Articulated snowmobile vehicle

Claim 2

A snowmobile vehicle of the type that includes a pair of steering skis and at least one endless traction imparting belt that has a lower reach thereof in frictional contact with the surface on which said vehicle rests, said vehicle being characterized by including: a. first and second elongate frame assemblies that are longitudinally aligned and pivotally connected to one another; b. roller means for rotatably supporting said belt from said second frame assembly, which second frame assembly is rearwardly disposed relative to said first frame assembly; c. two laterally spaced uprights disposed forwardly of said first frame and having said skis connected to the lower ends thereof; d. first means pivotally supporting said uprights from said first frame; e. manually operable steering means for concurrently tilting said uprights and skis by said first means laterally relative to said first frame and pivoting said uprights and skis relative to said first frame to dispose the longitudinal axis of said skis at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said first and second frames for steering purposes, with said second frame and power driven belt capable of pivoting vertically relative to said first frame and skis as said vehicle is propelled by said belt over uneven terrain; and f. power means on said second frame assembly for rotating said roller means and said belt.

Claim 3

A snowmobile as defined in claim 1 in which said first frame assembly includes two laterally spaced upwardly extending members adjacently disposed to said uprights, and said first means includes: g. two collars rotatably supported at fixed elevations on said uprights; h. two bifurcated members secured to said collars and extending on opposite sides of said members; i. two first pins pivotally connecting said bifurcated members to said upwardly extending members; j. two bodies that define first and second arms that extend on opposite sides of the upper portions of said uprights; k. two second pins that pivotally connect said first and second arms to the upper ends of said uprights; and l. ball and socket means that pivotally connect said bodies to the upper end portions of said members, with said steering operatively connected to said second arms.

Claim 4

A snowmobile as defined in claim 2 in which said steering means includes: m. an elongate transverse cross piece pivotally connected to said second arms; n. upwardly and rearwardly extending bearing means that occupy a fixed position on the forward portion of said first frame assembly; o. a steering rod rotatably supported in said bearing means, said rod including a lower forwardly extending extension that is at an angle relative to the balance of said rod; p. means pivotally connecting said extension to said cross piece; and q. handle means on an upper end of said rod for pivoting said rod in said bearing to steer said vehicle.

Claim 5

A snowmobile vehicle as defined in claim 1 in which said roller means includes: f. a plurality of longitudinally spaced, transverse first rollers having barrel-shaped exterior surfaces that are rotatably supported from said second frame assembly; and g. a forward and rearward roller rotatably supported from said second frame assembly at opposite ends of said plurality of first rollers and in longitudinal alignment therewith, said forward and second rollers having concave exterior surfaces and being positioned on said second frame assembly at a greater elevation than said first rollers, with said forward and rearward rollers and said first rollers so supporting said belt that said lower reach thereof has an exterior surface of transverse convex configuration, and the diameters and radius of curvature of the exterior surfaces of said first rollers so related to the diameter and radius of curvature of the exterior surface of said first and second rollers that said belt has at least said lower reach thereof in uniform tension as said belt is rotated.

Claim 6

A snowmobile vehicle as defined in claim 4 in which said second frame assembly includes: h. two elongate, parallel laterally spaced side pieces; i. a plurality of pairs of transversely aligned spring loaded struts that depend from said side pieces; j. a plurality of pairs of transversely aligned bearings on the lower ends of said struts; and k. A plurality of transverse shafts that have said first rollers mounted thereon, with the end portions of said shafts journalled in said bearings, and said first rollers being independently movable in a vertical direction as said vehicle travels over uneven terrain due to said shafts being supported by said spring loaded struts.

Claim 7

A snowmobile vehicle as defined in claim 5 in which said second frame assembly further includes: l. forward and rearwardly disposed pairs of transversely aligned bearings that are longitudinally movable on said sidepieces; m. forward and rearward transverse shafts rotatably supported in said bearings, and said forward and rearward shafts having said forward and rearward rollers mounted thereon; and n. spring means that at all times tend to move said forward and rearward bearings, said forward and rearward shafts and forward and rearward rollers away from one another to maintain said belt in a taut position on said rollers.

Claim 8

A snowmobile vehicle as defined in claim 4 in which said uprights, first means and steering means are so operatively associated with said first and second frame assemblies that said first and second frame assemblies and said belt tilt laterally in conformity with the tilting of said uprights, and said belt as it tilts laterally having a longitudinal section of the exterior surface of said lower reach thereof in contact with the surface on which said vehicle is supported.

Claim 9

A snowmobile vehicle as defiNed in claim 1 in which said skis have longitudinally extending openings therein, and said vehicle further including: g. a pair of wheels disposed above said skis and vertically aligned with said openings; and h. means for so rotatably supporting said wheels from said uprights that said wheels may be moved from a first inoperative position to a second operative position where lower portions of said wheels extend downwardly through said openings to rest on the surface on which said vehicle rests, with said wheels when in said second position serving to steer said vehicle, and said wheels when in said second position maintaining said skis at an elevated position out of contact with said surface.

Claim 10

A snowmobile vehicle as defined in claim 8 which further includes: i. a pair of plates movably supported from said openings when said wheels are in said first position.

