Differential steering means for towed or self-propelled vehicles

Claim 1

STEERING DIFFENENTIAL FOR TOWED OF SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLES HAVING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF STEERABLE WHEELS, COMPRISING STEERING MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH STEERABLE WHEEL IN SAID PAIR TO PROVIDE FOR UNLIMITED TURNING OF SUCH WHEEL ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER THEREOF, A PAIR OF STEERING SHAFTS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID WHEELS, TRANSMISSION MEANS CONNECTING ONE END OF EACH STEERING SHAFT TO THE STEERING MEANS OF EACH WHEEL, STEERING MEANS FOR THE VEHICLE, AND DIFFERENTIAL MEANS LOCATED BETWEEN AND CONNECTED TO THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID STEERING SHAFTS, AND INCLUDING AN AXIAL MEMBER LOCATED BETWEEN SAID OTHER ENDS OF SAID STEERING SHAFTS AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS PARALLEL TO, AND IN THE NORMAL DIFFERENTIAL STEERING RELATION OF SAID AXIAL MEMBER AND STEERING SHAFTS, OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO THE AXES OF SAID STEERING SHAFTS, A FIRST CRANK CONNECTED TO EACH END OF SAID AXIAL MEMBER FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF, A SECOND CRANK CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER END OF EACH OF SAID STEERING SHAFTS FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SUCH SHAFT AN ASSOCIATED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION WITH ONE OF SAID FIRST CRANKS, AND A LINK LOCATED BETWEEN EACH ASSOCIATED PAIR OF FIRST AND SECOND CRANKS AND CONNECTING THE OUTER ENDS OF THE ARMS OF SAID CRANKS, THE LENGTH OF EACH OF SAID LINKS BEING LESS THAN THE SUM OF THE LENGTH OF THE ARM OF SAID FIRST CRANK CONNECTED THERETO AND THE LENGTH OF THE OFFSET DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID AXIAL MEMBER AND SAID STEERING SHAFT TO WHICH SAID LINK IS CONNECTED IN SUCH NORMAL DIFFERENTIAL STEERING RELATION OF SAID AXIAL MEMBER AND STEERING SHAFTS, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRST CRANKS IN DRIVEN RELATION TO SAID STEERING MEANS FOR THE VEHICLE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CRANKS AND ASSOCIATED LINKS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO CONVERT THE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENTS IMPARTED TO SAID FIRST CRANKS BY SAID VEHICLE STEERING MEANS TO A MOVEMENT AT THE STEERING MEANS OF SAID WHEELS SUCH AS TO MOVE BOTH WHEELS SO THAT THE PLANES THEREOF ARE MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO STRAIGHT LINES PASSING THROUGH THE CENTERS OF THE WHEELS AND THE CENTER OF THE TURNING CIRCLE OF THE VEHICLE, AND IN NORMAL DIFFERENTIAL STEERING RELATION OF SAID AXIAL MEMBER AND SAID STEERING SHAFTS, TO CONVERT THE CONSTANT SPEED REVOLUTIONS OF SAID FIRST CRANKS INTO VARIABLE ANGULAR SPEED REVOLUTIONS EACH COMPOSED OF ONE MAXIMUM AND ONE MINIMUM SPEED FOR SAID SECOND CRANKS, AND SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO CONVERT THE VARIABLE ANGULAR SPEED REVOLUTIONS IMPARTED TO SAID STEERING SHAFTS BY SAID SECOND CRANKS INTO VARIABLE ANGULAR SPEED REVOLUTIONS FOR SAID STEERING MEANS IN WHICH EACH OF SUCH LATTER REVOLUTIONS HAS TWO MAXIMUM AND TWO MINIMUM SPEEDS.