 88. The close proximity
of the guide pulleys 94 to the drive pulleys 90 increas-
es the amount of tensioning possible by the tensioning
pulleys 96 and 96', which engage the V-belts at loca-
i tions between the drive pulleys and the guide pulleys.
Each of the tensioning pulleys 96 and 96' is of identi-
cal construction, comprising a pulley rotatably mounted
on a respective axle 98 and 981, the axles being mounted
adjacent the free ends of respective tensioning pulley
arms 100 and 100'.
The V-belts 82 and 88 are crossed between the
guide pulleys 94 and the driven pulleys 92 in order to
permit the vehicle to operate in a reverse direction
when the belts 82 and 88 are tensioned.
The V-belts 82 and 88, being crossed, are twisted
and therefore do not tend to straighten out to the same
extent as the remaining V-belts when not being engaged
by the tensioning pulleys 96 and 96' respectively. As
a result, there is the possibility that the crossed
belts 82 and 88 will continue to rotate with the driven
pulleys 92, when the latter are driven to operate the
vehicle in a forward direction, due to undesired
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- engagement of the twisted belts with the grooves of the
; respective driven pulleys. In order to restrict this
undesired continued movement of the twisted belts 82
and 88, a pair of eccentrically mounted unidirec~ional
5 locking devices 102 (Fig. 5A~ are provi.ded. I
With the arrangement described,when the V-belts
82 and 88 are tensioned by tensioning pulleys 96 and
96', the belts rotate the driven pulleys 92, 92' in a
counterclock~ise direction, as se~n in Figure 5. When
the tensioning pulleys are disengaged from these belts,
as when the vehicle is driven in a forward direction,
the tendency of the belts, if still in contact with the
grooves of the driven pulleys 92, 92', is to rotate with
the driven pulleys in a clockwise direction due to fric-
tional engagement with the pulleys 92, 92'~ To preventsuch rotation of the belts, the upper runs of the belts
82 and 88 are adapted to actuate respective unid;rection-
; al locking devices 102, as best seen in Figure 5A, which pivot on a rod 104 counterclock~ise against the V-belts
and urge the V-belts against a guide pin 106 restrictlng
further movement of the V-belts 82 and 88. This causes
the portions of the V-belts 82 and 88 adjacent the driven
pulleys 92 to bow outwardly and come to rest against
stops 110 placed adjacent the driven pulleys 92, whereby
the V-belts 82 and 88 are moved clear of the driven pul-
leys. When the V-belts 8~ and 88 are next operated itl a
counterclockwise direction, under action of the tension-
ing pulleys 96, 96', to drive the vehicle in reverse,
the unidirectional locking devices 102 are pivoted away
from the tensioned V-belts, a stop pin 108 or similar
device limiting the pivotal movement of the devices 102
so that the devices do not rotate 360 and back into en-
gagement with the V-belts. Spaced-apart guide pins 109
extending upwardly from rod 106 assist in belt alignment.
In Figure 6, tensioning pulley arms 100, 100' are
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pivotally and slidably mounted on a rod 112, opposite
:~ ends of which are secured to the side walls o a motor-
: mounted extension of T-shaped sub-frame 34. The tension-
ing pulley arms are linked together in fixed relative
positions by means of a bent plate structure 114, upper
mountin~ support portions 115 of which éngage the upper
ends of the pivotally mcunting tensioning ptllley arms
100 and 100'. A lower end of the bent plate member 114
includes mounting supports which engage the lower ends
10 of a pair of knuckle linkages 116 and 116', the knuckle
link members having lower ends thereof pivotally and
slidably mounted on a rod 118 mounted parallel to the
rod 112 and likewise being secured at opposite ends
thereof to the side walls of the sub-frame extension.
15 Upper ends of the knuckle link members 116l 116' pivot-
ally engage respective tensioning pulley anns 100 and
100' at locations partway along the length thereof,
whereby actuation of the knuckle linkages 116 and 116'
effects pivoting of the respective tensioning pulley
20 arms 100 and 100' about the rod 112 and into and out of
engagement with the selected V-belts~
Sliding movement of the bent plate member 114 and
the tensioning pulley arms 100, 100' is effected by means
of a bent bar member 122 connecting bent plate member
25 114 to a shifter plate 124, the bar member 122 being con-
. nected by means of bolts or similar fasteners 123 to an
upper surface of the shifter plate 124, as best seen in
Figure 6A. The shifter plate 124 is slidabl.y m~unted on
a pair of parallel transversely extending shafts 126 and
128 utilizing brackets mounted on the lower surface of
. the plate, the shafts 126 and 128 being rotatably but
non-slidably mounted in pillow blocks 129 secured to a
base plate 130 (see Fig. 6) which, in turn, is secured
to the T-shaped sub-frame 34.
Sliding movement of the shifter place 124 along
the shafts 126 and 128 is effected by means of a bar
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member 132, one end of which is pintled to the shifter
plate by means of bolts or similar fasteners 133 {see
Fig. 6A) and an opposite end of which is connected to
- one arm of a pivotally-mounted bell-crank member 134. me
A 5 bell-crank member 134 is pivotally mounted about a ver-
: tical axle 136, a lower en~ of which is mounted adjacent
the front edge of the bottom wall 38 of the T-shaped
sub-frame 34. A second arm of the bell-crank member 134
is connected by means of a rod 140 to a pivotal member
10 142, the pivotal member being secured to one end face of
a cam lock 144, an opposite end face of the latter
being secured to a si~e surface of a shifting lever
146. The shifting lever arm 146, cam lock 144 and
pivotal member 142 are mounted on a shaft 147 secured
15 to the inner side wall of the T-shaped sub-frame by
means of a suitable fastener. An outer end of the shaft
147 has a threaded end which supports a coil spring 150
thereon, tension in the coil spring lS0 being adjusted
by rneans of a nut l52 mounted on the threaded end of
20 the shaft 147, as seen in Figure 6D.
Pivoting of the bell-crank member 134 by means of
the rod 140 upon pivoting of the shifting lever 146 initi-
ates movement of the bar member 132, thereby advancing
the slider plate 124 along the shafts 126 and 12~ to
25 the position selected by the shifting lever arm, as de-
termined by the operator.
As seen in Fig. 6D, the cam lock 144 has a pair of
mating faces intermediate the ends thereof which are
;: separated on rotation of one of the mating faces rela-
tive to the other which occurs upon actuation of the
shif~ing lever 1~l6. Upon separation of the mating faces
of the cam lock 144, the pivot member 142 is moved
axially along the support shaft 147 away from the shift-
; ing lever 146, thereby compressing the coil spring 150.
The force in the coil spring 150 forces the pivotal
11~3~218
~. -19-
. . .
member 142 back toward the shifting lever, causing the
cam lock to return to a position in which the mating
faces are in contact, during which return movement, the
pivotal member 142 is rotated an amount corresponding to
the newly-selected position of the shifting lever 146.
In this way, the pivotal member 142 is pivoted on the
shaft 147 and correspondingly advances or retracts the
rod 140, thereby pivoting the bell-crank member 134
about its vertical axle 136.
In order to permit sliding movement o the
shifter plate 124, the operator must depress both clutch
pedals 154 and 156 (see Figs. 6 and 12) in the vehicle,
- thereby pivoting respective linkages 158 and 160 rear-
wardly. The linkage 158 comprises a pair of link mem-
bers 162 and 164 which are pivotally secured together,
the latter of which is ri~idly secured to the end of the
shaft 126. The linkage 160 comprises link members 166
and 168 which are pivotally secured togerher, the latter
link member being mounted on the shaft 128. The linlc
members 164 and 168, upon actuation of the respective
clutch pedals 154 and 156, are pivoted into and out of
engagement with spaced-apart slots located in adjacent
edges of the shifter ~late 124. Accordingly, as best
seen in Figure 6A, the link member 164 can be brought
into or out of engagement with slots 170, 172 or 174.
Between each of the slots 170, 172 and 174 are finger-
like projections 176 and 178 having concave ends 180
and 182 corresponding to neutral positions when engaged
by the pivotal link member 164. Likewise, the link mem-
ber 168 can be brought into or moved out of engagementwith slots 184, 186 and 188, the slots being separated
by finger-like members 190 and 192 having respective
concave end portions 194 and 196.
The distance between the slots in the shifter
plate corresponds to the distance which the shiftcr plate
must be advanced to permit engagement of the tensioning
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I
3Zi8
-20-
. , .
pulleys 96, 96' with xespective pairs of V-belts, Once
both of the clutch pedals 154 and 156 are depressed to
the correct degree, movement of the shifter plate is e~-
fected by the rod 140 connected to the pivotal member 142
5 through the bell-crank member 134, and via the bar mem-
ber 132 to the shifter plate 124.
Upon depressing the clutch pedals 154 and 156,
rotation of the link members 164 and 168 is effected,
thereby rotating the respective shatts 126 and 128. Op-
10 posite ends of the shafts 126 and 128 include members198 and 200 which are secured respectively thereto. Since
the construction of both members 198 and 200 is identi-
cal, details thereof will now be described in respect
of member 198, as seen in Figure 6B. In particular,
15 the member 198 has an opening therein through which is
inserted a boss 202, the latter being secured in posi-
tion in the opening in the member 198. The boss 202
has a cylindrical opening extending the length thereof,
the cylindrical opening receiving a cylindrical pin 204
20 which is pivotally mounted in the cylindrical opening in
the boss and extends outwardly beyond both ends of the
boss. The pin 204 has a transverse opening adjacent
each end thereof, one end opening receiving a threaded
end of a rod 208, with adjusting nuts 210 being si~cuated
25 on either side of the opening in the pin 204 for adjust-
ing the position of the rod. The opening in the other
end of the pin 204 receives the threaded end of a hook
member 212, the position in the opening in the pin being
- adjusted by means of a nut 214. An opposite end of the
30 hook memher 212 includes a loop portion 216 whïch slid-
ably engages a sleeve 218, the latter being in turn
sliclably mounted on a pin 220 interconnecting the link
members 116a and 116b forming the knuckle linkage 116.
