Patent GB-1050526-A (GB)
IPC: B61F7/00
Abstract: 1,050,526. Vehicles. A. G. JAMME, and I. LUCAS. May 20, 1963 [July 2, 1962], No. 25319/62. Headings B7D, B7H and B7L. The wheels of a vehicle are mounted on arms pivotable about vertical or near vertical axes in side members which are mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and are interconnected such that rotation of one side member produces opposite rotation of the other. As shown, the wheels 31 of an agricultural tractor are carried by tubular arms 26 pivotable about vertical axes in side members 24 by means of individually operable hydraulic jacks 38. The side members 24 are rotatably mounted on each end of a transverse shaft 21 and each is connected by a link 33 to a crank 34 on a shaft journalled in the tractor body, whereby rotation of one side member 24 and the arms 26 thereon causes opposite rotation of the other side member. The front and rear wheels 31 are jointly or individually steerable by means of a hand wheel 183 and lever 184 controlling steering jacks 75f, 75r actuating racks 70 which are interconnected by bars 73 and mesh with pinions 72 coupled by chain drives within the arms 26 to vertical shafts journalled in the ends 27 of the arms to carry the support members 171 of the wheels 31. Each wheel is driven through chains 175, 179 by a reversible fixed-stroke swashplate motor 76 mounted in the wheel support member 171 and supplied through flexible conduits from a reversible variable-stroke swashplate pump driven by a diesel engine. The hydraulic system (Fig. 7, not shown) of the vehicle includes a booster pump and an accumulator which supply makeup fluid to the motor circuit and also supply the jacks 38, the steering jack 75f, 75r, and jacks 106, 107 for actuating a three-point lift linkage. Additional pumps may supply motors driving ditch digging machinery or a winch, the jacks of a movable draw bar, or jacks carrying feet which may be placed against the earth and expanded to push the tractor through muddy ground or to push a bulldozer blade. In another embodiment (Fig. 8, not shown) the steering gear, instead of being connected to the wheel by a chain drive, is connected to an arcuate member which is pivoted to an arm on the vertical pivot shaft of the wheel and carries a roller running between the surface of the shaft and an arcuate guide wall. The side member 24 carrying the arms 26 may not be coaxially rotatable and may be rotatable about an axis extending longitudinally of the vehicle. The arms 26 may be pivoted by rack and pinion or screw devices. The height of the wheels 31 relative to the body 10 may be made variable by inclining the pivot axes of the arms, or by providing jacks or rack and pinion devices to raise and lower the wheels. 31 relative to the arms 26. The vehicle may have two rear wheels only on pivoted arms and a single front wheel. The vehicle may be powered from an external source through flexible hydraulic or pneumatic conduits, by electric cables, or by shoes contacting conductors. Railway wheels, endless-tracks or skids may replace the road wheels shown and the invention may be applied to a locomotive, earth-moving vehicle, a vehicle for manoeuvring aircraft or trailer vehicle.