Motor vehicles – Manually actuated controlling devices – Steering shaft
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-05
2001-08-21
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)
Motor vehicles
Manually actuated controlling devices
Steering shaft
C180S322000, C280S775000, C280S093510, C074S493000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276476
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a right hand drive vehicle steering system that may be factory built or converted from a left-hand drive steering system and the method of conversion from left hand drive to right hand drive or vice versa. The system is particularly applicable to Cab Over Engine (COE) trucks although will work with most mobile vehicles.
The system of this invention uses an existing left-hand drive steering gear for the right side of the vehicle. The pitman arm that directs the wheel direction of steering is outboard of the steering gear for left hand drive applications and inboard of the steering gear for right hand drive applications. Because the gear is designed for left-hand drive use, it is not easily mounted on the right side of the vehicle. A steering gear adapter bracket is needed to mount the left-hand drive designed steering gear on the right side of the vehicle. The steering gear adapter bracket may be mounted to a vehicle radiator-mounting bracket also located on the chassis.
THE PRIOR ART
Prior to this invention, engineers designed cab-over-engine (COE) trucks as either right hand drive or left hand drive. If a customer in a right hand drive country wanted a COE truck manufactured in a left-hand drive country such as the United States of America, the COE would have to be laboriously converted either prior to or after export. For COE trucks where geometry and positioning of components is critical, the results of such steering system conversions were unsatisfying and not particularly efficient. Internal strains on the steering gears made for a ‘harder’ steering vehicle. In at least one configuration, a right side frame rail of the chassis of the vehicle had to be trimmed thereby reducing the overall structural integrity of the vehicle. An additional obstacle in the conversion of left hand drive vehicles to right hand drive is that the original design of the vehicles sometimes did not account for the possibility of conversion. Specifically, components were located asymmetrically toward the side not designed for the steering gear and steering wheel to take advantage of this volume. As a result, the conversion to steer from this side not designed for steering is complicated by the asymmetrical location of some components. In some Cab-Over-Engine trucks, components asymmetrically installed include a radiator for engine cooling, shifted to the right side of the vehicle for left hand drive vehicles and dashboard components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a method for converting a left hand drive vehicle into a right hand drive vehicle, or vice a versa, in a fashion that provides an essentially equal steering ease of the vehicle as from before the conversion. Additionally, a secondary object of the invention is to provide a method for converting a left hand drive vehicle into a right hand drive vehicle, or vice a versa, without reducing the structural integrity of the chassis of the vehicle. An additional object of the invention is provide a right hand drive vehicle converted from a left hand drive vehicle which accounts for asymmetrical location of components in the originally designed vehicle. A fourth object of the invention is to be able to convert a left hand drive vehicle to a right hand drive vehicle using a left hand drive designed steering gear.
The method and resulting vehicle of this invention satisfies all of the objects of the invention. Specifically, the method of conversion involves removal of left-hand drive steering components. A left-hand drive designed steering gear is engaged to an adapter bracket. The adapter bracket allows the orientation of the left-hand drive designed steering gear to remain the same in a right hand drive installation as when installed in left-hand drive. As a result, the pitman arm that directs the wheel direction of steering and is outboard of the steering gear for left hand drive applications, is inboard of the steering gear for right hand drive applications. The adapter bracket allows displacement of the steering column and associated steering equipment to further outboard in the right hand drive system relative to the outboard position in left hand drive applications. This accounts for the asymmetrical location of components in the originally designed vehicle. The adapter bracket allows pitman arm operation through an operating slot in spite of the location of the pitman arm between the steering gear and the frame rail. A right side combination radiator and steering gear adapter mounting bracket may be installed to a front section of a right side frame rail for indirect mounting of the adapter plate to the frame or the adapter bracket may be mounted directly to the frame rail. In either case the adapter bracket and steering gear are mounted to the frame rail. The pitman arm is pivotably connected to a drag link that in turn is pivotably connected to a steering arm. The steering arm is secured to the spindle of the right side wheel to allow control movement of the right side wheel. The steering gear is engaged for operation to a right vehicle side driver steering wheel through an intermediate steering shaft.
REFERENCES:
patent: 8822806-A (1989-04-01), None
patent: 050929-A (1982-05-01), None
patent: 61-24668-A (1986-02-01), None
patent: 63-93672-A (1988-04-01), None
patent: WO-90/15747-A (1990-12-01), None
Budzik John A.
Farwell Joseph J.
Hammond Robert W.
Haverstick Robert J.
Noah Bruce C.
Calfa Jeffrey P.
Culbreth Eric
Hernandez Gilberto
International Truck and Engine Corporation
Sullivan Dennis Kelly
LandOfFree
Right hand drive steering system and conversion method from... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Right hand drive steering system and conversion method from..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Right hand drive steering system and conversion method from... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2534398