Patent GB-709834-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to tractors and like vehicles
IPC: B60K17/34
Filed: 1951-11-27
Abstract: 709,834. Motor vehicles. BEAUDOUX, P. E., and BERRY, F. J. B. Nov. 27, 1951 [Nov. 27, 1950], No. 27833/51. Classes 79(2) and 79(5) [Also in Group XXXII] A vehicle comprises, in combination four motordriven wheels driven from lateral sun gears of a central differential gear, the pinion of which is driven by a motor, the front wheels being steerable and oscillatory while the rear wheels occupy a predetermined regulable position with respect to the chassis of the vehicle, the axes of the rear wheels extending in a vertical plane normal to a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and an individual brake associated with each sun gear of the differential. In the arrangement shown, rear and front road wheels 6 and 7 respectively, Fig. 2, are driven from a forwardly mounted engine through a gear box (not shown) and a differential gear 8 the sun gears of which drive pinions 12, which are geared through intermediate pinions 13 and 23 to rear and front wheel pinions 18 and 28 respectively secured to wheel shafts 19 and 29. Each pinion 12 is carried on a shaft 11. which carries a brake within a casing 36. Each shaft 11 can be separately braked by a pedal and means permitting simultaneous braking of both shafts 11 comprises a spindle 100, Figs. 10 and 11, mounted transversely of the tractor and carrying a.brake lever 102 at one end and a shank 103 of the corresponding pedal 37 at the other end. A rotatable sleeve 104 carries the corresponding lever and shank for the other brake, and may be moved into or out of toothed engagement with a skirted collar 105 slidably mounted on the shaft 100 and having a cam surface 107 and a slot 108. A fixed ring 112 limits movement of the collar 105 under the action of a spring 111. The collar 105 is moved into or out of toothed engagement with the sleeve 104 by means of a control lever 113 rotatably mounted on the shaft 100 and co-operating with a cam surface 114 in the slot 108. The sleeve and collar are also moved into engagement whenever a change speed lever 115 is moved to a high speed position, so that it engages the surface 107. The front steerable wheels 7 are each rigid with a spindle 38, Figs. 4 and 5, connected through a joint 39 with the shaft 29. The spindle 38 is carried by a ball or roller type bearing 40, having projections 43 which are pivoted in bearings 45 on a frame 46 normally inclined to the vertical and pivoted in supports 48 fixed to and extending laterally of the tractor frame. The frames 46 are interconnected by a rod 51, the lateral movement of which is limited by co-operating abutments on the rod and tractor frame respectively. The movement of the rod may be damped by springs connected to the rod on either side of a central support on the tractor frame. The wheels are steered through a shaft 60, by means of an angle piece 62, Fig. 5, pivoted to the tractor frame and connected through arms 64 to arms 67 secured to the bearings 40. The rear wheels 6 are rigid with the shafts 19. In a modification, Figs. 6 to 9 (not shown), the rear wheels are each connected by a joint to the corresponding shaft 19, the joint being pivoted to the tractor frame in a manner similar to that described above and the joints being interconnected by a laterally extending rod, the lateral movement of which is controlled by a lever pivoted to the tractor and manually adjustable through a rack and pinion, whereby the wheels may be adjusted to maintain the tractor frame level when the tractor moves across sloping grounds. The rack and pinion may be replaced by hydraulic means.