STEERING SLED EQUIPPED WITH RUNNER MEANS

Abstract: Steering sled equipped with runner means comprising a chassis (2) associated with said runner means sliding on snow or the like, characterized in that it comprises a direction-control apparatus (17) constituted by a steering wheel (23) with its relevant steering column (22), a suspension system (18) interposed between said chassis and said runner means, said direction-control apparatus comprising furthermore at least a couple of triple-hinge means (20), each defining three mutually perpendicular rotation axes, with one of said rotation axes being perpendicular to the support plane of said runner means, said at least one couple of hinge means being interposed between said chassis and at least one couple of said runner means, and being associated with means for the remote-control, through said steering column, of the rotations of said runner means.

Description: The present invention relates to a steering sled equipped with runner means. The presently marketed sleds are equipped with a pair of monobloc, essentially stiff runners, which do not allow the direction of the sled to be easily controlled when travelling downhill along snow-covered slopes, above all when the need arises for trajectory changing. The above mentioned sleds are also very stiff, and do not display any fitting to the unevennesses of the ground, thus increasing the drive difficulties. Motor-driven sleds are known however, which are provided with a pair of front steering runners, thus enabling the driver to change the travelling trajectory. During this operation, or when travelling downhill along particularly steep slopes, the road-holding of this sled is accomplished both by the rear traction crawlers, as well as by particular profiles provided on the lower surface of the runners, which penetrate the mantle of snow in an edge-like fashion, so to increase the road-holding capabilities of the sled. Anyone can easily realize how the steerability of such sleds may result difficult, above all when the motor drive is not present, and when particularly steep or uneven paths must be run along. CH-A-183 091 discloses a steering sled exhibiting all of the features defined in the pre-characterizing part of claim 1 and comprising a chassis associated with said runner means sliding on snow or the like, a direction-control apparatus constituted by a steering wheel with its steering column, a suspension system interposed between the chassis and runner means. The direction-control apparatus comprises furthermore at least two triple-hinge means, each defining three mutually perpendicular rotation axes, with one of said rotation axes being perpendicular to the support plane of said runner means, said at least two triple-hinge means being interposed between said chassis and at least two of said runner means, and being associated with means for the remote-control, through said steering column, of the rotations of said runner means, said triple-hinge means being pins rotary inside sleeves. US-A-3 361 436 also discloses a sled having all the features defined in CH-A-183 091 with the exception of the steering wheel. The sled of CH-A-183 091 has its steering column connected to the triple-hinge means by cables which do not make sure and correct the transmission of the steering. A purpose of the invention is to provide a sled capable of overcoming the above-mentioned drawbacks, which also allows a high maneuvrability level and an easy and sure control, even on considerably steep slopes, independently on the type path, and on the trajectory direction, and on the unevennesses of the ground. This, and still other purposes according to the present invention are achieved by providing a steering sled equipped with runner means according to claim 1. A sled according to the invention is illustrated for purely exemplifying, and non-limitative, purposes, in the hereto attached drawing tables, wherein: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the sled of the invention, wherein the saddle is not shown, for the purpose of facilitating the viewing of some members; Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the sled of Figure 1, wherein the saddle and the steering column are not shown; Figure 3 shows a side view of the sled; Figure 4 shows a rear view of the sled, Figure 5 shows a top plan schematic view of the front portion of the slide, with the front runners being rotated; and Figure 6 shows a schematic view of the rear portion of the sled, with the runners being in edge-engagement position. Referring to the above cited figures, the sled of the present invention, generally indicated with 1, comprises a bearing chassis, or monocoque body, 2, which is associated to runner means, such as a pair of front skis 15 and a pair of rear skis 16, with the interposition of a direction-control system 17 and of a suspension system 18. The chassis 2 is constituted by a set of welded tubes 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, fastened to each other so to form, in their whole, a stiff and strong net-like structure supporting a saddle 19. Two tubes 3 are so positioned that the tubes are parallel to each other and joined to each other by cross-member elements 7, so to provide an upper plane for saddle 19 support. Further front tubes 4 and rear tubes 5 extend from said two tubes 3 downwards and laterally, for supporting a direction-control system 17 in cooperation with further two tubes 6 extending from said front tubes 4 and converging towards the front portion of the sled 1 to support an essentially horizontal sleeve 8. The direction-control system, which is generally indicated with 17, is constituted by pairs of multiple-hinge means, respectively