| 摘要 |
A ground-engaging wheel for a vehicle comprises a hub rotatable about a wheel axis, an inextensible wheel rim encircling and spaced from the hub, and a plurality of similar circumferentially spaced spoke assemblies connected between the hub and wheel rim. Each spoke assembly comprises a rigid inner spoke element connected to the hub and an outer leaf-spring element connected to the rim. The spoke elements are connected together by a pivot to permit relative angular movement between them, and the leaf-springs are pre-stressed so as resiliently to retain the elements in a datum position against the rim. When the wheel is not subjected to an external load, other than the weight of the vehicle to which it is fitted, the spoke elements remain in the datum position and the wheel acts as a conventional rigid wheel. When the wheel is subjected to other external loads, however, such as when it meets a step or other obstacle, the wheel rim can displace relatively to the hub in a manner to smooth the ride over the obstacle and reduce the effort required.
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