Motor vehicles – Special driving device – Stepper
Patent
1987-04-13
1988-10-25
Love, John J.
Motor vehicles
Special driving device
Stepper
180 81, 180 86, B62D 5702
Patent
active
047796910
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cross-country vehicle that moves by means of a walking motion. A vehicle of this kind, which is fitted with four leg units, is known from European patent application No. 0074286, of the International Robotic Engineering Incorporated. U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,423 (Sato) describes a vehicle that even has six leg units. Movement of the leg units to match the terrain necessitates an extremely costly control system.
Much simpler in design and in the control system that it uses is the driveable power shovel described in Swiss Patent No. CH-PS 508 (Menzi AG). This vehicle has two non-driven wheels, the height of which can be adjusted, and can move independently with the help of the shovel arm. However, it does not move in a continuous manner, since the apparatus has to be settled on its feet after each step, before the next step can be made.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the task of the present invention to create a cross-country vehicle that moves with a walking motion, this being simpler in design and in control requirements than known vehicles of this type, which have four or six leg units.
The invention solves this task with a vehicle having a frame to which two rear wheels are attached by means of hydraulically controlled swing arms and to which two hydraulically powered front leg units are attached, each having three degrees of freedom of movement. The cross-country vehicle of the present invention may be controlled by a driver using hand controls coupled with proportional movement and amplifying systems and an on board computer which provides positional stability of the cross-country vehicle.
A considerable simplification can be achieved in that the movements of the two leg units are controlled manually by the driver. The on-board computer serves to monitor stability, prevents the completion of incorrect steps, and monitors the position of the wheels relative to the vehicle frame.
Special hand control elements have been created for this manual control, with manual control elements for each leg unit including a pivotable lower arm support with a pivotable handle attached at its front end to provide movement of each leg unit about multiple degrees of freedom by manual manipulation.
In the simplest embodiment, the movement of the vehicle is effected solely by the movement of the leg units. When this is done, the wheels simply roll and are adjusted automatically in their position relative to the frame of the vehicle in keeping with the positional stability of the vehicle.
In difficult country, for example, if the ground is soft, so that the feet at the ends of the leg units and the wheels sink in, or if a steep stretch has to be negotiated, it is advantageous to brake the wheels or to lock them, to uncouple the swinging arms that bear the wheels from the automatic system, and in this way use the locked wheels to assist the motion of the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Exemplary versions of the object of the present invention are shown in simplified form in the drawings appended hereto. These drawings are as follows:
FIG. 1: is a cross-country vehicle, this being shown in perspective;
FIG. 2: shows the driver's position within the vehicle according to FIG. 1 with the hand control elements, and FIG. 2a shows details of the same in perspective;
FIG. 3: is a variation of the vehicle as in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4: is a block schematic diagram of the control system.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows the general construction of the vehicle as having a frame 1, a cab 2, an engine compartment 3, leg units 4, 4' that are hinged onto the front of the frame, and the two swing arms 5 that are hinged onto the rear of the frame, with the non-driven wheels 6. The wheels 6 can be provided with a service or parking brake system. The frame is a diagonally reinforced, stiff box-member frame, onto which the upper arms 40 are articulated by means of double joints about a horizontal shaft 41 and about a vertical shaft 42, this being done so as to
REFERENCES:
patent: 4202423 (1980-05-01), Soto
patent: 4265326 (1981-05-01), Lauber
patent: 4558758 (1985-12-01), Littman et al.
Robotics Age, No. 5, Sep.-Oct. 1983 Petersborough, N.H. (US), M. Russell Jr.: "Odex I, the First Functionoid", pp. 12-18, see pp. 17, 18.
Scientific America, Jan. 1983 (Monthly) (US).
Love John J.
McGiehan Donn
Speckman Ann W.
Speckman Thomas W.
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