Hinge connection for articulated vehicles

A hinge connection for interconnecting the front section with the rear section of an articulated vehicle wherein said rear section has a driven rear axle and said front section has a nondriven center axle and a pair of front dirigible wheels, said hinge connection comprising a shaft member having a longitudinal center axis adapted to be located in a horizontal plane between said front section and said rear section and extend transversely relative to said articulated vehicle;

• a first hinge member adapted to be secured to said front section;
• a second hinge member adapted to be secured to said rear section;
• means connecting said first hinge member and said second hinge member to said shaft member so as to allow said front section to pivot relative to said rear section about a pair of longitudinally spaced vertical axes when said articulated vehicle is in a turn and to pivot about said longitudinal center axis of said shaft member when said articulated vehicle is traveling over crests and valleys in a road surface;
• and a linkage mechanism operatively connected between each of said first and second hinge members and said shaft member for maintaining said pair of spaced vertical axes aligned and located along the longitudinal center axis of said articulated vehicle during straight-ahead travel thereof and for positioning said shaft member so that said longitudinal center axis of said shaft member bisects the turn angle between said front section and said rear section when said articulated vehicle is in a turn.

A hinge connection for interconnecting the front section with the rear section of an articulated vehicle wherein said rear section has a driven rear axle and said front section has nondriven center and front axles the latter of which is provided with a pair of dirigible wheels, said hinge connection comprising a shaft member having a longitudinal center axis adapted to be located in a horizontal plane between said front section and said rear section and extend transversely relative to said articulated vehicle;

• a first hinge member adapted to be secured to the rear end of said front section;
• a second hinge member adapted to be secured to the front end of said rear section;
• means connecting said first hinge member and said second hinge member to said shaft member so as to allow said front section to pivot relative to said rear section about a pair of longitudinally spaced vertical axes when said articulated vehicle is in a turn and to pivot about said longitudinal center axis of said shaft member when said articulated vehicle is traveling over crests and valleys in a road surface;
• means operatively connecting said first and second hinge members to said shaft member for maintaining said pair of spaced vertical axes aligned and located along the longitudinal center axis of said articulated vehicle during straight-ahead travel thereof and for positioning said shaft member so that said longitudinal center axis of said shaft member bisects the turn angle between said front section and said rear section when said articulated vehicle is in a turn;
• and spring means between said first and second hinge members for applying a straightening torque to said front and rear sections so as to reduce the side force on said center axle when said articulated vehicle is in a turn and said rear axle is being driven.

A hinge connection for interconnecting the front section with the rear section of an articulated vehicle wherein said rear section has a driven rear axle and said front section has a nondriven center axle and a pair of front dirigible wheels, said hinge connection comprising a shaft member having a longitudinal center axis adapted to be located in a horizontal plane between said front section and said rear section and extend transversely relative to said articulated vehicle;

• a first hinge member adapted to be mounted on said front section;
• a second hinge member adapted to be mounted on said rear section;
• means connecting said first hinge member and said second hinge member to said shaft member so as to allow said front section to pivot relative to said rear section about a pair of spaced vertical axes when said articulated vehicle is in a turn and to pivot about said longitudinal center axis of said shaft member when said articulated vehicle is traveling over crests and valleys in a road surface;
• means operatively connecting said first and second hinge members to said shaft member for positioning said shaft member so that said longitudinal center axis of said shaft member bisects the turn angle between said front section and said rear section when said articulated vehicle is in a turn;
• spring means between said first and second hinge members and located below said shaft member in a horizontal plane for applying a straightening torque to said front and rear sections so as to reduce the side force on said center axle when said articulated vehicle is in a turn and said rear axle is being driven;
• and means located between said first and second hinge members for dampening relative movement of said first and second hinge members about said pair of spaced verticle axes due to road induced vibrations.

In an articulated vehicle having a rear section supporting a driven rear axle and a front section supporting a nondriven center axle and a pair of front dirigible wheels, said front section and said rear section being interconnected by a hinge connection which allows relative angular displacement of said front and rear sections in a horizontal plane about a pair of spaced vertical pivot axes and in a vertical plane about a single horizontal pivot axis;

• the improvement, wherein said hinge connection includes a pair of hinge members, one of said hinge members being connected to a first vertical pin;
• the other of said hinge members being connected to a second vertical pin which is spaced along the longitudinal center axis of said articulated vehicle from said first vertical pin;
• a shaft member located between said first and second vertical pins;
• means connecting said shaft member to said first and second vertical pins of said pair of hinge members;
• and a linkage mechanism including a slider assembly mounted on said shaft member and a link extending between said slider assembly and each of said pair of hinge members for positioning said shaft member so that the longitudinal center axis thereof bisects the turn angle between said front section and said rear section when said articulated vehicle is in a turn and said first and second vertical pins are maintained in alignment along said longitudinal center axis of said articulated vehicle during straight-ahead travel thereof.

In an articulated vehicle having a rear section supporting a driven rear axle and a front section supporting a nondriven center axle and a pair of front dirigible wheels, said front section and said rear section being interconnected by a hinge connection which allows relative angular displacement of said front and rear sections in a horizontal plane about a pair of spaced vertical pivot axes and in a vertical plane about a single horizontal pivot axis;

• the improvement, wherein said hinge connection includes a pair of hinge members, one of said hinge members being connected to a first vertical pin;
• the other of said hinge members being connected to a second vertical pin which is spaced along the longitudinal center axis of said articulated vehicle from said first vertical pin;
• a transversely extending shaft member located midway between said first and second vertical pins;
• means connecting said shaft member to said first and second vertical pins of said pair of hinge members;
• a linkage mechanism including a slider assembly mounted on said shaft member and a link extending between said slider assembly and each of said pair of hinge members for positioning said shaft member so that the longitudinal center axis thereof bisects the turn angle between said front section and said rear section when said articulated vehicle is in a turn;
• and spring means between each of said pair of hinge members and said shaft member for applying a straightening torque to said front and rear sections so as to reduce the side force on said center axle when said articulated vehicle is in a turn and said rear axle is being driven.

In an articulated vehicle having a rear section supporting a driven rear axle and a front section supporting a nondriven center axle and a pair of front dirigible wheels, said front section and said rear section being interconnected by a hinge connection which allows relative angular displacement of said front and rear sections in a horizontal plane about a pair of spaced vertical pivot axes and in a vertical plane about a single horizontal pivot axis;

• the improvement, wherein said hinge connection includes a pair of hinge members, one of said hinge members being connected to a first vertical pin;
• the other of said hinge members being connected to a second vertical pin which is spaced along the longitudinal center axis of said articulated vehicle from said first vertical pin;
• a transversely extending shaft member located midway between said first and second vertical pins;
• means connecting said shaft member to said first and second vehicle pins of said pair of hinge members;
• a linkage mechanism including a slider assembly mounted on said shaft member and a link extending between said slider assembly and each of said pair of hinge members for positioning said shaft member so that the longitudinal center axis thereof bisects the turn angle between said front section and said rear section when said articulated vehicle is in a turn;
• an air-spring member along each side of said articulated vehicle and positioned between said front and rear sections for applying an equal-and-opposite torque to said front and rear sections about said vertical pin of each of said pair of hinge members when said articulated vehicle is traveling in a straight-ahead direction;
• an air control system including a pressure-control valve for maintaining a uniform pressure in each of said air-spring members when said articulated vehicle is traveling in said straight-ahead direction;
• and means in said air control system responsive to turning movement of said articulated vehicle for disconnecting said pressure-control valve from said air-spring members so the air pressure in one air spring member along one side of said vehicle is greater than the air-pressure in the air-spring member along the other side of the vehicle.