Coaxial steering wheels for an articulated motor grader

Claim 1

In a vehicle with dual modes of steering, a conventional dirigible wheel system at its forward extremity and an articulating steerable joint system with a pivot means having a substantially vertical axis disposed between a front and rear frame of the vehicle having a fluid actuated pair of jacks mounted on opposite sides of the verical axis of the pivot means interconnecting said front and rear frames for articulating said front frame with respect to said rear frame, a plurality of wheels on said reaR frame, and an operator''s station with manually manipulatable means for independently controlling each of said vehicle steering systems comprising, a console, a rotatable shaft extending outwardly from said console and controlling said wheel systems, a primary steering wheel supported by and fixed to said shaft to regulate the dirigible wheel system, a support sleeve bracket mounted on said shaft, an auxiliary wheel having a lower portion interrupted by a pair of arms extending radially inwardly and pivotally secured to said bracket and an upper arcuate portion connected to said arms disposed forwardly thereof, proximate to and extending in a parallel, concentric and coaxial relationship with approximately 180* of said primary wheel to regulate the steerable joint system whereby the operator can grip and turn both wheels simultaneously with a single hand to control both the dirigible wheel system and the articulating steerable joint system to provide simultaneous dual mode steering, said console further including means for selectively longitudinally adjusting the same with respect to the operator''s station while maintaining the steering wheels in their original angular attitudes and additional means for pivotally adjusting the wheels in a vertical arcuate plane to alter the angular attitudes thereof, and complementing means operatively attached to each of said wheels to effect independent control of each steering system including hydromechanical actuating linkage connecting said wheels with their respective steering systems.