Pivotal movement of the mernber 198 therefore effects the
35 straightening or collapsing of the knuckle linkage 116,
thereby pivoting the tensioning pulley arm 100 into and
3Zl.8
-21-
out o con~act with ~he r~spective V-belt. The hooked
end 216 slidably and pivotally engages the cylindrical
sl~eve 218 to permit the slidin~ of the knuckle linkage
on rod 118 relative to the hook member 212 in response
to shifting of the bent plate 114 by shifter plate 124
upon actuation of the shifting lever 146 by the operator.
A return spring 219 connected at one end to pin 204 and
at a free end to fixe~ point 221, returns clutch pedal
154 to its non-depressed position upon release by the
operator. An identical return arrangement is provided
for pedal 156.
Tile shifter plate 124 cannot be slid along the
shafts 126 and 128 until both of the clutch pedals 154
and 156 are depressed, whereby the link members 164 and
168 are reed from the slots in the shifter plate. As a
result, if the shifting lever 146 is moved to a new posi-
tion prior to depressing both of the clutch pedals 154
and 156, the mating faces of the cam lock 144 are separ-
. ated and remain so(because link me~bers 164, 168 are
; 20 seated in the slots of shiter plate 124 thereby effec-
tively preventing pivotal movement of the bell--crank mem-
: ber 134 since bar member 132 cannot in such case move
shifter plate 124 along shafts 125, 127) until both of
: the clutch pedals are depressed. Upon depressing both
of the clutch pedals, link members 164, 168 are freed
from the slots in plate 124 enabling the force of the
spring 150 to move the cam lock to a positi.on in which
the mating faces are in contact, thereby pivoting pivot-
al member 142 as hereinbefore described to a new posi-
tion and advancing the shifter plate 124 to permit en-
gagement of the slots therein by the link members 164
and 168 on return of clutch pedals 156, 158 to theirnor-
mal positions. As described above, depressi.ng of clutch
pedals 156 and 158 pivots shafts 126 and 128 via link-
ages 158 and 160, whereby members 198 and 200 are ro-
tated rearwardly so as to collapse knuckle linkages 116,
f'' -"
li~3;~18
-22-
116', thereby dropping tensioning pulley arms 100, 100'
and pulleys 96, 96' out of contact with the V-belts~ t
Once the shifter plate 124 has been advanced by the
actuating mechanism above described, to a position
corresponding to the desired speed and direction of the
vehicle, the operator releases clutch pedals 154 and
156, permitting the link members 164 and 168 to pivot
into the respective slots in the shifter plate 124. As
the link members advance into th~ slots in the shifter
plate, the respective shafts 126 and 128 are pivoted, re-
sulting in pivotal movement of the members 198 and 200,
whereby the knuckle linkages 116, 116' are straightened
through the mechanism described above, pivoting the ten-
sioning pulley arms 100 and 100~ and the tensioning pul-
leys 96 and 96' into contact with the desired V-belts.
By moving either one or the other of the two
tensioning pulleys 96, 96' into or out of the tensioning
position by depressing on one clutch pedal, d~fferential
clutching and skid or directional steering of the vehicle
can be accomplished, în that the wheels on only one side
of the vehicle are being operated by the engagement of
only one of the tensioning pulleys with a respective V-
belt.
Braking of .he vehicle can be accomplished by
means of two brakes 222 and 224 (see Fig. 6) which are
pivotally secured to respective inner side walls 44 of
the T-shaped sub-frame 34. Since the construction and
operation of the brakes are identical, the de~ails
thereof will be described onl~J in relation to brake 222
In particular, brake 222 comprises a brake arm 226 hav-
ing a brake shoe 228 secured to an upper end thereof,
the brake arm 226 being pivotally secured to the inner
side wall by means of a pin 230. The brake arm 226 ex-
tends upwardly between two V-belts and the brake shoe
228 can be advanced into or out of engagement with the
; driven pulleys 92, 92' upon actuation of the braking
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1~L43;~18
- 2 3 -
mechanism. The brake 222 is actuated by connecting rod
-~ 208 which is secured to the brake arm by means of a pln
232, the connecting rod being connected at the o~her end
thereof to the pivotal member 198, as described above.
Accordingly, upon depressing one or other of the clutch
- pedals 154 and 156, connecting rods joining the pivotal
members 198 and 200 mounted on the respective shafts 126
and 128, cause the brake shoes of the respective brakes
222 and 224 to be pivoted into engagement with the driven
pulleys. By depressing only one of the clutch pedals,
one set of wheels are locked while the other is powered
(this being achieved by only two clutch pedals) thereby
permitting differential braking of the vehicle. An
emergency braking system can also be provided, particu-
larly if the vehicle is to be used on public roa~ orhighways in areas where laws require such vehicles to
be provided with an emergency braking system. Such an
arrangement is described below.
The diameters of the driven pulleys 92, 92'
can be varied depending upon the output speed of the
vehicle desired. In this way, an infinite range of
speeds can be achieved with the vehicle. Further, flat
belts or bel~s having circular or other cross-sections,
including hexagonal and diamond section belts, can be
utilized in the transmission in place of the V-belts de-
scribed above.
