Patent GB-1277859-A (GB)
Title: System for maintaining laterally spaced vehicles longitudinally abreast
Inventor: LOESCH RAYMOND W
IPC: B62D12/02
Filed: 1971-04-14
Abstract: 1277859 Control system for vehicles R W LOESCH 14 April 1971 9379/71 Heading B7H In a system for maintaining a plurality of self propelled vehicles abreast during movement, the wheels of the several vehicles are interconnected for concurrent steering and a closed hydraulicmechanical system is provided comprising a linking member 180, Fig. 6, having pivotally connected mounting means 192, 202 for each vehicle and master piston and cylinder subassemblies 198, 216 pivotally connected between a mounting means 192, 202 and the linking member 180 and further slave pistonand cylinder sub-assemblies 216, 218 associated with each master cylinder assembly having slave pistons 222, 230 connectable to speed control devices 14, 16 on the respective vehicle, communication being established between the forward end of each master cylinder and the rear end of the remaining master cylinders and also with the rear end of the associated slave cylinder as well as the forward ends of the remaining slave cylinders. In a preferred embodiment, Fig. 6, the rigid mounting members 192, 202 are pivotally secured to sleeves 188, 190 of the linking member 180 and pivotally secured to a mounting fixture 193 by a threaded bolt 195, 206 to allow pivoting or swivelling movement of the associated vehicle. The mounting fixture may include rollers 142 which reciprocate in guide plates 144, Fig. 4, rigidly secured to the forward end of a respective vehicle, such as a tractor. The steering links (152), (154), (156) and (158), Fig. 2 (not shown), utilized on both tractors (110), (112) interconnect the forward wheels of the tractors through the mounting fixtures and the transverse link (114). Alternatively, in Fig. 3 (not shown), the transverse link (168) is made telescopic and concurrent steering is established by steering link (166). The mounting members (122), (124) are rigidly mounted on frames (127), (129). A variable interlink speed control means 81, 90, Fig. 6, connects the piston rod of each slave cylinder to its respective speed control lever 14, 16. In a modification, Fig. 7, a manualhydraulic interlink control 320 and 322 has the cylinders 326, 350 connected to the respective vehicle throttle lever 334, 358 and may move forwardly or rearwardly relative to the vehicle. The extent by which the pistons 332, 356 enter the cylinders 326, 350 is controlled by manual control levers 346, 372 via piston and cylinder sub-assemblies 336, 360. In a further modification, Fig. 8, additional slave piston and cylinder sub-assemblies such as 418, 434, 454 are provided each having variable interlink controls 416, 432, 470 for connection to speed control devices 400, 402, 406 which may be the clutch, brake and accelerator of a vehicle. In a further construction of variable interlink control, Fig. 9, an additional cylinder 534 is operatively associated with the slave cylinder 494 and has a spring biasing piston rod 520 connected to a manual control lever 544. In another embodiment, Fig. 10 (not shown), a slave vehicle is positioned intermediate left and right control vehicles. The transverse linking arm and forwardly projecting mounting members may alternatively be mounted to the rear of the vehicles.