RU2073620C1 - Self-propelled snow vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport engineering; self-propelled vehicles for riding over snow: snow motorcycles, motorized sledge, etc. SUBSTANCE: vehicle has chassis, track-laying propelling device and two steering units arranged at outer sides of tracks. Steering members of each unit are groups of skis made of flexible resilient material in form of strip with rectilinear sliding surface and curved up end portions. Skis are hinge-connected with movable crossmembers of each unit. With steering mechanism shifted in, skis flex and turn crosswise creating a certain angle between plane of foot and surface along which vehicle moves. Resting on flexed skis, vehicle obtains possibility to move over curved trajectory Such form of contact between steering mechanism skis and snow precludes skidding of vehicle, improves its maneuverability at cornering and makes it possible to increase speed at circulation. EFFECT: reduced overall dimensions of vehicle, reduced cost of vehicle at preservation of performance and economy characteristics. 2 cl, 13 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to the field of transport, in particular to self-propelled devices with caterpillar propulsion, moving across the snow cover, snowmobiles, snowmobiles, motonarts, snow motorcycles, etc.

 The development of the northern territories of both the former USSR / now the Russian Federation / and foreign countries, including Canada, the USA, Sweden, Norway, etc. has a rich history of the development and use of self-propelled mechanized vehicles for driving in snow. Common to all structures is a caterpillar mover / with one or two tracks /, in front of or behind which there are one or two rotary skis / Fig. 13 a, b, c, d, e, f, f.

On the layout diagrams of transport devices oblique shaded areas
supporting surfaces of skis, as well as sliding shields. Rectangles with horizontal hatching of variable width caterpillar movers.

Known developments:
a) according to the scheme 31a / motobogan / common shield / bottom / with a surface sliding on snow, in the cutout of which a caterpillar mover is located at the back, and in the two front windows of the bottom there are rotary devices narrow skis / undercuts /. Motonarts MS-GPM-18 were designed according to this scheme. From foreign models known: Motor, Toboggan, Eliason, Polaris;
b) according to the scheme 13b with one caterpillar and two front skis on a common chassis, a Karelin snowmobile was created back in the 30s. A little later, NAMI-095 motoronarts were developed. From foreign models Mustang, Ocnello Snofordon, as well as domestic, currently popular snowmobile "Buran";
c) according to scheme 13c, one rotary ski in front and a two-track caterpillar mover at the rear of the Ocnello Tricman, as well as a large number of domestic amateur developments. The disadvantage of this arrangement is the lack of stability of the structure in the event of a collision with obstacles or sharp turns / tipping over /;
d) according to the 13g scheme, a two-track caterpillar mover in front on a separate chassis in front and a rotary trailer with a driver and cargo at the rear. Only one Hus Ski model is known;
e) according to the 13d scheme, a two-track caterpillar mover / or a two-caterpillar mover with caterpillars adjacent to each other /, located at the rear, and two rotary skis in front, the most promising and widespread at present is the layout of the snowmobile, providing maximum lateral stability and optimal maneuverability. Back in 1929 in the USSR were created Ing. A.S. Puzina. Later developed motor-cards MS-GPI-15A. From foreign: Nordstar / Germany /, several models of the company "Bombardier" / Canada / and others.

f) according to the scheme 13e, the shield-bottom with a limited length of the supporting surface / to the caterpillar mover / with windows in the shield for narrow rotary skis / undercuts /, without supports along the caterpillar mover model MS-GPI-18 S. Tests showed insufficient lateral stability. Removing the sides of the shield along the mover increased patency, but also increased the risk of tipping over;
g) according to the scheme 13zh, two front rotary skis with a shield-bottom of limited sizes, the lateral parts of which are called skis that increase lateral stability; amateur development of the winter all-terrain vehicle Snezhinka;
h) the design of light motor sleds, a kind of snow bike according to US Pat. N 3757880, cl. 180-5Р, USA, presented in the form of a caterpillar mover, placed between two runners and pivotally connected to them, on the heel sections of which rotary devices are located in the form of submersible helical wheels mounted on pedal valves and buried in the snow cover, which causes asymmetric braking with by turning the entire device towards the braking steering wheel. The skids themselves do not exhibit a rotary effect;
i) the number of amateur developments of snowmobiles of various modifications, indicated, in particular, in the magazine "Model Designer" is very significant / according to schemes from 13a to 13zh / and varied. However, not a single model with lateral rotary devices was revealed among them.

 In all layout schemes of snowmobiles, motonarts, etc., the main factor in the implementation of the turn is the creation of a difference in the speeds of movement of the tracks, including the braking of one of the tracks / with a two-wheeled tracked propulsion /. With a single track caterpillar mover / single caterpillar mover / turn is only due to the rotation of the skis, which is less efficient. The weak point of all designs is the mechanical strength of the cantilevered bow and heel of the ski.

