Patent ID: 8714576

Claim:
A compact, combination drive-and-steering unit for a vehicle, the unit comprising: a shared rotational space, the space comprising a portion of a drive assembly and a portion of a steering assembly; the drive assembly including a crankshaft having a crank axis that rotates in a fixed position relative to a chassis of a vehicle powered by the crankshaft, the crankshaft in an operable communication with a spool-shaft having a drive axis, the spool-shaft in an operable communication with a drive member, and the drive member in an operable communication with a wheel assembly having a wheel, the drive assembly transferring a power from the crankshaft to drive the wheel; and, the steering assembly including a releasably-lockable strut in an operable communication with the wheel assembly, a steering axle in an operable communication with the releasably-lockable strut, and a steering member in an operable communication with the steering axle, the steering axle having a steering axis that is concentric to the drive axis of the spoolshaft in the shared rotational space, the spoolshaft circumscribing at least a portion of the steering axle, the releasably-lockable strut having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end attaching to the chassis at a rotatably-lockable strut pivot, and the distal end operably attaching to the wheel assembly; wherein, the steering axle rotates freely, or substantially freely, within the spoolshaft, such that the crankshaft rotates in the fixed position independent, or substantially independent, of a rotation of the steering axle; the crankshaft and the rotatably-lockable strut pivot share a central axis; and, the shared rotational space creates a compact, combination drive-and-steering unit for the vehicle.