Motor vehicles – Special wheel base – Five or more wheels
Patent
1985-09-30
1988-01-12
Love, John J.
Motor vehicles
Special wheel base
Five or more wheels
180247, B62D 6110
Patent
active
047185090
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention concerns a multi-axle vehicle with individual wheel drives according to the overall concept of claim 1, and deals in particular with improvements of multi-purpose vehicles with individually sprung wheels which are inteded to be able to tolerate high speeds as well as rough terrain. Vehicles of this kind, in which the wheels are drivable via trains of drive shafts disposed away from the (vehicle)center and in proximity of the wheels, by means of bevel gear distribution drives, are shown in FR-Ps No. 375. However, from this, no teachings are revealed as to how, for the purpose of maximum possible reduction of ground clearance, and maximum floor pan width, the desired maximum possible proximity of the distribution drives to the wheels can be attained even with articulated axles without thereby, because of the proximity to the wheels, having to reduce the springs paths of the individual drive axles, or having to drive their articulations with disadvantageous angles of excursion. If between the distribution gear drive and wheel, or wheel drive, only very short distances remain for the purpose of dropping the vehicle floor pan, or attaining maximum possible ground clearance and widening of the dropped vehicle floor pan, respectively, then all solutions known up to now with distribution drives disposed in proximity of the wheels are unsatisfactory.
Nevertheless, wheel drives in which distribution drive and wheel are connected by means of connecting shafts via articulations have been known for a long time. Thus, for example, R. Bussien already shows a frontdrive shaft, in which an axle shaft lies in an articulation on the side of the drive, in "Automobiltechnisches Handbuch" (published by) Technischer Verlag H. Cram, Berlin 1942, 15th edition, FIG. 53, on page 514. However, in this case it was possible to use a relatively long axle shaft with relatively small angles of excursion due to the placement of the drive near the center of the vehicle. Therefore, this principle does not correspond to the requirement of the capability of arraying the distribution gear in the immediate proximity of the wheel, nor is it applicable to vehicles with more than one driven axle for which large ground clearance is required.
It is therefore the aim of the invention to create a multiple-axle vehicle with individual wheel drives, with shaft trains in proximity of the wheels, in which despite the given short distances to the wheel or wheel drive, respectively, connecting shafts with articlations can be joined in such manner that large ground clearance and sufficiently large spring paths can be made possible in order that all drive elements can sustain normal stresses and that a wide and low floor pan can be provided in the vehicle.
The solution of this taks is attained in accordance with the characteristics of claim 1 in such manner that the pivot of the articulation of the connecting shaft is placed as close as possible to the corresponding input and output axle, and that the connecting shaft which for all practical purposes utilizes the assembly distance in its entirety, without being prevented from swinging by tightly enclosing bearing bushings, or housing extensions, and that even for large spring paths no unusually large angles of excursion must be provided in the articulation. This arrangement accomplishes further that the articulation is supported with only nominal bending moments in the housing of the distribution drive, and is therein better protected from flying stones and dirt than in the usual open arrangement built in front of the bearing of the drive, toward the wheel. The large bearings provide, in addition to high load capacity, the advantage of easy access to the articulation despite compact placement inside the hub of the axle drive wheel, which in the example is realized as a bevel gear, but is also possible as a spur gear in a spur or planetary drive. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the subordinate claims.
Space is provided for the angle of excursion, and at the same time, a
REFERENCES:
patent: 3058558 (1962-10-01), Hawk
patent: 3768821 (1973-10-01), Adams
patent: 3930550 (1976-01-01), Rose et al.
patent: 4273460 (1981-06-01), Ueno
Automobiltechnisches Handbuch, p. 514--15th edition--Technischer Verlag Herbert Cram, Berlin, 1942.
Ehrlinger Friedrich
Goeft Manfred
Dubno Herbert
Love John J.
Ross Karl F.
Weaver Ross
Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen AG
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