VEHICLE CONVERTIBLE FROM SLEDGE TO WHEEL RUNNING GEAR Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: transport. SUBSTANCE: vehicle has carrying platform body 3 with runners 1, secured on platform body wheeled chassis in form of road wheels 9 with pushers 10 installed for movement in direction square to carrying platform body plane, and member 4 installed under carrying platform body for longitudinal displacement relative to platform body. Member 4 has bosses 11 for engagement with pushers 10. Vehicle has traction cable 13 secured on member 4. Member 4 and road wheels are loaded by springs 5 and 6, respectively. When moving along snow-covered terrain, tension of cable 13 does not overcome force of springs 5 (owing to low sliding friction coefficient of runners 1 on snow) and road wheels 9 are arranged above runners 1. When negotiating, for instance, sand-covered terrain, sliding friction coefficient sharply rises which causes increase in tension of cable 13 which overcomes compression of springs 5. Member 4 gets displaced in direction of vehicle motion, bosses 11 act on pushers 10, and road wheels 9 are lowered below runners 1 to provide movement of vehicle as car. EFFECT: enhanced convenience of operation owing to automatic conversion of vehicle for mowing on runners or wheels, depending of type of negotiated terrain. 4 dwg