Tilt steering of tandem wheeled or runner equipped vehicle

Claim 2

A mechanism for steering a vehicle having two wheels in a tandem configuration and having a frame which has approximately vertical projections on each side, and two pairs of laterally resilient suspension members attached to said projections and projecting substantially fore and aft, each suspension member within a pair being attached to either side of said frame and being not parallel to the longitudinal vehicle axis but rather the forward pair converging forward toward said vehicle axis and the rearward pair converging rearward toward said vehicle axis; and the free ends of each pair of suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a wheel axle in such a way as to permit some horizontal angular displacement between each said wheel axle and its suspension members, and one of said wheels supported on bearings on each said wheel axle so that when said vehicle is being tilted to one side by an operator said suspension members will yield laterally relative to said frame due to the influence of gravity, and because of their unparallel geometry relative to said vehicle axis they will move relative to the tilt of said axles with the uphill end of the front wheel axle moving forward and the downhill end of said front wheel axle moving rearward and the uphill end of the rear wheel axle moving rearward and the downhill end of said rear wheel axle moving forward thus forcing a turn of at least one of the wheel axles and causing a moving vehicle to execute a turn.

Claim 3

A mechanism for steering a vehicle having two runners in a tandem configuration and having a frame which has approximately vertical projections on each side, and two pairs of laterally resilient suspension members attached to said projections and projecting substantially fore and aft, each suspension member within a pair being attached to either side of said frame and being not parallel to the longitudinal vehicle axis but rather the forward pair converging forward toward said vehicle axis and the rearward pair converging rearward toward said vehicle axis; and the free ends of each pair of suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a runner axle in such a way as to permit some horizontal angular displacement between each said runner axle and its suspension members, and one of said runners supported rotatably on each said runner axle to permit rocking of runners in conformance with terrain over which vehicle is being used; and when said vehicle is being tilted to one side by an operator said suspension members will yield laterally relative to said frame due to the influence of gravity, and because of their unparallel geometry relative to said vehicle axis they will move relative to the tilt of said axles with the uphill end of the front runner axle moving forward and the downhill end of said front runner axle moving rearward and the uphill end of the rear runner axle moving rearward and the downhill end of said rear runner axle moving forward thus forcing a turn of at least one of the runner axles and causing a moving vehicle to execute a turn.

Claim 4

A mechanism for steering a vehicle having two runners in a tandem configuration and having a frame which has approximately vertical projections on each side, and two pairs of laterally resilient suspension members attached to said projections and projecting substantially fore and aft, each suspension member within a pair being attached to either side of said frame and being not parallel to the longitudinal vehicle axis but rather the forward pair converging forward toward said vehicle axis and the rearward pair converging rearward toward said vehicle axis; and the free ends of each pair of suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a runner axle in such a way as to permit some horizontal angular displacement between each said runner axle and its suspension members, and one of said runners supported rotatably on each said runner axle to permit rocking of runners in conformance with terrain over which vehicle is being used; and when said vehicle is being tilted to one side by an operator said suspension members will yield laterally relative to said frame due to the influence of gravity, and because of their unparallel geometry relative to said vehicle axis they will move relative to the tilt of said axles with the uphill end of the front runner axle moving forward and the downhill end of said front runner axle moving rearward and the uphill end of the rear runner axle moving rearward and the downhill end of said rear runner axle moving forward thus forcing a turn of at least one of the runner axles and causing a moving vehicle to execute a turn.

Claim 5

A mechanism for steering a vehicle having at least three wheels in a tandem configuration and having a frame which has approximately vertical projections on each side, and two pairs of laterally resilient suspension members attached to said projections and projecting substantially fore and aft, each suspension member within a pair being attached to either side of said frame and being not parallel to the longitudinal vehicle axis but rather the forward pair converging forward toward said vehicle axis and the rearward pair converging rearward toward said vehicle axis, and at least one pair of the free ends of said suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a bogie pivot in such a fashion as to permit some angular horizontal displacement between said bogie pivot and said suspension members, and two pairs of laterally resilient sub-suspension members each pair of which is being mounted on either side of said bogie pivot and projecting substantially fore and aft and forming a bogie which is being made free to rock around a substantially horizontal axis normally approximately transverse to said vehicle axis and defining the pivot of the bogie, and said forward pair of said sub-suspension members converging forward toward the longitudinal axis of the associated bogie and said rearward pair converging rearward toward said longitudinal axis of said associated bogie, and each of the free ends of each pair of sub-suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a wheel axle in such a way as to permit some horizontal angular displacement between said wheel axle and said sub-suspension members, and wheels supported on bearings on said wheel axles so that when said vehicle is being tilted to one side by an operator said suspension members will yield laterally relative to said frame due to the influence of gravity, and because of their unparallel geometry relative to said vehicle axis they will move relative to the tilt of said bogie pivots with the uphill end of the front bogie pivot moving foward and the downhill end of said front bogie pivot moving rearward and the uphill end of the rear bogie pivot moving rearward and the downhill end of said rear bogie pivot moving forward thus forcing a turn of at least one bogie pivot and thus bogie, and within each bogie deflections of the sub-suspension members similarly forcing the uphill ends of the wheel axles apart and the downhill ends together giving a net result of all wheels in the vehicle tracing in a curve and causing a moving vehicle to execute a turn.

Claim 6

A mechanism for steering a vehicle having at least three wheels in a tandem configuration and having a frame which has approximately vertical projections on each side, and two pairs of laterally resilient suspension members attached to said projections and projecting substantially fore and aft, each suspension member within a pair being attached to either side of said frame and being not parallel to the longitudinal vehicle axis but rather the forward pair converging forward toward said vehicle axis and the rearward pair converging rearward toward said vehicle axis, and at least one pair of the free ends of said suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a bogie pivot in such a fashion as to permit some angular horizontal displacement between said bogie pivot and said suspension members, and two pairs of laterally resilient sub-suspension members each pair of which is being mounted on either side of said bogie pivot and projecting substantially fore and aft and forming a bogie which is being made free to rock around a substantially horizontal axis normally approximately transverse to said vehicle axis and defining the pivot of the bogie, and said forward pair of said sub-suspension members converging forward toward the longitudinal axis of the associated bogie and said rearward pair converging rearward toward said longitudinal axis of said associated bogie, and each of the free ends of each pair of sub-suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a wheel axle in such a way as to permit some horizontal angular displacement between said wheel axle and said sub-suspension members, and wheels supported on bearings on said wheel axles so that when said vehicle is being tilted to one side by an operator said suspension members will yield laterally relative to said frame due to the influence of gravity, and because of their unparallel geometry relative to said vehicle axis they will move relative to the tilt of said bogie pivots with the uphill end of the front bogie pivot moving foward and the downhill end of said front bogie pivot moving rearward and the uphill end of the rear bogie pivot moving rearward and the downhill end of said rear bogie pivot moving forward thus forcing a turn of at least one bogie pivot and thus bogie, and within each bogie deflections of the sub-suspension members similarly forcing the uphill ends of the wheel axles apart and the downhill ends together giving a net result of all wheels in the vehicle tracing in a curve and causing a moving vehicle to execute a turn.

Claim 7

A mechanism for steering a vehicle having at least three runners in a tandem configuration and having a frame which has approximately vertical projections on each side, and two pairs of laterally resilient suspension members attached to said projections and projecting substantially fore and aft, each suspension member within a pair being attached to either side of said frame and being not parallel to the longitudinal vehicle axis but rather the forward pair converging forward toward said vehicle axis and the rearward pair converging rearward toward said vehicle axis, and at least one pair of the free ends of said suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a bogie pivot in such a fashion as to permit some angular horizontal displacement between said bogie pivot and said suspension members, and two pairs of laterally resilient sub-suspension members each pair of which is being mounted on either side of said bogie pivot and projecting substantially fore and aft and forming a bogie which is being made free to rock around a substantially horizontal axis normally approximately transverse to said vehicle axis and defining the pivot of the bogie, and said forward pair of said sub-suspension members converging forward toward the longitudinal axis of the associated bogie and said rearward pair converging rearward toward said longitudinal axis of said associated bogie and each of the free ends of each pair of sub-suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a runner axle in such a way as to permit some horizontal angular displacement between said runner axle and said sub-suspension members, and runners suported rotatably on said runner axles to permit rocking of the runners in conformance with terrain over which vehicle is being used; and when said vehicle is being tilted to one side by an operator said suspension members will yield laterally relative to said frame due to the influence of gravity, and because of their unparallel geometry relative to said vehicle axis they will move relative to the tilt of said bogie pivots with the uphill end of the front bogie pivot moving forward and the downhill end of said front bogie pivot moving rearward and the uphill end of the rear bogie pivot moving rearward and the downhill end of said rear bogie pivot moving forward thus forcing a turn of at least one bogie pivot and thus bogie, and within each bogie deflections of the sub-suspension members similarly forcing the uphill ends of the runner axles apart and the downhill ends together giving a net result of all runners in the vehicle tracing in a curve and causing a moving vehicle to execute a turn.

Claim 8

A mechanism for steering a vehicle having at least three runners in a tandem configuration and having a frame which has approximately vertical projections on each side, and two pairs of laterally resilient suspension members attached to said projections and projecting substantially fore and aft, each suspension member within a pair being attached to either side of said frame and being not parallel to the longitudinal vehicle axis but rather the forward pair converging forward toward said vehicle axis and the rearward pair converging rearward toward said vehicle axis, and at least one pair of the free ends of said suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a bogie pivot in such a fashion as to permit some angular horizontal displacement between said bogie pivot and said suspension members, and two pairs of laterally resilient sub-suspension members each pair of which is being mounted on either side of said bogie pivot and projecting substantially fore and aft and forming a bogie which is being made free to rock around a substantially horizontal axis normally approximately transverse to said vehicle axis and defining the pivot of the bogie, and said forward pair of said sub-suspension members converging forward toward the longitudinal axis of the associated bogie and said rearward pair converging rearward toward said longitudinal axis of said associated bogie and each of the free ends of each pair of sub-suspension members being attached to either end respectively of a runner axle in such a way as to permit some horizontal angular displacement between said runner axle and said sub-suspension members, and runners suported rotatably on said runner axles to permit rocking of the runners in conformance with terrain over which vehicle is being used; and when said vehicle is being tilted to one side by an operator said suspension members will yield laterally relative to said frame due to the influence of gravity, and because of their unparallel geometry relative to said vehicle axis they will move relative to the tilt of said bogie pivots with the uphill end of the front bogie pivot moving forward and the downhill end of said front bogie pivot moving rearward and the uphill end of the rear bogie pivot moving rearward and the downhill end of said rear bogie pivot moving forward thus forcing a turn of at least one bogie pivot and thus bogie, and within each bogie deflections of the sub-suspension members similarly forcing the uphill ends of the runner axles apart and the downhill ends together giving a net result of all runners in the vehicle tracing in a curve and causing a moving vehicle to execute a turn.

Claim 9

A mechanism as described in claim 3 and where the frame of the vehicle is extended over either the front or rear end of the vehicle and said frame having a substantially horizontal brake surface underneath the frame extension so that when the vehicle is being--for front wheel engagement--tipped forward until the rear wheel or wheels leave the ground the brake surface can be made to contact the foremost wheel of the front bogie and thereby brake the vehicle's progress, or--for rear wheel engagement--tipped rearward until the front wheel or wheels leave the ground making possible brake surface contact with the rearmost wheel of the rear bogie and similarly brake vehicle.

Claim 10

A mechanism as described in claim 1 and having near the free ends of the suspension members approximately horizontal friction pads affixed on top of horizontal lips on the free ends, and said friction pads rubbing against a surface on the underside of the frame whenever said suspension members yield laterally and intended to serve two functions; dampening of oscillations is suspension members and aiding in the vertical support of the wheels.

Claim 11

A mechanism as described in claim 2 and having near the frame ends of the suspension members approximately horizontal friction pads affixed on top of horizontal lips on the free ends, and said friction pads rubbing against a surface on the underside of the frame whenever said suspension members yield laterally and intended to serve two functions; dampening of oscillations in suspension members and aiding in the vertical support of the runners.

Claim 12

A mechanism as described in claim 3 and having near the free ends of the suspension members approximately horizontal friction pads affixed on top of horizontal lips on the free ends, and said friction pads rubbing against a surface on the underside of the frame whenever said suspension members yield laterally and intended to serve two functions; dampening of oscillations in suspension members and aiding in the vertical support of the bogies.

Claim 13

A mechanism as described in claim 4 and having near the free ends of the suspension members approximately horizontal friction pads affixed on top of horizontal lips on the free ends, and said friction pads rubbing against a surface on the underside of the frame whenever said suspension members yield laterally and intended to serve two functions; dampening of oscillations in suspension members and aiding in the vertical support of the bogies.