168results about "Retractable wheels" patented technology

A road / air vehicle is able to quickly and easily convert between two configurations, air configuration and road configuration, to facilitate practical operation as both an aircraft and as an automobile. In air configuration the craft includes two laterally symmetrically flight surfaces; a smaller forward canard wing, generally horizontally disposed and a larger rearward main wing generally horizontally disposed with fin surfaces, generally vertically disposed, at each tip. Control surfaces on the main wing, the canard wing and the tip fins severally provide roll control, pitch control and yaw control in flight. The wheels / undercarriage are of a laterally symmetrical rectangular pattern, with the lateral distance between the two forward wheels and the two rearward wheels being similar. The forward wheels are steerable for ground operations. A suitable powerplant drives the rear wheels for ground operations. A second suitable powerplant provides direct atmospheric thrust for flight operations. In road configuration all flight surfaces and avionics sensors are folded and stored inside compartments within the body of the craft. Controls to facilitate both ground and flight operations are available for a single operator to perform the functions of both driver in road configuration and pilot in air configuration.

Vehicle suspension having a control arm pivotally mounted to vehicle body. Wheel support is pivotally mounted to the control arm. A hydraulic strut is pivotally mounted to body at trunnion mount. The wheel may be protracted to be placed vertically on the road surface or retracted at an angle, for example to allow good marine performance in an amphibious vehicle. Strut may be extended or retracted by hydraulic fluid pumped through ports and may also be used for wheel springing and damping. As trunnion mount is part way up the strut, the strut can pivot out of the way of the retracing wheel. A second control arm may also be fitted; this may be part of a double wishbone wheel suspension.

An improved self-propelled mobile track vehicle (MTV) capable of traveling by road at normal highway speeds and traveling by rail after conversion at a narrow railroad crossing by producing a device for rotating the vehicle 90 degrees. The vehicle is powered by a diesel engine driving through a power shift transmission to the roadway and railway axles. A significant advantage over other types of road / rail vehicles is that 100 percent of the vehicle's weight is carried on the rail wheels, which are powered and braked, thereby allowing higher and safer rail speeds. One way to convert the vehicle from roadway travel to railway travel is to maneuver it into a position parallel to the track at a road crossing. The rail axles are then extended and road axles retracted. In addition, a turntable mounted at the vehicle's center of gravity also allows the vehicle to convert at a narrow road crossing. While at railway / roadway crossing the unit raises and rotates 90 to align with the desired roadway or railway. The vehicle can assist in starting a train by extending the powered road axle so that the inner rubber tires contact the rail and the high traction of rubber on rail assists in increasing starting traction of the vehicle thus allowing the vehicle to assist in starting a train.

A rail car mover apparatus for a loader vehicle comprises means to rotatably attach a pair of front rail wheels to a front end of the loader vehicle such that the front rail wheels are spaced to engage the pair of railroad rails and such that the front rail wheels can move up and down in response to forces exerted by a front actuator; means to rotatably attach a pair of rear rail wheels to a rear end of the loader vehicle such that the rear rail wheels are spaced to engage the pair of railroad rails and such that the rear rail wheels can move up and down in response to forces exerted by a rear actuator; and a coupler adapter adapted at a rear end thereof for attachment to a front portion of the loader arms and adapted at a front end thereof for coupling to a rail car hitch.

An amphibious vehicle achieves a stable ride, maneuverability, and high speed. The vehicle includes a hull having a “V” center portion with outboard sponsons. The sponsons reside between the front wheel wells and the rear wheels wells for improving lift and transition to planing. Shallow tunnels begin in rear portions of the front wheel wells and taper into the sponsons to release water trapped in the wheel wells. Inward facing turning edges also reside between the front and rear wheel wells and improve in-water handling. Wheels are retractable by pneumatic cylinders in parallel with air shock absorbers and suspension cutout in the hull allow the suspension to lower through the hull. Flaps reside under suspension members and rise to cover the suspension cutouts when the wheels are retractable when the wheels are raised to reduce drag. A Morse cable couple a rack and pinion unit to a jet drive.