 As a prototype, a snowmobile with two caterpillar-movers and two front rotary skis manufactured by Bombardier / Canada / is adopted.

Advantages of the prototype:
the presence of two tracks with a width of 510 mm each creates a low specific pressure on the snow cover / especially freshly fallen snow /, thereby ensuring high cross-country ability and fairly high maneuverability;
the presence of two synchronously operating rotary skis in combination with two tracks provides good stability of the unit and a satisfactory characteristic of its movement on bends, and the location of the driver and passenger seats side by side creates better comfort compared to the single-track version of the snowmobile, in which the driver and passenger seats are placed one after another .

The disadvantages of the prototype:
a) for sufficient lateral stability, improved maneuverability and cross-country ability, two tracks were used with a total support width of 1020 mm, not counting the clearance between them to accommodate drive units there. This complicates and increases the cost of construction;
b) the fundamental unreliability of the action of the turning unit (in the form of two skis) when maneuvering over snow, especially on ice and firn, when the adhesion of skis with this type of snow is minimal;
c) the use of two skis instead of one complicates the design and increases its cost;
d) the unreliability of rotary skis from mechanical damage and destruction in typical places during collisions and impacts against oncoming obstacles / ice ledges, stumps, stones, tree trunks, etc. / for the following reasons:
openness and vulnerability of an unsecured / cantilever / ski toe in the absence of parts capable of taking on part of the extreme loads / Fig.8a /;
fastening of skis only in one / middle / point, where significant complex dynamic loads arise in the hinge of connection with the baller / axis of rotation / / Fig. 8/;
significant expressions in the assembly of the ballistic bearings / axis of rotation / / Fig.8c marked with a cross /;
e) the weakness of the emphasis of flat, rigid rotary skis in the snow cover, which limits the speed of turns on bends, the flexibility of maneuvering and increases the risk of uncontrolled movement of the snowmobile by skid / Fig. 9/;
e) insufficient compactness of the snowmobile due to the location of the skis and tracks sequentially one after another.

 Tasks to be solved: increasing the reliability and flexibility of maneuvering a snowmobile with a minimum reduction in the speed of movement on turns and the exclusion of uncontrolled movement by skid; improving the working conditions of the rotary elements / skis / and, consequently, increasing their operational resource by changing the principle of fastening and protecting them from destructive loads in the event of a collision with obstacles in the way of movement / stones, ice, knots, stumps, etc. /; optimization of the overall dimensions of the snowmobile by its more compact layout and simplification of the design of individual units, which will also significantly increase its maneuverability and reduce cost.

The essence of the invention / ways to solve the problem /
1. Changing the principle of action of the elements of the rotation node, which ensures the reliability and flexibility of maneuvering, namely:
it is possible to change the direction of movement by not turning rigid skis in a horizontal plane and by longitudinal bending of elastic skis with simultaneous turning of their soles in cross section relative to the movement surface / Fig. 3 /, as a result of which the projection of the ski rib onto the surface / plane / movement of the snowmobile is an arc in the approximation of a circle with a certain radius R / figure 3,6 and 11 /, taken as extrapolation, which is a curved circulation curve. Theoretically, this curve is a segment of an ellipse arc.

2. Change in the principle of interaction of the working elements of the turning unit with the surface on which the snowmobile / snow moves /, namely:
the slope of the ski sole in cross section (Fig. 4/) provides better conditions for cutting its edge into the snow / with the destruction of the surface ice crust of the ground cover /;
the emphasis of the ski in the snow on the bend with the entire surface of the sole at an angle to the surface of the snowmobile, provides the optimal direction of contact with the snow mass / especially with firn snow, Fig. 5 /.

 3. Maintaining the mechanical integrity of the snowmobile as a whole, as well as turning elements / skis / in emergency situations, collisions with large obstacles: logs, boulders, hummocks, tree trunks, by using the front fixed beam as a bumper with its main design purpose to serve as a bearing to her blocks the sides of the tracks.

 4. The safety of rotary skis due to their articulation not at one but at three points, incl. in the two most typical / with the probability of breakage / places in the toe and heel, in collisions with small ordinary obstacles in the path of the snowmobile: stones, small hummocks, twigs, hemp, shrubs, etc. what significantly increases their durability / operational resource /.

 5. More favorable structural and operational prerequisites for the possibility of effective reverse movement of the snowmobile / reverse speed /.

Distinctive features from the prototype
1. The use of blocks of several skis made in the form of elastic strips having a rectilinear sliding surface and curved toe and heel.

 2. Hinged fastening of the skis to the movable traverses of the rotary unit at three points: in the toe, heel and in the middle part of the ski, the hinge at the midpoint located at the lower level, and in the toe and heel at the upper level of the ski / at the ends of the bends /.