front, triple-hinge means 20, and rear, double-hinge means 21, associated with and actuated by remote-control means. The means for the remote control of the rotations of the hinge means 20 and 21 comprise a first jointed-lever unit, and a second jointed-lever unit, composed by selectively and alternatively acting tie-rods and/or struts with the interposition of a set of articulated joints, to be actuated by means of a steering column 22 and a steering wheel 23. More precisely, rotatably inserted inside said sleeve 8, an end is positioned of a further tubular element 9, integral with which an inclined and upwards-directed guide sleeve 45 is provided, which performs the task of allowing said steering column 22 to rotate. At its other end, the further tubular element 9 receives in its interior a length of smaller-diameter tube 46, in a plunger-like fashion, with a return pull being applied to it by an inner elastic element (not shown), said length of smaller-diameter tube 46 having its outer end constrained to a cross-member 10, which too is made from welded tubes, and supports the rear multiple-hinge means 21. In front of said guide sleeve 45 and above it, a bracket 26 is constrained to the steering column 22 and supports articulated joints 47 of connection to first transversal rods 24, which are connected, in their turn, to second rods 25 of constraint relatively to said hinge means 20 through further articulated joints 47 which constitute, in their whole, said first jointed-lever unit. Rearwards to said guide sleeve 45, a composite shaped bracket 48 is constrained, which is also integral with the tubular element 9, and is provided with articulated joints 47 of connection with third transversal front rods 27, which are, in their turn, connected with fourth rods 28 of constraint relatively to the hinge means 20 by means of further articulated joints 47. Integral with said tubular element 9, almost in the nearby of the end thereof which is close to the cross-member 10, on a further vertical bracket 49 supported are further articulated joints 47 of connection with further third rear rods 29 which are, in their turn, connected with fourth rear rods 11 of constraint relatively to hinge means 21 by means of further articulated joints 47. The means for the remote control of the rotations comprising the first jointed-lever unit, and the second jointed-lever unit actuatable by means of the steering column 22 and the steering wheel 23 are equipped with means for limiting their stroke. In fact, on the guide sleeve 45, laterally and on opposite sides, stop tabs 50 are provided, which engage shaped portions 51 of the bracket 26, such to limit the rotation of the steering column 22. Furthermore, on the front tubes 4 and on the rear shaped cross-member 10, studs 52 are provided, which protrude in a longitudinal direction, such to limit the swinging motion of the second jointed-lever unit given by the steering column 22. The rear cross-member 10 has a trapezoidal shape, it has its ends linked to hinges 21, and results reinforced by a further cross-member element 13. The further rear cross-member element 13 is linked, in its turn, to a first end of leaf springs 12, the second end of which is integral with a cross-member element 7 of the chassis 2. Thus, a further constraint is accomplished between the shaped cross-member 10 supporting the rear hinge means 21 and the chassis 2. The leaf springs 12 and the tube length 46 acting as a shock absorber inside the tubular element 9 constitute, in their whole, the said suspension system 18. The front multiple-hinge means are constituted by a first pin 30 integral with the front runner means 15 and rotating inside a first sleeve 31, with which a second pin 32 is centrally and perpendicularly integral. The second pin 32 rotates, in its turn, inside a second sleeve 33, which is perpendicularly integral with a third pin 34 rotating inside a third sleeve 35 constrained to the convergence of the front tubes 4 and of the rear tubes 5 of the chassis 2, together with tilting footboard elements 14 for supporting the sled user's feet. In the rear multiple-hinge means 21, differently from the front multiple-hinge means 20, no possibility exists of a relative motion between the second pin 32 and the second sleeve 33. Advantageously, in the front portion of the chassis 2, a hooking device 37 is provided for the purpose of allowing the sledge to be towed by a common lift facility. Said hooking device is provided with a tubular basis 36 connectable to the chassis 2 by means of two tubular elements thereof suitable to be slipped inside the pair of tubes 3. On two uprights 38, which extend from said basis 36, a metal element 39 is supported, which is hinged in 41, and is provided, at a first end thereof, with a fork 40. The second end of said element 39 is engaged by lock means 43 supported on a shaft 44 controlled to rotate by a lever 42. The functioning of a steering sled according to the invention is briefly illustrated. During the travelling of the sled, by rotating counterclockwise, and around its axis, the steering column 22 inside the guide sleeve 45 according to arrow A, the corresponding rotation is obtained of the only front runner means 15 (Figure 5), thanks to the actuation of the bracket 26 and of the levers 24 and 25, and to the consequent relative rotation between the second pin 32 and the second sleeve 33 of the front multiple-hinge means 20. In an analogous way, also the rear runner means 16 can be accomplished as steering means. By tilting the steering column 22 to the right, or to the left, according to arrow B, the runner means 15 and 16 are consequently tilted by means of the action of the levers 27, 28, 29 and 11, and of the tubular