As seen in Fig. 4, the driven pulleys 92 sup-
porting the V-belts 78, 80 and 82 are mounted on an out-
: put shaft 240, while the driven pulleys 92', supporting
the V-belts 84, 86 and 88 are mounted on an output shaft
242, each oE the shafts 240 and 242 being separately
journaled in respective tubular members 244 and 246 uti-
lizing bearings 248 mounted in the tubular members, ad-
jacent each end thereof. The output shafts extend out-
wardly through oblique openings 250 in the inner side
.~ ,
` 11~3'~18
--24-
walls 44 and openings 252 in the outer side walls 46
: (see Fig. l~. The outer ends of the output shafts 240
and 242 support a pair of adjacent pulleys 254 and 256,
the pulleys 254 driving belts 258 and 258a while the
pulleys 256 drive belts 260 and 260a. The belts 258 and
258a drive the wheels on the left side of the vehicle,
while belts 260 and 260a drive the wheels on the right
side of the vehicle.
The belts 258 and 258a drive spaced-apart
pulleys 262 and 264, the pulleys 262 and 264 being
mounted adjacent the upper ends of vertical shafts 266
and 268 respectively. Vertical shafts 266 and 268
drive respective wheels 270 and 272 by means of
individual vehicle wheel drive and s~spension:asse~blies,
such as those described in Applicant's United States
Patent Nos. 3,689,101 and 3,822,757, the belts
260 and 260a drive pulleys 274 and 276 mounted
on respective vertical shafts 278 and 280, the
shafts 278 and 280 driving respective wheels 282 and
284, utilizing wheel drive and suspension assemblies as
per Applicant's above noted United States patent, and as
represented diagrammatically in Figure 7.
Belt 258 is held in alignment by guide pulley
288, guide pulley 288 being rotatably mounted on a l-orl-
zontal a~le supported by spaced-apart upward extending
arms. Likewise guide pulleys 290 znd 292 maintain ali~n-
ment of belt 258a. The arms supporting the ~uide pulleys
Z88 and 290 extend upwardly beyond the respective guide
pulleys so as to further maintain alignment of t:he belts
258 and 258a. As well, guide pulleys 292, 29~ and 296
are mounted in support arms secured to side xail member
50 for guiding the belts 260 and 260a in paths of travel.
Further, the arms of any ox all of t~e guide pulleys may
be spring-loaded in order to increase the tension in ~he
belts. Guide pulleys 292 and 296 may be replaced by Y~
shaped forks as at 322 to conserve space w~th~lt ~dversely
. . .
;.
.
-25-
affecting the operation of the mechanism.
The belts 258 and 258a are also provided with
a pair of spaced-apart tensioning idlers 298 and 300
which are rotatably mounted on vertical stub axles 302
- 5 and 304 respectively. The lower ends of the stub axles
'~ are mounted on sliding clamp blocks 306 and 30~, respec-
;~ tively, the sliding clamp blocks releasably engaging the
side rail member 52 of the frame and being locked in
position by set screws or similar releasable fastener
means 309. Likewise, the belts 260 and 260a are pro-
vided with tensioning idlers 310 and 312 mounted on re-
spective vertical stub axles 314 and 316, lower ends of
the stub axles being rotatably mounted in sliding clamp
- blocks 318 and 320. The sliding clamp blocks are re-
leasably secured to the side rail member 50 at desired
locations by means of set screws or similar releasable
fastener means 309.
Each belt system 258, 258a and 260, 260a is
provided with a apir of Y-shaped forks or guides 322,
as seen in Figure 4A, situated adjacent the driven
pulLeys, i.e. 274 to prevent the continuous belts from
; vibrating out of the pulley grooves. As a result, belts
, can be readily changed and can be of commercial grade as
to lengh, as ample adjustment is present.
Use of the swivelling wheel suspension as de-
scribed in Applicant's previous patents referred to above,
when coupled with a separate transmission to the wheels
on each side of the vehicle, produce a stable vehicle as
follo~s. When the vehicle is making a turn and power is
applied to the outer pair of wheels, the rising suspen-
sion on that side causes the vehicle to bank into the
turn. On the other hand, the lack of or lessening of
power applied to the inner wheels of the vehicle in the
turn lowers the side of the vehicle to the inside of the
turn, coutering the centrifugal force of the turn by
banking. This also reduces or removes the pressure
. .
.:" ,
~`f ` . I
~143Z~8
-26-
' ' ' . ' '.
needed to steer the vehicle by applying power to the out-
side wheels. This ls exemplified in Figure 11 of the
drawings in which it is seen that the right side of the
vehicle, as seen in Figure 11, is at an elevated level
relative to the let-hand side of the vehicle. Further,
with the suspension arrangement employed by the Appli-
cant, there is zero suspension in reverse, and none when
the vehicle is coasting or stationary. Rather, suspen
sion is achieved only when the vehicle is moving in a
forward direction under power.
Steering of the vehicle is accomplished
either by means of cables utilizing an arrangement
described in Applicant's United States Patent No.
3,669,466 or by means of worm and worm gear
arrangements associated with each wheel assembly, such
as described below in association with Figures 13 and
13A.
- Tensioning and actuating of the cables associ~
ated with the cable steering arrangement can be achieved
utilizing the tensioning and actuating device described
in the United States Patent, as well as by means of the
tensioning and actuating de~ice sho~n in Figures 8 and 9.
In particular, a steering axle 330 has a steering wheel
332 (see Fig. 12) mounted at the upper end thereof, the
steering axle being rotatably mounted about its longi-
tudinal axis in any well-known manner, relative to the
bod~ of the vehicle.
