Motor vehicles – Steering by driving – Combined with manual steering
Patent
1990-08-15
1992-04-07
Hill, Mitchell J.
Motor vehicles
Steering by driving
Combined with manual steering
180 63, 180 67, B62D 1110, F16H 3706
Patent
active
051019191
ABSTRACT:
A steering system for a tracked vehicle extracts a portion of power from an engine which propels the vehicle, and combines the power with the remainder of the engine power by differential gear assemblies at the tracks of the vehicle for effecting a steering movement of the vehicle while the vehicle is being propelled in either the forward or reverse direction by the engine. The steering system includes a variable hydrodynamic torque converter coupled to the engine and outputting torque via a reversing gear set to an output shaft system having gears for constraining the output shafts to rotate in opposite directions. A clutch assembly is located outside of a housing which encloses the torque converter, and includes individual clutches which are selectively activated to couple forward or reverse rotation from the reversing gear set to the output shafts for selectively steering the vehicle in a right turn or a left turn. An additional gear set and clutch system may be employed for coupling power from the engine at different selected speeds of rotation at an input to the torque converter. A blade of the torque converter is positioned in concert with selection of the optional input gears to the torque converter to establish a desired differential speed between the vehicle tracks, thereby to select a desired radius of curvature in a turning movement.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3373636 (1968-03-01), Livezey et al.
patent: 4420991 (1983-12-01), Meyerle
Avco Corporation
Hill Mitchell J.
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