 3. Creation of the deflection of the ski due to the multidirectional lateral movement of the movable traverse of the rotary blocks, which causes the deflection of the ski in the longitudinal direction and the inclination of the sliding surface of the ski in the transverse direction relative to the plane of movement of the snowmobile, which makes the projection of the curved edge of the ski on the surface / plane / movement of the snowmobile a curve , by which the circulation will take place on the bend / Fig.3/.

 4. Placement of turn blocks on the sides of the outside of the tracks, which allows you to optimize the size of the snowmobile without compromising lateral stability.

 5. The use of a fixed beam as a bumper.

 In FIG. 1 shows a general view of a snowmobile in a new layout and design; in FIG. 2 general view of one of the blocks of the rotary device in the neutral position of the ski / movement in a straight line /; figure 3 General view of the rotary unit in the position of the skis when turning to the right / deflection of the skis /; figure 4 - diagram of the ski when turning the snowmobile in traffic on the infusion; breaking of an ice crust is shown; on figa diagram of the operation of the ski when turning the snowmobile in traffic conditions on the firn; on figb diagram of the reactive forces that ensure the stability of the snowmobile at the turn / in particular on the fir /; in FIG. 6 diagram of the action of reactive forces on a curved ski track, ensuring the stability of the snowmobile on a bend and the absence of spurious reactive forces that impede the turn of the snowmobile; Fig.7 scheme of parasitic forces that interfere with the rotation of the ski in the traditional scheme of the rotary node of the snowmobile / prototype /; shows the resultant reactive force that reduces the speed of the snowmobile during circulation; on Fig scheme of vulnerability of the rotary ski prototype in a collision with obstacles at the point of extreme loads / typical places / / are indicated by crosses /; figure 9 diagram of the work of a flat rotary ski prototype during circulation and reactive backwater forces that impede the movement of the ski skid; in FIG. 10 diagram of the work of the proposed snowmobile on a bend with a schematic representation of the projection of the edge of the curved skis / bold line /; figure 11 diagram of a possible layout of the proposed snowmobile with one track instead of two, simplifying the design without compromising maneuverability and maneuverability of the unit; in FIG. 12 comparative diagrams of the overall length of snowmobiles: a) prototype; b) the proposed snowmobile upon request; in Fig.13 possible structural diagrams of snowmobiles.

 The drawings show: chassis / structural elements / 1; caterpillars 2 of a two-track mover; traverse 3 front motionless / bumper /; block 4 rotation; frame 5 of the rotation unit; hinge 6 rotation unit; transverse beam 7 of the block frame; longitudinal beam 8 toes; crosshead 10 portal moving average; traverse 11 movable heels of skis; ski track 12; hinge 13 toe and heel of the ski; hinge 14 midpoint of the ski; traverse movement mechanism 15 / not shown /; guides 16 movable traverses; portal racks 17 of the middle traverse; combined center line 18 of the location of the center of the radius of curvature of the ski and the center of rotation of the caterpillar; ski prototype 19; swivel joint 20 of the prototype; rack 21 rotary / baller / rotary ski prototype; rotary ski ball bearing 22; wall 23 lateral rotary ski prototype; rib edge 24 prototype ski; single track mover 25 of the second embodiment of the proposed snowmobile.

 The above details and assemblies are in the following relative positions and interconnections: the chassis 1, the elements 1 of which are shown in Fig. 1, a caterpillar mover with caterpillars 2 is pivotally mounted. In front / in the direction of travel / to the chassis a beam 3 is fixed to which it is hinged / hinge 6 shown in figure 1 / are attached to the rotation blocks 4/12 /. The rotation blocks are placed on the external lateral sides of the tracks 2. Block 4 is made in the form of a frame 5 / not selected in the drawings /, consisting of transverse beams 7 and longitudinal beams 8/1, 2 and 3 /. Guides 16 are attached to the frame 5, along which the traverses move: toe 9, middle / gantry / 10 and heels 11. To these traverses are fastened the skis 12 by means of hinges 13 / toes and heels / and 14 to the gantry racks 17 to which the skis 12 are attached to its middle. The traverses 9, 10 and 11 are connected with a common mechanism 15 for their movement, which is not shown in the drawings due to the non-principle of its structural solution, a Boude cable system, hydraulics, or otherwise.

Device operation
When the snowmobile moves along the straight sole of the rotary skis 12 / Fig. 2/, they are parallel to the displacement surface, the radius of curvature R of the axial line of the skis is equal to infinity, and therefore, the skis 12 have no effect on the trajectory of the snowmobile.

