Speed responsive rear wheel steering

A mechanism for converting rotational movement to substantially linear movement, the mechanism comprising:

• support means mounted for rotation about an axis;
• slidable means secured for rotation with the support means and mounted thereon for sliding movement along a path normal to and intersecting the support means axis, said slidable means including a through bore receiving a shaft having an axis disposed along the path, said slidable means also including guide arms extending radially outward along a diameter of the shaft axis and received by slots defined by the support means, and said slots each having oppositely facing surfaces embracing the guide arms to limit rotational free play of the slidable means about the shaft axis;
• motor means operative to move the slidable means along the path for varying the distance of the slidable means from the support means axis and thereby varying the arcuate distance the slidable means moves in response to a given rotation of the support means;
• and
• attachment means defined by the slidable means for pivotal connection to driven means moved substantially linearly in proportion to the arcuate distance the slidable means moves.

A mechanism for converting rotational movement to substantially linear movement, the mechanism comprising:

• support means mounted for rotation about an axis;
• slidable means secured for rotation with the support means and mounted thereon for sliding movement along a path normal to and intersecting the support means axis, said slidable means including a threaded through opening in screw thread relation with external threads of a shaft mounted for rotation on the support means and having an axis disposed along the path, and the shaft rotated by the motor means for moving the slidable means along the path;
• motor means operative to move the slidable means along the path for varying the distance of the slidable means from the support means axis and thereby varying the arcuate distance the slidable means moves in response to a given rotation of the support means;
• and
• attachment means defined by the slidable means for pivotal connection to driven means moved substantially linearly in proportion to the arcuate distance the slidable means moves.

A steering assembly for a wheeled vehicle having front and rear dirigible wheel assemblies;

• the steering assembly comprising:
• first means for transmitting steering movement of a steering wheel to a front wheel steering assembly;
• second means for transmitting steering movement to a rear wheel steering assembly in response to steering movement of the front wheels steering assembly, the second means including drive means mounted for to-and-fro rotation about an axis in respone to to-and-fro steering movement of the front wheel steering assembly;
• the improvement comprising:
• support means fixed for rotation with the drive means about the drive means axis;
• slidable means secured for rotation with the support means and mounted thereon for sliding movement along a path normal to and intersecting the drive means axis means axis;
• motor means operative to move the slidable means along the path and vary the distance of the slidable means from the drive means axis in response to changes in vehicle speed, thereby varying the arcuate distance the slidable means moves in response to a given rotation of the support means;
• linkage means connected at one end to the slidable means and moved substantially linearly to effect steering movement of the rear wheel steering assembly in response to rotation of the support means about the drive means axis.

A steering assembly for a wheel vehicle having front and rear dirigible wheel assemblies, the steering assembly comprising:

• first means for transmitting steering movement of a steering wheel to a front wheel steering assembly;
• second means for transmitting steering movement to a rear wheel steering assembly in response to steering movement of front wheel steering assembly, the improvement comprising:
• a hydraulic system including first and second closed fluid flow branches, a pump device connected to one end of each closed branch for effecting to-and-fro fluid flow in the closed branches in response to to-and-fro steering movement of the front wheel steering assembly, an actuator device connected to the other end of each closed branch for effecting to-and-fro rotational movement of a drive means in response to the to-and-fro fluid flow;
• support means mounted for rotation about an axis in response to rotation of the drive means;
• slidable means secured for rotation with the support means and mounted thereon for sliding movement along a path normal to and intersecting the support means axis;
• motor means operative to move the slidable means along the path and vary the distance of the slidable means from the support means axis in response to changes in vehicle speed, thereby varying the arcuate distance the slidable means moves in response to a given rotation of the support means;
• and
• linkage means connected at one end to the slidable means and moved substantially linearly to effect steering movement of the rear wheel steering assembly in response to rotation of the support means about the drive means axis.