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US 11,691,681 B2Granted
Vehicle with deployable towing wheels
AssigneeHowe & Howe Inc.
InventorsZachary E. Sawyer, Michael Howe, Cote Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example apparatuses and techniques are disclosed for towing tracked vehicles at high speeds without various deficiencies and for allowing a vehicle to be configured to extend supplemental wheels from a storage configuration into a ground support configuration in which the vehicle is able to make use of the supplemental wheels for additional ground support.
Claims12
A method of towing a tracked vehicle having a track, the method comprising:
- swinging a wheel assembly coupled to the tracked vehicle about a first axis substantially parallel to but offset from a second axis of rotation of a wheel of the wheel assembly until the wheel reaches a towing position in which a bottom portion of the wheel extends below a lowest extent of the track such that at least part of the weight of the vehicle is borne by the wheel, said swinging including inserting a lever into a lever receiver mounted on the wheel assembly adjacent to the first axis and pushing the lever to rotate the wheel assembly about the first axis;
- locking the wheel assembly into the towing position to prevent further swinging;
- and
- towing the tracked vehicle supported on the wheel rather than the track.
1 more element
A method of towing a tracked vehicle having a first track and a second track, the method comprising:
- swinging a first wheel assembly coupled to the tracked vehicle about a first axis substantially parallel to but offset from a second axis of rotation of a first wheel of the first wheel assembly until the first wheel reaches a towing position in which a bottom portion of the first wheel extends below a lowest extent of the first track such that at least part of the weight of the vehicle is borne by the first wheel;
- locking the first wheel assembly into the towing position to prevent further swinging;
- swinging a second wheel assembly coupled to the tracked vehicle about a third axis substantially parallel to but offset from a fourth axis of rotation of a second wheel of the second wheel assembly until the second wheel reaches a towing position in which a bottom portion of the second wheel extends below a lowest extent of the second track such that at least part of the weight of the vehicle is borne by the second wheel;
- locking the second wheel assembly into the towing position to prevent further swinging;
- and
- towing the tracked vehicle supported on the first wheel and the second wheel rather than on the first track and the second track,
- wherein the method further comprises, prior to swinging the second wheel assembly, coupling a shaft of the second wheel assembly to a mounting point on the tracked vehicle by pushing the shaft along the third axis while the second wheel is entirely above the lowest extent of the second track.
4 more elements
A method of configuring a tracked vehicle for towing, the method comprising:
- swinging a wheel assembly coupled to the tracked vehicle about a first axis substantially parallel to but offset from a second axis of rotation of a wheel of the wheel assembly until the wheel reaches a towing position in which a bottom portion of the wheel extends below a lowest extent of a track of the tracked vehicle such that at least part of the weight of the vehicle is borne by the wheel;
- and
- locking the wheel assembly into the towing position to prevent further swinging;
- wherein the method further comprises, prior to swinging the wheel assembly, coupling a shaft of the wheel assembly to a mounting point on the tracked vehicle by pushing the shaft along the first axis while the wheel is entirely above the lowest extent of the track.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.