Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-14
2001-08-28
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279931
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an all-terrain vehicle and to a conventional vehicle which includes structure for selectively raising or lowering the vehicle wheels to a selectable height to pass over an obstruction and/or for producing a pulsating motion of selectively variable frequency and amplitude to improve traction on various surfaces including but not limited to mud, sand, snow and ice.
By way of background, in prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,480, an all-terrain vehicle is disclosed wherein pivotal bogies on opposite sides of the vehicle each have a pair of wheels mounted on opposite ends thereof. The bogies are interconnected by a cross link or yoke so that the pivoting of each link is transmitted to the other link to thereby simultaneously raise or lower diagonally opposite wheels. However, the pivoting of the bogies is effected only by the wheels traveling over the ground. There is no structure for positively pivoting the bogies to cause any one of the wheels mounted on opposite ends thereof to be raised or lowered to a selectable height to pass over obstruction. Furthermore, there is no teaching of imparting a pulsating motion of selectable frequency and amplitude to the wheels to improve traction on all surfaces such as snow, ice, mud and sand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a vehicle in which a vertical pulsating motion can be applied to the vehicle wheels to improve traction on various surfaces including but not limited to mud, sand, snow and ice.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle in which a wheel can be selectively raised to a desired height to pass over an obstruction which is blocking it.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle in which a vehicle wheel can not only be raised to a selectable height to pass over an obstruction, but also a vertical pulsating motion can also be applied to the vehicle wheels after the wheel has been raised to improve traction.
A further object of the present invention to provide an improved all-terrain vehicle having centrally mounted bogies on opposite sides thereof each carrying wheels at opposite ends thereof with the bogies being interconnected by a cross link or yoke and having a motor for pivoting the yoke to positively raise one of the wheels to a selectable height for passing over an obstruction. Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.
The present invention relates to a vehicle comprising a body, a plurality of wheel supports on said body, a plurality of wheels on said wheel supports, and selectively actuatable pulsating motor means coupled between said body and at least one of said wheel supports for pulsating at least one of said wheels in a vertical direction.
The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a body, a plurality of wheel supports on said body, a plurality of wheels on said wheel supports, and motor means for selectively substantially simultaneously pulsating certain of said wheels in a vertical direction and simultaneously changing their elevation relative to said body.
The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a body, bogies each having a first central portion and first outer end portions with said first central portions of said bogies pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said body for free pivotal movement, wheels mounted on said first outer end portions of said bogies, said free pivotal movement of said bogies occurring as said wheels mounted thereon follow the terrain, a standard on said body, a yoke having a second central portion and second outer end portions with said second central portion pivotally mounted on said standard and said yoke extending crosswise of said body, elongated links having first and second ends, first connecting means movably connecting said second outer end portions of said yoke to said first ends of said elongated links, second connecting means movably connecting said first outer ends of said bogies to said second ends of said elongated links, and selectively actuatable motor means for positively pivoting said yoke to thereby positively pivot said bogies coupled to said yoke.
The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a body, bogies each having a first central portion and first outer end portions with said first central portions of said bogies pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said body for free pivotal movement, wheels mounted on said first outer end portions of said bogies, said free pivotal movement of said bogies occurring as said wheels mounted thereon follow the terrain, a standard on said body, a yoke having a second central portion and second outer end portions with said second central portion pivotally mounted on said standard and said yoke extending crosswise of said body, elongated links having first and second ends, first connecting means movably connecting said second outer end portions of said yoke to said first ends of said elongated links, second connecting means movably connecting said first outer ends of said bogies to said second ends of said elongated links, laterally extending arms at certain of said first ends of said bogies, outer ends on said laterally extending arms located substantially above certain of said wheels, and said second connecting means being located at said outer ends of said laterally extending arms.
The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a body, bogies each having a first central portion and first outer end portions with said first central portions of said bogies pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said body for free pivotal movement, wheels mounted on said first outer end portions of said bogies, said free pivotal movement of said bogies occurring as said wheels mounted thereon follow the terrain, a standard on said body, a yoke having a second central portion and second outer end portions with said second central portion pivotally mounted on said standard and said yoke extending crosswise of said body, elongated links having first and second ends, first connecting means movably connecting said second outer end portions of said yoke to said first ends of said elongated links, second connecting means movably connecting said first outer ends of said bogies to said second ends of said elongated links, and wherein said vehicle includes first and second ends, and wherein said standard is mounted proximate said first end of said body, and wherein said bogies are connected to said first elongated links proximate said first end of said body, a second standard mounted proximate said second end of said body, a second yoke pivotally mounted on said second standard and extending crosswise of said body, outer end portions on said second yoke, second elongated links having first and second ends, third connecting means movably connecting said outer end portions of said second yoke to said first ends of said second elongated links, and fourth connecting means movably connecting said bogies to said second ends of said second elongated links proximate said second end of said body.
The various aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
REFERENCES:
patent: 2473903 (1949-06-01), Purifoy
patent: 3563566 (1971-02-01), Weber
patent: 3689103 (1972-09-01), Meulendyk
patent: 3700059 (1972-10-01), Sutton
patent: 3703298 (1972-11-01), Laverda
patent: 4152004 (1979-05-01), Schroder
patent: 4492389 (1985-01-01), Wyatt et al.
patent: 4647067 (1987-03-01), Paquettel et al.
patent: 4964480 (1990-10-01), Kopczynski
Gastel Joseph P.
Hurley Kevin
McKinley Kevin
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