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US 11,427,270 B2Granted
Vehicle with deployable towing wheels and suspension
AssigneeHowe & Howe Inc.
InventorsMichael Howe, Zachary Edward Sawyer, Jason Wan Xu, Cote Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example techniques have been presented for providing tracked vehicles with deployable towing wheels. Such techniques involve a track vehicle having a vehicle body, a track coupled to the vehicle body, and a wheel assembly coupled to the vehicle body. The wheel assembly includes a wheel and is operable to assume a towing position in which at least a portion of the wheel extends below the track and enables the tracked vehicle to be towed on the wheel without the track making ground contact.
Claims16
A tracked vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a track coupled to the vehicle body;
- a suspension assembly;
- and
- a wheel assembly coupled to the vehicle body via the suspension assembly, the wheel assembly including a wheel and being operable to assume a towing position in which at least a portion of the wheel extends below the track to enable the tracked vehicle to be towed on the wheel without the track making ground contact;
- wherein the suspension assembly is configured to provide suspension for vertical movement of the wheel relative to the vehicle body;
- and
- wherein the suspension assembly includes a suspension arm and a suspension spring, the suspension arm having a first portion coupled to the vehicle body and a second portion coupled to the wheel assembly, the second portion configured to move vertically through a suspension travel while the wheel assembly is locked in the towing position, the suspension spring operatively coupled between the suspension arm and the vehicle body.
5 more elements
A tracked vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a track coupled to the vehicle body;
- a suspension assembly;
- and
- a wheel assembly coupled to the vehicle body via the suspension assembly, the wheel assembly including a wheel and being operable to assume a towing position in which at least a portion of the wheel extends below the track to enable the tracked vehicle to be towed on the wheel without the track making ground contact;
- wherein the suspension assembly is configured to provide suspension for vertical movement of the wheel relative to the vehicle body;
- wherein the suspension assembly includes a suspension arm, the suspension arm having a first portion coupled to the vehicle body and a second portion coupled to the wheel assembly, the second portion configured to move through a suspension travel;
- wherein the first portion of the suspension arm is coupled to the vehicle body via a pivot joint;
- and
- wherein the wheel assembly includes:
- an axle about which the wheel is enabled to spin;
- an offset arm coupled to the axle;
- and
- an offset shaft coupled to the offset arm and extending substantially parallel to the axle, wherein the offset shaft is rotatably coupled to the second portion of the suspension arm to enable the wheel to swing into and out of the towing position.
11 more elements
A tracked vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a pair of tracks coupled to the vehicle body;
- and
- a plurality of wheel assemblies coupled to the vehicle body via respective suspension assemblies, the plurality of wheel assemblies including respective wheels operable to assume a towing position in which the wheels extend below the tracks to enable the tracked vehicle to be towed on the wheels without the tracks making ground contact;
- wherein the suspension assemblies are configured to provide suspension for vertical movement of respective wheels relative to the vehicle body;
- and
- wherein a particular suspension assembly of the suspension assemblies includes a suspension arm and a suspension spring, the suspension arm having a first portion coupled to the vehicle body and a second portion coupled to a particular wheel assembly, the second portion configured to move vertically through a suspension travel while the wheel assembly is locked in the towing position, the suspension spring operatively coupled between the suspension arm and the vehicle body.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.