Motor vehicles – Including one or more ski-like or runner members – With at least one surface-engaging propulsion element
Patent
1990-08-29
1992-07-14
Hill, Mitchell J.
Motor vehicles
Including one or more ski-like or runner members
With at least one surface-engaging propulsion element
180132, 180158, 180234, B62D 506
Patent
active
051294745
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a national phase application of PCT/EP89/00239 filed Mar. 8, 1989 which in turn is based upon German national application P 38 08 386.8 filed Mar. 12, 1988.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Our present invention relates to a steerable wheel axle for a motor vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to an axle whose rigid axle body has at its ends steering knuckles receiving wheel heads which are pivotable by means of steering arms; the steering arms are connected via steering tie rods with a hydrostatic or servo-assisted steering system located within the axle body and having a working piston slidable in the direction of the longitudinal axis in a preferably double-action steering cylinder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A steerable wheel axle of the mentioned kind is known from WO-A 82/00983. There, a nondriven wheel axle for a fork lift is described, whose rigid axle body is pivotably suspended on the chassis. Considered with respect to a vertical, longitudinal median plane of the wheel axle, the axle body has an asymmetric shape, meaning that it has a convexity on one side. Inside this protruding portion, the axle body comprises a steering device, wherein a steering cylinder is arranged parallel to the longitudinal median axis of the wheel axle and receives a working piston. This cylinder is articulately connected at each of its ends via short steering tie rod segments with the steering arms of both wheels. This integration of the steering system in the axle body has the disadvantage of increased overall dimensions of the axle body and thus a weight increase of the wheel axle. The higher weight has an unfavorable effect on the overall construction of the vehicle and, when the wheel axle is provided with spring action, it has a negative influence on its dynamics during travel. Problems arise also from the steering kinematics of this system, since the short steering tie rods segments arranged between the steering arms and the ends of the working piston can lead to expanded positions of the articulatedly connected elements and to considerable steering angle errors.
Finally, it is not possible to develop a wheel axle built this way into a driven steering axle with a differential and with a driving shaft leading from this differential to the wheels, since, at least in the construction of the prior art, the steering system occupies the space required for the axle drive.
DE-AS 16 55 927 describes a servo-assisted steering device for a steerable wheel axle in which a push-rod system from a steering gear leads to the steering arm of a steering knuckle. The steering arms assigned to the two steering knuckles are connected via a continuous tie rod and power-assisted by hydraulic servocylinders. The arrangement of the servocylinders in the travel direction of the vehicle requires a lot of room and there is danger of damaging the servocylinders.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the invention to arrange a hydrostatic or servo-assisted steering system on a rigid axle body having acceptable weight and the overall dimensions of the wheel axle. Still another object is to provide an improved steering device so that it is protected against damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects are attained with a steerable wheel axle of the aforementioned kind according to the invention in that the steering cylinder is arranged coaxially with the longitudinal median axis of the axle body and the working piston cooperates with a rocking lever radially projecting from the axle body and linked to the steering tie rods and has a swivel axis running transversally with respect to the longitudinal median axis of the wheel axle. In this way, the steering system is integrated in the load-bearing structure of the axle body and requires no additional space. Considerable weight and cost advantages are achieved and the driving components of the steering system are very effectively protected against damage, without any additional structure provided for this
REFERENCES:
patent: 1361047 (1920-12-01), Gregory et al.
patent: 2086814 (1937-07-01), McCollum
patent: 2709495 (1955-05-01), Vickers
patent: 4102427 (1978-07-01), Sabec
patent: 4319654 (1982-03-01), Ujita
Burker Rainer
Gazyakan Unal
Haupt Josef
Rauter Jurgen
Boehler Anne Marie
Dubno Herbert
Hill Mitchell J.
Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen AG
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