As seen in Fig. 8, two pairs of spirally groov-
~ ed drums are mounted adjacent a lower end o the steering
: 30 axle 330, the drums being held in position on the ax~le
330 by means of two locking collars 333 secured to the
axle 330 adjacent opposite ends of the two pairs of drums.
The~ two pairs of drums comprise a first pair of spirally
grooved drums 334 and a second pair of spirally grooved
drums 336, each of the grooved drums having a cable ad~justing ratchet 338 secured to each end thereof, t~ere
being eight such adjusting ratchets 33~ altogether~ A
.
. ~ . .
.,.' , . .. .
i, . .
; ~ , ..
:' :
:, .
1143'~18
- 2 7 -
:, i
; cable adjusting ratchet collar 340 is mounted on the
-- , axle 330 between the drums of each pair of grooved drums
334 and 336, the ratchet collars 340 being non-rotatably
: secured in position on the axle 330 by means of a taper
~; 5 pin 342 extending through aligned openings in the axle
and collar. A third collar 344 separates the pairs of
drums 334 and 33fi.
The grooved drums of each pair of drums 334
and 336 are releasably secured in fixed angular positions
, 10 with respect to each other by means of respective-clamp-
ing means 346 and 348. Each clamping means comprises a
cable adjusting pawl 350, opposite ends of which have
laterally outwardly directed lug portions 352 and 352'.
Lach end of the cable adjusting pawl 350 is secured in
r' ~ 15 position to the respective adjusting ratchet collar 340
by means of adjusting pawl screws 354 and 354' whi~h are
inserted in openings adjacent opposite ends of the adjust-
ing pawl 350 and engag~ aligned threaded openings in the
. collar 340. Each screw has a respec~ive adjusting pawl
washer 356 and 356' situated thereon.
Each of the *rums of each pair of drums sup-
ports one end of a cable for steering the wheel assem-
; blies on one or other sides of the vehicle. For example,
portions of cable C which steer the two wheel assemblies
on one side of the vehicle are wound around drums 334aand 336a, the ends of the cable C being secured to the
respective grooved drums by means of respective adjust-
ing screws 360. Likewise, portions of cable C' are
wound around grooved drums 334b and 336b, with ends of
the cable being secured to the respective drums by ad-
justing screws 360. The adjusting ratchets 338 secured
to adjacent drums of each pair of drums include teeth
! portions 362 and 362', the teeth portions on one adjust-
ing ratchet being inclined in a rotational direction and
the teeth portions 362' on the adiacen~ ratchet being
... .
~ `
~. ' ' '- .
: ' .
;'' ~
.. - ~ . ~ . .
. ,
.: . .
3Z18
~28-
inclined in the opposite ~otational direction, as best
seen in Figure 9. The teeth portions of t~e ratchets are
engaged by the outwardly extending lugs 352 and 352' of
the pawl 350. In order to increase or decrease tension
in the cable C adjusting pawl screw 354' is first loosen-
ed somewhat and adjusting pawl screw 354 is loosened to
an even greater extent so as to permit the teeth portions
of the adjusting ratcllet 338 to pass thereunder, whereby
grooved drum 334a can be rotated relative to spirally
grooved drum 334b. Loosening screw 354' to a greater
extent than screw 354 permits drum 336b to be rotated
relative to drum 336a. Likewise, tension in the cables
wound around drums 336a and 336b can be increased or de-
creased. Once the desired loosening or tensioning of the
cables has been achieved, the adjusting pawl screws are
again tightened in position to the ratchet collar. By
loosening the pawl, the ratchet teeth pass beneath the
lug as the drum is rotated.
' The operation and arrangement of the cables
is more fully described ;n my United States Patent
No. 3,669,466.
The advantage of the arrangement herein dis-
closed is that it avoids the use of machined bevel gears
as in my prior patent for the tensioning and actuating
mechanism, the present actuating and tensioning mechanism
being less expensive to manufacture, easier to adjust
, and having broad application.
In additîon to the tow bar constructions sho-~m
- in Figures 2, 3 and 3A of the drawings, various other at-
tachments can be employed with Applicant's imprbved
vehicle, including: a basic power pack to provide power
to activate standard tractor attachments; an estate ro-
tary mower; an electric winch and lights, a plough, a
scraper, rake and brush; a snow thrower; a pumping unit;
an auxiliary power unit; and a harrow, potato-digger and
. .
row cultivator; a seed clrill, etc.
~'
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.
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1 11~3Z18
. . .
-29-
Additionally, the improved vehicle can be sup-
- plied with a logging attachment in the form of a timber
hitch 370, as best seen in Figure 7. T~mber hitch 370
includes a timber hitch member 371 pivotally mounted be-
tween a pair of spaced-apart angle members 372 and 374
secured at opposite ends thereof to the front and rear
rail members 56 and 58 respectively, and may be affixed
to T-shaped sub-frame 34 as well. The angle mernbers
,, 372 and 374 have aligned openings 376 in the vertical
portions thereof, the openings 376 being spaced-apart
along the length of the rnembers 372 and 374 to permit
insertlon of a hinge pin 378 for pivotally securing one
, end of the timber hitch member 371,
Adjacent a free end of the timber hitch member
15 371 is a rotatably mounted pulley 380 for receiving a
cable 382. One end of the cable is secured to the angle
members 372 and 374 at a location 384, the cable extend-
ing around the pulley 380 and upwardly on the other side
thereof. The free end of the cable can be attached to a
low energy winch 386 for raising and lowering the free
end of the timber hitc~i member 371, the winch 386 being,
in practice, mounted on the outer surface of rear wall
; 40 of the T-shaped sub-frame 34, as seen in Figure 12.
The timber hitch member 371 is provided with a loc~ing
device or key 388 part way along an upper surface there-
of, the locking device or key 388 being adapted to enter
- the space between the angle members when the arm is rais- -
ed to its uppermost position. In this position, the
,,timber hitch absorbs all of the lateral and longitudinal
.;30 forces, leaving only the vertical moments to be absorbed
by the winch cable 386. Further, the timber hitch mem-
'ber 371 is provided with a pivotally mounted hook 390 at
a desired location along the length thereof, depending
'upon the degree of rnechanical advantage desired,
'; 35 An implement support bar 392 is shown as being
' clamped at opposite ends thereof to support tubes 54a
' .
. .
..
, . .
~' . .
11~3;~18
-30-
and 54b, or likewise can be connected to tubes 54c and
54d, the bar 3~2 being used to support implemen~s such
as a snow scraper attachment which is mounted on the
front end of the vehicle, or other attachments such as
a roto-tiller mounted aft on the vehicle~
The following is a table setting out speci-
fications of one embodiment of the vehicle according to
the present invention when utilized as a replacement for
a conventional tractor.
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92" (2.34m)
Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50" (1.27m)
~leight (at back of seat). . . . . . . . 58'l(1.'~7.~)
~mpty Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 lbs. (_'2-~.kg)
Gross Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . 1200 lbs. ~ r~l ~kG)
~leel Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62" (l. r7,j~)
Tread (at outside of tires). . . . . . 62" (l.'-7
~orsepower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 (,.97k~r~
Engine 4 cycle Briggs & Stratton
Fuel Gasoline (no oil mixture required~
Steering Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Draw Bar Pull 80Q lbs at 900 lbs. Gross Weight
Tires 27" x 8.50 x 15" Terra Trac
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 P.S.I.(0.21 bqr)
Gear Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 to l
(std~ low
range)
Cround clearance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Number of Wheels. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Instead of cable steering the following steer-
ing mechanism can alternatively be employed for the
vehicle.
As seen in Figure 13, the alternative steering
mechanism comprises two longitudinally extending parallel
shafts 400 and ~02, each shaft having a worm mounted on
the end thereof, the worms being designated respectively
by reference numerals 404, 406, 408 and 410. Each of
the worms engages a respective worm gear designated by
J
.; .
f 1143'hl8
-31-
reference numerals 412, 414, 416 and 418. Since each of
the worm gear and wonm assemblies is o identical con-
struction, the details o the construction of the worm
and worm gear and the manner of securing the two together
will be described with respect to worm 410 and associated
worm gear 418 in conjunction with Figure 13A, it being
understood that the other worms and worm gears are simi-
larly constructed.
As seen in Figure 13~., a ?air of housings 420
` 10 and 422 hold the worm and wor~ gear in contact, the hous-
ings belng of identical construction and being secured
together by means of bolts or similar fasteners 424. The
housings 420 and 422 have inner tapered faces 426 which
engage cooperating tapered faces on the worm gear 418
lS and which, under the action of the bolts 424, allow for
adjustment of the worm relative to the worm gear. Further,
; the housings 420 and 422 may be fitted with suitable
bearings for supporting the end of the longitudinal shaft
402.
The longitudinal shafts 400 and 402 are driven
by a chain 430 which engages sprockets mounted on the
longitudinal shafts, the chain 430 being driven by a
. driving sprocket mounted on steering column 432. By
utilizing worms and worm gears with each of the wheel
; 25 assemblies, four-wheel steering can be effected. In
such case, the worm and worm gears are so situated that
; the two front wheels move in the same direction of ro- tation upon rotation of the steering column 432 and the
two rear wheels likewise rotate in the same direction,
as shown in Figure 13. Further, the worm gear and gear
assemblies at one end of the longitudinal shafts 400
and 402 are in an opposite direction to the worm and
~ gear assemblies at the other ends so as to produce the
.' required steering direction.
Each of the worm gears comprises a segment of
a gear which is mounted on a respective tubular pivot
,
11~3Zi8
-32~
member associated with each of the wheel assemblies, the
tubular pivot member being rotatably mounte~ about its
longitudinal a~is in a respective tubular post of the
wheel assembly. By way of ex~nple, the worm gear 418 is
mounted on the tubular pivot member 440, the worm gear
being secured to the tubular pivot member at a location
offset from the center of curvature of the worm gear. As
a result, the pivo~al point 442 of the worm gear 418 is
so positioned as to produce accelerating movement of the
wheel 444 when the wheel is turned to the right, and a
decelerating movement when the wheel 444 is turned to
the left. In other words, as the longitudinal shaft 402
rotates the worm 410 so as to produce a clockwise rota-
tion of the worm gear 418, the angular speed of the worm
gear increases as the worm gear rotates in a clockwise
direction in plan view. On the other hand, the angular
speed of the worm gear 418 decreases as the worm gear
continues to move in a counterclockwise direction in plan
view. This increase or decrease in angular speeds of
the worm gear is due to the fact that the distance be-
,tween the pivotal point 442 and the worm 410 increases
or decreases as the worm gear 41~ moves in a clockwise
or counterclockwise direction. Further, since the tubu-
lar pivotal member is mounted in the tubular post secured
;25 to the frame of a vehicle, as the distance between the
pivotal pOiIlt 442 and the worm 410 increases, the worm
410 and its longitudinal shaft 402 are urged inwardly
a distance corresponding to an increase in distance be-
tween the pivotal point 442 and the worm gear. However,
the worm and worm gear are held in contact by the housings
420 and 422.
