Method and system for steering a vehicle

Claim 2

The method of claim 2 wherein said primary wheel is the outside wheel on a turn and the driving ellipse rotates through a lesser number of degrees than said driven ellipse.

Claim 3

The method of claim 2 wherein said primary wheel is the inside wheel on a turn and said driving ellipse rotates through a greater number of degrees than said driven ellipse.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein said primary wheel is maintained as the primary steerable wheel through steer in the opposite direction of said turn until 0* of steer is again effected.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 wherein a normal rate at which an inside wheel on a turn is steered is increased to a higher rate at an angle between about one-fourth Beta and three-fourths Beta , where Beta is the maximum angle the inside wheel would be required to be steered to effect a turn of said vehicle about the midpoint of a line connecting its nonsteering wheels.

Claim 6

The method of claim 6 wherein said higher rate is four times as great as said normal rate.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein said primary wheel is the outside wheel on a turn and the driving ellipse rotates through a lesser number of degrees than said driven ellipse.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein said primary wheel is the inside wheel on a turn and said driving ellipse rotates through a greater number of degrees than said driven ellipse.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein said primary wheel is maintained as the primary steerable wheel through steer in the opposite direction of said turn until 0* of steer is again effected.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 wherein a normal rate at which an inside wheel on a turn is steered is increased to a higher rate at an angle between about one-fourth Beta and three-fourths Beta , where Beta is the maximum angle the inside wheel would be required to be steered to effect a turn of said vehicle about the midpoint of a line connecting its nonsteering wheels.

Claim 11

The method of claim 11 wherein said higher rate is four times as great as said normal rate.

Claim 12

In a wheeled vehicle, a steering system comprising: a. a vehicle frame; b. two wheels attached to said frame and separately steerable, either of which may be a primary steerable wheel or a secondary steerable wheel; c. two wheel steering means, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels and operable to steer said wheel within a portion of a circle in response to a steer signal; d. two sensing-comparators, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels and with the one of said wheel steering means associated therewith and operable to generate a steer signal in response to a primary control signal or a follower response signal and operable to discontinue said steer signal when said wheel has been steered through the number of degrees that is functionally equivalent to, respectively, said primary control signal or said follower response signal; e. actuator means for actuating a turn by generating a turn signal; f. selector means connected with said actuator means and operable, in response to said turn signal, to select one of said wheels as a primary steerable wheel for said turn and to impart to a controller means said turn signal; g. controller means connected with said selector means and operable to impart to the sensing-comparator means associated with said primary steerable wheel and to a programmer-follower a primary control signal that is a function of said turn signal; h. a programmer-follower connected with said contRoller means and operable to generate and impart to the sensing-comparator means associated with the secondary steerable wheel a follower response signal related to said primary control signal as the degrees of rotation of a first focal point of a driven ellipse is related to the number of degrees of rotation of the opposite first focal point of driving ellipse rotating twice the number of degrees that said primary steerable wheel is steered; said ellipses being identical, being placed tangential such that their focal points on their major axes form the apices of a rectangle at the position equivalent to 0* of steer, having a set of first and opposite focal points disposed a fixed distance apart and located at points fixed in space, and having their other, respective, and opposite focal points on their major axes in fixed spaced relationship but free to move in a plane.

Claim 13

In a wheeled vehicle, a steering system comprising: a. a vehicle frame; b. two wheels attached to said frame and separately steerable, either of which may be a primary steerable wheel or a secondary steerable wheel; c. two wheel steering means, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels and operable to steer said wheel within a portion of a circle in response to a steer signal; d. two sensing-comparators, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels and with the one of said wheel steering means associated therewith and operable to generate a steer signal in response to a primary control signal or a follower response signal and operable to discontinue said steer signal when said wheel has been steered through the number of degrees that is functionally equivalent to, respectively, said primary control signal or said follower response signal; e. actuator means for actuating a turn by generating a turn signal; f. selector means connected with said actuator means and operable, in response to said turn signal, to select one of said wheels as a primary steerable wheel for said turn and to impart to a controller means said turn signal; g. controller means connected with said selector means and operable to impart to the sensing-comparator means associated with said primary steerable wheel and to a programmer-follower a primary control signal that is a function of said turn signal; h. a programmer-follower connected with said contRoller means and operable to generate and impart to the sensing-comparator means associated with the secondary steerable wheel a follower response signal related to said primary control signal as the degrees of rotation of a first focal point of a driven ellipse is related to the number of degrees of rotation of the opposite first focal point of driving ellipse rotating twice the number of degrees that said primary steerable wheel is steered; said ellipses being identical, being placed tangential such that their focal points on their major axes form the apices of a rectangle at the position equivalent to 0* of steer, having a set of first and opposite focal points disposed a fixed distance apart and located at points fixed in space, and having their other, respective, and opposite focal points on their major axes in fixed spaced relationship but free to move in a plane.

