Castors can help your vehicle steer with pneumatic wheels
The castors comprise a support surface which is mounted upon at least two casters, one of the casters being steerable and having a castor like structure and in which steering can take place by tilting of the castoring axis of the castor like structure.
1. The castors comprising a support surface, a plurality of casters on which said support surface is mounted, a castor like structure including a castoring axis and a castorelement freely pivotable about said castoring axis for at least one of said casters, steering pivot means for enabling tilting of said castoring axis relative to said support surface and steering means operable for tilting said castoring axis of saidcastor like structure about said steering pivot means to steer the vehicle.
2. The castors as comprising three said casters.
3. The castors and comprising two fixed casters at one end and said castor like structure at the other end.
4. The castors wherein said support surface comprises a platform mounted on a frame, with said casters support directly to said frame.
5. The castors wherein said casters comprise pneumatic wheels.
6. The castors as comprising stop means for limiting the tilting of said castoring axis.
7. The castors comprising a framework, two pneumatic wheels supporting a rear of said framework, a steerable castored wheel supporting a front of said framework and including a castoring axis and a castor wheel freely pivotable about said castoring axis, aseat member mounted towards the rear of said framework, a foot support crossbar mounted towards the front of said framework, steering pivot means for enabling tilting of said castoring axis relative to said seat member and steering means operable by aperson seated in said seat for tilting said castoring axis of said steerable castor wheel about said steering pivot means to thereby steer the vehicle.
8. The castors as said framework comprises a generally “T” shaped structure comprising a cross bar and a stem with said rear pneumatic wheels located at the end of said crossbar and said castor wheel fixedly attached to the baseof said stem, and said steering pivot means is arranged to enable at least said base part of said stem to be pivotable about its own axis to incline said castoring axis of said castor wheel.
9. The castors wherein said steering means comprises a joystick extending upwardly from and mounted on said pivotable part of said stem for controlling the movement of said pivotable part of said stem to steer the vehicle.
10. The castors wherein said crossbar is mounted on said pivotable part of said stem for movement therewith.
11. The castors as comprising a hand-operated brake acting on said rear pneumatic wheels.
12. The castors as comprising stop means for limiting tilting of said castoring axis.
13. The castors comprising an “L” shaped framework including a base part for carrying luggage or other articles and an upright rear part, two fixed pneumatic wheels supporting the rear of said base part where it is connected said upright part, a castoredwheel supporting the front of said base part and including a castoring axis and a castor wheel freely pivotable about said castoring axis, steering pivot means for enabling tilting of said castoring axis relative to said base part and steering meansoperable for tilting said castoring axis of said castored wheel about said steering pivot means to steer the vehicle.
14. The castors wherein said steering pivot means comprises a horizontally rearwardly extending rod pivotable about its own axis for carrying said castored wheel, and said steering means comprises a handle connected to saidrod for pivotal movement therewith and extending upwardly to the region of the top of said upright rear part.
15. The castors as said steering pivot means comprises a horizontal pivot at the front of the base part for carrying said castored wheel and said steering means comprises a handle extending said castoring axis of saidcastored wheel upwards.
16. The castors as comprising stop means for limiting the tilting of said castoring axis.
17. The castors comprising a substantially “U” shaped frame including two horizontally extending parts spaced apart vertically and joined by a part extending between them, a pair of fixed pneumatic wheels carrying one end of the lower of the said twohorizontally extending parts, a castored wheel carrying the other end of said lower horizontally extending part and including a castoring axis and a castor wheel freely pivotable about said castoring axis, steering pivot means for enabling tilting ofsaid castoring axis relative to said frame and steering means operable for tilting said castoring axis of said castored wheel about said steering pivot means to steer the vehicle.
18. The castors wherein said steering pivot
means comprises a pivot with a horizontal axis on which said castored wheel is mounted and said steering means comprises a handle for extending said castoring axis.
19. The castors as comprising stop means for limiting the tilting of said castoring axis.
This invention relates to the castors and in particular to a steerable vehicle.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the invention to seek to provide a steerable vehicle having a novel form of steering arrangement.
According to the first aspect of the invention, the castors comprises a support surface mounted upon at least two casters wherein at least one of the casters is steerable and has a castor like structure in which steering takes place by tilting ofthe castoring axis of the castor like structure.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the castors comprises a framework supported by two pneumatic wheels at the rear and a steerable castored wheel at the front, a seat member mounted towards the rear of the framework, a foot support cross barmounted towards the front of the framework and steering means operable by a person seated in the seat for tilting the castoring axis of the steerable castored wheel.
According to a third aspect of the invention the castors comprises an “L” shaped framework having a base part for carrying luggage or other articles and an upright rear part, wherein two fixed pneumatic wheels support the rear of the base part where it isconnected to the upright part, a castored wheel supports the front of the base part and means are provided for tilting the castoring axis of the castored wheel to enable the vehicle to be steered.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the castors comprises a substantially “U” shaped frame comprising two horizontally extending parts spaced apart vertically and joined by a part extending between them, wherein one end of the lower ofthe two horizontally extending parts is carried by a pair of fixed pneumatic wheels, the other end of said lower horizontally extending part is carried by a castored wheel and steering means are provided for tilting the castoring axis of the castored wheel toenable the vehicle to be steered.