The degree of offset of the worm gear 418 mount-
ed on the tubular pivotal member 440 varies according to
the wheel base of the vehicle and the tread of the vehicle
so as to produce a steering movement with a generally
common point 446 for all steered vehicles in and beyond
':
11'1L3Z18
- 3 3 -
the normal steering range of vehicles. Further, suitable
thrust bearings 448 and 450 support the respective longi-
tudinal shafts 400 and 402 so as to accommodate the in-
ward deflection of the ends of the longitudinal shafts
400 and 402 as the distance between the pivotal point
and the worr~ gear increases.
The steering axle 432 controls the steering
and may be separately and al~ernately linked to either
the front or rear sections of a vehicle. In such a case,
the shafts 400 and 402 would be separated between the
thrust bearings 448 and 450 and the chain drive 430
would be duplicated for each of the front wheels and the
rear wheels of the vehicle. In this way, it would be
possible to steer either end or the vehicle in either
15 direction separately or in combination with the remain- ¦
, ing wheels of the vehicle.
, As noted above, the vehicle according to the
present invention can be equipped with an emergency bral~-
: ing system, particularly if the vehicle is to be employed
on public roads or highways in areas where laws require
' such systems to be provided in vehicles operated on pub- ',
lic roads or highways. I
; As best seen in Figure 6C, the emergency brak-
ing system includes an actuating lever 450 which is pivot- !
ally mounted in a rod 452 extending between the inner side
walls 44 of the T-shaped sub-frame 34. The upper end of
, the actuating lever 450 is situated within reach of the
operator of the vehicle, while a lower end of the actuat-
; ing lever 450 has one end of a connecting rod 454 coupled
,. 30 thereto, an opposite end of the connecting rod 454 being
pivotally connected via a clevis arrangement 456 and a
pin 458 to the pivotally mounted bar 460. The bar 460
is pivoted at its inner end about vertically extending
pin 462, the lower end of the pin being secured to the
bottom wall 38 of the T-shaped sub-frame 34.
A pulley 464 is rotatably mounted in a
1~3Z18
-34-
horizontal plane about a pin 466, a lower end o~ the pin
466 bein~ mount~d in the bar 460 at a location between
the ~ounting pin 462 and the connection of the clevis 456
to the end of the bar. A cable 468 extends around the
pulley 464, opposite ends of the cable being pivotally
connected by rneans of connectors 470 and pins 472 to the
lower ends of brake arms 474 of a pair of pivotally mount-
~ ed brakcs 476. Both brake arms 474 are pivotally mounted
-` on a laterally extending rod 478 mounted at opposite ends
thereof in the inner side walls of the T-shaped subframe.
Upper ends of the brake arms 474 support brake shoes 480
which can be pivoted into and out of contact with respec-
; tive driven pulleys. The brake arms 474 extend upwardly
between lower runs of adjacent V-belts such that the brake
shoes engage the driven pulleys at locations between up-
per and lower runs of the V-belts.
Actua~ion of the emergency braking system is
by means of the actuating lever 450 which, when pulled
rearwardly by the operator, pivots the actuating lever
about the rod 452, thereby advancing rod 454 in a for-
ward direction so as to pivot the bar 460 about the pin
462, thereby drawing cables 468 forward and pivoting the
brake shoes into contact with the driven pulleys.
The vehicle according to the present invention
can also be utilized as an amphibious transporter or con-
tainer lighter as shown in Figures 14 to 16. As in the
case of the embodirnent according to Figures 1 to 13, the
container lighter or amphibious transporter 500 employs
a flexible frame 502 including a pair of upper longitudin-
al frame members 504 and a pair of lower longi~udinalframe members 506, the upper and lower longitudinal frame
members being interconnected by cross-brace members 508.
Ends of the upper and lower longitudinal fr~ne members
504 and 506 are connected at corners of the frame to post
members 518 which support the drive and suspension assem-
blies for the wheels 520 of the amphibious transporter
!
11'13Z18
-3s-
500. The ends of the longitudinal frame members are
interconnected by an upper front rail member 510 and an ~;
upper rear rail member 512 which are connected to the 13
` post members 518.
Lower front and rear rail members are not uti-
lized since a high ground clearnace is desire.d at pre- j
, ferably both the front and rear of the transporter 500,
:~" as best seen in Figure 16. The high ground clearance
. is provided in order to admit trucks and containers be-
,.~ 10 neath the front and rear rail members 510 and 512. Gus-
set plates 514 are provided between the front and rear
rail members and the pos~ members, the gusset plates
being situated between adjacent flotation cells.
