Tilt Steering of Tandem Wheeled or Runner Equipped Vehicle

The invention consists of a novel approach for steering of a vehicle which wheels or runners are in a tandem configuration. Any of the two or more wheels are connected to a pair of jointed or resilient non-parallel arms or suspension members which are arranged so as to turn the wheelaxles in the desired way when wheels are forced to move relative to vehicle frame in a lateral direction. This--at least to some extent--is accomplished through a sidewise tilting of vehicle frame. In stead of any wheel the vehicle may be equipped with a runner or a bogie which has two wheels (which again might be replaced with runners) in tandem--such bogie is then steered as an assembly in a way similar to that of the original wheel as well as the wheels within the bogie being turned individually resulting in a substantial tracing of all wheels.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a double bogie roller skate vehicle and

FIGS. 2 and 3 depict the mechanism from underneath when it is set to move straight ahead (or backwards) and when it is set to move in a curve respectively.

FIG. 4 shows a two wheeled version, not necessarily a skate;

FIG. 5 shows a vehicle with two runners,

FIG. 6 four runners on two bogies,

FIG. 7 is a frontal view of FIG. 4 showing friction dampening and auxiliary support pads 10.

Referring to FIG. 1, the operator's foot will be inserted into boot 1 which is fixed to vehicle frame 2. Attached to the inside of vertical projections on each side of frame 2 are two pairs of suspension members 3; each within a pair to either side of the frame and each pair projecting forward or rearward, the suspension members are resilient laterally but less so vertically and at each of the four free ends are bearings 4 through which bogie pivots 5 pass and which will permit bogies to rock up and down as wheels go over unevennesses in the road as well as permit relative angular horizontal displacement between suspension members 3 and pivots 5, thus allowing for a steered position such as shown in FIG. 3. Lips 6 help prevent vertical flexing of suspension members 3 by resting against bottom of frame 2 on pads of relative low friction material such as e.g. teflon, thus not materially impairing lateral movements of suspension members 3. Any system comprising a mass attached to a resilient member is subject to oscillation and might need dampening means to keep such oscillations under control. FIG. 7 shows how friction pads 10 on lips 6 serve to dampen lateral oscillations of suspension members 3 as well as to prevent collapse of said suspension members when exposed to high vertical stress such as might occur if operator of vehicle lands after performing a jump. As previously mentioned FIG. 2 shows the mechanism depicted in FIG. 1 as seen from below in a neutral condition where wheels 7 are aligned in a straight line because operator's ankle is held so as to keep frame 2 laterally horizontal. If--however--the ankle and thus frame is tilted to one side, the weight of the operator will force suspension members 3 to yield sidewise and--due to their non-parallel geometry within a pair attached to the same bogie--turn bogie pivots 5 to make the vehicle turn as shown in FIG. 3. This is accomplished through increasing the distance between--referring to the tilt of an imaginary plane substantially containing the centerlines of bogie pivots 5 as well as of the wheel axles and serving to define uphill and downhill ends of pivots and axles--uphill ends of bogie pivots 5 by straightening of both uphill suspension members 3 and decreasing the distance between downhill ends of bogie pivots at downhill suspension members bend increasingly. In FIG. 3 uphill side of the imaginary plane will be recognized by the numeral 9 while downhill side is marked with numeral 11. Within each bogie a similar action takes place and makes laterally resilient sub-suspension members 8 turn wheels 7 within their bogie as well. The net result is that all wheels 7 trace in a curved path and the operator will thus turn on his skate. Since the arrangement is such that the ensuing centrifugal force will to some extent tend to cancel the lateral bias induced by the tilt of operator's ankle, a stable condition will result with balancing of the influences of ankle tilt and resiliency and geometry of suspension members 3 and sub-suspensiom members 8 versus centrifugal force induced through speed of vehicle and radius of turn. Contrary to conventional roller skates, the tandem wheel variety is not prone to jerks of directional changes when one wheel hits an unevenness in the road; the wheel simply heaves over the obstruction with very slight effect on the steering of the vehicle. With bogies the accompanying jolt is furthermore substantially ameliorated as the vertical movement of the pivot 5 will be about half that of a wheel within the bogie. The overhang of frame 2 over first and last wheel serves two purposes; it prevents eventual water and dirt from splattering on operator and it permits braking of either wheel by tipping skate forwards or backwards until overhang contacts the respective wheel and slows vehicle down. The invention is not--however--limited to roller skates but is also applicable to--among other things-- skateboards, sleighs, bicycles and motorcycles, hence tilted "Tilt Steering of Tandem Wheeled or Runner Equipped Vehicle.