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R0T0R CAR

This invention relates to vehicles and more particularly to motor vehicles including toy vehicles.

Most conventional motor vehicles are typically steered solely through the front wheels which are turned in relation to the frame and driver's cab. While this has provided a usable system for many years such arrangement has a number of disadvantages. For example it provides only limited manoeuvrability in close quartiers ie. when parallel parking. Also high speed control is often inadequate due to skidding of the directionally fixed rear wheels

It is therefore an object of this invention to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages and accordingly this invention discloses a vehicle comprising a driver's cab, a frame, a chassis and at least three wheels, each of said wheels being steerable in unison so as to change bearing relative to the frame of said vehicle and said driver's cab being adapted to simultaneously rotate about a substantially vertical axis relative to said frame so that in use said cab faces in the direction of travel of the wheels at all times.

Preferably but not essentailly the wheels of the vehicle are drived by individual hydraulic or electric motors.

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Two currently preferred embodiments of this invention are shown in the attached drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are schematic cross- sectional elevation and plan views of a motor vehicle according to this concept, and

Figures 3 and 4 show schematic cross- sectional elevation and plan views of a second example of this invention.

Referring first to figures 1 and 2 there is shown a vehicle comprising a bubble shaped driver's cab 1, chassis 2 and frame 3. The frame further includes wheels arms 4 and gear housings 5. At the outer end

of each wheel arm there is also a wheel pivot 6 and below this a telescopic suspension leg 7 extends downwardly to a wheel 8. The casing 5 may house the gears 9 from the incoming power drive (if the wheels are drived mechanically from a central motor) and this drive is directed to each wheel via gears at the centre hubs 10.

The individual steering motors 11 for the wheels may also be located within the casing 5. These are actuated by a hydraulic power steering unit 12 so

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that the wheels turn in unison up to 360 degrees about their respective pivots.

Inside the drivers cab 1 there is a seat 12A and vertical centre pivot 12B on which the cab also rotates up to 360 degrees about a substantially vertical axis. There is also a steering wheel 13, steering column 13A and steering rod tunnel 13B through which the steering wheel movement is transferred to the steering control 12. This control 12 may be a combined electric/hydraulic unit. The aforementioned mechanism acts through electric cables, hydraulic hoses or steering rods 14 to steer the wheels 8 in accordance with the intended direction of travel and also rotate the cab 1 about vertical pivot 12B. Around the bottom of the chassis 2 is a skirt 15 and bumper bar 16. Preferably these extend right around the circular periphery of the vehicle.

In accordance with this invention the steering unit 12 is adapted so that the wheels are steerable in unison and the driver's cab is simultaneously rotated by the steeting unit 12 about vertical pivot 12 relative to th^ frame 3. In this manner while the orientation of the vehicle frame remains more or less unchanged during cornering the cab pivots so that the driver always faces in the direc ^* ion of travel as determined by the bearing of the wheels. The result of this is much improved manoeuvrability in close quarters and better road

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holding at high speeds. Also the drive transmission to the wheels can be simplified insofar as no reverse gear is required. The wheels can simply be rotated by 180 degrees. In such case the drivers direction of vision would also change accordingly for increased safety .

Preferably a second backup steering wheel 17 may also be provided which operates the wheels only, the cab remaining at the same orientation.

The vehicle in figures 3 and 4 has the same basic components and operating mechanism as the first embodiment and the thus the same item numbers are used. In this case however seats 18 for several passengers are provided around a drum shaped cabin 19.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the examples described provides a novel and unique improvement in the steering mechanism for motor vehicles. Clearly however the embodiments disclosed are only the currently preferred forms of this invention and a wide variety of modifications may be made which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example the shape and configuration of the vehicle, the drive train for the wheels and the particular mechanism used to achieve the unified movement of the driver's cab and

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wheels could all be changed according to application and/or design preference, The invention is also not limited to and specific materials for constructing the vehicle.

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