Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
[QUOTE 2023644, member: 9609"]These often puzzle me - what is the point of the wheel at the front - surely the direction would be purely governed by the tracks?[/quote]
At the time there was no easy 'off the shelf' method for high speed track steering on tracked vehicles. The process was to brake (or declutch one track, which had confusing outcomes when heading down a slope) steer wasting power and causing steering to be an all or nothing affair that could only be carried out at slow speed or stationary. The solution for the German army was to use a conventional differential between the tracks, with steering brakes for slow speed sharp turns, and a pair of steering wheels at the front for high speed steering.
When the steering was turned to near its limits, at slow speed, the inside track would be braked. Otherwise when traveling at speed the tracks would follow the front wheel(s) adjusting speed through the differential as would any wheeled vehicle.
The British inventor, Walter Wilson, invented the 'Wilson Triple Differential Steer[ing system]' just prior to WW2 allowing British tanks to be superior to the competition until the Germans caught up. The Wilson system allowed power to be applied to both tracks equally, albeit at differing speeds, so that high speed steering, and spinning on the spot, was possible. This was a huge advance on previous systems that relied on clutches, brakes and twin gearboxes.
Wilson also invented the 'self changing gears' that lead onto today's automatic gearboxes.
At the time there was no easy 'off the shelf' method for high speed track steering on tracked vehicles. The process was to brake (or declutch one track, which had confusing outcomes when heading down a slope) steer wasting power and causing steering to be an all or nothing affair that could only be carried out at slow speed or stationary. The solution for the German army was to use a conventional differential between the tracks, with steering brakes for slow speed sharp turns, and a pair of steering wheels at the front for high speed steering.
When the steering was turned to near its limits, at slow speed, the inside track would be braked. Otherwise when traveling at speed the tracks would follow the front wheel(s) adjusting speed through the differential as would any wheeled vehicle.
The British inventor, Walter Wilson, invented the 'Wilson Triple Differential Steer[ing system]' just prior to WW2 allowing British tanks to be superior to the competition until the Germans caught up. The Wilson system allowed power to be applied to both tracks equally, albeit at differing speeds, so that high speed steering, and spinning on the spot, was possible. This was a huge advance on previous systems that relied on clutches, brakes and twin gearboxes.
Wilson also invented the 'self changing gears' that lead onto today's automatic gearboxes.