Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~12~5888
VEHIC~E
FIELD OF INVENTION .
This invention relates to vehicles including vehicles
suitable for various uses in rough terrain.
BACKGROUND ART
The advantage of raising a vehicle on tubular leg posts
~ for row crop cultivation i5 taught by Thomsen U.S. Patent
-~ 2,749,137 and of combining steering and drive mechanisms in
such tubular leg posts is taught by Kosman U.S. Patent
2,994,392. In addition, a means of partially isolating a
vehicle from torsional stresses resulting from uneven
terrain is taught by Bishop U.S. Patent 3,266,815. Furthar
examples of the prior art are U.S. Patents 3,366,3g~
Mulholland); 4,566,553 (McCutcheon) and 812,037 (Hanson).
The vehicles of the prior art have suffered from a
number of disadvantages. Fox example, the frames of V.S.
Patents 3,266,315 and 3,366,398 support-platforms which are
substantially elevated above the frame so that the vehicles
are not inherently stable. Furthermore, those prior art
machines which are self-propelled generally have rigid
support frames and an overly complicated drive arrangement.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is
provided a vehicle comprising:-
i) a flexible frame having a pair of side members
and a pair of end members,
ii) connector means at each corner of said frame,
, ~;
each said connector means including a pivotal
connection between the connector means and the
end of the side member and the end of the end
member at the respective corners whereby each
side member and each end member may pivot
relative to the connector means to which they
are connected,
iii)a front wheel at one end of each side member
- and a rear wheel at the other end of each side
member,
iv) a platform within the said flexible frame and
connected thereto by front and rear pivot
means which extend from the platform to the
end members and by side pivot means which
extend from the platform to each side member
whereby said end members and said side members
may pivot about to the respective pivot means. - :
According-to another aspect of the invention there is 3
provided a machine comprising:- !
i) a flexible frame having a pair of side members
and a pair of end members,
ii) connector means at each corner of said frame,
each said connector means including a pivotal :
connection between the connector means and:the
end of the side member and the end of the end :
:~ member at the respective corners whereby each
side member and each end member may pivot ~
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relative to the connector mean5 t~ which they
: are connected,
iii)a plat~orm within the said flexible frame and
connected thereto by front and rear pivot
means which extend from the platorm to the
end members and by side pivot means which
extend from the platform to each side member
whereby said end members and ~aid side members
-:
-~ . may pivot about the respective side pivot
-~ ~ 10 means, at least one of said pivot means being
:: hollow, and,
~: iv) drive means mounted on the platform and
extending into the hollow pivot means.
BRIEF [~ESCRIPTIO~ OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be more readily
understood and put into practical effectl reference will now
.. be made to th~ following drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle according
: to one embodiment of the invention,
. 20 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the main frame of
the vehicle shown in Fig. 1 with the frame in its
neutral position,
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the main
frame flexed,
;: 25 Fig. 4 is a partly cut away, perspective view showing
the drive connection to the flexible frame,
Fig. S is a partly cut away, perspective view
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-; showing the drive connection from the frame to the
leg post and the connection at the corner of the
frame, and,
Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the final drive assembly
at one of the wheels of the vehicle shown in
Fig. 1.
: DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The vehicle 10 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a body 12
~--- supported on a platform or chassis 11 which is within a
-~ 10 flexible frame 14 which will be described in detail below in
relation to Figs. 2 and 3. The vehicle 10 is powexed by a
conventional engine 15 mounted on the platform 11. A seat
1~ is secured to the platform 11.
The vehicle 10 is supported by front wheels 17 and rear
wheels 18 each of which is driven by a powered suspension
system serving not only to drive the wheel but also to cause
the wheel to p~vot up and down in response to irregularities
in the terrain thereby maintaining four wheel contact with
the ground even when one wheel is driving over an obstacle
while another is dropping into a depression.
.
Each wheel 17, 18 has a final drive assembly 19
positioned at the lower end of a tubular leg post 20 that
extends downwardly and outwardly from the frame 14.
As can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the flexible frame 14
consists of a pair of end members 21 and 22 and a pair of ~-~
side members 23 and 24 connected together by connectors~25,
to define, in this instance, a rectangular shape. The end
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members 21, 22 and side members 23, 24 are connected in a
manner so that they may pivot or oscillate relative to each
other.
The details of the connections of the adJacent ends of
the end members and side members is iden~ical so it will
suffice to describe only one corner connection. Eac~
connector 25 consists of an arcuate shaped member 26 having
; a pair of pins 27 and 28 retained respectively within the
ends of adjacent frame members. The pins 27 and 28 are
~ 10 maintained in bushings ~not shown~ within the ends of the
- frame members in such a manner that they may pivot or
oscillate relative to the bushings. If desired, the pins
-- may also more linearly within the bushings.
The platform 11 consists an open framework having end
members 30 and 31 and side members 32 and 33. Each of the
end members 30 and 31 is provided with a hollow pin 34
rigidly secure~ thereto. The hollow pins 34 are slidably
received in bushings 35 provided at the center of the end
- members 21, 22 of the flexible frame 14. The hollow pins 34
are permitted to slide as well as pivot within the bushings
35. Details of the pivotal connection o~ the platform 11 to
the side members of the frame 14 will be described below in
relation to Fig. 4. However, it is to be noted that the
platform is connected to the neutral mid points of the frame
members so as to minimize movement of the platform out of
the horizontal plane.
From the foregoing description, it will be readily
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apparent that when the vehicle 10 encounters uneven terrain t
the frame 14 will be flexed, however, the platform 11 will
remain substantially in the same horizontal plane as if no
flexing of the frame 14 had occurred. This action is best
illustrated in Fig. 2where the frame is in its neutral
- position and in Fig. 3 where the frame is flexed.
As can be seen in Fig. 3, one pair of diagonally
; opposed corners of the flexible frame 14 will be raised or
lowered together while the other pair of diagonally opposed
corners will be lowered or raised together (i.e. the second
pair of corners will move in the opposite direction to the
first pair of corners. ;`
Since the platform 11 supports the engine 15 and drive
train components, the stability of the platform 11 reduces
strain on the engine and drive train components.
In this embodiment of the invention, the wheels 17, 18
are all driveA-and are all steerable so that the vehicle is
able to traverse very rough terrain. However, for the sake
of simplicity the steering mechanism is not shown in the
drawings.
The platform 11 supports a transmission box 40
connected in any convenient way to the engine lS. The
transmission box 40 has opposed outwardly extending drive
shafts located within tubular housing 41, 42 that connect
- 25 the side members 32, 33 of the platform 11 to the side
members 24, 23 of the flexible frame 14.
As can be seen in Fig. 4, the tubular housing 42 has an
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end flange 43 by means of which the housing 42 is bolted to
transmission box 40. The flange 43 carries a bearing 44
which supports a drive shaft 45 that extends from the
transmission box 40 to transfer box 46 which forms part of
the side member 23 of the flexible frame 14. At the outer
. end of the drive shaft 45 there is a bevel gear 47.
~: The outer end of the tubular housing 42 is supported by
and rotatable within a flange 48 bolted to the transfer box
- 46. The outer end of the tubular housing 42 carries a
bearing 49 which supports the drive shaft 45. A similar
arrangement is provided in respect of the tubular housing
41.
The side member 23 of the flexible ~rame 14 includes
two tubular housings 50, 51 which extend fore and aft from
lS the transfer box 46 to front and rear housings 52, 53
respectively. As can be seen in Fig. 2, each housing 52, 53
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has an offset p-ortion 54 which carries the bushinq (not
shown) for the pin 28 of the connector 25. The housing 51
is supported by flanged support 55 on the transfer box 46
and a flanged support 56 on the front housing 52. Housing
50 is supported in a similar way by flanged supports 57, 58.
The flanged support 55 carries a bearing 59 that
supports one end of drive shaft 60 (Fig. 4) and flanged
support 56 carries a bearing 61 that supports the other end
of the drive shaft 60 (Fig. 5). The drive shaft 60 has a
~ bevel gear 62 enmeshed with bevel gear 47 and a bevel gear
; 63 that drives bevel gear 64 with front housing 52. It
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; should be noted that whereas Fig. 4 shows the transer box
46 on the far side of the vehicle, Fig. 5 shows the housing
on the near side of the vehicle as shown in Fig. 1.
The front housing 52 carries a bearing 65 that supports
drive shaft 66 having the bevel gear 64 at its upper end.
The drive shaft 66 extends into the final drive assembly box
19 mounted at the end of tubular post 20 by means of the
flanged support 67. The post 20 is rotatable with respect
~ to the front housing 52 by means of bearing 68. A similar
- 10 arrangement is provided for each housing 52, 53.
The final drive to each wheel is shown in Fig. 6. A
bevel gear (not shown) i5 secured to the lower end of the
drive shaft 66 which extends into final drive box 19. A
swivel assembly 70 is secured to a face of the box 19. The
swivel assembly 70 includes a casing 71 having a flange 72
thereon which is bolted to the box 19.
Rotatably ~ounted in the casing 71- is a bevel gear 73
which extends into the box 19 and mates with the ~evel gear
on the shaft 66 to be driven thereby. The bevel gear 73 is
mounted on a shaft 74 which extends through the casing 71
and is provided with a pinion gear 75 formed thereon.
A gear box 76 is provided with a hub 77 mounted on a
stub shaft (not shown) which is rotatably supported in the
gear box 76. The hub 77 is secured to the stub shaft (not
shown) and has a plurality of threaded studs 78 for securing
a wheel thereto. A bull gear (no~ shown) is mounted on the
stub shaft within the gear box 76 and engages the pinion
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gear 75 through the arcuate opening 79 to be driven thereby
which in turn rotates hub 77.
The gear box 76 is secured to the swivel assembly 70 by
retainer ring 80 which rests on a ledge 81 surrounding the
opening 82 in the year box 76. The retainer ring 80 is
bolted to the swivel assembly 70 and is provided with a
bearinq 83 to support the end of the shaft 74~ In this
manner the gear box 76 is free to pivot somewhat relative to
- the swivel assembly. The stop bars 34 limit the amount of
movement of the gear ~ox 76 by engaging pockets formed with
the bore (not shown) of the gear box 76.
An unique arrangement of this portion of the drive
train is that upon initiating drive motion to the wheels of
the vehicle, the frictional resistance between the wheels
and the ground will result in gear 124 riding up on the bull
gear causing the gear box to pivot downwardly thus raising
the frame upw~rdly from the groundO
Although the invention has been described in relation
to a particular embodiment in which each wheel is driven and
steered, it is to be understood that the invention is not
limited thereto. For example, the flexible frame and
platform arrangement may be used with non-driven wheels to
provide a non self-propelled device such as a trailer.
Furthermore, the pivotal connections between the side
members 32, 33 of the platform and the side members 24, 23
of the flexible frame need only be hollow when it is
required to provide drive means from the platform 11 to
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wheels 17 carried by the frame 14. Similarly, the pivotal
connections between the end members 30, 31 of the platform
11 and the side members 22, 21 of the flexible frame 14 need
only to be hollow when it is required to provide drive means
from the platform 11 through the or each pivotal connection
such as power take off shaft from the transmission box 40.
As indicated above, the frame 14 flexes when the wheels
traverse uneven terrain. The resultant stresses are taken
up by bending of the frame members and corner connections
and the clearance of the corner connector pins in their
bushes at the end of the beams. In one embodiment of the
invention, one wheel can be lifted 20 inches before a second
wheel lifts from the ground. Under this flexure of the
frame, the rotation of the corner connector pin in its bush
was approximately 30 degrees and there was also sliding of
the pins within their bushes.
The mounting of the wheels 17, 18 at the ends of the
side members 23, 24 of the flexible frame 14 and the
provision of drive shafts within the side members 23, 24
means that the side members 23, 24 become, in effect,
longitudinal axles of the vehicle as opposed to the
transverse axles of conventional vehicles.
; The drive shafts enter or pass through the hollow pivot
pins at the midpoints of the frame members whereby they
remain on the same plane with one another and are isolated
from flexing from the frame.
If the vehicle is to be used to push or pull
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agricultural implements, logs, trailers and other objects, a
draft connection may be made to the platform. This would be
desirable since the draft means would not be subjected to
~- the movement of the flexing frame as the vehicle moves over
the uneven terrain. This arrangement minimizes ailure from
material fatigue and abrasion between elements of the draft
means.
Various modifications may be made in details of design
and contruction without departing from the scope and ambit
of the invention. For example, the corner connectors may be
replaced by a pin extending from one end of an end member of
the frame and a connector piece having an aperture to
receive that pin, the connector piece being connected to the
side member by a pin and bushing arrangement as before. In
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addition, retaining means may be provided on the end and
- side members of the frame to maintain the relative
rectangular orientation of the side members and end members.
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