Off-the-road vehicles

Claim 2

In a vehicle, particularly an off-the-road type of vehicle which is adapted to travel on rough terrain, a pair of frame means arranged longitudinally of the vehicle in the direction of travel thereof, and a pair of ground-engaging means respectively operatively connected to said pair of frame means and extending downwardly therefrom into engagement with the ground beneath said pair of frame means to support said pair of frame means for travel along the ground, suspension means operatively connected to one of said ground-engaging means and the frame means associated therewith for forming the operative connection between the latter ground-engaging means and frame means, joint means operatively connected with both of said frame means for interconnecting said pair of frame means for turning movement with respect to each other at least about an axis which extends longitudinally of the vehicle and which is substantially horizontal when the pair of ground-engaging means engage substantially horizontal ground, and a pair of elastically yieldable means one of which forms part of said suspension means for elastically and yieldably interconnecting the ground-engaging means and frame means which are operatively connected to each other by way of said suspension means and the other of which is operatively connected with said joint means for elastically and yieldably opposing relative turning of said pair of frame means with respect to said axis of said joint means.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said pair of elastically yieldable means cooperate to reduce to a minimum possible lateral oscillation of the frame means to which said suspension means is connected with respect to said axis of joint means.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 and wherein the other of said ground-engaging means is operatively connected to the frame means associated therewith in a non-elastic manner, and the latter frame means being adapted to carry a large weight such as that of a load, work-producing machinery, a power transmission means, or the like.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said one ground-engaging means includes a pair of components situated on opposite sides of a vertical plane which includes said axis of said joint means, and control means operatively connected with said elastically yieldable means of said suspension means for controlling the latter elastically yieldable means to provide, at the option of an operator of the vehicle, an interconnection between said components which is the equivalent of the interconnection thereof by way of a pendulum axle.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 and wherein a control means is operatively connected with the elastically yieldable means which is operatively connected to said joint means for inhibiting, at the option of an operator of the vehicle, the operation of the latter elastically yieldable means and instead locking said pair of frame means to each other so that they connot turn relative to each other with respect to said axis of said joint means.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 and wherein a coupling means couples said pair of elastically yieldable means to each other so that they operate conjointly.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 6 and wherein a control means is operatively connected with said coupling means for placing the latter, at the option of an operator of the vehicle, in a condition according to which the pair of elastically yieldable means are separated from each other and don not operate conjointly.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 6 and wherein said ground-engaging means which is operatively connected with said suspension means includes a pair of ground-engaging components respectively situated on opposite sides of a vertical plane which contains said axis of said joint means, the latter joint means including a pair of members respectively connected with said pair of frame means and turnable one with respect to the other about said axis of said joint means, said elastically yieldable means which is operatively connected to said joint means including a cylinder connected to one of said members of said joint means and a piston slidable in said cylinder and connected to the other of said members of said joint means, said cylinder having in its interior a pair of chambers respectively situated on opposite sides of said piston and adapted to contain a fluid pressure medium, said elastically yieldable means of said suspension means including for each of said components of said ground-engaging means connected with said suspension means a piston-and-cylinder assembly including a cylinder which also is adapted to contain a fluid pressure medium, said coupling means providing communication between one chamber in said cylinder which is connected to a member of said joint means and the interior of the cylinder of one of said assemblies which is connected with one of said ground-engaging components, and said coupling means also providing communication between the other of said chambers of the cylinder connected to a member of said joint means and the cylinder of the other assembly of said suspension means which is connected to the other ground-engaging component.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 8 and wherein said coupling means includes a pair of tubular means respectively communicating with said chambers of said cylinder connected to a member of said joint means and also respectively communicating with the cylinders of the assemblies of said suspension means, so that the fluid pressure medium can flow freely through said pair of tubular means, and valve means operatively connected with said pair of tubular means and having an open position where said pair of tubular means are both open so that fluid pressure medium can flow therethrough, said valve means also having a closed position closing said pair of tubular means so as to render said coupling means, at the option of the operator, inoperative to provide conjoint operation between the pair of elastically yieldable means.