Claim 14

The steering system of claim 13 wherein said programmer employs as the equivalent of said ellipses a first shaft simulating the focal point of said driving ellipse and having rigid connection means with a first connecting means located at the point in space that is equivalent to the other focal point on the major axis of said driving ellipse, and a second shaft simulating the opposite focal point of said driven ellipse and having second rigid connection means with a second connecting means located at the point in space that is equivalent to the other focal point on the major axis of said driven ellipse; said first connecting means and said second connecting means being maintained in fixed spaced relationship but free to move in a plane, and as opposite focal points by a connecting bar; and meshing means attached to said rigid connection means and located at the points in space equivalent to the maximum dimensions of the major axis of each respective ellipse to move said rigid connection means from dead center position and maintain said shafts as opposite focal points.

Claim 15

The steering system of claim 14 wherein the distance between focal points of each respective ellipse and hence the distance between said respective shafts and connecting means is the major axis multiplied by the cosine of an angle Alpha generated by lines extended from a midpoint between outside nonsteering wheels attached to said frame to one of the nonsteering wheels and to the steerable wheel on the same side as said one of said nonsteering wheels, and the minor axis length is the major axis length multiplied by the sine of the angle Alpha .

Claim 16

The steering system of claim 14 wherein the effective radius of said respective meshing means is equal to the ellipse major axis multiplied by (sine Alpha )2.

Claim 17

The steering system of claim 13 wherein said wheel steering means is an electric motor turning an arrangement of gears connected so as to impart steer to said wheel in response to rotation of said motor.

Claim 18

The steering system of claim 13 wherein said actuator consists essentially of a turn switch mounted on an operator''s console and adapted for generating a turn left signal when moved in one direction and for generating a turn right signal when moved in another direction; a reversible electric motor electrically connected with said turn switch and operable to rotate in either direction in response to the particular turn signal from said turn switch.

Claim 19

The steering system of claim 13 wherein said selector means consists essentially of a drive gear and meshing therewith an idler gear; said drive gear connected with said reversible electric motor of said actuator means and rotatably responsive to torque therefrom and operable to impart torque to one controller means during turn in one direction, initiated from a position of 0* of steer; and said idler gear maintained in engagement with said drive gear and rotatable about a fixed axis, and operable to transmit torque from said drive gear to the other controller means during a turn in the opposite direction, initiated from 0* of steer.

Claim 20

In a wheeled vehicle, a steering system comprising: a. a vehicle frame; b. two wheels attached to said frame and separately steerable, either of which may be a primary steerable wheel or a secondary steerable wheel; c. two wheel steering means, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels and operable to steer said wheel within a portion of a circle in response to a steer signal; d. two position sensing means, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels for sensing the number of degrees of steer of said wheel and for generating and transmitting a signal that is a function of said degrees of steer; e. two comparator means, each connected, respectively, with one of said steering means and connected with the one of said position sensing means associated with one of said steering means, and operable to generate a steer signal in response to a primary control signal or a follower response signal and to terminate said steer signal when said sensing means indicates said wheel has been steered through the number of degrees that is functionally equivalent to, respectively, said primary control signal or said follower response signal; f. two controller means, each connected, respectively, with one of said comparator means and operable to generate a primary control signal in response to a turn signal from an actuator or a follower response signal in response to a programmer; g. selector means connected with said two controller means and operable to impart a turn signal singly and respectively to said controller means; h. actuator means connected with said selector means for generating a turn signal for actuating a turn; i. a programmer connected with said two controller means and operable to receive a primary control signal from either of said controller means and in response thereto, to generate and transmit to the other of said controller means a follower response signal, said programmer having signal translating means effecting a ratio of said follower response signal to said primary control signal that is the same as the ratio of the degrees of rotation of a first focal point of a driven ellipse to the number of degrees of rotation of the opposite first focal point of a driving ellipse rotating twice the number of degrees that said primary steerable wheel is steered; said ellipses being identical, being placed tangential such that their focal points on their major axes form the apices of a rectangle at the position equivalent to 0* of steer, having a set of first and opposite focal points disposed a fixed distance apart and located at points fixed in space, and having their other, respective, and opposite focal points on their major axes in fixed spaced relationship but free to move in a plane.