A hydraulic suspension strut (30) has a first on-off valve (58) connecting the first and second chambers (42 and 44), and a second on-off valve (62) connected to chamber (42) only. Suspension arm (3) of wheel (1) can be retracted beyond normal road travel, or protracted to road travel mode, by use of pump (9) and valves (58 and 62). The space in the strut above port (56) may be used as a hydraulic bump stop. An accumulator (50) may be included, as a hydraulic spring. Alternatively, strut (70) (FIG. 6; note alternative accumulator position) allows suspension to be raised above normal road travel. Strut (100) (FIG. 8) may be operated in roadgoing, raised, or retracted mode. These struts may be applied to reconfigurable suspensions; particularly for amphibious vehicles, which may require wheels to be withdrawn above the hull water line to reduce drag on water, particularly during cornering.

An all-terrain vehicle equipped for quick exchange of its functional components and aid units includes a frame having a mounting platform which includes a plurality of spatially positioned open surfaces, a functional unit having a quick release connector adapted to connect to the functional unit to a first part of the mounting platform, and wherein the frame is made of a polymer-matrix and metal-matrix composite.

Amphibious vehicle needs less power on land than on water. A control system is provided to limit power and / or speed on land, using: restriction of flow of fuel, air, or exhaust gases; heated intake air; exhaust gas recirculation; declutching of a supercharger; bypassing of a turbocharger; a variable throttle stop, dual throttles, or a switchable throttle damper; cylinder or intake valve deactivation; a dual length intake manifold; dual mode ignition or engine mapping; dual fuel—gasoline on water, compressed natural gas on road; variable compression ratios or valve timing; a clutch designed to slip; automatic brake application; or aerodynamic brakes. The suspension may tilt the vehicle to increase aerodynamic resistance. The road transmission may be geared to limit maximum speed. High rolling resistance tires or twin engines may be used. A sensor on retractable suspension may indicate whether the vehicle is on land or on water.

A mechanism is provided by which the wheels of an amphibious vehicle are simultaneously retracted or protracted for switching between a land mode and a marine mode of operation. Each of a transversely spaced pair of wheels is supported by a horizontally arranged spring and damper combination acting on at least one suspension link. Each spring and damper combination is in turn supported by a movable anchor point, the position of which determines the extent of protraction or retraction of the associated wheel. The anchor points for the two wheels may be located at opposite ends of a rotatable rocker member, the rotational orientation of which is determined by an actuator taking the form of for example a hydraulic ram or electric motor.

A railcar-moving vehicle comprises a modified semi-tractor, having a highway mode for operation on roadways, and a rail mode for operation on rails. The vehicle includes an elongate frame with selectively extendable high rail wheels for guiding the vehicle on rails, and rubber-tired drive wheels for operation on roadways. The rubber-tired drive wheels are configured to support the vehicle on a roadway in highway mode, and to contact the rails in rail mode. A moveable weight is disposed on a rear portion of the frame. A load-shifting mechanism moves the moveable weight between a rearward position for rail mode and a forward position for highway mode.

A multi-terrain amphibious vehicle for travel across various types of surfaces and upon various bodies of water. The vehicle has an elongated longitudinally extending chassis having a bottom surface having a centerline. A plurality of left side propulsion units and a plurality of right side propulsion units extend inwardly toward the centerline and they are supported by the chassis. A vehicle body having a passenger compartment is mounted on the chassis. A source of drive power is mounted on the chassis. Power transmission structure connects the drive power structure to the driven axles of the respective left and right side propulsion units. The propulsion units each have a plurality of cam-shaped wheels mounted on each driven axle. The cam-shaped wheels are oriented on the driven axle so that there will always be an arcuate perimeter segment of one of the cam-shaped wheels positioned to contact the ground surface during each 360 degree rotation of the driven shaft.

