Patent ID: 8600620

Claim:
A steering assembly for steering a vehicle, the steering assembly comprising: a first frame member securely connected to a chassis of the vehicle; a first steering knuckle comprising a first spindle having a first wheel rotatably mounted thereto; a first swing mechanism operatively connecting the first steering knuckle to the first frame member for enabling displacement of the first steering knuckle along a first arced path having a first radius of curvature, the first steering knuckle being pivotally connected to the first swing mechanism for enabling the first wheel to be oriented in a first desired orientation relative to the vehicle, the first arced path being concave relative to a central longitudinal axis of the vehicle and spaced from the first frame member, away from the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle, by a distance sufficient to prevent the first wheel from contacting the first frame member when the first steering knuckle is pivoted; a first guiding mechanism operatively connecting the first steering knuckle and the first swing mechanism for pivoting the first steering knuckle when the first steering knuckle is displaced along the first arced path in order to maintain the first wheel oriented tangentially relative to the first arced path; and an actuator operatively connected to the first swing mechanism for displacing the first steering knuckle along the first arced path, and thereby pivoting the first steering knuckle, until the first wheel is oriented in the desired orientation to thereby steer the vehicle in a desired direction.