Retractable and automatic positioning wheels for snowmobiles
OwnerGhislain Lachanceinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device allowing positioning of wheels of a snowmobile when skis leave a snowy path to continue on a road. The device comprises at least two parallel wheels positioned near each ski, a pair of cylinders placed in connection with each wheel, and controlled by a control box by a driver activating pistons to move the wheels from an upward position to a downward ground position. The upward position corresponds to wheels elevated over the ski when the piston is contracted; and the downward position corresponds to wheels in touch with the ground when the piston is extended. Means of clutch move horizontally the wheels to an external position. A spike located on an arm which supports a wheel is positioned to scratch ground ice for creating a mist when a wheel is in a scratching position.
Claims19
(FIGS. 9C,10A,11A) In a snowmobile having two skis, each ski comprising rotation means transversally disposed about an axis (27,55) of said ski, a retractable wheel device disposed to effect contact with the ground when on an internal side of either ski, said device comprising:
- a triangular body (90)(FIG. 11A) installed in a first plane and comprising a first extremity comprising a rotating part (43, FIG. 10A) comprising means of rotation disposed perpendicularly (51, FIG. 9A) (38, FIGS. 1 &7) of said first plane, said means of rotation comprising a rotative male-female part (43) moving around a male-female center axle (55);
- said triangular body comprising a remote end (50) comprising a hub (52) substantially perpendicular to said first plane and intended to receive a wheel (68);
- said hub being connected with said rotating part by a rigid arm (90);
- a third extremity of said triangular body comprising means to apply a rocking movement with regard to said first extremity for making it revolve, said third extremity being radially located with regard to a pivot center (55), thereby allowing the displacement of a circumferential push from 0 to 120°.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.