Mechanism for correct steering in reverse
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsRichard Donald Teal, Eugene Gary Hayes, David Lewis Marchese, Barry Joseph Goebert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steering mechanism that controls a drive and steer transmission and that causes the transmission to execute turns in the direction a steering wheel is turned when operating in either the forward or reverse direction of travel. In response to operator engagement of a drive control, an actuation linkage shifts an elongate member within a slot formed in a cam member that pivots in response to turning of a steering wheel. Shifting of the rod member between to positions on either side of the cam member pivot axis causes the drive and steer transmission to steer the vehicle in the desired direction when the vehicle is traveling in both forward and reverse.
Claims22
A mechanism used on a vehicle, comprising:
- right and left drive wheels coupled with the vehicle,
- a transmission operatively coupled with the right and left drive wheels and having a driving portion and a steering portion, wherein
- the driving portion is operatively connected with the right and left drive wheels for rotatably driving the right and left drive wheels and having forward, neutral and reverse modes to drive said right and left drive wheels at a plurality of speeds in forward and reverse directions, and
- the steering portion is operatively connected with the right and left drive wheels for changing the relative speeds of the right and left drive wheels to execute vehicle turns,
- a steering control input coupled with the steering portion of the transmission and operatively shiftable by an operator for controlling the steering portion, and
- when the drive portion of the transmission is propelling the vehicle in a forward direction, shifting of the steering control input in a first direction increases the forward speed of the right drive wheel and decreases the forward speed of the left drive wheel, and
- when the drive portion of the transmission is propelling the vehicle in a forward direction, shifting of the steering control input in a second direction decreases the forward speed of the right drive wheel and increases the forward speed of the left drive wheel, and
- when the drive portion of the transmission is propelling the vehicle in the reverse direction, shifting of the steering control input in the first direction decreases the reverse speed of the right drive wheel and increases the reverse speed of the left drive wheel, and
- when the drive portion of the transmission is propelling the vehicle in the reverse direction, shifting of the steering control input in the second direction increases the reverse speed of the right drive wheel and decreases the reverse speed of the left drive wheel, and
- an operator engagable steering member is supported by the vehicle in an operator station, and is shiftable in right and left directions,
- a steering device operatively extending between the steering member and the steering control input such that
- when the driving portion of the transmission is propelling the vehicle in a forward direction the steering device shifts the steering control input in the second direction as the steering member is shifted to the right, and
- when the driving portion of the transmission is propelling the vehicle in a forward direction the steering device shifts the steering control input in the first direction as the steering member is shifted to the left, and
- when the driving portion of the transmission is propelling the vehicle in a reverse direction the steering device shifts the steering control input in the first direction as the steering member is shifted to the right, and
- when the driving portion of the transmission is propelling the vehicle in a reverse direction the steering device shifts the steering control input in the second direction as the steering member is shifted to the left.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.