Vehicle and Drive Mechanism

Abstract

Drive mechanism including a traction portion, a drive-receiving portion and a driven portion. The traction portion encircles and is rotatable about an axis. The drive-receiving portion encircles the axis and is fixed to rotate with the traction portion. The driven portion engages the drive-receiving portion to drive the traction portion to rotate. The traction portion is moveable relative to the driven portion to a plurality of positions along the axis. At least one of the drive-receiving portion and the driven portion has a length along which it is engageable by the other of the drive-receiving portion and the driven portion such that the drive-receiving portion and the driven portion co-operate to drive the traction portion at its plurality of positions along the axis.

1 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A vehicle, for in one configuration running along rails and in another configuration running along roadway, including
 a gauge adjustable arrangement of wheels for engaging the rails;   an arrangement of wheels for engaging the roadway;   a drive system for rotationally driving at least one of the wheels;   a user interface for controlling the drive system; and   an elevatable work platform;   wherein the user interface is associated with the work platform for, in both of the configurations, controlling from the work platform locomotion of the vehicle;   the at least one driven wheel is at least one of the roadway-engaging wheels;   a portion of or fixed to rotate with the at least one driven wheel is engageable with a portion of or fixed to rotate with at least one of the rail-engaging wheels to rotationally drive the at least one rail-engaging wheel; and   at least one of the portions of or fixed to rotate has a length along which it is engageable with the other of the portions of or fixed to rotate to so rotationally drive the at least one rail-engaging wheel when that wheel is at a plurality of positions to suit differing gauges.   
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 14  wherein the portion of or fixed to rotate with at least one of the rail-engaging wheels has a length along which it is so engageable. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 15  wherein at least one of the portions of or fixed to rotate is a friction drum. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle of  claim 14  including a vehicle body carrying a retro-fit module wherein the vehicle body carries the at least one driven wheel; and
 the module includes the at least one rail-engaging wheel. 
 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle of  claim 14  wherein the user interface has at least two modes and is configured to 1) when in a first of the modes, rotate the at least one driven wheel in a first direction in response to a user input; and 2) when in a second of the modes, rotate the at least one driven wheel in a second direction in response to the same user input. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle of  claim 14  including a ram for driving the portion of or fixed to rotate with at least one of the rail-engaging wheels to engage with the portion of or fixed to rotate with the at least one driven wheel. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle of  claim 14  including a ram for driving at least one of the rail-engaging wheels to adjust the gauge of the arrangement of the rail-engaging wheels.