A plurality of flotation cells 522 are secured
15 in pairs to the side rail members 504 and 506, one flota-
. tion cell being situated on each side of the side rail
member, as seen in Figure 14. Each flotation cell 522
has three points of attachment.524 to the upper and lower
frame sections, the points of attachment being spaced
apart in a triangular manner in side view, as seen in
;, Figure 15. By attaching the flotation cell 522 in this
; manner, flexing of the frame 502 can occur without dis-
tortion of the flotation cells, the degree of flexing
~; along the length of the transporter being indicated in
:. 25 phantom in Figure 16. A pair of front flotation cells
526 extend forwardly of and are secured to the front
rail member 510 and front post members 518; and a pair
of rear flotation cells 528 extend rearwardly from c~nd
are secured t~ the rear rail member 512 snd the rear
30 post members 518.
The flotation cells 522 are secured to the
transporter frame 502 by utilizing bolts or similar ,¦
~asteners 530 extending through adjacent vertical walls ¦
. of each pair of flotation cells and through the upper j
35 and lower longitudinal frame members situated therebe- !~
tween. As best seen in Figure 14A, rubber or elastic 'I
.
....~
~143~8
-36-
~. ~
pads 532 are situated between the outer surfaces of the
adjacent walls of the flotation cells and the frame mem-
ber situated therebetween, the rubber or elastic pads
532 allowing or distortion of the frame relative to
the flotation cells, as well as providing a sealed joint
; for the flotation cells.
A pair of winding drums or hoists 534 and 536
situated on either side of the amphibious transporter 500
: adjacent the front end thereof effect raising of a front
end of a platform or other load 538 situated within the
space intermediate the flotation cells and the front and
rear rail members 510 and 512. A pair of drum complexes
540 and 542 are situated on either side near the rear end
~, of the amphibious transporter 500 in order to lift the !
rear encl of the platform or load 538. The drum complex
540 comprises a pair of spaced-apart aligned drums 544
. and 546 which, when the load 538 is in position, are
, locked together by means of a common shaft 548. Likewise,
the drum complex 542 comprises spaced-apart aligned drums
~, 20 550 and 552, which, when the load is in position, are
locked by a second co~mon shaft 554.
A cable 556, which has been wound around the
drums 552 and 546 several times and is locked thereto,
comes to rest taut under the drums. Hoisting cables J
558 and S60 ~see Fig. 16), when positioned, are wound
so as to pass over drums 544 and 5S0 respectively. When
the shafts 548 and 554 are locked to their respective
drums, the system is allowed to float. As a result,
flexing of the transporter 500 will cause more strain
to be placed alternately either on cable 558 or 560, the
strain being transmitted through cable 556 by torque
through the load or platform 538. I~ cable 560 receives
the greater strain, cable 560 will be pulled downward,
unwinding a portion o the cable 560 from drum 550 and
thereby causing rotation of drum 550. Rotation of drum
S50 torques shaft 55~l, causing shaft 554 and drum 552 eo
11~3~18
--37-
rotate. Rotation o drum 552 causes a portion of cable
556 to be wound therearound,simultaneously causing a cor-
responding amount of cable 556 to ~e unwound from drum
546, thereby rotating shaft 548 and drum 544 so as to
wind a portion of cable 558 around dr~n 544. This brings
the drurn system to rest by equalizing thte torquing action
.' through platforTn or container 538. This has the same ef-
- fect as if the forward end of the load were suspended mid-
way between pairs of drums 540 and 542. In this manner,
heavier loads may be carried with greater stability, and
at the corners where the platform or cargo boxes are
stressed to receive the loads.
: By employing the above four drum systems at
both ends of the transporter 500 and positioning locking
, 15 winding drums 570 and 572 at the center of the vehicle,
the longitudinal or swaying motion of thè load will be
generally one-half the movement of the vehicle at one
end, and more than one container may be carried.
The solid line 566 illustrates the high ground
clearance of the transporter 500. With this arrangement,
and as noted above, the transporter can be loaded or un-
loaded by passing over the object to be carried, even if
it is upon a platform or truck. Likewise, since the
center is clear between the frame and the flotation cells,
loads may be hoisted in or ou~ of the vehicie whether it
is upon land or in the w2ter. Further, recess openings
such as manholes are provided in the flotation cells 522
to facilitate entry to the cells and thereby permit the
- securing thereof to the rail members of the frame. As
well, spaces a~e left between longi~udinally adjacent
10tation cells to permit fle~ing of the frame and cells
without damage thereto~
As an alternative embodiment of the worm and
worm gear steering arrangement, it is possible to replace
the offset mounting of the worm gears by worm gear, each
having an irregular shape such as a segment of a heart
1143~18
: -38- 1
. I
.~ i
shaped cam wi.th teeth which will result in equal turning
of the wheels on both sides of the vehicle as 90 rotation
of the wheel~ is reached.
The vehicle of this invention is admirably
suited for hitching tools, for pulling heavy loads, for
use as a farm vehicle, for use in cranberry bogs, rice
paddies and other flooded field agricultural applica-
tions as well as in forested zreas due to its high ground
clearance.
r~
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