Claim 21

In a wheeled vehicle, a steering system comprising: a. a vehicle frame; b. two wheels attached to said frame and separately steerable, either of which may be a primary steerable wheel or a secondary steerable wheel; c. two wheel steering means, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels and operable to steer said wheel within a portion of a circle in response to a steer signal; d. two position sensing means, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels for sensing the number of degrees of steer of said wheel and for generating and transmitting a signal that is a function of said degrees of steer; e. two comparator means, each connected, respectively, with one of said steering means and connected with the one of said position sensing means associated with one of said steering means, and operable to generate a steer signal in response to a primary control signal or a follower response signal and to terminate said steer signal when said sensing means indicates said wheel has been steered through the number of degrees that is functionally equivalent to, respectively, said primary control signal or said follower response signal; f. two controller means, each connected, respectively, with one of said comparator means and operable to generate a primary control signal in response to a turn signal from an actuator or a follower response signal in response to a programmer; g. selector means connected with said two controller means and operable to impart a turn signal singly and respectively to said controller means; h. actuator means connected with said selector means for generating a turn signal for actuating a turn; i. a programmer connected with said two controller means and operable to receive a primary control signal from either of said controller means and in response thereto, to generate and transmit to the other of said controller means a follower response signal, said programmer having signal translating means effecting a ratio of said follower response signal to said primary control signal that is the same as the ratio of the degrees of rotation of a first focal point of a driven ellipse to the number of degrees of rotation of the opposite first focal point of a driving ellipse rotating twice the number of degrees that said primary steerable wheel is steered; said ellipses being identical, being placed tangential such that their focal points on their major axes form the apices of a rectangle at the position equivalent to 0* of steer, having a set of first and opposite focal points disposed a fixed distance apart and located at points fixed in space, and having their other, respective, and opposite focal points on their major axes in fixed spaced relationship but free to move in a plane.

Claim 22

The steering system of claim 20 wherein said position sensing means consists essentially of a position sensor sensing the degrees of steer of the respective wheel with which it is associated and generating a unique signal which is a function of said degrees of steer, a selsyn transmitter generating and transmitting a signal unique to the position indicated by said position sensor, a slave selsyn receiver connected with said selsyn transmitter and adapted to assume a slave position for each unique signal therefrom, said slave position being relatable to the degrees of steer of said wheel, and a slave pivotable indicator plate responsively connected with said slave selsyn receiver and adapted to assume said slave position.

Claim 23

The steering system of claim 20 wherein said comparator means consists essentially of a holder having at each of its two U-shaped ends a light source and an electronic device rendered conductive by said light source, each electronic device being connected in a circuit with a power source and one of said wheel steering means and operable to send a directional steer signal to said one of said wheel steering means when bombarded by light from said light source.

Claim 24

The steering system of claim 20 wherein said controller means is a sector gear rotatable about a fixed axis in response, respectively, to urging from said selector means or said programmer.

Claim 25

The steering system of claim 20 wherein said programmer employs as the equivalent of said ellipses a first shaft simulating the focal point of said driving ellipse and having rigid connection means with a first connecting means located at the point in space that is equivalent to the other focal point on the major axis of said driving ellipse, and a second shaft simulating the opposite focal point of said driven ellipse and having second rigid connection means with a second connecting means located at the point in space that is equivalent to the other focal point on the major axis of said driven ellipse; said first connecting means and said second connecting means being maintained in fixed spaced relationship but free to move in a plane, and as opposite focal points by a connecting bar; and meshing means attached to said rigid connection means and located at the points in space equivalent to the maximum dimensions of the major axis of each respective ellipse to move said rigid connection means from dead center position and maintain said shafts as opposite focal points. 25, The steering system of claim 24 wherein the distance between focal points of each respective ellipse and hence the distance between said respective shafts and connecting means is the major axis multiplied by the cosine of an angle Alpha generated by lines extended from a midpoint between outside nonsteering wheels attached to said frame to one of the nonsteering wheels and to the steerable wheel on the same side as said one of said nonsteering wheels, and the minor axis length is the major axis length multiplied by the sine of the angle Alpha .

Claim 26

The steering system of claim 24 wherein the effective radius of said respective meshing means is equal to the ellipse major axis multiplied by (sine Alpha )2.

Claim 27

The steering system of claim 20 wherein said wheel steering means is an electric motor turning an arrangement of gears connected so as to impart steer to said wheel in response to rotation of said motor.

