Steering system for tracked vehicles

A steering system for a tracked vehicle comprising:

• a variable source of torque;
• a first gear set comprising a first and a second reversing gear, output torque of said torque source being applied to said first gear set;
• an output shaft system comprising a pair of output shafts directed to opposed sides of said vehicle for applying turning power to right and left tracks of said vehicle during a turning maneuver, said output shaft system including a second gear set for directing said pair of shafts in opposite directions of rotation;
• a clutch set interconnecting said first gear set to said second gear set, said clutch set including a right-turn clutch connected to said first reversing gear and a left-turn clutch connected to said second reversing gear, said right-turn clutch connecting rotational power from said first reversing gear to said second gear set upon activation of said right-turn clutch, said left-turn clutch connecting rotation power from said second reversing gear to said second gear set upon activation of said left-turn clutch;
• activating means coupled to said torque source and to said clutch set for activating one of said clutches to effect a right or left turning movement of said vehicle, said activating means being responsive to a turning command signal for activating said torque source to apply torque to said first gear set for rotating gears of said first gear set at a desired speed;
• a variable torque converter responsive to an input power source;
• a variable power coupler for selectively coupling power from said power source to said torque converter;
• a third gear set applying power to said torque converter via a plurality of input shafts rotating at different speeds;
• and
• a second clutch set including a high speed clutch and a low speed clutch coupled to respective ones of said input shafts of said third gear set rotating at higher and lower speeds, activation of alternately said high speed and low speed clutches applying an input power to said torque converter at, respectively, a higher rate and a lower rate of rotation;
• wherein said variable torque converter includes a blade assembly having at least one blade, a position of the blade being set by said activating means in concert with a selective activation of said high speed clutch and said low speed clutch by said activating means.

A steering system for a tracked vehicle comprising:

• a variable torque converter responsive to an input power source;
• a first gear set comprising a first and a second reversing gear, output torque of said torque converter being applied to said first gear set;
• an output shaft system comprising a pair of output shafts directed to opposed sides of said vehicle for applying turning power to right and left tracks of said vehicle during a turning maneuver, said output shaft system including a second gear set for directing said pair of shafts in opposite directions of rotation;
• a clutch set interconnecting said first gear set to said second gear set, said clutch set including a right-turn clutch connected to said first reversing gear and a left-turn clutch connected to said second reversing gear, said right-turn clutch connecting rotational power from said first reversing gear to said second gear set upon activation of said right-turn clutch, said left-turn clutch connecting rotational power from said second reversing gear to said second gear set upon activation of said left-turn clutch;
• activating means coupled to said torque converter and to said clutch set for activating one of said clutches to effect a right or left turning movement of said vehicle, said activating means being responsive to a turning command signal for activating said torque converter to apply torque to said first gear set for rotating gears of said first gear set to output power therefrom at a desired speed;
• and
• a housing enclosing said torque converter, clutches of said clutch set lying outside of said housing to facilitate cooling and maintenance of said clutch system.

A steering system for a tracked vehicle comprising:

• a variable torque converter responsive to an input power source;
• a first gear set comprising a first and a second reversing gear, output torque of said torque converter being applied to said first gear set;
• an output shaft system comprising a pair of output shafts directed to opposed sides of said vehicle for applying turning power to right and left tracks of said vehicle during a turning maneuver, said output shaft system including a second gear set for directing said pair of shafts in opposite directions of rotation;
• a clutch set interconnecting said first gear set to said second gear set, said clutch set including a right-turn clutch connected to said first reversing gear and a left-turn clutch, connected to said second reversing gear, said right-turn clutch connecting rotational power from said first reversing gear to said second gear set upon activation of said right-turn clutch, said left-turn clutch connecting rotational power from said second reversing gear to said second gear set upon activation of said left-turn clutch;
• activating means coupled to said torque converter and to said clutch set for activating one of said clutches to effect a right or left turning movement of said vehicle, said activating means being responsive to a turning command signal for activating said torque converter to apply torque to said first gear set for rotating gears of said first gear set to output power therefrom at a desired speed;
• a housing enclosing said torque converter, clutches of said clutch set lying outside of said housing to facilitate cooling and maintenance of said clutch set;
• wherein said variable toque converter includes a blade assembly having at least one blade, a position of the blade being set by said activating means, said steering system further comprising
• sensor means for sensing rotational speeds of said pair of output shafts of said output shaft system, said sensor means providing feedback signals to said activating means for precise control of differential speed between said pair of output shafts.

A steering system for a tracked vehicle comprising:

• a variable source of torque having a torque converter responsive to an input power source;
• a first gear set comprising a first and a second reversing gear, output torque of said torque source being applied to said first gear set;
• an output shaft system comprising a pair of output shafts directed to opposed sides of said vehicle for applying turning power to right and left tracks of said vehicle during a turning maneuver, said output shaft system including a second gear set for directing said pair of shafts in opposite directions of rotation;
• a set of clutches interconnecting said first gear set to said second gear set, said set of clutches including a right-turn clutch connected to said first reversing gear and a left-turn clutch connected to said second reversing gear and a third clutch operatively coupled to both said first and said second reversing gears, said right-turn clutch connecting rotational power from said first reversing gear to said second gear set-upon activation of said right-turn clutch, said left-turn clutch connecting rotational power from said second reversing gear to said second gear set upon activation of said left-turn clutch, said third clutch locking together said first revering gear and said second reversing gear upon activation of said third clutch;
• and
• activating means coupled to said torque source and to said set of clutches for activating said right-turn clutch to effect a right turning movement of said vehicle, for activating said left-turn clutch to effect a left turning movement of said vehicle, and for activating said third clutch after a sustained period of straight line motion to maintain a straight-line motion of said vehicle;
• wherein said activating means is responsive to a turning command signal for activating said torque source to apply torque to said first gear set for rotating gears of said first gear set at a desired speed;
• and
• said steering system further comprises a housing enclosing said torque converter, said set of clutches lying outside of said housing to facilitate cooling and maintenance of the clutches.