Vehicle articulation power transmission - has rear shaft support keeping in common plane with steering axis

摘要

Vehicle has front (12) and rear (14) chassis sections, with an articulated frame (24) between. The sections perform steering movements about a vertical axis (34), and twisting movements about a horizontal one determined by a ball-joint (48). The power unit is mounted in the front section and a driven unit (81) in the rear one, coupled to the power unit by a transmission system (88, 92) with a propeller shaft (90) and universal joint (94) and a further shaft and universal joint in the front section. A support (100) hinges on the articulated frame and the rear chassis section and causes the propeller shaft (90) to move along a path keeping it in a common plate with the vertical axis (34) during relative steering and twisting movement between the chassis sections.