Device for regulating the position of a track-laying vehicle in relation to the ground

Claim 1

AN ADJUSTABLE WHEEL SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF THE FRONT AND REAR WHEELS OF A TRACK-LAYING VEHICLE IN REFERENCE TO THE VEHICLE BODY, SAID SUSPENSION DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A PAIR OF FRONT WHEELS AND A PAIR OF REAR WHEELS; A SUSPENSION MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID WHEELS, EACH OF SAID WHEEL ON THE VEHICLE BODY TO VARY THE POSITION THEREOF IN REFERENCE TO THE VEHICLE BODY; A HYDRAULIC SERVO-UNIT FOR EACH WHEEL, EACH OF SAID UNITS BEING COUPLED WITH THE RESPECTIVE SUSPENSION MEANS TO CONTROL THE PIVOTAL POSITION THEREOF BY THE SETTING OF FLUID PRESSURE IN THE RESPECTIVE SERVO-UNIT; A HYDRAULIC PRESSURE STORAGE MEANS FOR EACH SERVO-UNIT CONNECTED WITH THE RESPECTIVE UNIT; FIRST PRESSURE FLUID CONDUITS CONNECTING THE SERVO-UNIT AT EACH FRONT WHEEL WITH THE SERVO-UNIT AT THE CORRESPONDING REAR WHEEL; A REVERSIBLE VARIABLE PUMP INCLUDED IN EACH OF SAID FIRST CONDUITS TO PUMP PRESSURE FLUID FROM THE SERVOUNIT AT EACH FRONT WHEEL TO THE SERVO-UNIT AT THE RESPECTIVE REAR WHEEL AND VICE-VERSA THEREBY CORRESPONDINGLY VARYING THE PIVOTAL POSITIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE SUSPENSION MEANS; SECOND PRESSURE FLUID CONDUITS DIRECTLY INTERCONNECTING THE SERVO-UNITS AT THE TWO FRONT WHEELS TO EQUALIZE FLUID PRESSURE BETWEEN THE FRONT WHEEL SERVO-UNITS; THIRD PRESSURE FLUID CONDUITS CONNECTING THE SERVO-UNITS AT THE REAR WHEELS WITH EACH OTHER; A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DIRECTED ONE-WAY VALVES INCLUDED IN SAID THIRD CONDUITS, EACH OF SAID VALVES PERMITTING FLOW OF PRESSURE FLUID INTO ONE OF THE SERVO-UNITS AT THE REAR WHEELS; VALVE MEANS HAVING AN INLET FOR FEEDING PRESSURE FLUID INTO THE VALVE MEANS AND AN OUTLET FOR DISCHARGING PRESSURE FLUID FROM THE SAME, SAID VALVE MEANS BEING CONNECTED BY A FIRST PIPE TO THE SECOND CONDUITS AND BY A SECOND PIPE TO THE THIRD CONDUITS; AND VALVE CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID VALVE MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING SETTABLE SO THAT SELECTIVELY EITHER ONE OF SAID PIPES IS OPEN FOR THE FEED OF FLUID VIA THE VALVE MEANS TO SAID CONDUITS OR BOTH PIPES ARE CLOSED, OR THAT THE FIRST PIPE IS OPEN FOR THE DISCHARGE OF FLUID THROUGH THE OUTLET OF THE VALVE MEANS.