Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Patent
1996-10-09
1998-10-20
Culbreth, Eric D.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
16366, 280783, 280785, 280790, 280797, 280798, 280800, B62D 2100
Patent
active
058235698
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a chassis system and more particularly to an improved chassis system suitable for vehicles or static or mobile machinery.
Different users of a particular type of vehicle or travelling machinery often have different requirements in terms of size, operational capacity etc. This presents the manufacturer with the problem of having to manufacture and stock a range of different sized machines. This problem is moreover particularly acute in the need for the production of differently sized large components such as chassis members which can often be as long as 4 to 6 m which in itself can also present significant storage problems for such components.
It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimize one or more of the above problems.
The present invention provides a vehicle or machinery having a chassis provided with ground engaging means and at least one transverse chassis member and laterally spaced apart longitudinal chassis members, wherein each of said longitudinal chassis members comprises a plurality of modular elements fastened together end-to-end, at least one of said modular elements being substantially hollow for housing therein moving parts and/or connection means for energizing and/or controlling moving parts of said vehicle or machinery, and having, access opening means for accessing said moving parts and/or connection means in the interior of said hollow modular elements. Conveniently the ground engaging means are mounted on a said transverse chassis member but could alternatively be mounted more or less directly from the longitudinal chassis members.
With a vehicle or machinery of the present invention a range of products with differently sized chassis can readily be provided by varying the number of said modular elements used to make up the longitudinal chassis members over a relatively wide range e.g. from 2 to 8 modular elements, e.g. by using 3, 4, 5 or 6 modular elements in each longitudinal chassis member. This avoids the need for producing and then storing a number of differently sized and relatively large chassis members.
In the case of vehicles or machinery, especially agricultural machinery such as crop harvesters graders, and separators where the longitudinal chassis members are used to mount various moving parts such as drive means including sprockets, pulleys, drive chains, belts; mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic and other linkages and devices used for energizing and/or controlling the moving parts etc., the use of hollow chassis members has the further advantage of substantially enclosing these items thereby protecting them from dirty working conditions and damage, as well as protecting operators from injury through inadvertent contact with such parts in use of the vehicle or machinery. Advantageously the access openings provided to give access from the maintenance, adjustment etc. of such parts, are provided with door, shutter, flap or other suitable closure means in order more completely to enclose said moving parts etc.
Conveniently the modular elements are generally tubular with transverse flange, web, or panel means at their opposite ends for end-to-end abutment with further like elements and/or other chassis member elements, and securing thereto by any suitable fastening means, preferably releasable fastening means such as nuts and bolts. The elements may be of any suitable cross-section including rounded or polygonal. Conveniently though the elements are generally box-form with a rectangular cross-section.
The modular elements may however be more or less completely open on their outer side i.e. the modular elements being in the form of generally `C` shaped or `U` shaped sections, so as to provide substantially full length access openings therealong. If desired though additional stiffness and/or strength can conveniently be provided by means of struts or the like bridging across the open side of the section between the upper and lower portions or limbs thereof, most conveniently across the inter-abutting ends of the two adjoining modu
REFERENCES:
patent: 4676545 (1987-06-01), Bonfilio
patent: 4846198 (1989-07-01), Carnewal
patent: 5149132 (1992-09-01), Ruehl
Culbreth Eric D.
Reekie Manufacturing Limited
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