Patent ID: 7328758

Claim:
A self-propelled vehicle for making turns with tight turning radii, comprising: a chassis, provided with two driving wheels and forming at least one driving portion; a motor supported at said chassis; a motion distribution shaft kinematically connected to the motor; functional connection means provided between said motion distribution shaft and each one of said driving wheels, said functional connection means being individually activatable or deactivatable on command for independent actuation of one driving wheel with respect to the other; a toothed pulley; a sprocket that is rigidly associated with a respective one of said driving wheels; a pusher; and steering means that are adapted to act on said functional connection means; and wherein said functional connection means comprise a respective clutch coupling, arranged between said motion distribution shaft and at least one of said driving wheels, said clutch coupling being activatable or deactivatable on command by way of said steering means, and a mechanical motion transmission arranged between said clutch coupling and a respective one of said driving wheels; and wherein said mechanical motion transmission comprises a chain, which meshes with said toothed pulley, which is rotatably supported about said motion distribution shaft and winds around said sprocket, said clutch coupling comprising a first coupling portion, which is fixed to said motion distribution shaft, and a second coupling portion, which is fitted so as to be slidable on, and rotate jointly with said motion distribution shaft, said toothed pulley being interposed between said first and second coupling portions; and wherein said steering means comprise actuation means, which are functionally connected to said pusher, which acts on the second coupling portion to make said second coupling portion slide along said motion distribution shaft from a deactivation position, in which said second coupling portion is disengaged from said toothed pulley, to an activation position, in which said first and second coupling portions are coupled to said toothed pulley, in order to rigidly rotationally associate said toothed pulley with said motion distribution shaft.