Guide following steering apparatus

Claim 1

Steering apparatus for a vehicle adapted to travel on a guideway having at least one upstanding guide means parallel to the desired course of the vehicle, said vehicle having front and rear wheel assemblies, said front and rear wheel assemblies each having a pair of steerable wheels interconnected by control means, comprising: a. front and rear follower means adapted to follow said guide means, the front follower means comprising substantially horizontal wheels mounted immediately in front of the front wheel assemblies, and rear follower means comprising substantially horizontal guide wheels mounted immediately to the rear of the rear wheel assemblies, both the front and rear guide wheels having engagement with the guide means when the vehicle is aligned with the guideway and during movement of the vehicle in either direction along the guideway. b. means for selectively operatively interconnecting the front control means with the front follower means and disconnecting the rear control means from the rear followers means and, alternatively, interconnecting the rear control means with the rear follower means, and disconnecting front control means from front follower means whereby movement of the follower means interconnected with a control means is translated into proportionate movement of the control means connected thereto, and c. means interconnecting the front control means and the rear control means, whereby steering one pair of wheels in one direction steers the other pair of wheels in the opposite direction.