element 9, which jointly cause the relative rotation of the third pin 34 and of the third sleeve 35 of the front multiple-hinge means 20 and rear multiple-hinge means 21. The tilting and the rotation of the runner means 15 and 16 determine a position of edge-engagement, which allows both the travelling direction to be perfectly changed, and the sled speed to be controlled, as well as said sled to be stopped; it allows also the sled to slip downhill during the transversal passage along slopes covered with snow. In this latter case, the steering column 22 is tilted towards the slope, as shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, to facilitate a better fitting of the sled to the snow, the four runner means are hinged in 30, as said, so to have the possibility of tilting upwards or downwards, as shown by the chain lines in Figure 3. The forces and the stresses generated by the unevennesses of the ground, and transmitted to the chassis are absorbed by the suspension system 18, which allows the rear runner means 16 and the rear multiple-hinge means 21 associated to the cross-member 10 and to the cross-member element 13 to elastically shift relatively to the front portion of the chassis 2, thanks to the elastic deformation of the leaf springs 12 and to the absorption of the inner elastic element (not shown) integral with the tube length 46. Thus, a mutual twisting is allowed between the front runner means and the rear runner means, so to allow a better contact with the snow surface. The sled 1 can be easily towed by means of the hooking device 37 by a common lift facility called "ski-lift". A plate installed on the end of the pulling rope of the ski-lift is retained by the fork 40 of the element 39, which is prevented from rotating around the pin 41 by the lock means 43 provided on a spindle 44 and actuated by manually pulling the lever 42. The release of the lever 42 causes the element 39 to automatically rotate around the pin 41, with the consequent rotation upwards of the fork 40, and disengagement of the plate. Of course, if the hooking device 37 is not necessary, it can be easily removed from the sled by simply slipping the tubular basis 36 out from the chassis 2, after the preliminary removal of mutual constraint means (not shown).

Claims: Steering sled equipped with runner means comprising a chassis associated with said runner means sliding on snow or the like, a direction-control apparatus (17) constituted by a steering wheel with its relevant steering column (22), a suspension system (18) interposed between said chassis (2) and said runner means (15,16), said direction-control apparatus (17) comprising furthermore at least two triple-hinge means (20,21), each defining three mutually perpendicular rotation axes, with one of said rotation axes being perpendicular to the support plane of said runner means, said at least two triple-hinge means (20,21) being interposed between said chassis (2) and at least two of said runner means (15,16), and being associated with means for the remote-control, through said steering column (22), of the rotations of said runner means, wherein each of said triple-hinge means (20,21) comprises a first pin (30) integral with a runner means (15,16) and rotary inside a first sleeve (31), said first sleeve (31) being in its turn centrally and perpendicularly integral with a second pin (32) rotary inside a second sleeve (33), said second sleeve (33) being perpendicularly integral with a third pin (34) rotary inside a third sleeve (35) constrained to the chassis (2), said first sleeve (31) and said second sleeve (33) being linked to said means for the remote control of the rotations, characterized in that said remote control means are constituted by a first jointed-lever unit (24,25,26) and by a second jointed-lever unit (27,28,29,11) operatively linked to the steering column (22) supported by a guide sleeve (45) integral with a longitudinally-positioned tubular element (9) rotatably supported by the chassis (2) of the sled (1), the rotation of the steering column around its own axis causing, through said first jointed-lever unit (24,25,26) the rotation of said second pin (32) relatively to said second sleeve (33), the tilting of the steering column causing, through said second jointed-lever unit (27,28,29,11) the rotation of said third pin (34) relatively to said third sleeve (35). Sled according to claim 1, characterized in that said runner means are provided as a front pair of runner means (15) and a rear pair of runner means (16), relatively to the travelling direction of the sled (1), said rear pair (16) being provided with multiple-hinge means (21), in which said first sleeve (31) and said third pin (34) are perpendicularly connected. Sled according to claim 2, characterized in that between said rear pair of runner means (16) and said chassis (2) a suspension system (18) is interposed. Sled according to claim 3, characterized in that said suspension system comprises two leaf springs (12). Sled according to claim 2, characterized in that said runner means (15,16) are constituted by two pairs of skis. Sled according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided, in its front portion, with a hooking device (37) comprising a basis, suitable to be fastened onto said chassis (2), from which uprights (38) extend, onto which a metal element is hinged, with a first end of which a fork (40) is associated, a second end of said metal element interacting with manually-actuatable lock means (43). Sled according to claim 1, characterized in that said chassis is a monocoque body.

Inventors: CAPRA, SILVANO
Applicants: MANGHEN S.R.L.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B62B13
IPC codes: B62B13, B62B17