US3720863A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrically driven vehicle steered by control of power and speed of tractive elements
Assignee: Allis Chalmers Corp
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Filing: 1970-11-19
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Granted: 1973-03-13
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Expires: 1990-11-19
Abstract
Abstract The wheels of a vehicle are driven by inductor type synchronous motors having solid rotors without windings and commutators. A diesel on the vehicle drives a pair of high frequency rotating generators each of which supplies power to a pair of the synchronous motors. Power pedal means actuated by the operator derive a power signal proportional to the desired tractive effort for the vehicle. A separate electric drive for each motor includes means for deriving a control signal modulated at motor speed, a cycloconverter between each motor and its generator regulated by the control signal, tachometer means for deriving a speed signal which is a function of motor speed, and control means responsive to both the power signal and speed signal for regulating the magnitude and phase of the control signal so that the motor output power is constant over the speed range at a level in accordance with the power pedal setting. Brake means actuated by the operator derive a brake signal, and the vehicle has means for shifting the phase of the control signals for all the motors to regeneratively brake them when the brake signal exceeds the power signal. The vehicle has travel direction selector means for shifting the phase of all the control signals to reverse the direction of motor rotation and thus propel the vehicle backward. The vehicle has manually operated means for setting a speed limit for the vehicle and means for deriving a speed limit signal which is additive to the brake signal to regeneratively brake the motors when vehicle speed exceeds the set speed limit. Turn compensation means increase the power supplied to the motors of the wheels on the outside of a turn and decrease the power supplied to the motors of the wheels on the inside of the turn as a function of the degree of turn and the magnitude of the power signal.
Inventors
- 👤 W Ringland
- 👤 T Gilmore
- 👤 A Geiersbach
- 👤 M Neumann
- 👤 E Kaeser
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 15:09
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K17/00; B60K17/34; B60K17/356; B60L; B60L50/00; B60L50/10; B60L50/13; H; H02; H02P; H02P1/00; H02P1/16; H02P1/46; B60L2220/00; B60L2220/10; B60L2220/14; F; F02; F02B; F02B3/00; F02B3/06; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/60; Y02T10/64; Y02T10/70; Y02T10/7072
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
256 words
In combination, a vehicle having a pair of tractive elements, steering means for turning said tractive elements relative to said vehicle to turn said vehicle, a prime mover on said vehicle, alternating current electric generator means on said vehicle driven by said prime mover, a pair of alternating current electric motors on said vehicle energized from said electric generator means and each having a stator winding and a rotor operatively connected to one of said tractive elements, turn compensation means controlled by said steering means for deriving a pair of turn compensation signals of opposite polarity for increasing and decreasing respectively the electrical power delivered by said generator means to said motors having rotors coupled to the outside and inside tractive elements on a turn, means for selectively deriving a power signal which is a function of the desired tractive effort of said vehicle, and a plurality of control means, each of which is between said electric generator means and one of said stator windings, for regulating the voltage from said generator means applied to said one stator winding as a function of both said power signal and one of said turn compensation signals and increasing said voltage in response to one polarity of turn compensation signal and decreasIng said voltage in response to the opposite polarity of turn compensation signal, said turn compensation means supplying said one and said other polarity of turn compensation signal to the control means for the motors of the tractive elements on the outside and inside of the turn respectively.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
256 words
In combination, a vehicle having a pair of tractive elements, steering means for turning said tractive elements relative to said vehicle to turn said vehicle, a prime mover on said vehicle, alternating current electric generator means on said vehicle driven by said prime mover, a pair of alternating current electric motors on said vehicle energized from said electric generator means and each having a stator winding and a rotor operatively connected to one of said tractive elements, turn compensation means controlled by said steering means for deriving a pair of turn compensation signals of opposite polarity for increasing and decreasing respectively the electrical power delivered by said generator means to said motors having rotors coupled to the outside and inside tractive elements on a turn, means for selectively deriving a power signal which is a function of the desired tractive effort of said vehicle, and a plurality of control means, each of which is between said electric generator means and one of said stator windings, for regulating the voltage from said generator means applied to said one stator winding as a function of both said power signal and one of said turn compensation signals and increasing said voltage in response to one polarity of turn compensation signal and decreasIng said voltage in response to the opposite polarity of turn compensation signal, said turn compensation means supplying said one and said other polarity of turn compensation signal to the control means for the motors of the tractive elements on the outside and inside of the turn respectively.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
256 words
In combination, a vehicle having a pair of tractive elements, steering means for turning said tractive elements relative to said vehicle to turn said vehicle, a prime mover on said vehicle, alternating current electric generator means on said vehicle driven by said prime mover, a pair of alternating current electric motors on said vehicle energized from said electric generator means and each having a stator winding and a rotor operatively connected to one of said tractive elements, turn compensation means controlled by said steering means for deriving a pair of turn compensation signals of opposite polarity for increasing and decreasing respectively the electrical power delivered by said generator means to said motors having rotors coupled to the outside and inside tractive elements on a turn, means for selectively deriving a power signal which is a function of the desired tractive effort of said vehicle, and a plurality of control means, each of which is between said electric generator means and one of said stator windings, for regulating the voltage from said generator means applied to said one stator winding as a function of both said power signal and one of said turn compensation signals and increasing said voltage in response to one polarity of turn compensation signal and decreasIng said voltage in response to the opposite polarity of turn compensation signal, said turn compensation means supplying said one and said other polarity of turn compensation signal to the control means for the motors of the tractive elements on the outside and inside of the turn respectively.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
256 words
In combination, a vehicle having a pair of tractive elements, steering means for turning said tractive elements relative to said vehicle to turn said vehicle, a prime mover on said vehicle, alternating current electric generator means on said vehicle driven by said prime mover, a pair of alternating current electric motors on said vehicle energized from said electric generator means and each having a stator winding and a rotor operatively connected to one of said tractive elements, turn compensation means controlled by said steering means for deriving a pair of turn compensation signals of opposite polarity for increasing and decreasing respectively the electrical power delivered by said generator means to said motors having rotors coupled to the outside and inside tractive elements on a turn, means for selectively deriving a power signal which is a function of the desired tractive effort of said vehicle, and a plurality of control means, each of which is between said electric generator means and one of said stator windings, for regulating the voltage from said generator means applied to said one stator winding as a function of both said power signal and one of said turn compensation signals and increasing said voltage in response to one polarity of turn compensation signal and decreasIng said voltage in response to the opposite polarity of turn compensation signal, said turn compensation means supplying said one and said other polarity of turn compensation signal to the control means for the motors of the tractive elements on the outside and inside of the turn respectively.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
In the combination of claim 1 wherein said turn compensation means increase and decrease said electrical power to said motors as a function of the angle through which said tractive elements are turned relative to said vehicle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
132 words
In the combination defined by claim 2 wherein said vehicle has front and rear tractive elements on each side of the vehicle and an electric motor for each tractive element energized from said electric generator means and having its rotor operatively connected to said tractive element and wherein said steering means turn said front tractive elements and said turn compensating means increase the electrical power delivered by said generator means to the motors coupled to the front and rear tractive elements on the outside of the turn and decrease the electrical power delivered by said generator means to the motors coupled to the front and rear tractive elements on the inside of the turn as a function of the angle through which said front tractive elements are turned relative to said vehicle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
In the combination of claim 1 wherein said turn compensation means varies the magnitude of said turn compensation signals as a function of the angle through which said tractive elements are turned relative to said vehicle and said control means vary said voltages applied to said stator windings as a function of said magnitude of turn compensation signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
In the combination of claim 4 wherein said turn compensation means control the magnitude of said turn compensation signals as a function of both the angle through which said tractive elements are turned relative to said vehicle and the magnitude of said power signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
137 words
In the combination of claim 4 wherein said vehicle has front and rear tractive elements on each side of said vehicle and an electric motor for each tractive element having a stator winding and its rotor operatively connected to said tractive element and wherein said steering means turn said front tractive elements relative to said vehicle and including one of said control means for each said motor and wherein said turn compensation means supply said one and said other polarity of turn compensation signals to the control means for the motors for both front and rear tractive elements on the outside and the inside of the turn respectively and increase and decrease the magnitude of said turn compensation signals as a function of the angle through which said front tractive elements are turned relative to said vehicle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
In the combination of claim 4 and including means associated with each side electric motor for deriving a speed signal which is a function of motor speed and wherein each said control means regulates the magnitude and shifts the phase of the voltage applied to the associated motor from the associated electric generator means as a function of said speed signal and said power signal and said turn compensation signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
240 words
In combination, a vehicle having a plurality of tractive elements, a plurality of electric motors on said vehicle each having a polyphase stator winding and a rotor operatively connected to one of said tractive elements, a prime mover on said vehicle, polyphase electric generator means on said vehicle driven by said prime mover, a plurality of means each of which is associated with one of said motors operatively connected to said rotor for deriving an output signal having a frequency which is a function of the speed of said motor, a plurality of polyphase frequency converters each of which is connected between said electric generator means and the stator winding of one of said motors controlled by said output signal which is a function of the speed of said one motor, a plurality of control means each of which is associated with one of said motors for varying a condition of said output signal, steering means for turning a pair of said tractive elements relative to said vehicle to steer said vehicle, and turn compensation means controlled by said steering means and coupled to said plurality of control means for increasing the magnitude of said output signal supplied to the frequency converter of the motor coupled to the outside tractive element on a turn and for decreasing the magnitude of said output signal supplied to said frequency converter of the motor associated with the inside tractive element on the turn.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
240 words
In combination, a vehicle having a plurality of tractive elements, a plurality of electric motors on said vehicle each having a polyphase stator winding and a rotor operatively connected to one of said tractive elements, a prime mover on said vehicle, polyphase electric generator means on said vehicle driven by said prime mover, a plurality of means each of which is associated with one of said motors operatively connected to said rotor for deriving an output signal having a frequency which is a function of the speed of said motor, a plurality of polyphase frequency converters each of which is connected between said electric generator means and the stator winding of one of said motors controlled by said output signal which is a function of the speed of said one motor, a plurality of control means each of which is associated with one of said motors for varying a condition of said output signal, steering means for turning a pair of said tractive elements relative to said vehicle to steer said vehicle, and turn compensation means controlled by said steering means and coupled to said plurality of control means for increasing the magnitude of said output signal supplied to the frequency converter of the motor coupled to the outside tractive element on a turn and for decreasing the magnitude of said output signal supplied to said frequency converter of the motor associated with the inside tractive element on the turn.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
In the combination of claim 8 wherein said turn compensation means varies the magnitude of said output signals to the frequency converters for the motors coupled to the outside and inside tractive elements as a function of the angle through which said tractive elements are turned relative to said vehicle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
103 words
In the combination of claim 9 wherein said vehicle has a pair of said tractive elements on each side thereof and said turn compensation means increases the magnitude of said output signals to the frequency converters of the motors coupled to said pair of tractive elements on the outside of a turn and decreases the magnitude of said output signals to said frequency converters of the motors coupled to the pair of tractive elements on the inside of a turn as a function of the angle through which said pair of tractive elements are turned relative to said vehicle by said steering means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
68 words
In the combination of claim 9 and including means for selectively deriving a power signal which is a function of the desired tractive effort of said vehicle, and wherein said turn compensation means derives a pair of turn compensation signals of opposite polarity and each of said control means regulates said output signal as a function of both said power signal and one of said turn compensation signals.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
In the combination of claim 11 wherein said turn compensation means varies the magnitude of said turn compensation signals as a function of both said power signal and the angle through which said tractive elements are turned relative to said vehicle.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-12 | 1976-09-11 | 1977-03-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-12 | 1980-09-11 | 1981-03-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-12 | 1984-09-11 | 1985-03-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |