There are considerable uses for wheeled vehicles that can move over very uneven terrain. Commonly available suspension systems greatly reduce the weight, and therefore the traction on wheels that are extended to lie below the level of the other wheels, and greatly increase the weight and traction of any one raised wheel. If a "stiff" suspension system is used, the chassis or body carried by the suspension system is considerably deflected when any one of the wheels is deflected. A reduction of weight shift to an extended or retracted wheel and the reduction of body movement can be achieved by using low rate (soft) springs to support the body on the wheels. However, this approach results in an undesirable low oscillation frequency, usually referred to as "too soft" a suspension. A vehicle which caused deflection of the body by mechanically "averaging" the wheel deflection, while maintaining the wheel load distribution substantially constant, all while avoiding a "soft" suspension having a low oscillation frequency, would be of considerable value.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds