Steering axle for vehicles
AssigneeCarraro S.p.A.
InventorsArmando Fabris, Gianni Massaccesi, Timante Carraro, Santino Pirotta
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An axle is disclosed which comprises a beam designed for conventional installation on the load-bearing structure of a vehicle, and has, journalled on its opposite ends, road wheel hubs subject to be steered through a steering actuator and being interlinked by a bevel-gear steering drive, such that their relative angular movements can be synchronized to suit pre-determined transmission parameters; the steering actuator is fully supported on the beam and has a stationary part which is rigid with the beam and independent of the load-bearing structure of the vehicle and a moveable part which is connected to the wheel hubs through the steering drive.
Claims21
A steering axle for vehicles, comprising:
- a beam adapted to be mounted on a load-bearing structure of a vehicle;
- a road wheel hub supported rotatably on each of two opposite longitudinal ends of the beam;
- a steering actuator arranged to act on at least one of said road wheel hubs;
- and
- a steering drive interconnecting the two road wheel hubs to synchronize their relative angular displacements in accordance with pre-determined drive parameters, said steering drive comprising two shafts, synchronously counter-rotating relatively to each other and being rotatively connected to the corresponding one of the hubs through respective angle transfer gear mechanisms, said transfer mechanisms including first and second gears keyed respectively to the end of said shaft next to the corresponding hub and being made rotatively rigid with said hub;
- characterized in that said actuator is fully carried on said beam and comprises a stationary part which is rigid with the beam and independent of the load-bearing structure of the vehicle, and a movable part relatively to said stationary part which is connected to said road wheel hubs through said steering drive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.