Electronically controlled four-wheel steering
AssigneeJ. I. Case Company
InventorRobert F. Christensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control mechanism for a steering system for individually or simultaneously controlling the turning movements of the front and rear wheels of a vehicle is disclosed herein. The steering system is capable of controlling the movement of the rear wheels in a plurality of modes with respect to the front wheels and one mode in which the rear wheels are independently controlled. The control mechanism includes a control member that is pivoted on the frame of the vehicle to a plurality of positions to move an actuating switch that is part of the control means to a plurality of positions corresponding to the respective modes of steering and actuating means that cooperates with a signal producing device that produces a control signal to independently control the turning movement of the rear wheels.
Claims19
A steering system for a vehicle including front and rear pairs of wheels with first means for simultaneously controlling the turning movement of said front wheels, second means for simultaneously controlling the turning movement of said rear wheels, first sensing means producing a first signal which is a function of the angular position of said front wheels, second sensing means producing a signal which is a function of the angular position of said rear wheels, control means receiving said signals, said control means including switch means having a plurality of positions for selecting a plurality of modes of controlling the turning movement of said rear wheels in response to turning movement of said front wheels and a rear steering mode where said rear wheels are controlled independent of said front wheels, the improvement of said control means including a fixed support with said switch means secured to said support, selector means mounted for movement on said support and connected to said switch means to move said switch means to said plurality of positions, signal producing means on said support and connected to said control means for introducing a control signal to said control means to produce independent turning movement of said rear wheels and actuator means connected to said signal producing means for varying said control signal only when said control means is in a rear steering mode.
A steering system for a vehicle including a frame having a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels with first and second means respectively controlling turning movements of said front and rear wheels, first and second sensig means respectively sensing the angular position of said front and rear wheels respectively with respect to said frame and producing respective output signals, control means receiving said output signals, said control means including switch means having a plurality of positions respectively defining different modes of steering for said rear wheels in response to turning movement of said front wheels and one mode where said rear wheels are controlled independently, said control means including signal producing means producing a control signal and actuator means for actuating said switch means and said signal producing means, the improvement of said actuator means including a control lever pivoted on said frame for movement to a plurality of positions and connected to said switch means for moving said switch means to said plurality of positions, and actuating means forming part of said control lever and cooperating with said signal producing means when said control lever and switch means are in a position corresponding to said one mode so that said control lever can be moved to vary said control signal and control turning movement of said rear wheels.
A steering system for a vehicle including front and rear pairs of wheels with first means for simultaneously controlling the turning movement of said front wheels, second means for simultaneously controlling the turning movement of said rear wheels, first sensing means producing a first signal which is a function of the angular position of said front wheels, second sensing means producing a signal which is a function of the angular position of said rear wheels, control means receiving said signals, said control means including switch means movable to define a plurality of positions for selecting a plurality of modes of controlling the turning movement of said rear wheels in response to turning movement of said front wheels and a rear steering mode where said rear wheels are controlled independent of said front wheels, and control means for actuating said switch means, the improvement of said control means including a fixed support with said switch means secured to said support, a selector member mounted for rotation between extreme positions on said support and connected to said switch means to move said switch means to said plurality of positions, signal producing means on said support and connected to said control means for introducing a control signal to said control means to produce independent turning movement of said rear wheels, said signal producing means including a switch actuator for varying said control signal to turn said rear wheels independently of said front wheels, and safety limiting means normally preventing said selector member from being rotated from one extreme position to the other extreme position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.