Steering system for a train of rail-less vehicles

A steering system for coupling one vehicle to an adjacent vehicle within a train including a plurality of vehicles comprising:

• a first pair of wheels, each separately connected at a generally vertical pivot to said one vehicle for supporting a portion of its weight, each wheel of said pair provided with pivotal arms adapted to accept force moments for effecting turning of the corresponding wheel, in respect to said one vehicle longitudinal axis,
• a second pair of wheels, each wheel connected about a separate pivot to said adjacent vehicle for supporting a portion of its weight, each of said second pair of wheels having a pivotal arm adapted to accept force moments for effecting turning movement of the corresponding wheel in respect to said adjacent vehicle longitudinal axis,
• an elongated steering bar pivotally connected at one end portion thereof to said one vehicle and pivotally connected at a second end portion thereof to said adjacent vehicle, said first and second end portions being at opposite longitudinal ends of said steering bar,
• first linkage means connecting the one end portion of said steering bar to the pivotal arms of the wheel pair on said one vehicle for positioning said wheels at an angle proportional to the angle of said steering bar in respect to said one vehicle longitudinal axis,
• a second linkage means connected between the second end portion of said steering bar and the individual pivot arms of said second pair of wheels on said adjacent vehicle for positioning said wheels at an angle proportional to the angle of said steering bar in respect to said adjacent vehicle longitudinal axis, whereby movement of said train results in tracking of said second pair of wheels along the path of said first pair of wheels,
• said first linkage means comprises a first and a second crossed linkage, each linkage connected at opposite width-wise margins of the one end portion of said elongated steering bar and individually connected one each to the pivotal arm of each wheel of said pair on said one vehicle, said second linkage means comprises a first and a second crossed linkage, each linkage connected at opposite width-wise margins of the second end portion of said steering bar and individually connected one each to the pivotal arms of each wheel of said pair on said adjacent vehicle.

A vehicle for coupling into a train of such vehicles capable of rail-less tracking along a curved path, said vehicle comprising:

• a frame,
• first and second steering configurations independently mounted for separate pivotal movement, one each at opposite end portions of said frame length, each of said steering configurations including,
• a pair of wheels each wheel pivotally connected by a separate vertical pivot to said vehicle frame,
• a steering bar pivotally connected at one end portion thereof to said vehicle frame at an axially aligned location, said steering bar provided at an opposite end portion thereof with means for pivotal connection to an adjacent vehicle, and
• linkage means between said pivotally connected end portion of said steering bar to each wheel of said pair of wheels whereby the angle of said steering bar is proportional to the angle of each wheel of said pair to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle frame.