с результативной равнодействующей

показано на фиг.5b, а на фиг.5а показано распределение нагрузки под подошвой лыжины на снег с учетом направления приложения равнодействующей силы

. На фиг.3 показана линия 18, на которой размещаются центры радиусов дуги циркуляции изогнутых лыжин (R_цирк min) и центр разворота гусениц 2 в ходе маневрирования снегохода, как показано на схеме /фиг.10/.To perform the rotation, a mechanism 15 is turned on, which moves the traverse: toe 9, portal traverse 10 and heel traverse 11 in the necessary direction by the required amount. As shown in FIG. 3, with a right turn of the yoke, the toe 9 is shifted to the right by + Δb ′, the heel of the heel 11 is also shifted to the right, but by a different amount of + Δb ″ ’, and the average portal yoke 10 is shifted to the left by -Δb ″. As a result, an elastic deflection of the ski 12 occurs at these points and the projection of the deflection arc onto the surface of the snowmobile moving with a radius R _circus , which, when extrapolating the curve obtained, determines the trajectory of the snowmobile circulation. Simultaneously with the longitudinal deflection, the ski 12 will rotate in the transverse plane to a certain angle, and the slope will be proportional to the steepness of the bend, creating the optimal contact angle of the ski sole with snow. In the conditions of the cover, this contributes to the breaking of the ice crust /Fig. 4/, which excludes the movement of the snowmobile by the skid and a decrease in its controllability. In firn snow conditions, when the adhesion of the snow layers is reduced to a minimum, the slope of the ski sole provides optimal contact of the ski with the snow (Fig. 5/). Decomposition of reactive forces

with effective resultant

5b, and FIG. 5a shows the load distribution under the sole of the ski on the snow, taking into account the direction of application of the resultant force

. Figure 3 shows the line 18, on which the centers of the radii of the arc of curved ski circulation (R _circus min) and the center of rotation of the tracks 2 during maneuvering the snowmobile are located, as shown in the diagram / Fig. 10/.

 The design and layout of the snowmobile can be simplified without sacrificing maneuverability and maneuverability through the use of a single caterpillar propulsion unit / Fig. 11/. The statement about the possibility of reducing the size of the snowmobile not to the detriment of its longitudinal and lateral stability is illustrated in Fig. 12, item a - the overall length L of the prototype and item b the overall length of the proposed structure L ', which is significantly less.

/кроме усилия на изгиб лыжин/ и, следовательно, минимальное сопротивление опорной среды движению снегохода при циркуляции /фиг.6/, т.е. минимальное снижение скорости на виражах в отличие от традиционной поворотной лыжины /фиг.7/, где прямолинейность оси лыжины (R=∞) затрудняет ее вписывание в кривую траекторию циркуляции, создавая дополнительное сопротивление

и, как следствие, большее сопротивлению движению на виражах. Кроме этого, традиционная открытая лыжина /фиг. 8/ не защищена от поломок. Плоская поворотная лыжина 19 /фиг.9/ обеспечивает значительно меньшую величину сцепления со снегом, несмотря на боковую стенку /бурт/ 23 и ребро-кант 24, поскольку упор обеспечивается лишь за счет усилий сдвига (τ) снежного покрова.Comparing the proposed kinematics of rotation, it should be noted the absence of additional lateral resistance to rotation

/ besides the effort to bend the skis / and, therefore, the minimum resistance of the support medium to the movement of the snowmobile during circulation / Fig.6/, i.e. minimal reduction in cornering speed in contrast to the traditional rotary ski / Fig.7/, where the straightness of the axis of the ski (R = ∞) makes it difficult to fit into the curve of the circulation path, creating additional resistance

and, as a result, greater resistance to movement on bends. In addition, a traditional open ski / FIG. 8 / not protected against damage. The flat rotary ski 19 / Fig. 9/ provides a significantly lower amount of traction with snow, despite the side wall / shoulder / 23 and rib-edge 24, since the emphasis is provided only due to the shear forces (τ) of the snow cover.

 All of the above clearly shows the advantages / in my opinion / that the proposed principle and design of the rotary device have in comparison with analogues and prototype.

Claims (2)

 1. Self-propelled transport device for moving on snow, containing a chassis with a traverse, a caterpillar mover with an engine, blocks of rotary devices and a drive mechanism of these devices, characterized in that the blocks of rotary devices are made in the form of frames with movable traverses to which groups of skis are pivotally attached representing elastic bands with a straight sliding surface and curved sections of the toe and heel, with the middle traverses containing portal struts, and the blocks of rotary devices are pivotally connected with consoles the traverse of the chassis, capable of performing the functions of a bumper, and are located on the sides of the caterpillar mover.  2. Self-propelled vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinged fastening of the skis to the traverses is carried out at least in three points, moreover, on the tops of the toe and heel, such fastening is made at the upper level, and the hinges of the middle part of the skis fixed at the ends gantry racks of traverses are placed on the lower level, near the sliding plane of the skis, creating the possibility of forced bending of skis and changing their position in space relative to the surface on which the transport device moves, under the air action moving traverses.

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