Patent GB-460593-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to walking vehicles
IPC: E02F9/04
Filed: 1935-07-31
Abstract: 460,593. Motor vehicles. TURNBULL, F. July 31, 1935, No. 21766. [Class 79 (iii)] A walking or step-by-step vehicle of the kind having an inner member and a pair of inter-connected outer members provided with treads and being alternately raised, moved lengthwise and lowered by crank mechanisms so as to propel the vehicle, is provided with operating mechanism comprising two power-driven crank sets revolving in unison, one crank set moving the inner tread member and the outer tread members alternately in a longitudinal direction and the other crank set raising and lowering the inner and outer members alternately through levers carried by pivots fixed on the inner member and provided with pivots rolling on the outer members. The vehicle may be used also on water if desired, suitable floats and propelling means being provided. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the main or inner member a is provided with treads b and the outer members c are connected by bars c<1> and are provided with treads d. Two shafts e<1>, e<2>, geared together by gearwheels f f<2> respectively provided with crankpins f<3>, f<4>, are mounted on the inner member a and the shaft e<1> is driven by chain gear from a motor h. The crank-pins f<4> are connected by rods q to a cross-bar r connecting the outer members c so that the crank-pins f<4> cause relative longitudinal movement between the members a and c. The crank-pins f<3> are connected by rods j to levers k coupled by rods m to similar levers k<1>. The levers k, k<1> are pivoted on shafts n<1>, n<2> mounted in bearings in the member a, and carry shafts o<1>, o<2> which extend through slots in the member a and have rollers o<4> running between horizontal guides p in the outer members c. Thus the levers k, k<1>, when they are rocked by the crank-pins f<3>, first rock about the shafts n<1>, n<2> and raise and lower the outer members c while the main member a rests on the ground, and then rock about the shafts o<1>, o<2> so as to raise the main member a through the shafts n<1>, n<2> while the outer members c rest on the ground. The crank-pins f<3>, f<4> are so arranged that the members a, c are reciprocated horizontally by the rods q during the periods that one or other is clear of the ground. When it is desired to change the direction of travel of the vehicle a turntable s on the main member a is lowered to the ground to raise the vehicle which is then rotated about the turntable until it points in the right direction after which the turntable is raised clear of the ground again. The turntable is raised and lowered by means of a central screw shaft t<1> driven through chain and toothed gearing from a motor u<3>, the turntable being screwed on the shaft and normally prevented from rotating by means of a gear-wheel s<1> on the turntable which is connected by gearing with another motor w. When the turntable is on the ground and the vehicle is raised, the motor u<3> is stopped and the motor w is started, the latter motor causing the vehicle to rotate about the turntable. In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the turntable s slides freely on a central shaft t<4> and is formed with a circular track for three rollers y<2> carried by a frame ywhich is raised and lowered relatively to the vehicle inner frame a by means of non-rotary screws t<3> engaged by rotatable nuts s<2>. The screws t<3> are fixed to the frame y and the nuts are formed as gear-wheels meshing with a common central gear s<3> which is loose on the shaft t<4>. One of the nuts is connected to a motor (not shown) through bevel gearing u<4>, and when this is driven the three nuts rotate synchronously, the turntable is lowered to the ground and then the vehicle is raised on the turntable. When the vehicle is thus raised it can be rotated on the turntable by means of a motor which is fixed on the frame y and drives one of the rollers y<2> through chain and other gearing z<11>, z<8>, a second roller being driven from the shaft z<3> of the first through bevel gearing comprising an idler wheel z<6>.