A railcar-moving vehicle comprises a modified semi-tractor, having a highway mode for operation on roadways, and a rail mode for operation on rails. The vehicle includes an elongate frame with selectively extendable high rail wheels for guiding the vehicle on rails, and rubber-tired drive wheels for operation on roadways. The rubber-tired drive wheels are configured to support the vehicle on a roadway in highway mode, and to contact the rails in rail mode. A moveable weight is disposed on a rear portion of the frame. A load-shifting mechanism moves the moveable weight between a rearward position for rail mode and a forward position for highway mode.

An apparatus for retracting axle-driven wheels onboard an amphibious vehicle provides a retracting process by which the wheels of the vehicle may be moved from a land-support position, to a water-borne position wherein the wheels are substantially above the waterline of the vehicle when afloat. The wheels are axle-driven, with pivotable connections allowing the axles to guide the retracting process; steering connections are pivotably able to follow the process, and steering motion is self-cancelling in the retracted mode. Suitable compartments enclose and support the apparatus in all positions, and seals are provided at the axles to prevent water entering the vehicle interior. A variety of devices may be employed to actuate the apparatus, and also to provide suspension to the vehicle on land.

Presented in an advanced high speed air cushioned marine vehicle that incorporates retractable land drives for operation over beaches or other hard surfaces. The land drives retract into air cushion hull recesses when the vehicle is waterborne so as not to add water resistance at high waterborne speeds. Power for water propulsion as well as land drive is normally supplied from the same propulsor motor(s) for simplicity. Land drives may incorporate tracks, tires, or other land contact mechanisms.

A submersible vessel comprising:an elongated hull;at least one propeller mounted on a forward end of said hull and adapted to move said hull through water;said at least one propeller being of a size and configuration such that when it is rotated at an appropriate speed, it generates supercavitated water flowing from said at least one propeller and thence along an outer surface of said hull so as to diminish friction on the outer surface of said hull and facilitate high underwater speeds.

Amphibious vehicle needs less power on land than on water. A control system is provided to limit power and / or speed on land, using: restriction of flow of fuel, air, or exhaust gases; heated intake air; exhaust gas recirculation; declutching of a supercharger; bypassing of a turbocharger; a variable throttle stop, dual throttles, or a switchable throttle damper; cylinder or intake valve deactivation; a dual length intake manifold; dual mode ignition or engine mapping; dual fuel—gasoline on water, compressed natural gas on road; variable compression ratios or valve timing; a clutch designed to slip; automatic brake application; or aerodynamic brakes. The suspension may tilt the vehicle to increase aerodynamic resistance. The road transmission may be geared to limit maximum speed. High rolling resistance tyres or twin engines may be used. A sensor on retractable suspension may indicate whether the vehicle is on land or on water.

Amphibious vehicle has at least one system which is actuated or has its mode of operation changed when the vehicle changes from land mode to water mode or vice versa. The vehicle comprises sensor means which produce an output signal which varies in relation to the proportion of the mass of the vehicle which is buoyantly supported by a body of water. The sensors may sense the position of a wheel relative to the body of the vehicle. This may be achieved by checking the position of a suspension member. The sensor means may comprise a linear sensor or a rotary sensor. The sensor may comprise a potentiometer. Control means may average the output of the sensor over time. Where several sensors are used, control means may process output signals from each sensor to provide an overall output signal. A water presence sensor, such as a thermistor, may be used to provide a second control signal.

A sit-stride amphibious vehicle configuration which supports a high performance envelope both on land as well as in water. The vehicle has a planing hull and four retractable wheels. Handlebars provide for directional control in both modes of operation. Each road wheel is retractable by pivoting through at least 45° so as to maximize ground clearance when in the land mode of operation and to minimize drag at substantial lean angles when in the marine mode of operation. While a jet drive may remain directly connected to the engine at all times, the drive wheels are only connected during land mode via a speed-change transmission. The entire power train is supported by a frame that is separable from the hull which in turn has a detachable top deck portion, whereby such configuration simplifies the construction, repair and servicing of the vehicle.