Claim 11

A snowmobile vehicle as defined in claim 1 in which said roller means support two of said endless belts side by side in parallel laterally spaced relationship.

Claim 12

A steering device for use with a vehicle having at least one rigid frame that has two laterally spaced upwardly extending members on the forward end thereof, said device including: a. two rigid elongate uprights adjacently disposed to said members; b. two collars rotatably supported at fixed elevations on said uprights; c. two transversely disposed rigid members that extend outwardly in opposite directions from said collars; d. first means for pivotally connecting outer ends of said transverse members to said upwardly extending members; e. second means on the lower ends of said uprights that movably contact the surface on which said vehicle is supported; f. two elongate bodies pivotally connected to the upper ends of said uprights and upwardly extending members, with each of said bodies including a portion that extends forwardly therefrom; g. an elongate transverse cross piece pivotally connected to said portions of said bodies; h. upwardly and rearwardly extending bearings means that occupy a fixed position on said vehicle; i. a steering rod rotatably supported in said bearing means, said rod including a lower forwardly extending extension that is at an angle relative to the balance of said rod; j. third means pivotally connecting said extension to said cross piece; and k. handle means on the upper end of said rod for pivoting said rod in said bearing means to steer said vehicle.

Claim 13

A steering device for use with a vehicle having at least one rigid frame that has two laterally spaced upwardly extending members on the forward end thereof, said device including: a. two rigid elongate uprights adjacently disposed to said members; b. two collars rotatably supported at fixed elevations on said uprights; c. two transversely disposed rigid members that extend outwardly in opposite directions from said collars; d. first means for pivotally connecting outer ends of said transverse members to said upwardly extending members; e. second means on the lower ends of said uprights that movably contact the surface on which said vehicle is supported; f. two elongate bodies pivotally connected to the upper ends of said uprights and upwardly extending members, with each of said bodies including a portion that extends forwardly therefrom; g. an elongate transverse cross piece pivotally connected to said portions of said bodies; h. upwardly and rearwardly extending bearings means that occupy a fixed position on said vehicle; i. a steering rod rotatably supported in said bearing means, said rod including a lower forwardly extending extension that is at an angle relative to the balance of said rod; j. third means pivotally connecting said extension to said cross piece; and k. handle means on the upper end of said rod for pivoting said rod in said bearing means to steer said vehicle.

Claim 14

A steering device as defined in claim 11 in which said second means is a pair of parallel skis.

Claim 15

A steering device as defined in claim 11 in which said second means is a pair of wheels rotatably supported on said uprights.

Claim 16

A steering device as defined in claim 11 in which said second means are a pair of roller supported endless belt assemblies that are laterally spaced and parallel to one another.

Claim 17

A drive mechanism for a vehicle that includes: a. two elongate, parallel laterally spaced side pieces; b. a plurality of pairs of transversely aligned spring loaded struts that depend from said side pieces; c. a plurality of pairs of transversely aligned bearings on the lower ends of said struts; d. a plurality of transverse shafts rotatably supported in said pairs of bearings; e. a plurality of first rollers supported on said shafts between said side pieces, each of said first rollers having a convex exterior surface; f. forward and rearward transverse rollers rotatably supported on opposite ends of said side pieces and in longitudinal alignment with said first rollers, with said forward and rearward rollers each having concave exterior surfaces; g. a flat endless belt of substantial width rotatably supported on said first rollers and forward and rearward rollers, with said belt formed of a material that permits it to conform to the exterior surfaces of said rollers, said belt having a lower reach thereof that has an exterIor surface that is convex in a transverse direction and frictionally engages the surface on which said vehicle rests, and said exterior surface of said lower reach having a substantial longitudinal section thereof in contact with said supporting surface when the longitudinal axis of said shafts are parallel to said surface as well as when tilted relative thereto; and h. power means for rotating at least one of said rollers to impart motion to said belt.

Claim 18

A drive mechanism for a vehicle that includes: a. two elongate, parallel laterally spaced side pieces; b. a plurality of pairs of transversely aligned spring loaded struts that depend from said side pieces; c. a plurality of pairs of transversely aligned bearings on the lower ends of said struts; d. a plurality of transverse shafts rotatably supported in said pairs of bearings; e. a plurality of first rollers supported on said shafts between said side pieces, each of said first rollers having a convex exterior surface; f. forward and rearward transverse rollers rotatably supported on opposite ends of said side pieces and in longitudinal alignment with said first rollers, with said forward and rearward rollers each having concave exterior surfaces; g. a flat endless belt of substantial width rotatably supported on said first rollers and forward and rearward rollers, with said belt formed of a material that permits it to conform to the exterior surfaces of said rollers, said belt having a lower reach thereof that has an exterIor surface that is convex in a transverse direction and frictionally engages the surface on which said vehicle rests, and said exterior surface of said lower reach having a substantial longitudinal section thereof in contact with said supporting surface when the longitudinal axis of said shafts are parallel to said surface as well as when tilted relative thereto; and h. power means for rotating at least one of said rollers to impart motion to said belt.

Claim 19

A device as defined in claim 15 which in addition includes: i. a sequence of longitudinally aligned first teeth on the interior surface of said belt; and j. a circumferentially extending sequence of second teeth on said rearward roller that engage said first teeth, with said power means rotating said rearward roller.