Abstract: A floor constituted by a flexible belt (23), resting on the upper surface of a loadbearing base, has one end connected to a headboard (17) and the other end connected to a winch (28). A cable (33) has one end connected to the headboard and the other end connected to the winch. A guide system for the cable including a compensating mechanism (36, 56, 57) which varies the path of the cable during rotation of the winch, so as to compensate for a difference between the belt diameter and the cable diameter on the winch, the difference varying as the belt is wound and unwound.

Abstract: An extensible and retractable linear drive (5) connects a tractor unit (1) and a trailer unit (2) and is controlled by a control unit (11). The progress of the tractor/trailer combination is assisted by alternately forcibly increasing and forcibly decreasing the distance between tractor and trailer units (1, 2).

Abstract: An articulated vehicle with steering linkage having a main chassis (2) pivotally connected and supported by a front sub-chassis (1) for pivotal movement about a vertical axis (27) and pivotally connected to a rear sub-chassis (6) about a vertical axis (30), the front sub-chassis having a median plane (1') and the rear sub-chassis having a median plane (6') a linkage member (71) mounted on the rear sub-chassis for movement along the median plane thereof (6), and a linkage member (72) mounted on the front sub-chassis for movement along the front median plane (1'), the linkage members being connected together by a pivot member (73) for relative pivotal movement about a vertical pivot axis (61) lying substantially at the intersection of the median planes of the front and rear sub-chassis during turning of the vehicle. A control link (82) is pivotally connected on the median plane (2') of the main chassis (2) and also pivotally connected to the linkage member (71) so that during turning the ratio of the angle (.

Abstract: The vehicle has a main chassis (2) pivotally supported by front and rear sub-chassis (1,6), one of which carries the engine. Constant velocity power is communicated between the two sub-chassis (1,6) by an intermediate shaft (20) connected to front and rear shafts (18,21) extending along the center-lines (1',6') of the respective sub-chassis (1,6). For steering, pivoting of the rear sub-chassis (6) is controlled in dependence of the pivoting of the front sub-chassis (1) so that, during, turning, the center-lines (1',6') of the sub-chassis intersect at a point (61) nearer to the pivot axis (27) of the front sub-chassis (1) than to the pivot axis (30) of the rear sub-chassis (6). The universal joints (20a,20b) of the intermediate shaft (20) are equidistant from the intersection point (61). The rear sub-chassis (6) thus pivots through a smaller angle than the front sub-chassis (1).