Drive and steering mechanism for wheeled vehicles

Claim 1

A variable-speed control and steering device for vehicles having a pair of reversible and independently operable traction members positioned on opposite sides of said vehicle, said device comprising in combination, a pair of drive means, each drivingly connected to a respective traction member; a pair of power sources; a controller for directing power from said sources to its respective drive means to vary the speed and direction of the associated drive means; said controller including a pair of transversely aligned shafts pivotally supported by said vehicle and connected at their outboard ends with mechanism for directing said power supply, said shafts being joined adjacent their inward ends to a pair of transversely spaced radially extending control members, a sleeve member pivotally receiving the inboard ends of said shafts, a control column attached to said sleeve at a midportion thereof and extending adjacent to and equally spaced from said control members, said control column and said control members being joined at the outer ends thereof by a steering platform, said steering platform being pivotal about the longitudinal axis of said control column for moving said control members in opposite directions and thereby moving said shafts in opposite directions to provide a speed differential between said traction members for steering said vehicle; said control column, said control members, said steering platform and said shafts being interconnected forming a unit for pivotal movement about the common axis of said shafts for uniformly increasing the forward speed of said traction members when said unit is pivoted forwardly and for uniformly decreasing the forward speed of said traction members when such unit is pivoted rearwardly until a neutral position is obtained and further rearward pivotal movement of said unit results in uniform reverse movement of said traction members.