Motor vehicles – Steering by driving – Independently operable drive motors
Patent
1991-09-12
1993-11-23
Pape, Joseph D.
Motor vehicles
Steering by driving
Independently operable drive motors
180 63, 36442405, B62D 1104
Patent
active
052639010
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an on-the-spot rotatable handling vehicle, or a skid steering loader. The term "on-the-spot rotatable", wherever used herein, means that the vehicle is rotatable in situ substantially without forward or backward movement.
BACKGROUND ART
A skid steerable loader has a vehicle body carried by wheels, left and right, such that the wheels are adapted to be differentiated from each other in number of revolutions and/or direction of rotation whereby the loader, as a vehicle, can be steered without steering the wheels. When the left and right wheels are rotated in opposite directions and at same speed, the vehicle performs such on-the-spot rotation as above defined. One typical example of such skid steering loader is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2-61228.
The skid steering loader disclosed in the JP Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2-61228 basically includes a vehicle body, wheels rotatably mounted to the vehicle body at the left and right sides thereof, and a pair of hydraulic drive units for separately driving the left and right wheels to rotate. The hydraulic drive units are controlled by manipulating one or two multidirectional lever switch devices mounted on the vehicle body for driving and/or steering the loader.
Such manner of controlling the drive mechanism as in the known skid steering loader, wherein the loader is controlled by one or two multidirectional lever switches for being driven to run and/or steered as above mentioned, is very uncommon. Therefore, operation of the loader requires experience, which fact presents a problem that the loader is unfit for being operated by a beginner driver.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the invention to provide a skid steering loader which can easily be operated by a driver having experience in driving ordinary automotive cars.
In order to accomplish this object, the skid steering loader in accordance with the present invention comprises:
left and right wheels,
means for driving the left and right wheels in independent numbers of revolutions and in independent directions,
a wheel-type steering handle,
an accelerator pedal,
a drive lever operative to generate instruction signals for "forward", "neutral", and "rearward" with respect to said loader according to respective positions to which the lever is manipulated,
first sensor means for detecting an angle of turn of said handle,
second sensor means for detecting an angle of pedaling said accelerator pedal, and
means for inputting a drive instruction signal from said drive lever, a signal indicative of the angle of handle turn from said first sensor means, and a signal indicative of the angle of accelerator pedaling from said second sensor means and for controlling the wheels driven by said driving means in their respective numbers of revolutions and directions of rotation according to the signals.
According to such arrangement, the wheels are suitably controlled by the control means as to their respective number of revolutions and directions of rotation, according to the angle of handle turn, angle of accelerator pedaling, and the positions to which the driving lever is manipulated. Therefore, the loader is operable in same manner as any ordinary automotive vehicle and accordingly it may easily be operated by a person having ordinary automobile driving experience.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, it is possible to select one or more modes of operation in which a particular condition for carrying out on-the-spot rotation is preset. There are the following modes of operation:
(A) operation mode in which on-the-spot rotation is carried out only when the steering handle is turned full during forward or rearward movement of the loader, in which mode the center of rotation may be changed successively;
(B) operation mode in which on-the-spot rotation is carried out only when the driving lever is at the neutral position, in which mode the rotation may be carried out intermittently throu
REFERENCES:
patent: 4631920 (1986-12-01), Seelman
patent: 4823895 (1989-04-01), Kimball
patent: 4914592 (1990-04-01), Callahan et al.
patent: 4962821 (1990-10-01), Kim
patent: 5137100 (1992-08-01), Scott et al.
Ban Takayuki
Hara Hisashi
Hareyama Soichi
Kawakami Shuji
Ohno Yoshitsugu
Pape Joseph D.
Toyo Umpanki Co., Ltd.
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