VEHICLE AND TRAILER

OBJECT OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a balancing method of pressure applied on a travel course of a vehicle and a trailer.

PRIOR ART

Recently, vehicles and their trailers arc provided with wheels on their both sides. Viewed from behind the vehicle or the trailer, these are left-hand and right-hand wheels. The wheels can be twin wheels, such as e.g. those of a lorry, or single wheels, such as e.g. those of a passenger car. The vehicle can be a lorry or a forestry vehicle which transports timber or which is used for felling, delimbing and cutting timber. The trailer can be the trailer of a lorry or that of a forestry vehicle.

Nowadays, the wheels of vehicles wear down a road surface or some other travel course creating the so-called ruts. Between the ruts, there is a higher point i.e. the road surface does not wear evenly and, due to this, the ruts have to be filled or the whole road surface has to be renewed. Particularly in wintertime, the icy road surface being elevated between the ruts is dangerous especially when vehicles overtake one another. The tracks of a forestry machine make adjacent ruts the depth of which cannot exceed limits allowed by the law. If the depth of the ruts is exceeded, new road tracks must be made or forestry machines cannot be driven, whereby logging and timber transport are stopped.

PURPOSE OF INVENTION

An object of the invention is that a travel course will wear evenly. A further object of the invention is that the point between the ruts can also be used by means of pressure- balancing wheels added to support a vehicle or a trailer, whereby surface pressure caused by the vehicle or the trailer will be best balanced for the whole width of the vehicle or the trailer.

The above disadvantages can be eliminated and the above objects achieved with a balancing method of pressure applied on a travel course by a vehicle and/or a trailer according to the invention which is characterised by what is stated in the characterising section of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the method are the subject of dependent claims 2-11.

The most important advantages of the invention are that the ruts and wear of roads / travel courses will decrease. Road maintenance costs will decrease and road safety will increase, vehicles will not spin out due to ruts and overtaking will be safer. The invented pressure-balancing whccl/whccls in the middle of the vehicle operate as an additional carrier, whereby point-form load on the course is balanced i.e. surface pressure load incurred by the vehicle divides into a larger area. The invented pressure- balancing wheel/wheels can be provided with technology from electric passenger vehicles, whereby the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels can be braked electrically, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels can be rotated electrically and the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels can recover electricity i.e. use it for charging when going e.g. downhill. It is evident that the invented balancing method of pressure applied on a travel course by a vehicle and/or trailer provides great economic savings in the maintenance of roads and other travel courses and in the increase of safety. The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures in which

Fig. 1 shows a perpendicular top view of a trailer 1 in accordance with the invented method, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels being located at the front and the rear of an axle or axles of outermost wheels,

Fig. 2 shows a perpendicular top view of a vehicle in accordance with the invented method, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels being located at the rear of the axle/axles of outermost wheels,

Fig. 3 shows a perpendicular top view of the trailer in accordance with Fig. 1, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels being located at the front of the axle/axles of outermost wheels,

Fig. 4 shows a perpendicular side view of the vehicle in accordance with Fig. 2, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels being located at the rear of the axle/axles of outermost wheels, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels in a lower position, Fig. 5 shows a perpendicular side view of the vehicle in accordance with Figs. 2 and 4, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels being located at the rear of the axle/axles of outermost wheels, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels in an upper position,

Fig. 6 shows a perpendicular side view of another vehicle in accordance with the invention, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels being located at the rear of the axle/axles of outermost wheels, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels having been fastened to the axles of the outermost wheels, whereby they give way supported by a suspension of the axles of the outermost wheels, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels in the lower position,

Fig. 7 shows a perpendicular side view of the vehicle in accordance with Fig. 6, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels being located at the rear of the axle/axles of outermost wheels, the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels having been fastened to the axles of the outermost wheels, whereby they give way supported by the suspension of the axles of the outermost wheels, the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels in the upper position,

Fig. 8 shows a perpendicular rear view of the vehicle of Figs. 6 and 7, the vehicle being on a travel course including ruts, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels being located at the rear of the axle/axles of outermost wheels, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels having been fastened to the axles of the outermost wheels, whereby they give way supported by suspension of the axles of the outermost wheels, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels in the lower position against the travel course,

Fig. 9 shows a perpendicular side view of a third trailer of the construction arrangement according to the invention, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels having been fastened directly to the frame of the trailer i.e. the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels operating as their own separate unit, the trailer including an adjustment/measuring unit 5 which can operate by means of its own battery and by a wireless connection.

The figures show schematic views of parts and points of a vehicle and trailer 1.

A frame la is a known frame of vehicles 13 or trailers 12. No supporting beams between the frame beams have been drawn as they would complicate the numbering of the parts.

