| 摘要 |
An all terrain vehicle has two vehicle units and an articulating link which interconnects the vehicle units in tandem. Each vehicle unit has a body and a pair of spaced crawler tracks which are powered for moving the respective vehicle unit. The articulating link has two longitudinally spaced apart pitch hinge assemblies, each of which cooperates with a respective vehicle unit to permit relative rotation therebetween about a horizontal pitch axis without interference between the vehicle units. Pitch swivelling means associated with one particular pitch hinge assembly can force relative rotation about the particular pitch axis between a particular vehicle unit and the link, so that one vehicle unit can be rotated forcibly relative to the other vehicle unit to negotiate marginal terrain. The remaining pitch hinge assembly can be either freely hinged to permit rotation about the remaining pitch axis or alternatively can have a similar pitch swivelling means. The vehicle also has a yaw hinge assembly for steering, and optionally has a roll hinge assembly to permit relative rotation about the link between the vehicle units, particularly for self-righting on hard terrain, and also for additional control and versatility. A single vehicle unit can be operable independently of the other, but performance is increased considerably by utilizing at least two vehicle units in tandem connected by the articulating link. The vehicle combination can climb up or down vertical walls of limited height from hard terrain, or can negotiate a vertical wall disposed above water a height dependent on draft of the vehicle. The vehicle combination is a self-righing from an inverted position on land or immersed in water.
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