The invention provides an external detection working platform of a spherical tank, and belongs to the technical field of special equipment for external regular checking of industrial spherical tanks. The working platform comprises a vehicle-mounted lifting device, a rail conversion device, a hydraulic system and a control system; balance supporting legs are arranged at the front end and the rear end of a crossbeam of a truck chassis, a retractable aerial ladder is arranged on the upper portion of the truck chassis, the rail conversion device is arranged at the bottom of the crossbeam, and guide rails are arranged on two sides of the bottom of a movable platform; a hydraulic motor is arranged on the rear portion of the upper surface of the movable platform, and an output shaft of the hydraulic motor is connected with an input shaft of a gear transmission box; the end of an output shaft of the gear transmission box is provided with a spur gear meshed with a gear rail; two sets of translation sliding blocks matched with the guide rails are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the movable platform, the front portion of the upper surface of the movable platform is provided with a circular boss matched with a rotary workbench, the rotary workbench is provided with an aerial ladder support, the tail ends of the three stages of retractable aerial ladder are hinged, and the other end of the retractable aerial ladder is hinged to a bent swing arm; one end of a workbench hydraulic push rod is hinged to the bent swing arm, and the other end of the workbench hydraulic push rod is hinged to a manned working basket.

The amphibious vehicle is a motorized vehicle capable of travel on land as well as in the water. The amphibious vehicle has a boat-like hull and a caterpillar track assembly mounted along each side by a respective pair of rotating supports. The tracks are arranged so that the tracks can be rotated between a lowered position supporting the amphibious vehicle and providing traction and propulsion during land operation, and a raised position, where the tracks rest vertically above the hull's deck during marine operation. With the caterpillar track assemblies in the raised position, the caterpillar track assemblies are fully removed from the water to improve performance and maneuverability therein. The track assemblies are hydraulically driven to rotate the wheels and tracks between the lowered and raised positions.

An amphibious vehicle (1), in the form of an inflatable boat (2) has a self propelled and steerable retractable under-carriage system, enabling the vehicle to enter and exit the water under its own power. The swing of the wheels and their supporting struts (3) & (4) occurs external to the hull of the vehicle. A steerable nose leg (3) is raised or lowered by an actuator situated inside the boat. Stowage is accomplished within the lines of an inflatable craft by the incorporation of fibreglass fairings (5) & (6) sized to match the main inflated tubes (7). Power is provided to the back wheels (4) via an internal drive train within the legs (4). All terrain balloon type tyres are used to enable the boat to travel over a variety shoreline terrain. A steering system engages with the fornt wheel when the wheel is in its extended position. Motive power is provided by a separate aircooled motor.

An amphibious passenger vehicle having several open or covered holes and a surrounding cover to accommodate fishing and hunting. An aft mounted engine, forward / reverse transmission, drive linkage and disk / caliper brake assembly controls a pair of rear wheels. Electric, screw actuated cylinders and pistons or manual linkage control the steering of a pair of forward wheels. Independent front and rear elevation control linkages independently control the elevation of the fore and aft wheels.

The invention provides a high speed railway safety detection system based on an air-rail dual-purpose unmanned plane. The system comprises an unmanned plane, a remote monitoring center, an earth station, and a wireless communication module. The unmanned plane comprises rotation blades for providing flying power and propellant propellers for driving the unmanned plane to move along a rail. The earth station is used to set a flying route for the unmanned plane and control the flying mode and navigation mode of the unmanned plane in the orbit. The remote monitoring center is used to monitor the flying state of the unmanned plane, analyze the detection information, and quickly respond to the accidents during the driving process. Two routing inspection modes (namely flying in the air and moving along a rail) are adopted. Two work modes can be flexibly arranged or switched according to the actual needs. The problems of a conventional ground routing inspection mode such as high cost, bad flexibility, occupied space for normal driving, and the like, are solved.