ARTICULATED VEHICLE

An 'articulated vehicle' is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivoting joint in its construction, allowing the vehicle to turn more sharply. There are many kinds of articulated vehicles, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were sometimes articulated in that the driving wheels could pivot around turns.
In a broader sense, any vehicle towing a trailer could be described as articulated (the word articulated comes from the Latin ''articulus'' : small joint). In the UK, the term "articulated lorry" refers to the combination of a tractor and a semi-trailer, abbreviated to "artic". In the U.S., this is called a semi-trailer truck, "tractor-trailer" or "semi-truck" and would not necessarily be called articulated.

Contents

Type of vehicles

Buses

Trucks

Trains and rail

Heavy equipment

Military vehicles

See also

Type of vehicles

Buses

Main articles: Articulated bus

Buses are articulated to allow for a much longer bus which can still navigate with the turning radius of a normal bus.

Trucks

Main articles: Semi-trailer truck

In the UK, semi-trailers on tractor units are referred to as "articulated lorries."

Trains and rail

Main articles: Articulated car

Many train cars are made with articulated connections, sharing a common truck between two cars. This reduces costs, weight, vibration and noise.
Trams and Light Rail Vehicles have been made with articulated designs since the 1950s. This was instead of using trailers or multiple units, which had been attempted in the early 1900s. The articulated design allows passengers (and fare inspectors) to move the entire length of the vehicle.

★ See also Articulated trams

Heavy equipment

Main articles: Engineering vehicle

Front loaders, graders, dump trucks and other vehicles have been made with articulated joints to greatly reduce their turning radius.

Military vehicles

Some military vehicles, like for instance the US military M561 Gama Goat, were engineered with an articulated body for maximum rough terrain capability.

See also

★ Air brake (rail)

★ Air brake (road vehicle)

★ Articulated bus

★ Brake

★ Diesel-electric multiple unit

★ Dolly (trailer)

★ Electric Multiple Unit

★ Jackknifing

★ Road train

★ Trackless train

★ Semi-trailer

★ Semi-trailer truck

★ Trailer arrangements

★ Tram

★ Fifth wheel coupling

★ Articulated car