Etat Francais Represente Par Le Delegue Ministeriel Pour L'armement

Etat Francaise Delegation Ministerielle Pour L'armement

Roger Chanal

A return device for a hydraulic steering mechanism of a vehicle includes an pparatus for automatically returning the wheels of the vehicle to a straight-ahead position after they are laterally pivoted by a steering wheel acting through a line of shafts. A hairpin spring is stressed by the rotation of a drum mounted on one of the shafts to create a resistance to further lateral pivoting of the vehicle wheels away from a straight-ahead position and a return force to return the vehicle wheels to a straight-ahead position. After the hairpin spring is stressed, a coil spring is tensioned by the rotation of the drum to create an additional resistance to further lateral pivoting of the vehicle wheels away from a straight-ahead position and an additional return force to return the vehicle wheels to a straight-ahead position.

Return device for steering mechanism

A control device for a steering mechanism of a vehicle includes hydraulic means for laterally pivoting a pair of independently suspended guide wheels in response to rotation of a steering wheel of the vehicle. The hydraulic means includes a pair of double-acting jacks attached to respective guide wheels in such a manner that the extension of each jack pivots a corresponding guide wheel, and a pair of valves mounted on respective jacks for controlling the extension thereof. The valves are controlled by a pair of linkages which are connected to the steering wheel by a coupling mechanism in such a manner that the valves are simultaneously controlled in response to rotation of the steering wheel so that both guide wheels are laterally pivoted in the same angular direction.

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Saint-Etienne, France

Roger Chanal