Steering assembly for a vehicle

Abstract

Abstract A STEERING ASSEMBLY INCLUDES STEERABLE WHEELS WHICH ARE MOUNTED TO TURN ON WHEEL-SUPPORTING ARMS. AS THE WHEELS., ARE TURNED, THE SUPPORTING ARMS PIVOT OUTWARDLY TO TRANSLATE THE WHEELS OUTWARDLY AND TO INCREASE THE CLEARANCE SPACE BETWEEN EACH WHEEL AND THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. AS THE TURN IS COMPLETED, THE WHEELS ARE STRAIGHTENED AND THE ARMS PIVOT INWARDLY TO BRING EACH WHEEL TO A MINIMUM CLEARANCE POSITION-CLOSE TO THE BODY. THE WHEELS ARE TURNED AND ARE LATERALLY TRANSLATED BY A PITMAN-ARM SUBASSEMBLY WHICH IS LINKED TO BOTH WHEELS AND BOTH WHEEL-SUPPORTING ARMS. THE PITMAN-ARM ASSEMBLY INCLUDES A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BASE MEMBER AND TWO PITMAN ARMS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED THEREON, WHICH ARMS ARE COUPLED TOGETHER THROUGH GEAR SEGMENTS. THE PITMAN ARMS MAY SPREAD APART AND CLOSE TOGETHER, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE WHOLE SUBASSEMBLY MAY PIVOT ON THE BASE MEMBER. A FIRST HYDRAULIC DRIVE CYLINDER IS COUPLED TO SPREAD THE PITMAN ARMS APART AND TO CLOSE THEM TOGETHER, AND A SECOND HYDRAULIC DRIVE CYLINDER IS COUPLED TO PIVOT THE BASE MEMBER. BOTH DRIVE CYLINDER ARE HYDRAULICALLY CONTROLLED BY A MAIN CONTROL VALVE AND A PROPORTIONING VALVE SUCH THAT THE STEERING DRIVE OPERATIONS WILL BE SIMULTANEOUS AND PROPORTIONAL WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER.

Inventors

• 👤 Roger L Gamaunt

Bibliographic Details