Patent ID: 6062801
Filing Date: 2000-05-16
Classification: B60P

Abstract:
A multicombination vehicle for use in transporting a mined product over roadways in an underground mine, said vehicle comprising:a powered towing unit including a chassis having, at least one longitudinally extending member, said powered towing unit further including a forward, wheeled steering axle suspended from said chassis and a rear axle assembly having at least one wheeled axle and suspended from said chassis by a rear suspension system, said wheeled axles supporting the powered unit for movement over the roadways, wherein at least one of said wheeled axles comprises a driving axle, said powered towing unit further including a source of motive power mounted on said chassis and means for transmitting torque from said source of motive power to said at least one driving axle; anda towed unit mechanically coupled to said powered towing unit and including a chassis, a load-carrying body mounted on and disposed above said chassis, and at least one wheeled, driven axle supporting the towed unit for movement over the roadways, said at least one wheeled, driven axle being suspended from said chassis of said towed unit, said towed unit further including a drawbar attached to and extending forward from said chassis of said towed unit;said powered towing unit further comprising:a draw frame attached to and extending rearwardly from said chassis of said towing unit, said draw frame including a forward end and a rear end, said forward end of said draw frame being attached to said chassis of said towing unit, said rear end of said draw frame being longitudinally spaced rearwardly from a rear end of said at least one longitudinally extending member;a coupling attached to said rear end of said draw frame, said coupling being connected with said drawbar of said towed unit;a coupling overhang defined as the longitudinal distance between a substantially vertical axis of rotation passing through said coupling and a longitudinal center of said rear suspension system;a wheelbase defined as the longitudinal distance between a longitudinal center of suspension of said forward, wheeled axle and said longitudinal center of suspension of said rear suspension system;wherein a ratio of said coupling overhang to said wheelbase has a value of at least 0.5 and is effective for reducing a swept path width of the multicombination vehicle as the vehicle engages in a turning maneuver on the roadways of the underground mine relative to a swept path width of an otherwise similar multicombination vehicle lacking said draw frame and having a smaller coupling, overhang-to-wheelbase ratio.