Heavy vehicle
AssigneeMichelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
InventorPierre Durif
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a heavy vehicle, such as a transport vehicle or a “civil engineering” vehicle, of a mass greater than 500 metric tons, fitted with tires of radial structure of a diameter greater than three meters fifty having an axial width greater than 37 inches, and comprising a front steering axle provided with at least two tires and at least one rear axle comprising at least four tires and by which is transmitted at least part of the motive power. According to the invention, the rear axle comprises at least two trailing arms each associated with two tires.
Claims19
1- A heavy vehicle, such as a transport vehicle or a “civil engineering” vehicle, of a mass greater than 500 metric tons, fitted with tires of radial structure of a diameter greater than three meters fifty having an axial width greater than 37 inches, and comprising a front steering axle provided with at least two tires and a rear axle comprising at least four tires and by which is transmitted at least part of the motive power, wherein the rear axle comprises at least two trailing arms each associated with two tires.
2- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear axle comprises three trailing arms.
3- A vehicle according to claim 1, said vehicle comprising a dump body tiltable about a substantially horizontal axis, wherein the trailing arms are associated individually with suspension systems and wherein the axis of the suspension systems intersects with the axis of rotation of the tiltable dump body.
4- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one trailing arm is raisable.
5- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each of the axially outer trailing arms is associated with a device which allows it to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the plane of travel.
6- A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the axially inner trailing arm may pivot in a longitudinal plane perpendicular to the plane of travel, at an angle of at least 90° in the direction of the plane of travel.
7- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front axle comprises four tires and in that the tires are associated in pairs with a substantially vertical turning shaft.
8- A vehicle according to claim 7, wherein two paired tires of the front axle are distributed symmetrically about said turning shaft.
9- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the suspension devices of the front axle incorporate turning shafts.
10- A vehicle according to claim 1, the front axle comprising two turning shafts, wherein the two turning shafts are actuated independently, preferably being subject to control by an electronic card.
11- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear axle comprises at least four tires and in that at least two tires transmit at least part of the motive power.
12- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear axle comprises at least three tires transmitting the motive power.
13- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front axle comprises at least two tires transmitting part of the motive power.
14- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front axle comprises four tires and wherein at least two tires transmit at least part of the motive power.
15- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the tires transmitting the motive power are actuated by an electric motor.
16- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the tires are mounted on a hub associated with a trailing arm through the intermediary of first mounting rings forming the tire bead seats and second locking rings ensuring positioning of said first rings, which are connected firmly to the hub as a result in particular of being complementary in profile to recesses provided on the hub.
17- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a trailing arm comprises at least some of the motorization system and/or of the transmission devices.
18- A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a trailing arm comprises at least one braking device.
19- A process for carrying out operations on a tire disposed on the rear axle of a vehicle, said tire being associated with another tire and the two tires together being associated with a trailing arm, wherein said process comprises the following steps:
- putting the vehicle in a position where it is supported on at least one block,
- raising the trailing arm by means of associated suspension devices,
- locking the trailing arm in a raised position,
- detaching one end of the suspension device,
- pivoting the trailing arm around a vertical axis passing through the end of the trailing arm connected firmly with the chassis.