# US 4,392,541 A · Vehicle convertible from a tricycle two wheel drive to a four wheel four wheel drive

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- Number: US 4,392,541 A
- Document ID: US4392541A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/259,513
- Filed: 1981-05-01
- Granted: 1983-07-12
- Earliest claimed: 1981-05-01
- Assignees: Spyder Sales & Service, Inc.
- Inventors: John Barchard
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4392541A

## CPC

- B62D 61/125: {the retractable wheel being a part of a set of tandem wheels (resilient suspension for a single set of tandem wheels B60G5/00)}
- B66F 9/06: movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks (vehicle aspects B60 - B62; vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading or unloading B60P1/00; low-lift hand trucks for transporting goods B62B3/06)
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00)

## Abstract

A tricycle type vehicle with two forwardly disposed spaced apart drive wheels and a rear centrally disposed caster wheel. Spaced apart auxiliary drive wheels flank both sides of the rear caster wheel and are arranged for vertical movement on the vehicle. The auxiliary drive wheels may be in an up inoperative position to permit the vehicle to act solely as a tricycle with two driving wheels, or down in ground engaging operative position causing the caster wheel to be raised off the ground and thus converting the vehicle to a four wheel drive vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle of the tricycle wheel type in which transversely spaced apart wheels are located in the front of the vehicle and are rotatably driven to effect propulsion and steering of the vehicle, a caster wheel located generally centrally of the vehicle at the rear thereof, auxiliary wheels mounted on the rear of said vehicle and one spaced transversely outwardly on each side of said caster wheel, means moving said auxiliary wheels generally vertically relative to said vehicle so that they may be either spaced above the caster wheel or below the caster wheel, and means rotatably driving said auxiliary wheels thereupon optionally having a two wheel drive tricycle vehicle or a four wheel drive vehicle, said means moving said auxiliary wheels generally vertically including a cylinder and piston means for extending and/or retracting said auxiliary wheels, and means for generally vertically guiding said wheels comprising a generally vertically fixed square tube and a square piston-like member telescoped within the bottom of said square tube.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A device as set forth in claim 1 in which each auxiliary wheel has a wheel motor housing associated therewith, the bottom of the square piston-like member on each side of the vehicle is fastened to the wheel motor housing on the same side of the vehicle, and said cylinder and piston means disposed generally parallel to said square tube and telescoping piston-like member, and means hingedly attaching each of said cylinder and piston means adjacent its top to said square tube and at its bottom to each of said motor housing.