VEHICLE WITH THREE-AXLE WALKING BEAMS SUSPENSION

摘要

This invention defines a suspension arrangement foroff-highway vehicle that comprises a front pair or walking beams,a rear pair of walking beams, each beam pivoted to the vehicleunderframe, articulated joints connecting the rear end of thefront beam to the front end of the rear beam to allow up-and-down relative pivoting between the front beams and the rearbeams, wheel axles and wheels at the outer end of each beam andat the articulated joints to form a three-axle arrangement, onepair of walking beams being extendible and retractable in lengthfor allowing pivoting of the pairs of walking beams relative tothe vehicle chassis, the pivot for one pair of walking beamsbeing preferably positioned higher than the other to accommodateendless tracks of constant length around the wheels on theopposite sides of the vehicle, irrespective of the pivotedpositions of the beams, and the transverse pivots for the walkingbeams have outer end portions projecting a predetermined lengthfrom the underframe to carry a corresponding walking beam and atubular spacer inward or outward of the latter to allow space fora wide endless track or for a narrow endless track producing awide endless track configuration or a narrow endless trackconfiguration.