A wheel lb is an outermost wheel i.e. a left-hand or a right-hand wheel. An axle or axles lc on which there are the right-hand and left-hand wheels lb fastened directly to the frame la or via a known suspension Id to the frame la. The suspension Id can be a known leaf-spring suspension, coil-spring suspension or air suspension. The air suspension can be adjusted by varying the air pressure within the so-called air bags: when air pressure is increased, the suspension will ascend and harden and, when air pressure in decreased, the suspension will descend and soften simultaneously increasing elasticity.

The construction arrangement shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 includes an axle support frame Ida. It is a ridging part which is fastened on top of the axlc/axlcs lc. It can be of metal beam. On top of the axle support frame Ida, there is the suspension Id.

A pressure-balancing wheel or pressure-balancing wheels 2 which can include several wheels side by side or several wheels one after the other instead of one wheel. A rotation axle 2a on which the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 is/are rotatably and brakeably fastened to one or more fastening elements 3

A fastening element 3 which fastens one or more pressure-balancing wheels 2 movably up/down on the axle/axles lc between the wheels lb on the rotation axle 2a. The fastening element 3 can be, at least of its one end, fastened rotatably up/down by a joint 3a on the axle/axles lc.

An ascending/descending element 4 which is a pneumatic bag or a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder or a combination of some of the above- mentioned.

An adjusting/measuring unit 5 can be a known computer, a programmable logistics controller or an equivalent known device which enables giving commands to valves and other controllers, reading one or more measuring elements of e.g. air pressure or measuring motion distance e.g. compression distance of the suspension.

A support frame 6 which is in the figures a beam fastened between the frames la to which is fastened the ascending/descending element 4

A turnable front wheel 7. A driver's cab 8.

A joint 9 rotatably fastens the fastening element 3 and the ascending/descending element 4 to each other. The joint 9 can be a known slide -pin joint or a known joint provided with bearings or a known ball joint.

A frame joint 10 which rotatably fastens the upper end of the ascending/descending element 4 and the upper end of the axle support frame Ida to each other. The frame joint 10 can be a known slide -pin joint or a known joint provided with bearings or a known ball joint.

A travel course 11 can be a road, a terrain, an ice road or some other transport surface intended for the vehicle and trailer 1.

A rut 11a has been worn on the surface of the travel course 11 by the effect of vehicle wheels.

An unworn section l ib between the wheels lb is higher by a depth l laa of the ruts 11a.

A section 1 lc between opposite traffic lanes.

A trailer 12 including a towing hitch 12a.

A vehicle 13, a drive shaft 13a, a differential 13b. In the figures, the vehicle 13 is a lorry.

An arrow 14 showing the ascending/descending direction of the pressure- balancing wheel/wheels.

Fig. 9 shows the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 fastened directly to the frame la. In this construction arrangement, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 is/are their own separate unit. In the figure, the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 have been fastened via a subframe 15. The subframe 15 is a rigid part and can be of metal beam. The subframe 15 has been fastened to the frame la by the suspension Id. That is, it is possible to use the same suspension arrangement as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. The fastening element 3 has been rotatably fastened by a subframe joint 16 to the lower end of the subframe 15. The subframe joint 16 can be a known slide -pin joint or a known joint provided with bearings or a known ball joint. The motion direction of the ascending/descending element 4 has been shown by an arrow 17. The up and down motion of the suspension Id has been shown by a suspension arrow 18.

The object of the invention is a balancing method of pressure applied on the travel course of a vehicle and/or a trailer.

Now, it has been invented that there is one or more pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 between the right-hand and left-hand wheels lb of a vehicle and/or trailer 1 which wheel/wheels have been upwards and downwards movably fastened to an axle or axles lc between the right-hand and left-hand wheels and/or to a frame la. The one or more pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 are pres sable downwards by a desired force by one or more ascending/descending elements 4 being a pneumatic bag or a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder or a combination of some of the above-mentioned. The one or more pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 are ascendable or descendable by one or more ascending/descending elements 4 being a pneumatic bag or a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder or a combination of some of the above-mentioned. The one or more pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 are at the front of the axle/axles lc between the right-hand and left-hand wheels lb. The one or more prcssurc- balancing wheel/wheels 2 are at the rear of the axle/axles lc between the right-hand and left-hand wheels lb. The one or more pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 are at the front and the rear of the axle/axles lc between the right-hand and left-hand wheels lb. The one or more pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 are pres sable downwards by a desired force by one or more ascending/descending elements 4, and the force pressing the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 downwards is measured from one or more ascending/descending elements 4, and the pressing force of the right-hand and left- hand wheels lb against the course is measured from the suspension of the right-hand and left-hand wheels lb, from which force, the force pressing the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 downwards is automatically adjusted by one or more adjusting/measuring units 5. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 can be a known computer, a programmable logistics controller or an equivalent known device which enables giving commands to valves and other controllers, reading one or more measuring elements of e.g. air pressure or measuring motion distance e.g. compression distance of the suspension. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 operates by a wired or wireless connection. The one or more pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 are turnable, whereby they do not resist the turning motion of the vehicle or trailer 1. When using winter wheels, one or more pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 have most preferably studded tyres, whereby the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 will effectively prevent sideslip and assist in braking. Furthermore, pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 provided with studded tyres will effectively wear the unworn section 1 lb between the ruts, whereby the travel course 11 will level out. USE OF INVENTION

The pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 are ascendable and descendable automatically or mechanically to be used in a desired application area controlled by the adjusting/measuring unit 5. The pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 operate such that the motion of the suspension Id of the actual outward (right-hand and left-hand) wheels lb or the pressure of the air bags is measured and compared with the pressure of the ascending/descending element 4 of the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 (pressure of the air bag), whereby it is possible to calculate the surface pressure of the pressure-balancing whccl/whccls 2 in relation to the travel course 11. On a strongly rutted 1 la travel course 11, the pressure of the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 onto the travel course 11 will increase automatically until a predetermined limit which is controlled by the adjusting/measuring unit 5. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 sniffs the surface level of the unworn section 1 lb between the wheels lb and, as the surface level increases, the pressure of the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 increases, whereby the pressure of the outermost wheels lb decreases, due to which, the wear of the ruts 1 la of the travel course 11 will decrease significantly.

The pressing of the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 is implemented by a pneumatic spring, a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder with or without a battery. It is possible to arrange the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 ascendable upwards to facilitate turning and avoiding obstacles, such as stumps and stones in the forestry machine and forestry trailer use.

The adjusting/measuring unit 5 controls the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 by wired or wireless control. The wired control can be implemented e.g. by a known CAM bus and the wireless control can be implemented by some known wireless technology, e.g. technology known of mobile phones. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 is most preferably located in the driver's cab 8 of the vehicle 1, 13. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 also includes monitoring devices for the vehicle's driver, whereby they can quickly observe e.g. a flat tyre of the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 and can otherwise affect the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 e.g. by ascending the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 upwards to the upper position, whereby the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 do not touch the travel course 11 at all irrespective of the amount of ruts 1 la on the travel course 11 e.g. if there is a stump or a stone in the middle of the travel course. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 ascends/lightens the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 upwards e.g. in sharp bends, such as intersections, e.g. when turning from a forest road to a main road, whereby the turning is easier. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 reads the position of the turntable of the trailer and deducts sharp turning from that. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 can also include an integrated compass to detect a sharp turning, whereby the adjusting/measuring unit 5 ascends/lightens the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 upwards. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 can monitor the position of the front wheels of the vehicle e.g. by means of turning sensors from the track rod or some other suitable point. As the front wheels turn to a predetermined angle, the adjusting/measuring unit 5 ascends/lightens the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 upwards. As mentioned above, it is also possible that the vehicle controls the adjusting/measuring unit 5 to ascend/lighten the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 upwards by manual control e.g. when driving in urban areas (towns) where there are sharp intersections but rarely ruts in the road as the driving speeds are low.

The vehicle's driver can or the adjusting/measuring unit 5 automatically can ascend/lighten pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 upwards also when the vehicle or trailer leans heavily due to the travel course 11, thus preventing the vehicle or trailer 1 from falling. The adjusting/measuring unit 5 is provided by a known apparatus detecting leaning (e.g. in the way of ship compasses). When the leaning reaches a predetermined angle, the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 ascend and, at the same time, it is possible to increase the pressure of the suspension Id of the wheels lb being on the underside of leaning and, equivalently, to decrease the pressure of the suspension Id of the wheels lb being on the upperside of leaning, whereby the vehicle or trailer 1 turns to a straighter or a straight position.

Differing from the figures, the pressure -balancing wheel/wheels 2 can be fastened to the frame la without a suspension, whereby the ascending/descending element 4 ascends and descends the pressure-balancing wheel/wheels 2 e.g. in a way shown in Fig. 9, whereby suspension Id is missing from the presentation of Fig. 9. Furthermore differing from the figures, all of the wheels can be only single ones instead of twin wheels and there can be more wheels than two side by side, e.g. 3-4 or more side by side.

It is evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited solely to the alternatives described above, but many modifications are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the enclosed claims.