Steering means for lift trucks

Claim 1

A STEERING MECHANISM FOR A VEHICLE COMPRISING A CHASSIS, A PAIR OF FRONT STEERABLE GROUND WHEELS AND A PAIR OF REAR STEERABLE GROUND WHEELS MOUNTED AT THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS OF THE CHASSIS, MOUNTING MEANS FOR EACH WHEEL COMPRISING A BRACKET ON WHICH THE WHEEL IS JOURNALED, A PIVOT PIN SECURED TO THE BRACKET, A BEARING HOUSING SECURED TO THE CHASSIS HAVING SPACED WALLS, BEARING MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID SPACED WALLS TO RECEIVE THE PIVOT PIN WHEREBY EACH WHEEL IS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE CHASSIS, A MOTION TRANSMITTING ELEMENT SECURED TO THE PORTION OF THE PIVOT PIN LOCATED BETWEEN THE SPACED WALLS, A FIRST FLEXIBLE MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS CONNECTING THE MOTION TRANSMITTING ELEMENT ON THE PIVOT PIN OF ONE FRONT WHEEL TO THE MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS ON THE PIVOT PIN ON THE OTHER FRONT WHEEL, A SECOND FLEXIBLE MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS CONNECTING THE MOTION TRANSMITTING ELEMENT ON THE PIVOT PIN OF A REAR WHEEL TO THE MOTION TRANSMITTING ELEMENT ON THE PIVOT PIN OF THE OTHER REAR WHEEL, A STEERING CONTROL MEANS, GEARING MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE STEERING CONTROL MEANS WITH THE FIRST FLEXIBLE TRANSMISSION MEANS TO MOVE THE FRONT WHEELS JOINTLY IN ONE DIRECTION, AND GEAR MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE STEERING CONTROL MEANS WITH THE SECOND FLEXIBLE TRANSMISSION MEANS TO MOVE THE REAR WHEELS JOINTLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE FRONT WHEELS, SAID MOTION TRANSMITTING ELEMENTS SECURED TO THE PIVOT PINS ARE SPROCKET WHEELS AND SAID FLEXIBLE TRANMISSION MEAN ARE ENDLESS SPROCKET CHAINS IN ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH; AND SAID STEERING CONTROL MEANS AND GEARING MEANS COMPRISE A GEAR CASING, TWO PARALLEL SHAFT CARRIED BY OPPOSITE WALLS OF THE CASING, A STEERING WHEEL CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID SHAFTS, A PLURALITY OF SPROCKET WHEELS ROTATABLY CARRIED ON SAID ONE SHAFT, A FIRST GEAR SECURED TO SAID ONE SHAFT, THREE ADDITIONAL GEARS SECURED TO THE OTHER OF SAID SHAFTS, THE FIRST OF SAID THREE GEARS ENGAGING SAID FIRST GEAR ON SAID ONE SHAFT, THE SECOND OF SAID THREE GEARS ENGAGING ONE OF SAID SPROCKET WHEELS OF SAID PLURALITY OF SPROCKET WHEELS AND THE THIRD OF SAID THREE GEARS INTERCONNECTING ANOTHER OF SAID PLURALITY OF SPROCKET WHEELS THROUGH AN IDLING GEAR, WITH EACH OF THE SPROCKET WHEELS ON SAID ONE SHAFT ENGAGING ONE OF THE SPROCKET CHAINS.