Patent ID: 8151713

Claim:
A bidirectional guide system ( 1 ) for an axle ( 2 ) on a road vehicle guided by a guide rail ( 6 ), the guide system comprising: two guide devices ( 16 ) attached to the axle ( 2 ) and arranged in opposite directions on either side of the axle, each of the two guide devices ( 16 ) comprising a guide arm ( 17 ), either single or double, extending toward the guide rail ( 6 ) and holding at least one guide roller ( 18 ) for travel engagement along the guide rail ( 6 ), each of the two guide devices ( 16 ) having a rigid state for orienting the axle ( 2 ) and a floating state for allowing lateral displacement, and serving alternately depending upon a direction of travel of the vehicle, either at a front as a director module ( 55 ) in the rigid state, or at the rear as a follower module ( 56 ) in the floating state, each of the two guide devices ( 16 ) comprising: a deformable connecting interface ( 23 ) between the axle ( 2 ) and the guide arm ( 17 ) which, because of a deformable nature, facilitates lateral displacement of the axle ( 2 ) relative to the guide rail ( 6 ); and a cylinder ( 29 ) with two independent, opposing shafts ( 30 , 31 ) that assumes two characteristic positions: an extended shafts position placing the guide device ( 16 ) into the rigid state, in which position the opposing shafts ( 30 , 31 ) are extended to a maximum and block the connecting interface ( 23 ) so as to form a rigid connecting interface between the axle ( 2 ) and the guide arm ( 17 ) allowing orientation of the axle ( 2 ) in order to guide the axle ( 2 ); and a retracted shafts position placing the guide device ( 16 ) into the floating state in which position the opposing shafts ( 30 , 31 ) are retracted to another maximum and leave the connecting interface ( 23 ) free, allowing lateral displacement.