Patent ID: 7546891
Filing Date: 2009-06-16
Classification: B25J,B62D,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising: a main section including a main frame having two sides and a front end, and including a pair of parallel main tracks, each including a flexible continuous belt coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame; and a forward section including an elongated arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the arm being pivotally coupled to the main frame near the forward end of the main frame about a transverse axis generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame, the arm having a length sufficiently long to allow the forward section to extend below the main section in at least some degrees of rotation of the arm, and a length shorter than the length of the main section; wherein the center of mass of the main section is located forward of the rearmost point reached by the distal end of the arm in its pivoting about the transverse axis; wherein the arm is pivotable in a continuous 360 degrees among different mobility modes of the articulated tracked vehicle, the mobility modes comprising: an extended mobility mode in which the arm is pivoted, at an angle with respect to the main tracks, forward of the main section and a center of gravity of the articulated tracked vehicle is located at least 13 inches rearward of a distal end of the arm and at least 13 inches forward of the rear most point of the main tracks; a stowed mobility mode in which the arm is pivoted to a position in which the arm is next to the main tracks in a compact configuration; an inclined mobility mode in which the arm is pivoted to an angle with respect to the main tracks inclining the main section such that the articulated tracked vehicle travels on points of contact at the extreme ends of the main tracks and the arm; and an upright mobility mode in which the arm is pivoted to an angle with respect to the main tracks to balance the main section on the arm.