Turn assisting mechanism for a vehicle

A turn assisting mechanism for a vehicle having an engine mounted a chassis, a first pair of right and left wheels for steering vehicle, and a second pair of right and left wheels for moving the vehicle, said vehicle having a center of turning about which the vehicle makes a turn, comprising:

• support means attached to outside portions of said right and left wheels of the second pair, respectively;
• ground contact means supported on and under each of the support means for movement toward and away from a ground surface and for contact with the ground surface, said ground contact means having an axis coinciding with said center of turning when the ground contact means is contacting the ground surface;
• lifting means interposed between the support means and the ground contact means for moving the ground contact means toward and away from the ground surface;
• and
• control means for operating said lifting means to set the ground contact means on the ground surface and then to lift up the support means relative to the ground contact means to thereby separate said wheel from the ground surface to prevent damage to the ground surface by said second pair of wheels while the vehicle is making a turn about said center of turning,
• wherein said support means comprises:
• a base secured to said wheel;
• a support shaft projecting horizontally from and coaxially with said wheel.

A turn assisting mechanism for a vehicle having an engine mounted on a chassis, a first pair of right and left wheels for steering the vehicle, and a second pair of right and left wheels for moving the vehicle, said vehicle having a center of turning about which the vehicle makes a turn, comprising:

• support means attached to outside portions of said right and left wheels of the second pair, respectively;
• ground contact means supported on and under each of the support means for movement toward and away from a ground surface and for contact with the ground surface, said ground contact means having an axis coinciding with said center of turning when the ground contact means is contacting the ground surface;
• lifting means interposed between the support means and the ground contact means for moving the ground contact means toward and away from the ground surface;
• control means for operating said lifting means to set the ground contact means on the ground surface and then to lift up the support means relative to the ground contact means to thereby separate said wheel from the ground surface to prevent damage to the ground surface by said second pair of wheels while the vehicle is making a turn about said center of turning;
• and
• a steering angle sensor provided on said vehicle for delivering a signal when a specific steering angle is detected;
• and
• wherein said control means is responsive to said signal for operating said lifting means.