Spherical wheel with horizontal shaft and sphere segments - has second shaft at right angles with barrel shaped rollers completing sphere surface

摘要

The spherical wheel (1) comprises a horizontal first shaft (2) rotatably carried in bearings (16) in a frame (11), a second shaft (4,20,21) which is connected with the first at right angles, and carries rotatable spherical segments (30,31) at either end of the first shaft (2). Third shafts (6) provided at either end of the second (4) are at right angles to both shafts (2,4) and carry rotatable barrel-shaped rollers (7,8). The arrangement is such that the convex outer surfaces of the segments (30,31) and the rollers (7,8) together form an approximately complete spherical surface. The second shaft (4) may have hollow ends (20,21) containing the shafts (6) with rollers (7,8).