Abstract:
A steering system for a multi-car mass transit vehicle, the steering system providing a four-wheel Ackermann-type system for providing improved manoeuvrability of each car and bi-directional travel, with each car accurately following the path of the car in front when travelling in either a forward or backward direction. Alternatively, there is provided: an intermediate carriage for a multi-carriage vehicle, the intermediate carriage configured to connect to first and second carriages, and the intermediate carriage including a steering input and a steering output, such that the steering input is configured to accept a steering input from the first carriage, and the steering output is configured to provide a steering output to the second carriage. Further alternatively, there is provided a tyre-wheeled bogie arrangement for a vehicle, the bogie arrangement including a bogie body and at least one wheel including a tyre.
Abstract:
A vehicle front-end assembly includes a vehicle frame, a first tow hook and a skid plate. The vehicle frame has a first front side member with a front-end portion. The first tow hook is attached to a downward facing surface of the first front side member. The skid plate has a main section, a first attachment flange extending from a first lateral side of the main section. The first attachment flange overlays a portion of the first tow hook and is attached to the downward facing surface of the first front side member such that the main section covers a central forward area of an underside of the vehicle.
Abstract:
A bumper assembly for a vehicle to which a towing hook member can be removably coupled includes a bumper beam having a cavity defined at least partially by a first wall and a second wall. The first and second walls are separated at a distance. Also, the bumper assembly includes a receiver having a receiver opening operable to removably couple to and removably receive the towing hook member. The receiver opening is exposed from the bumper beam, and the receiver also has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is removably coupled to the first wall of the bumper beam, and the second portion is removably coupled to the second wall of the bumper beam.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to a corridor connection (1) of a connection having a bellows between two vehicles connected together by a joint (30), e.g., of an articulated bus or a vehicle with a trailer, the corridor connection (1) comprising two overlapping bottom plates (2, 3) that are slidable relative to each other, said joint (30) including a joint carrier part (20) that is disposed on the one vehicle part, the lower bottom plate (2) slidably resting on said joint carrier part (20) and the upper bottom plate (3) resting on said lower bottom plate (2) in the region of said joint carrier part (20).
Abstract:
A method of connecting a tow vehicle to a trailer having a front axle assembly which pivots about a vertical axis. The method includes the following steps which will be hereinafter described. Firstly, position a drawbar assembly between the tow vehicle and the trailer. The drawbar assembly has a tow vehicle end and a trailer end. The tow vehicle end is mounted to a single articulation point at a rear of the tow vehicle. The trailer end is pivotally mounted on a substantially horizontal transverse axis thereby accommodating up and down movement while precluding side to side movement of the drawbar assembly. Secondly, position a steering arm assembly between the tow vehicle and the front axle assembly of the trailer. The steering arm assembly includes a pair of steering arms having tow vehicle ends and trailer ends. The tow vehicle ends are adapted for omni-directional attachment to the tow vehicle equidistant from the single articulation point. The trailer ends are adapted for omni-directional attachment to the front axle assembly of the trailer equidistant from the vertical pivot axis of the front axle assembly, thereby accommodating relative movement of the tow vehicle and the front axle assembly of the trailer while causing a proportionate change in the angular positioning of the front axle assembly of the trailer to maintain correct steering geometry of the trailer relative to the tow vehicle as the tow vehicle turns.
Abstract:
The trailer including a main towing device movable by articulation and sliding, from top to bottom, from front to rear and from right to left to facilitate hitching the trailer to the back of a motor vehicle using a conventional ball-type trailer hitch in conformity with international road regulations. The towing device includes a flexible fixing device to fasten the front part of the trailer to the roof of the motor vehicle through a transverse and vertical centering device which slides from front to rear through sliding rails mounted on a roof-rack, or, as an alternative, through sliding rails mounted underneath the front part of the trailer. The combination of the devices enables rapid coupling and uncoupling of the trailer and the motor vehicle, the locking of the sliding motion of the main towing device in road-ready position being automatically performed by means of locks.
Abstract:
The apparatus of the invention substantially accomplishes the functions of a so-called "fifth wheel coupler" which provides a pivotal mounting for the forward end of a trailer tow bar on the center line of the towing vehicle and directly above its rear axle. The apparatus includes forward hitch means on the aft portion of the towing vehicle carrying first attachment members at the aft end of the vehicle, and aft hitch means on the forward portion of the trailer carrying second attachment members at the forward end of the trailer. Tow bars are pivotally connected at their fore and aft ends to the first and second attachment members which are so located and spaced that there are tow bars spaced laterally and vertically and they all converge forwardly so that their extended axes substantially meet at a location adjacent to the center line of the towing vehicle and also adjacent to its rear axle to define a virtual or instantaneous pivot point which puts the trailer imposed vertical and side loads at the rear wheels of the towing vehicle to minimize lateral sway and vertical "teeter tottering" of the trailer.
Abstract:
A connector device for connecting a first vehicle to a second vehicle, the connector device comprising an upper frame and a lower frame, where the rear side of the upper frame is configured to pivotally connect to the front upper side of the second vehicle, about a first rotation axis, and the rear side of the lower frame is configured to pivotally connect to the front lower side of the second vehicle, about a second rotation axis that is angular in respect to the first rotation axis. The non-zero angle formed between the rotation axes restricts the rotation movements at least about one of these axes. The connector device can be used for forming a removable chain of main and towed vehicle(s) in a manner that enables folding of a towed vehicle over the first vehicle and removably connecting as many vehicles to be towed as required.
Abstract:
An offset hitch bale accumulator hitch for connecting a hay baler to a bale accumulator including a pitch axle based pitch movement assembly, a roll movement assembly using a long channel twisting joint, a yaw limiting movement assembly use double arm connections and an offset movement assembly including a beam in tube linear joint controlled by an extension actuator perpendicular the forward and backward towing forces.