Motor vehicles – Special wheel base – With means for changing number of supporting wheels – or for...
Patent
1984-08-14
1987-10-20
Mitchell, David M.
Motor vehicles
Special wheel base
With means for changing number of supporting wheels, or for...
180198, 254 2R, 254 8C, 280 4323, 280 791A, 280761, 434 67, B62D 6112, B60S 902, G09B 904
Patent
active
047007982
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an apparatus for enabling regulatable alteration of the friction grip between the wheels of a car and a substructure such as a road.
The invention is primarily intended for passenger cars and has the object of enabling driving training using simple means in such a way that the driver obtains experience of the kind of skids which can occur with the car on a slippery road.
To enable such driving training, driving areas have been used up to now which have been coated with a liquid friction-reducing material. A disadvantage with this is that it is necessary to build special training courses which can only be used for driving training with cars or other motor vehicles.
The need of training car drivers to drive on slippery roads is very great, however, but due to the high costs of building special training courses it has been found impossible to meet this need in practice with a sufficient number of training courses spread out in a geographically suitable manner.
This problem can now be solved in a simple and relatively cheap way by means of an apparatus in accordance with the invention,
In an embodiment of the invention, it consists of a rectangular frame carried by four castor wheels. On the frame there is a forward pair of vertically adjustable support means, engaging against the lower link arms or a corresponding place on the car in question. Furthermore the frame also carries a pair of rear, vertically adjustable support means suitably engaging against the rear, shock-absorber attachments of the car. In the neutral or bottom position of the support means, the frame is propelled by the car and rolls freely on the castor wheels, the car wheels thereby bearing against the driving surface with full contact pressure. In order to simulate driving on a slippery surface, it is now possible with the apparatus in accordance with the invention to actuate operating means so that either the forward or the rear support means, or usually all four support means, are adjusted vertically until the car wheels have been unloaded to the desired degree, the castor wheels taking up the weight of the car to a corresponding extent. This results in that the frictional grip of the car wheels against the driving surface decreases to a corresponding degree, or ceases entirely. The basic idea behind the invention is thus to enable with simple means the imitation of conditions prevailing on a more or less slippery driving surface on a dry driving surface. It is thus possible to train winter driving on any kind of hard driving surface, whether this is a road temporarily closed-off for the purpose, or a larger area with a flat surface such as an empty parking lot.
It is suitable that one or both of the castor wheels, at least in one wheel pair, is actuable with a steering means such that these wheels can be steered to one side or the other with the aid of operating means for starting a skid if so desired, particularly at low speeds.
Suitable embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention are schematically illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view from above of the apparatus in accordance with the invention,
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view,
FIG. 3 is a section along the line 3--3 in FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 is a view seen from the front of the forward cross beam,
FIG. 5 is a detail section through one of the vertically movable rear supports,
FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the vertically movable forward supports in the form of pivotable lifters,
FIG. 7 illustrates one of the forward supports in a partially raised position,
FIG. 8 illustrates this support in a downward position,
FIG. 9 illustrates the lifting plate of one of the rear supports in a free position above its location means in the beam for facilitating the understanding of the implementation of the plate,
FIG. 10 illustrates the lifting plate of the rear support mounted in its location means,
FIG. 11 illustrates one rear castor wheel mounted on an arm which is removable from the frame,
FIG. 12 illustrates one of four vertically ad
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Johansson Alf I.
Rosendahl Bengt R.
Hill Mitchell J.
Mitchell David M.
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