US 4,285,627 AGranted

Undercarriage for adverse terrain vehicle

AssigneeStandard Manufacturing Company, Incorporated

InventorsNorman D. Oswald, Harry S. Mankey

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A detachable undercarriage for use on adverse terrain vehicles comprising an elongate hollow load-bearing frame having three or four axles rotatably supported thereon. Sprockets are mounted on at least two of the axles, and chains are constrained around the sprockets to drivingly interconnect the axles. The center axle in the three axle embodiment and the center two axles in the four axle embodiment are positioned below a plane extending through the axes of rotation of the outermost two axles to facilitate skid steering of vehicles incorporating the undercarriage. Alternatively, all the axles can be aligned with larger wheels mounted on the center axle in the three axle embodiment or the center two axles in the four axle embodiment to facilitate skid steering. In certain applications of the nonaligned axle embodiments structure is provided for selectively aligning all the axles to increase vehicle stability.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A loader mechanism including:

(a) an undercarriage assembly comprising:
an elongate hollow load-bearing undercarriage frame;
at least three axle members each having a wheel receiving member at one end thereof;
at least three wheel members each mounted on and secured to a wheel receiving end of an axle member outside said frame;
means rotatably supporting the axle members at longitudinally spaced points along the undercarriage frame with each of the axle members extending out of the undercarriage frame and being rotatably supported in at least one side of said undercarriage frame;
the middle wheel member extending below a plane lying tangent to the bottoms of the endmost wheel members to facilitate skid steering of the mechanism;
transmission means positioned within the undercarriage frame for drivingly interconnecting at least two of the axle members;
and
drive means operably connected to the transmission means for actuation thereof whereby the drive means and the transmission means cause concurrent rotation of the interconnected axle members;
(b) arm means;
(c) means connected to the undercarriage assembly for supporting one end of the arm means for pivotal movement about an axis;
(d) a bucket mounted at the opposite end of the arm means for receiving, lifting and carrying materials therein;
(e) fluid cylinder means for selective actuation to extend and retract the arm means and the bucket;
(f) an operator's compartment;
and
(g) an engine for powering the undercarriage assembly and the fluid cylinder means.

13 more elements

A vehicle, comprising:

(a) a pair of undercarriage assemblies each including;
an elongate hollow load-bearing undercarriage frame;
at least three axle members each having a wheel receiving member at one end thereof;
at least three wheel members each mounted on and secured to a wheel receiving end of an axle member outside said undercarriage frame;
means rotatably supporting the axle members at longitudinally spaced points along the undercarriage frame with each of the axle members extending out of and being rotatably supported in at least one side of the frame;
the middle wheel member extending below a plane lying tangent to the bottoms of the endmost wheel members;
transmission means positioned within the undercarriage frame and drivingly interconnecting the middle axle member with at least one of the endmost axle members;
and
drive means operably connected to the transmission means for actuation thereof;
(b) a vehicle frame;
(c) means supporting the vehicle frame on the elongate hollow load-bearing frames of the undercarriage assemblies;
(d) an articulated arm mounted on the vehicle frame at one end thereof;
(e) a bucket mounted at the opposite end of the articulated arm for receiving, lifting and carrying materials therein;
(f) hydraulic cylinder means for extending and retracting the articulated arm and bucket;
(g) an operators compartment mounted on the vehicle frame;
and
(h) an engine mounted on the vehicle frame.

14 more elements

A vehicle, comprising:

(a) a pair of undercarriage assemblies each including:
an elongate hollow load bearing undercarriage frame;
at least three axle members each having a wheel receiving member at one end thereof;
at least three wheel members each mounted on and secured to the wheel receiving end of one of the axle members;
means rotatably supporting the axle members at longitudinally spaced points along the undercarriage frame with each of the axle members extending out of and being rotatably supported in at least one side of the frame;
the middle wheel member extending below a plane lying tangent to the bottoms of the endmost wheel members;
a plurality of sprocket means each positioned within the undercarriage frame and each mounted on and secured to one of the axle members;
drive means comprising motor means and transmission means mounted on undercarriage the frame adjacent one endmost axle member;
first drive sprocket means having two sets of teeth thereon positioned within the frame and mounted for rotation by the drive means;
second drive sprocket means mounted on the middle axle member;
first drive chain means constrained around the first drive sprocket means on one set of teeth and the sprocket means on the endmost axle member adjacent the drive means;
second drive chain means constrained around the first drive sprocket means on the other set of teeth and the sprocket means on the middle axle member;
third drive chain means constrained around the second drive sprocket means and the sprocket means on the other endmost axle member;
the first and second drive chain means drivingly connecting the endmost axle member adjacent the drive means and the middle axle member to the output of the drive means for rotation under the action thereof;
(b) a vehicle frame;
(c) means supporting the vehicle frame on the elongate hollow load bearing frames of the undercarriage assemblies;
(d) an articulated arm mounted on the vehicle frame at one end thereof;
(e) a bucket mounted at the opposite end of the articulated arm for receiving, lifting and carrying materials therein;
(f) hydraulic cylinder means for extending and retracting the articulated arm and bucket;
(g) an operator's compartment mounted on the vehicle frame;
and
(h) an engine mounted on the vehicle frame.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/117,350Filed 31 Jan 1980 · continuation
Priority: 23 May 1977
Granted: 25 Aug 1981
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B60G 5/01
Resilient suspensions for a set of tandem wheels or axles having interrelated movements: the set being characterised by having more than two…
B62D 11/02
Steering non-deflectable wheels; Steering endless tracks or the like: by differentially driving ground-engaging elements on opposite vehicle sides
B62D 21/14
Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted: of adjustable length or width
B62D 61/06
Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern:…