Claim 28

The steering system of claim 20 wherein said actuator consists essentially of a turn switch mounted on an operator''s console and adapted for generating a turn left signal when moved in one direction and for generating a turn right signal when moved in another direction; a reversible electric motor electrically connected with said turn switch and operable to rotate in either direction in response to the particular turn signal from said turn switch.

Claim 29

The steering system of claim 20 wherein said selector means consists essentially of a drive gear and meshing therewith an idler gear; said drive gear connected with a reversible electric motor of said actuator means and rotatably responsive to torque therefrom and operable to impart torque to one controller means during turn in one direction, initiated from a position of 0* of steer; and said idler gear maintained in engagement with said drive gear and rotatable about a fixed axis, and operable to transmit torque from said drive gear to the other controller means during a turn in the opposite direction, initiated from 0* of steer.

Claim 30

Apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising: a. a vehicle frame; b. two wheels attached to said frame and separately steerable; c. two wheel steering means, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels and operable to steer said wheel in response to a steer signal; d. means for generating and imparting to a first one of the steering means a first steer signal; e. means for generating and imparting to a second of the steering means a second steer signal; and f. programmer means for establishing a relationship between said first and second steer signals such that said second steer signal is related to said first steer signal as the degrees of rotatiOn of a first focal point of a driven ellipse is related to the number of degrees of rotation of the opposite first focal point of a driving ellipse rotating twice the number of degrees that the first wheel is steered in response to the first steering signal; said ellipses being identical, being placed tangential such that their focal points on their major axes form the apices of a rectangle at the position equivalent to 0* of steer, having a set of first and opposite focal points disposed a fixed distance apart and located at points fixed in space, and having their other, respective, and opposite focal points on their major axes in fixed space relationship but free to move in a plane.

Claim 31

Apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising: a. a vehicle frame; b. two wheels attached to said frame and separately steerable; c. two wheel steering means, each connected, respectively, with one of said wheels and operable to steer said wheel in response to a steer signal; d. means for generating and imparting to a first one of the steering means a first steer signal; e. means for generating and imparting to a second of the steering means a second steer signal; and f. programmer means for establishing a relationship between said first and second steer signals such that said second steer signal is related to said first steer signal as the degrees of rotatiOn of a first focal point of a driven ellipse is related to the number of degrees of rotation of the opposite first focal point of a driving ellipse rotating twice the number of degrees that the first wheel is steered in response to the first steering signal; said ellipses being identical, being placed tangential such that their focal points on their major axes form the apices of a rectangle at the position equivalent to 0* of steer, having a set of first and opposite focal points disposed a fixed distance apart and located at points fixed in space, and having their other, respective, and opposite focal points on their major axes in fixed space relationship but free to move in a plane.

Claim 32

The steering system of claim 30 wherein said programmer means comprises identical ellipses having the relationships recited in element (f) and mounted on respective shafts located at said first and opposite focal points for rotation about their first focal points and connected together via connecting means located on said ellipses at their respective other and opposite focal points on their major axes; and wherein the distance between focal points on each respective ellipse and hence the distance between respective shafts and connecting means is the major axis multiplied by the cosine of an angle Alpha generated by lines extended from a midpoint between outside nonsteering wheels attached to said frame to one of the nonsteering wheels and to the steerable wheel on the same side as said one of said nonsteering wheels, and the minor axis length of said ellipses is the major axis length multiplied by the sine of the angle Alpha .

Claim 33

The steering system of claim 30 wherein said programmer means comprises as said ellipses a first shaft located at the first focal point of said driving ellipse and having rigid connection means with a first connecting means located at the other focal point on the major axis of said driving ellipse, and a second shaft located at the opposite first focal point of said driven ellipse and having a second rigid connection means with a second connecting means located at the other focal point on the major axis of said driven ellipse; said first connecting means and said second connecting means being maintained in fixed spaced relationship but free to move in a plane, and as opposite focal points by a connecting bar; and meshing means attached to said rigid connection means and located at the points in space equivalent to the maximum dimensions of the major axis of each respective ellipse to move said rigid connection means from dead center position and maintain said shafts as opposite focal points.

Claim 34

The steering system of claim 32 wherein the distance between each respective shaft and connecting means along the respective rigid connection means is the major axis of an equivalent ellipse multiplied by the cosine of an angle Alpha generated by lines extended from a midpoint between outside nonsteering wheels attached to said frame to one of the nonsteering wheels and to the steerable wheel on the same side as said one of said nonsteering wheels, and said shafts and said connecting means are so spaced as to define a minor axis length of an equivalent ellipse that is the major axis length multiplied by the sine of the angle Alpha .