Vehicle including an hydraulic drive mechanism

A vehicle comprising:

• (a) at least two drive wheels;
• and
• (b) a fluid drive mechanism including a case defining two cylindrical chambers, an inlet into each said chamber, an outlet out from each said chamber, an elongate crankshaft rotatably attached to said case and extending sealingly through said chambers, a vane assembly located within each one of said chambers and attached to said crankshaft for rotation therewith, each vane assembly comprising a vane body and a plurality of vanes rotatably attached to said vane body and movable between a closed position adjacent said body and an open position away from said body;
• (c) said fluidic drive mechanism including fluid differential means for allowing one drive wheel to rotate faster than the other drive wheel and for allowing said vanes to rotate toward the closed position allowing fluid flow past said vanes when fluid pressure at said inlet is greater than fluid pressure at said outlet;
• (d) wherein rotation of said crankshaft rotates said vane assemblies thereby generating fluid pressure within said chambers, said fluid pressure is communicated to said outlets and to a fluid motor for conversion to mechanical power for rotating said wheels and rotation of either one of said drive wheels rotates said fluid motor thereby generating fluid pressure at one respective said inlet that is greater than fluid pressure at one respective said outlet thereby causing said differential means to permit fluid flow from said respective inlet to said respective outlet around one respective said vane assembly.

A vehicle comprising:

• (a) at least two drive wheels;
• (b) a fluidic motor connected to each of said drive wheels;
• and
• (c) a fluid drive mechanism defining two cylindrical chambers, an inlet into each said chamber, an outlet out from each said chamber and a vane assembly located within each of said chambers and a rotatable crankshaft attached to both of said vane assemblies;
• (d) said drive mechanism further comprising transmission means for increasing and decreasing the fluid volume discharged through said outlet for each revolution of said crankshaft, thereby increasing and decreasing a drive ratio defined as a ratio of rotations of said crankshaft to rotations of said drive wheels, said transmission means comprising a reservoir in fluid communication with each said chamber, each said reservoir having therein:
• (i) a piston movable within each said reservoir;
• (ii) bias means for biasing each said piston in a direction of bias;
• and
• (iii) a limiter for limiting the movement of each said piston;
• (iv) whereby fluid pressure in said chamber can move said piston in a direction opposite said direction of bias thereby moving fluid into said reservoir and said bias means can move said piston in said direction of bias thereby discharging fluid from said reservoir to said chamber, and adjustment of said limiter increases and decreases the range of movement of said piston thereby decreasing and increasing, respectively, an amount of fluid that said reservoir can accept and discharge thereby decreasing and increasing said drive ratio;
• (e) wherein rotation of said crankshaft rotates said vane assemblies thereby generating fluid pressure within each of said chambers, said fluid pressure is communicated to said outlets and to the respective fluid motors for rotating respective said drive wheels.

A vehicle comprising:

• (a) at least two drive wheels;
• (b) a fluidic motor connected to each of said drive wheels;
• and
• (c) a fluidic drive mechanism defining two cylindrical chambers, an inlet into each said chamber, an outlet out from each said chamber and a vane assembly located within each of said chambers and a rotatable crankshaft attached to both of said vane assemblies;
• (d) said drive mechanism further comprising fluid differential means for allowing one drive wheel to rotate faster than the other drive wheel, wherein each said vane assembly comprises a vane body and a plurality of vanes rotatably attached to said vane body and rotatable between a closed position adjacent said vane body and an open position away from said vane and wherein said fluid differential means further is for rotation of said vanes in the open position toward the closed position allowing fluid flow past said vanes when fluid pressure at said inlet is greater than fluid pressure at said outlet;
• (e) wherein rotation of said crankshaft rotates said vane assemblies thereby generating fluid pressure within each of said chambers, said fluid pressure is communicated to said outlets and to the respective fluid motors for rotating respective said drive wheels.